Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Political Party Affiliation On Refugee Admissions To The United States, Alison E. Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The president determines the number of refugees to be admitted to the United States each year after consultation with Congress, but there is a gap in literature related to whether party affiliation affects refugee admissions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the political party affiliation of the president on refugee admissions and any moderating effect of Congressional majority affiliations. The eight research questions centered on the effect of the president’s party on the refugee ceiling and admissions, regional allocations and admissions, and the extent to which Congressional majority parties moderate these effects. Total global and …

Understanding Postamnesty Youth Violence In The Niger Delta Region Of Nigeria, Joel Dimiyen Bisina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The experience of youth with violence in the Niger Delta (ND) of Nigeria and the negative consequences to the nation are well-documented in the literature. Youth violence poses a significant threat to national security, economic survival, and Nigeria’s unity and regional peace stabilization. Literature on youths’ experiences with postamnesty violence in the ND is scant. Postamnesty represents the period immediately after the disarmament and demobilization of combatant youth following the proclamation of the presidential amnesty program in Nigeria’s ND. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to bring an understanding to postamnesty youth violence (PAYV) through the lived experiences …

Analysis Of Sexual Assault Policy Implementation Through The Narratives Of University Support Professionals, Rachel Cromheecke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assaults occurring on university campuses are a national health crisis with statistics revealing 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men endure an unwanted sexual experience during their college career. The United States government has modified Title IX to update processes and resources educational institutions must provide to their students affected by sexual assaults. Educational institutions have increased educational resources to inform students about sexual assault prevention, how to recognize a sexual assault, where to go on campus for assistance, and where to report a complaint. However, studies have shown that over 90% of sexual assaults never get …

Legislative Factors That Influence The Creation Of Sex Offender Laws In Pennsylvania, Julie E. Wagner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNonviolent sexual offenders are known to have lesser risk of reoffense than their violent sexual offender counterparts; however, both categories of sexual offenders are contained within the same registry in Pennsylvania, without indication of the differences in the nature of their crimes. It was not known why Pennsylvania’s laws require all sex offenders to be listed in one homogenous group. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify the factors legislators use to determine how a sex offense crime is categorized in legislative decisions in Pennsylvania. Social construction theory served as the theoretical foundation for the study. Data …

How American Transit Agencies Determine Fare Policy: It All Comes Down To Politics, Julian Thesseling

CMC Senior Theses

This paper will provide readers with an understanding of the variables that US transit agencies grapple with when developing fare policy, with a particular focus on the political process. The framework chapter will examine the objectives of public transportation and how agencies face difficulties in achieving these objectives. While this paper will focus on American transportation policy, the framework will draw from the experiences of cities across the world. Three case study chapters will then each discuss an American city or region’s approach to fare policy, and how variables have either complicated or enhanced agencies’ ability to develop effective fare …

Extending Open Mobility To Mobility Data Justice: A Localized Case Study Of Gtfs-Oriented (Infra)Activism In Defense Of The Mobile-Digital Commons, David Moran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Through a humanist lens, this research aims to conceptualize a Mobility Data Justice (MDJ) framework that re-orients both GTFS open transit data (General Transit Feed Specification) and transit rider activists towards collaborative Mobility Data Justice tactics. Transit riders and activists, in the age of Uberfication, have to account for and navigate the dynamics of how Big Data and platform economies are not only augmenting but co-opting political decision-making processes about public transit policy, planning and investment. Building on mobility justice and data justice theorists, I examine how the GTFS open data ecosystem can be operationalized via justice ontologies to support …

Integrating Diverse Perspectives For Managing Neighborhood Trees And Urban Ecosystem Services In Portland, Or (Us), Lorena Nascimento, Vivek Shandas

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Municipalities worldwide are increasingly recognizing the importance of urban green spaces to mitigate climate change’s extreme effects and improve residents’ quality of life. Even with extensive earlier research examining the distribution of tree canopy in cities, we know little about human perceptions of urban forestry and related ecosystem services. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the variations in socioeconomic indicators and public perceptions by asking how neighborhood trees and socioeconomic indicators mediate public perceptions of ecosystem services availability. Using Portland, Oregon (USA) as our case study, we assessed socioeconomic indicators, land cover data, and survey responses about …

Marginalisation: Foundation Level, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Education Analytics Service

The purpose of this module is to provide introductory information about the key characteristics and strategies to reducing marginalisation. It provides a foundation to engage in this topic and apply advice from staff with operational or expert levels of knowledge in combatting marginalisation. On successful completion you will be able to be an informed participant in forums related to marginalisation.

In Residence: Witnessing And Gentrification In Susan Silton’S Los Angeles, Susanna Newbury

Art Faculty Research

Los Angeles artist Susan Silton has created a type of performance practice based on the ethical imperative of reparative witnessing. Orchestrating deeply researched opportunities for participants to engage in elective communities, her art helps individuals see their roles in historic forms of crisis accountably. Several recent pieces reflect not only on global crises perpetuated by neoliberalism and US political fallout, but on a more specific, if tricky crisis: gentrification. Tracing Silton’s own biographical relation to urban change, as well as the modes in which key works select specific sites of change as text or subtext, this article discusses the roles …

The Impact Of Automatic Voter Registration On Voter Registration And Voter Turnout Rates: Comparing Oregon And Washington Congressional Elections, 2010-2018, Jacob Toney

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Automatic Voter Registration is a recently introduced policy that simplifies the process of registering to vote in order to increase voter turnout rates. This capstone estimates how successful this policy has been. To that end, I used a difference-in-differences research design to consider voter registration and turnout rates seen in the Congressional general elections over the period from 2010 to 2018 in Oregon and Washington. I found that the implementation of Automatic Voter Registration led to a small but statistically significant increase in voter registration and voter turnout rates in Oregon relative to both the prior trend seen in that …

Convenience Voting Methods And Effects On Voter Turnout: 2004-2018, Robert Fenton

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This project seeks to examine the potential effects on voter turnout of changes in the laws and policies governing convenience voting methods: the different ways for citizens to cast a ballot anywhere or anytime besides an official polling location on Election Day itself. Specifically, convenience voting methods include absentee voting, early voting, and vote-by-mail, often coming with restrictions such as requiring a valid excuse in order to make use of them. As the US Constitution and relevant federal laws leave election administration almost entirely to the individual states, there is often significant variation in the availability of convenience voting methods …

Does The Primacy System Work?: State Versus Federal Implementation Of The Clean Water Act, Luke Fowler, Chris Birdsall

Public Policy and Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the United States, environmental federalism largely relies on a system for policy implementation that allows the federal government to delegate primary program authority (or primacy) to state agencies. Although it is an ingrained feature of several major federal environmental policies, such as the Clean Water Act (CWA), there is little evidence to indicate what impact delegating authorities has on programs. In order to examine this, the authors use a synthetic control technique to determine how actual CWA program outcomes in five states compare to expected outcomes if EPA retained primary authority. Findings indicate that while there were no significant …

Model-Based Estimates Of Population Of Oregon Census Blocks As Of April 1, 2020, Population Research Center, Portland State University

Publications, Reports and Presentations

The methodology used to produce population estimates as of 4/1/2020 for the state at the block group level relies on data from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 (SF1), 2020 Census Apportionment Results, US Census partnership programs supporting the 2020 Census, 2020 Tiger/Line boundary files, 2015-2019 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) files, ESRI Updated Demographics vintage 2020, and estimates from the Portland State University Population Research Center and US Census Population Division.

The 2010 decennial census block file was the baseline for average household size, and counts of housing units and population by race in 2010. Block group or tract …

The Public Administrator’S Role In Public Art Collaborations: A Case Study Of Public Art In Minnesota Communities, Kurtis Ulrich

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The public Administrator’s Role in Public Art Collaborations:

A Case Study of Public Art in Minnesota Communities

By Kurtis G. Ulrich

Hamline University 2021

This study focuses on the planning and implementation of public art in small cities, and the public administrator’s role in public art collaborations within that context. The research highlights the public administrator’s role in public art collaborations and analyzes how public art projects are implemented and sustained in small cities. The study methodology relies on the qualitative case study method to describe the subjective real-world experiences of city managers in public art collaborations within three …

Interracial Dialogues In Dixie: Expressing Emotions To Promote Racial Reconciliation, Jeneve R. Brooks Phd, Sharon Everhardt Phd, Samantha Earnest Phd, Imren Dinc Phd

Peace and Conflict Studies

Given the legacy of racial injustice and mistrust that continues to plague race relations in the United States, it is important that citizens of different racial backgrounds come together to share their feelings and thoughts about race issues in order to advance racial reconciliation in their own communities. Saunders (1999) asserts that such dialogues can transform interracial relationships that could inspire the larger community to change itself. This study presents the results of nine interracial focus groups from two dialogues on race relations events held in Dothan, Alabama in 2015 and 2016. Our findings illustrate that many Black respondents displayed …

Catalyzing Change In Higher Education: Social Capital And Network Leadership In The Competency-Based Education Network, Bruce William Haupt Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Collaborative inter-organizational networks can be effective at catalyzing and supporting the generation and diffusion of new models and practices. With shared purpose, structure, and resources, network organizations can facilitate knowledge exchange and the growth of inter-organizational relationships. In this study, I sought to better understand how network organizations influence social capital and the spread of innovative practices. Of particular interest were the roles of national network and sub-national network organizations (sub-networks), and the interactive learning processes of network newcomers. I focused on the diverse array of colleges and universities involved in the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), and their efforts to …

Factors Inhibiting Implementation Of A Comprehensive Disaster Management Framework In Trinidad And Tobago, Julie Urslin Samaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIdentifying and exploring the factors inhibiting implementation of a comprehensive disaster management framework to guide the operations of disaster management is a public policy imperative for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Despite the increased frequency and severity of natural and human-made disasters during the past decade, challenges continue with ensuring effective levels of preparedness for responding agencies in Trinidad and Tobago. The current study explored the lived experiences of first responding agencies that operate without a comprehensive disaster management framework. Two theoretical frameworks served as the foundation for this study: the advocacy coalition framework and the multiple streams framework, …

Putting Policy In Its Place: Policy Enactment And Engagement Through A Multiscalar Policy-Shed Framework, Barbara L. Maclennan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research is to examine the spatial components integral to policy formation, implementation, and evaluation. The research uses solid waste as a case study to explore a multiscalar GIS policy-shed framework. To this end, the goal of this dissertation is to examine the spatial nature of public policy. The research applies spatial concepts and multiscalar methodological applications embedded within GIS and geovisualization to explore the complex spaces surrounding public policy implementation and evaluation.

Preventing Obesity: A Social Ecological Exploration Of Centers For Disease Control Prevention Strategies And Guidance Toward Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, And Communities, Ryan Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Obesity has reached nearly 40% of the adult public in the United States, costing the citizen taxpayer over $200 billion annually in healthcare costs. Those suffering from obesity deal with multiple physical and mental repercussions. Through a content analysis of four Centers for Disease Control (CDC) documents and guided by the conceptual framework of the social ecological model, this research explores the federal approach to preventing obesity. The analysis finds that CDC solutions to obesity involve connecting people to each other and healthier choices, an orientation toward local public administration, and an emphasis on environmental and infrastructure improvements. The …

Resource Curse In Kenya’S Coastal Region: A Symptom Of Institutional Failure, George Atisa

Public Affairs and Security Studies Faculty Publications

Regions endowed with abundant natural resources are expected to thrive economically, but this is not the case for Kenya’s coastal region. Communities in this region believe they are working hard enough but are still held in abject poverty by circumstances not of their own making. This state of development raises one pertinent question – who is responsible for this poor state of development and rampant poverty? When it is about an individual, it is easy to attach success to talent and hard work, and sometimes sheer luck, but it is difficult to generalize the “hard-working” argument to an entire community …

Scaling Up: Renewable Energy On Aboriginal Lands In North West Australia, Brad Riley

Nulungu Research Papers

This paper examines renewable energy developments on Aboriginal lands in North-West Western Australia at three scales. It first examines the literature developing in relation to large scale renewable energy projects and the Native Title Act (1993)Cwlth. It then looks to the history of small community scale standalone systems. Finally, it examines locally adapted approaches to benefit sharing in remote utility owned networks. In doing so this paper foregrounds the importance of Aboriginal agency. It identifies Aboriginal decision making and economic inclusion as being key to policy and project development in the 'scaling up' of a transition to renewable energy …

Homeowners’ Lived Experience In Developing And Using Accessory Dwelling Units In Ireland, Geraldine Mary Hurley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have explored the role of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a form of housing since at least the 1970s. Such exploration has taken place across a number of different disciplines, including gerontology, housing affordability, and urban planning. The literature tends to focus on specific policies, however, rather than on the lived experience of the homeowners impacted by those policies. Ireland’s national and local governments have yet to acknowledge the potential use of ADUs as a contributing solution to ongoing problems with housing supply, housing affordability, and homelessness, despite a government-declared national housing crisis. Formal research on ADUs in the …

Understanding The Clery Act Compliance Team Policy Instrument Using Contextual Interaction Theory, Shanieka S. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is a consumer-protection law solely applicable to higher education institutions participating in student financial aid programs. This study addressed the perceived lack of sustainable institutional implementation efforts, which have become the focus of federal program reviews, subjecting campuses to civil penalties and public scrutiny. A quantitative sequential multimethod study using a survey and content analysis was used to address whether Bressers’s contextual interaction theory (CIT) could explain relationships between group dynamics, interdepartmental collaboration, and Clery Act compliance within higher education institutions. Correlational and regression analyses tested connections …

Medical Brain Drain And Its Effect On The Nigerian Healthcare Sector, Oluwakemi Osigbesan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigeria suffers from a huge brain drain issue across different sectors, particularly in the healthcare sector. The WHO assessed that there is a current shortage of 2.8 million physicians in the world A heuristic phenomenological method was used in this study to explore the lived experiences of 12 Nigerian healthcare practitioners that migrated to the United States. The push-pull theory served as the theoretical framework that grounded this study. The central research questions for this study focused primarily on the reasons healthcare practitioners are leaving Nigeria and what the impact of those decisions have on the Nigerian healthcare sector. Qualitative …

An Exploration Of The Impact Of Organizational Subculture On Ethical Decision Making In Policing, Sonya M. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe culture of the workplace setting intertwined with how one interprets ethics and code of conduct can be factors that separate acceptable and unacceptable conduct in policing. The reluctance of police agency executives willingness to assess the integrity of their departments often stems from the fear of negative community perceptions followed by unwanted oversight and operational recommendations. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of police officers regarding the influence of organizational subculture on ethical decision-making. The theoretical framework for this study used Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory and Aker’s Social Learning Theory. …

Relationships Among Residential Instability, Poverty, And Index Crimes In Rural New York, Justine Case-Fitzgerald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of empirical literature on rural crime limits the ability to fully understand the driving force behind criminality in nonmetropolitan areas. Predominantly urban theories such as social disorganization theory have been used as a general description for crime causation; however, most social disorganization research has been conducted in urban settings without reference to the mediating rural characteristics present. This simplified view of crime, which does not reflect existing variables within the areas studied, has weakened the ability to identify the most efficient and effective crime-control strategies. The research questions in this study addressed the need to understand how unique …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Junior Secondary Education And Student Academic Performance In Central Ethiopia, Mulugeta Haile

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite Ethiopia’s rapid economic growth and its attempts at different educational models, there is a significant problem with junior secondary school education and student academic performance. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of junior secondary school education in central Ethiopia and what innovative academic approaches are necessary to increase student academic performance. The study used self-determination theory as its foundation. The main research question was focused on junior secondary school education, current policies, and students’ academic performance. A nonprobability purposive sampling method was used to select 10 teachers from two schools. The study used semi structured …

Transnational Threats To Maritime Systems And Seaport Security, Eric L. Hampton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An assessment of a 16-year period since the 9/11 attacks indicated that more than 14,000 security breaches in which security measures at seaports were circumvented due to vulnerabilities occurred and more than 24,000 suspicious activity reports were made. The susceptibility of United States’ seaports to groups engaged in criminal activities, including drug trafficking, cargo theft, and smuggling of contraband and people undermines security practices and renders the nation vulnerable to acts of terrorism. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore seaport security measures to identify and understand internal and external factors that may impact protection practices at U.S. …

Human Centeredness: The Foundation For Leadership-As-Practice In Complex Local/Regional Food Networks, Maryann Martinez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Our local and regional food systems are predominately modeled on a failed capitalist market-based economy. In the absence of corporate accountability, and/or support on the federal policy level, local and regional leadership and self-organized networks are critical to the scaling across and evolution of a moral and equitable food system. Networked food systems leaders are developing the capacity to solve wicked problems, and spark change. Understanding the values and practices of local food systems leadership that initiate, influence, and support activities is essential to understanding how to foster conditions for local and regional food network growth. My dissertation research is …

Dismantling Tools Of The Incompetent: Exploring Cultural Competence Training In Undergraduate Education Policy And Education Studies Programs, Ashley P. Allen

Dissertations

Cultural competence is described as a set of skills, values, and principles that acknowledge, respect, and work toward optimal interactions between the individual and the various cultural and ethnic groups with which an individual might come into contact. Scholars have been critical of cultural competence training because the three-dimensional approach which is its foundation fails to address institutional and systemic racism. I posit that undergraduate programs should provide training, so graduates are culturally competent entering their respective fields. I examined cultural competence training within education policy and studies undergraduate programs because these graduates will work within education at all levels …