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Deforestation In Brazil’S Amazon And The Effects On Its Position In International Politics, Jeb Hinkle

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

Latin America is a land of potential for economic growth, the expansion of democracy, and international political influence. The United States has historically had political and economic influence in the region; however, Latin American nations have long seen the United States as imperialists, only serving their own interest at the expense of smaller Latin nations. As China’s global ambitions grow, many Latin American nations have turned towards the Chinese for investment and trade. The United States needs to combat China’s influence and the nations of Latin America wish to build a better future for themselves. The solution is strategic partnership …

Chronic Inequities: Environmental & Structural Racism During Covid-19 And Hurricane Laura Disaster Recovery, Tomeka M. Robinson, Sabrina Singh

Critical Disaster Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the realities of systemic health inequities within the United States. While the virus has severely impacted the entire country, people of color bear the brunt of this pandemic, from surges of COVID-19 cases in their communities to spikes in unemployment rates. Simultaneously, citizens are dealing with the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. The common denominator concerning these two stressors is that they can be exacerbated by institutional racism. This can be seen in the case of a small city in Southwest Louisiana, namely, Lake Charles, which has become a …

Book Review: The Shaming State: How The U.S. Treats Citizens In Need, Steve Matthewman

Critical Disaster Studies

Salman’s book centers two different constituencies, in two different locations, in the 2010s, who have been impacted by two different disasters. The first group are Iraqi refugees who have been resettled in Wayne County, Michigan. Trying to start again over half a world away, they are trapped in the transit lounge of life, never able to move on, never able to properly belong. They found a state in recession, the automobile industry collapsing, the city of Detroit bankrupt. Their particular county had higher unemployment than the state’s average and a poor median income as well. Economically speaking, ‘Michigan fared worse …

Essays On The Application And Improvement Of The Geographical Economics Models To Policy Analysis: The Case Of Road Infrastructure In Central America, Ignacio Penagos

Economics Theses and Dissertations

The novel models of Geographical Economy have analyzed the effects on the distribution of economic activity over the area of a given region, generated by different socio-economic shocks. For example, the costs of migrating from one place to another, as shown in Desmet et al. (2018). A key advantage of such models is that, given the structural definition of the market interactions, they can first create counterfactual scenarios based on the economic fundamentals. And second, a broad set of variables can account for that impact. These dynamic spatial general equilibrium models embody features such as measures for amenities, trade and …

Covid-19 And Global Institutional Shift From National To Subnational Governments, Jonathan Feld-Jacobson, Armaan Rizvi, Bora Sinan

Working Papers Series

The COVID-19 Pandemic saw dramatic global shifts in legislative powers between central and local governments. With changes in the severity and duration of the pandemic, in the federations of Nigeria, Australia, and Canada, policymaking regarding border and school closures and states of emergency saw an increasing involvement of regional governments. We suggest that looking at the national and regional PPI data for our hypotheses could indicate directly the severity of the pandemic in these nations. Federalisms particularly provide a case of institutional change evidencing that COVID-era decision-making saw a change in the rules and expectations of governance in the nations …

Addressing Or Reinforcing Injustice? Artificial Amnion And Placenta Technology, Loss-Sensitive Care And Racial Inequities In Preterm Birth, Sophie L Schott, Faith Fletcher, Alice Story, April Adams

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Power & Planning: A Critical Comparison Of Tribal And Non-Tribal Wildfire Protection Plans, Christian J. Heisler

Student Research Symposium

In 2003, the US government passed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which urged wildfire-prone communities to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs). These plans allow local groups to contextualize risk, practice social learning, and develop social capital while addressing wildfire risk. Within planning realms, however, decision-making power is usually concentrated unequally between social groups which can limit the influence of marginalized communities. Tribal nations, specifically, have been excluded from wildfire planning since European contact, signaling that CWPPs may not reflect Indigenous worldviews and priorities. Given the recent push from the federal government to increase land management collaboration with tribes, it …

Powering Justice: Sketches For A New Ethos In Energy Policy, Erin Rizzato Devlin

Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts

Energy politics lie at the heart of human activity. In a time of ecological and energy crisis, it is fundamental to realise that our reality systems are always open to change and that, in order to respond to the challenges of a changing energy landscape, we must explore the full possibilities of technology in a radical way. This research aims to consider the ethical implications of energy and technology, presenting an urgent case for cosmotechnical pluralism, that is the diversification of world-views, knowledges, technologies in the pursuit of energy justice in global politics. To reconstruct the world and its politics …

Opportunities For Urban Resilience To Climate Change: Understanding Local Climate Perceptions, Motivations, And Barriers To Green Infrastructure Use, Emmilene Berski

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Global climate change poses a substantial threat to cities in the United States, particularly through increases in flooding and extreme heat. Cities must adapt to these threats to preserve their residents’ livelihoods and prevent economic loss. One adaptation strategy is the implementation of green infrastructure (GI). The opportunity for GI to foster urban resilience to climate change necessitates a deeper understanding of the extent to which cities utilize GI as a strategy for local climate change adaptation as well as perceptions and motivations surrounding the use of GI at a local level. I sought to address this need through a …

Does California High-Speed Rail Promote Accessibility For Station Cities?: Case Study Of Fresno And Merced, Chih-Hao Wang, Na Chen

Mineta Transportation Institute

California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) will largely change transportation cost across the state after it starts operating. Past studies show that only Fresno and Merced among station cities in the Central Valley would attract more future activities with the CHSR. The establishment of active CHSR also implies a new daily living sphere for all the station cities, and, therefore, accessibility to work and residential amenities should be reviewed to inform planners of future land-use and transportation developments. A research framework has been developed better to understand the impact of CHSR on job and amenity accessibility by driving, transit, and walking in …

A Compilation, Analysis, And Categorization Of 403 Atmospheric And Climate Science Misconceptions, Haeli Leighty

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) has listed the inaccessibility of research related to misconceptions in atmospheric and climate science as a Geoscience Education Research Grand Challenge (Cervato et al. 2018). This project was a direct response to this call for research and consisted of three distinct steps: 1) data gathering, which included reviewing the literature for relevant misconception data, 2) a qualitative analysis, which included compiling, organizing, and categorizing the data collected, and 3) a quantitative analysis, which included determining the prevalence of each misconception across topic categories, demographic categories, and over time. A total of 403 misconceptions …

Word Choice, Deep Core Beliefs, And Unlikely Alliances: Increasing The Distance Traveled By The Narrative Policy Framework, Dalten Warren Fox

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation expands the use and capabilities of the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) by utilizing the framework across three projects that address prevailing knowledge gaps. Since 2010, the NPF literature has produced significant evidence for the importance of understanding the roles of narrative language in public policymaking. Moreover, the NPF’s creators have consistently called upon other policy narrative scholars to challenge, refine, and expand the framework. To contribute to this endeavor, this collection of studies examines language components previously unconsidered by the NPF, leverages the framework in untested belief areas, and examines atypical policy subsystem dynamics using the framework. The …

A Geospatial Analysis Of Patterns In Neighborhood Characteristics And United States Professional Sports Stadium Relocations From 1922-2022, Kara Logan

Master's Theses

In the United States of America, 135 stadiums for new or relocating teams have been constructed between 1970 and 2020 (Bradbury et al., 2022, p. 3). Within those years, researchers, journalists, and community members have examined the impact of those new stadiums on local communities, including economic, environmental, and residential impacts. However, the current scope of literature consists of a considerable number of case studies that examine a single stadium or mega-event, such as the Olympics.

This study will determine what patterns, if any, exist between the demographic and housing characteristics between the stadiums that major league United States professional …

Traffic Analysis Of Cities In San Bernardino County, Sai Kalyan Ayyagari

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This research offers an in-depth analysis of vehicular traffic within San Bernardino County, California, aiming to spotlight congestion areas and suggest improvements for more efficient and sustainable transportation. Leveraging 2021 data from StreetLight Data, traffic patterns in 15 key cities were examined based on their population sizes, covering various vehicle types to dissect dynamics and flow. The methodology focused on analyzing trip purposes and metrics to calculate Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and its influence on congestion and environmental factors.

Findings indicate considerable disparities in traffic volume, purposes, and timings across different urban areas, with population density and intercity connections significantly …

Truck Traffic Analysis In The Inland Empire, Bhavik Khatri

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study undertakes a meticulous examination of truck traffic within the Inland Empire, focusing on the distribution and dynamics of medium and heavy-duty vehicles, to advocate for the region's transition to electric trucks. Utilizing advanced spatial analysis and data from Streetlight Data, it segments the region into six subregions, revealing distinct traffic patterns and environmental impacts. Notably, the research uncovers that the North Center and West zones, integral to the logistics and warehousing sectors, exhibit the highest traffic volumes, significantly influencing air quality and infrastructure.

Quantitative results from 2021 illustrate a pronounced disparity in truck activity: medium-weight vehicles accounted for …

A Red Awakening: An Analysis Of China’S Quest For Global Dominance Through Economic Alternative Warfare Methods, Sarah Beddingfield

Senior Honors Theses

In the 2023 annual meeting of China’s parliament, Chinese President Xi made it clear to his political leaders and the world that he was preparing for war. This should come as no surprise after analysis of China's grand strategy points clearly to the intent to surpass the U.S. as the premier global superpower in all respects. China has been building towards this goal for years through untraditional methods of warfare, forcing the national security community to reevaluate its own strategy and assess the Chinese threat through a different lens. This thesis seeks to address one specific area in which China …

The Educator Labor Market In Times Of Change: Lessons From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Andrew Mitchell Camp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic placed an undeniable burden onto the teaching profession which already faced levels of prestige and interest at 50-year lows. The strains of the pandemic resulted in educators reporting higher levels of job-related stress and burnout and exacerbated concerns about potential teacher shortages. This dissertation leverages administrative data from Arkansas to better understand challenges facing the teacher workforce following COVID-19 and evaluate two increasingly policies aimed at the teacher workforce. In the first chapter, I provide evidence that teacher turnover was relatively stable during the first two years (2020-21 and 2021-22) of the COVID-19 pandemic before a notable …

Assessing Urban Tree Coverage Along The U.S.-Mexico Border: A Gis Analysis Of Paso Del Norte, Melanie Escobar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, researchers have extensively studied the spatial distribution of social demographics and urban tree canopy (UTC) in urban cities, but very few, to this date, address U.S.-Mexico border cities. To date, there is no research that assesses the distribution of urban tree canopy (UTC) in the city of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, along the U.S.- Mexico border. Leveraging advanced mapping techniques and GIS tools, the study performs comparisons between countries (Juárez vs. El Paso urbanized areas and intra-country (within each country). It compares land cover classifications, assesses variations in UTC distribution across census tracts and …

Routing Opportunities For Commercial Crossings Between El Paso And Juarez, Marek Musil

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the topic of commercial movements between the El Paso and Ciudad Juarez road networks and the implications of the possible changes in their routing. This area houses several ports of entry, which present one of the busiest commercial and personal border crossings in the whole nation. The primary focus was to evaluate the recently proposed reconstruction scenario of removing trucks from the Bridge of the Americas and study the impacts on the flows throughout the other ports. The chosen tool to support the analysis is a mesoscopic simulation software called DynusT, which is capable of modeling the …

Smart Public Transportation And Mobility Hub Design In El Paso, Jiri Vojtisek

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the potential of a Smart Public Transportation concept and mobility hub design as tools to mitigate the growing trend of transportation issues, such as traffic congestion, reliance on privately owned vehicles, or unattractive public transportation. Consequently, residentsâ?? lives are negatively affected by excessive noise, air pollution, and travel delays, leading to increased safety risks, lost productivity, and a lower quality of life. Considering these challenges, the study begins by analyzing the current state of public transportation in El Paso. Next, it introduces a toolkit from the Smart City concept, followed by case studies of best practices of …

Iraqi Education Past And Present: The Role Of Policymakers And Their Ideological Background, Hadi T. Pir

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The history of Iraqi education unmistakably illustrates how policymakers have consistently operated within the same worldview since 1920. Despite apparent differences among Iraqis in terms of race, religion, sect, geography, and social and tribal norms, a shared worldview has emerged, which I term the Traditional Iraqi Paradigm (TIP). This shared worldview comprises a set of interconnected postulates. The divergence among Iraqi groups lies not in the postulates themselves but in how they translate these postulates into actions and behaviors. These translations have become historical, institutional, and psychological aspects of reality contributing to the political, social, and educational differences, conflicts, and …

Big Infrastructure And/As Flexibility: The Sites Reservoir Story, Sarah Priscilla Randle, David Linville

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

If constructed as planned, the Sites Reservoir Project will add roughly 1.85 billion m3 (1.5 million acre-feet) of storage capacity to California's water system. Per project proponents, however, the reservoir complex should be understood as infrastructure that would not only increase available water supply but also provide the state's water network with an infusion of a vital systemic quality: flexibility. This article considers such discourses of flexibility through a case study of the Sites project, grounded in analysis of planning documents, government, think tank, and NGO reports, and media coverage from outlets across California. The resulting account shows how the …

Advancing Genomics To Improve Health Equity, Ebony B Madden, Lucia A Hindorff, Vence L Bonham, Tabia Henry Akintobi, Esteban G Burchard, Kellan E Baker, Rene L Begay, John D Carpten, Nancy J Cox, Valentina Di Francesco, Denise A Dillard, Faith E Fletcher, Stephanie M Fullerton, Nanibaa' A Garrison, Catherine M Hammack-Aviran, Vanessa Y Hiratsuka, James E K Hildreth, Carol R Horowitz, Chanita A Hughes Halbert, Michael Inouye, Amber Jackson, Latrice G Landry, Rick A Kittles, Jeff T Leek, Nita A Limdi, Nicole C Lockhart, Elizabeth O Ofili, Eliseo J Pérez-Stable, Maya Sabatello, Loren Saulsberry, Lorjetta E Schools, Jennifer L Troyer, Benjamin S Wilfond, Genevieve L Wojcik, Judy H Cho, Sandra S-J Lee, Eric D Green

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Health equity is the state in which everyone has fair and just opportunities to attain their highest level of health. The field of human genomics has fallen short in increasing health equity, largely because the diversity of the human population has been inadequately reflected among participants of genomics research. This lack of diversity leads to disparities that can have scientific and clinical consequences. Achieving health equity related to genomics will require greater effort in addressing inequities within the field. As part of the commitment of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) to advancing health equity, it convened experts in …

Welfare-Based Human Rights Diffusion In Global Social Policy: Examining An Extended Spiral Model To Survey Welfare Norms, Kendra L. Duran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses a gap in research concerning welfare-based human rights diffusion, rights that are also referred to as Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR). This project finds that when states ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), global social policies are created, grow worldwide, and receive greater attention from advocacy organizations. Even so, it is not understood how global social policies affect a state’s compliance with its ICESCR commitment, nor how global social policies affect welfare-based human rights diffusion. Seeking to address this gap in theory and praxis, this research utilizes an extended case study …

The Importance Of Dialogue Between The United States And North Korea: How Can The United States Respond To The Nuclear Issue With North Korea?, Unbi Choi

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The nuclear issue with North Korea could create even more danger in currently tense international relations. In reality, a long-standing economic sanction is a factor in North Korea's continued hostile attitude toward the United States. The Trump administration chose negotiation instead of economic sanctions. Negotiations succeeded in temporarily easing tensions between the United States and North Korea. However, the Biden administration put economic sanctions back on North Korea. Since then, North Korea has increasingly cultivated hostility, even more than in the last few years, and is further developing nuclearization. As this example indicates, economic sanctions would have negative consequences. The …

“Home Court Advantage: Comparing International Criminal Tribunals To Domestically-Grown Reconciliation”, Elise Treon

Honors Thesis

Scholars have studied wars and their causes for centuries, but what happens when the tanks roll out and the guns stop firing? The concept of reconciliation is a relatively new field of study in international relations, and the scholarship of specific transitional justice mechanisms remains underdeveloped. I comparatively analyze the differences between external and internal peacebuilding strategies – specifically the effectiveness of international tribunals in establishing long term deep reconciliation. In defining internal and external transitional justice mechanisms, I differentiate between a reconciliation process that prioritizes rebuilding citizens’ lives over one that prioritizes the desires of the international community. It …

Gender-Responsive Classification Of Women In Prison: A Typology Based On Mental Health Symptoms And Coping Strategies, Irina Fanarraga, Katarzyna Celinska

Publications and Research

Despite the increase in the incarceration rates of women, most correctional practices are still normed on male samples, including prison classification. Moreover, those classifications do not take into account women’s particular experiences, needs, and unique pathways to criminality. The current research proposes a typology based on female prisoners’ mental health symptoms and coping strategies. The data was derived from a survey conducted with 194 women housed in a Northeastern prison. A two-step clustering analysis was used to obtain three classification types—each with different symptomatology, coping mechanisms, demographic, and background characteristics. The results suggest that identifying and relying on needs-based typologies …

Research On Spatial Collaborative Allocation Of Innovation Chain And Industrial Chain And Regional Economic Layout In China, Jianhui Yu, Wenzhong Zhang, Jiaming Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The driving force of China’s economic development in the new era is gradually shifting from traditional production factor inputs and export-led growth to scientific and technological innovation-driven development, and technological innovation is increasingly becoming the main engine of China’s economic development. China needs to urgently address difficult issues such as the disconnect between science and technology and the economy, as well as prominent problems such as repeated resource allocation and scattered scientific research forces. Under the complex and volatile development environment, it is necessary to further optimize the spatial collaborative allocation of innovation chains and industrial chains and promote the …

Establishing Networked Territorial Spatial Pattern To Serve New Development Pattern, Jiaming Li, Jiaoe Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

A networked territorial spatial pattern, centered around major strategic corridors, plays a crucial role in supporting the construction of the new dual-circulation development pattern. The “Two Horizontals and Three Verticals” major strategic corridors that have been formed can effectively promote the concentration of socio-economic factors in major urban agglomerations. However, there exists a mismatch between the north-south vertical strategic corridors and the east-west socio-economic linkages and transportation corridors. Besides, the existing strategic corridors lack sufficient horizontal support for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, and the land and sea corridors exhibit weak horizontal driving effect and insufficient connection with external corridors. “Three …

Suggestions For Layout Adjustment Of China's Agricultural Regions During Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Period, Yong Xu, Hua Yang, Jian Duan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Adjusting and optimizing the strategic paradigm of China’s agricultural regions in the new era is of great significance to the implementation of the “Greater Food” concept and the building of a strong agriculture. This study takes the layout adjustment of China’s agricultural regions during the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan period as its theme, and firstly summarizes the problems that exist in the main agricultural production regions and the layout changes in grain production bases. Then, in conjunction with the new requirements of the national strategies, the functional types of agricultural regions are refined, the different function positions are clarified, the adjusting …