Digital Commons Network^™

E-Governance As Good Governance? Evidence From 15 West African Countries, Patience I. Akpan-Obong, Mai P. Trinh, Charles K. Ayo, Aderonke Oni

Management Faculty Publications

This research examines assumptions about the relationship between e-governance and governance in 15 West African countries through an analysis of the 2016 and 2018 World Governance Indicators (WGI) and E-government Development Index (EDGI), proxies for governance and e-governance, respectively. A Pearson correlation analysis demonstrates a significant positive correlation between WGI and EDGI. When disaggregated, however, some dimensions of governance fail to correlate with e-governance. Notably, governance indicators correlate positively with each other thus reinforcing the critical role of traditional institutions of governance in achieving good governance. The study concludes that while ICTs are effective in advancing the goals of governments, …

Prosecutorial Discretion: District Attorneys, Public Opinion,And The Localized Rule Of Law, Yu-Hsien Sung

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses three fundamental questions regarding the politics of prosecutorial behavior. Specifically, it examines how the selectors of prosecutors influence prosecutorial decision-making under different selection methods, including electionbased systems and appointment-based systems. By using a political responsiveness framework and utilizing empirical strategies, including an experiment and the construction of prosecutor policy position data, this study offers novel insights into the subject. First, I find that voters care about prosecutors’ issue positions and rely on various cues to identify candidates whose policy positions align with their preferences, even in low-information elections. Second, elections show promise as a mechanism for holding …

Pretrial Release, Risk Assessment, And The Failing Movement Towards A Cashless Bail System: The Need To Target The Source, Brooke Hodgins

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that the cash bail system perpetuates economic and racial disparities, leading to unjust pretrial detention for many individuals. It advocates for a risk-based approach, highlighting New Jersey's bail reform as a model that reduces incarceration rates and disparities while maintaining public safety.

Resilience Model For Teams Of Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uav) Executing Surveillance Missions, Robert Koeneke

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Teams of low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have gained acceptance as an alternative for cooperatively searching and surveilling terrains. These UAVs are assembled with low-reliability components, so unit failures are possible. Losing UAVs to failures decreases the team's coverage efficiency and impacts communication, given that UAVs are also communication nodes. Such is the case of a Flying Ad Hoc Network (FANET), where the failure of a communication node may isolate segments of the network covering several nodes. The main goal of this study is to develop a resilience model that would allow us to analyze the effects of individual UAV …

How Post-Immunization Covid-19 Context Affected Residents’ Evacuation Behavior During Hurricane Ida, Amy Polen, Jennifer Collins, Elizabeth Dunn, Stephen Murphy, Isabelle Jernigan, Killian Mcsweeney, Yi Jie Zhu

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, decision-making during disasters fundamentally changed to accommodate the combined risks of hurricanes and infectious diseases. Prior research conducted in 2020 by Collins et al. examined how individuals changed their intended evacuation decision-making during the pandemic or their actual evacuation decisions during Hurricanes Laura and Sally. Hurricane Ida provided further data on evacuation decision-making when vaccinations and masks were widely available. A digital survey was disseminated to individuals affected by Hurricane Ida in 2021. Respondents provided information about their actual evacuation choices and perceptions of public shelters and COVID-19 risks. In comparison with the …

Cost-Effective Strengthening And Automated Inspection Of One-Way Precast Reinforced Concrete Flat Slab Bridges In South Carolina, Laxman Kc

Theses and Dissertations

In South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) manages 90% of the state's inventory of 9,400 bridges built in the 1950s. With more than 30% of its bridges having been under-designed and experiencing decades of service deterioration, the implications for public safety, the economy, and the transportation system are significant. To prioritize safety and address these concerns, SCDOT is in the process of conducting thorough inspections of bridges, load ratings, and exploring cost-effective and practical methods to strengthen the bridges and reduce load postings. This study is a part of the multi-year research investigation supported by the SCDOT. …

Mitigating Student Anxiety In The Secondary Classroom: A Culturally Sustaining Approach, Erin Hawley Cronin

Theses and Dissertations

This study emerged in response to broader trends of increasing anxiety among schoolchildren and my own observations as a teacher. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for youth (Curtin et al., 2022), and anxiety is a known factor in most deaths by suicide (Nepon et al., 2010). Teachers are often the first point of contact for anxious students, but a shortage of counselors in U.S. schools and other systemic barriers prevent widespread access to counseling services (Cratty, 2019). Moreover, identity-based anxieties are often misattributed to aggression or attention-seeking, and punished in school settings, instead of recognized and supported …

Framing Police Brutality: An Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Walter Scott’S Murder, Shamira S. Mccray

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes news articles about the killing of Walter Scott in 2015 to determine how frames changed over time and across platforms. Previous studies have found that news coverage of police violence against Black men has not always been fair. Instead, the narrative of official sources, like law enforcement, prove dominant. These same research articles typically focus on the way national news outlets frame incidents like Scott’s.

But this thesis takes a deeper look at how state newspapers framed Scott’s murder. I analyzed the frames and sources found in nearly 200 articles published by The Post and Courier and …

2022-2023 Sovereignty In Oklahoma Indian Country, Darla Jackson

Other Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

New Hampshire Timber Harvesting Laws Guide, Steven S. Roberge, Mike Gagnon, Unh Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

New Hampshire has laws and regulations designed to encourage responsible timber harvesting and minimize environmental impacts of logging. Landowners, loggers, and foresters have the responsibility to know and understand New Hampshire’s timber harvesting laws. In addition, municipal officials have the authority and responsibility to work with state agencies to ensure that these laws are consistently enforced.

This publication is intended to assist municipal officials, landowners, and natural resource professionals working in New Hampshire’s forests.

Counterterrorism Law And Policy In The United Kingdom, Canada, And Australia: A Comparative Perspective, Nadav Morag

Journal of Strategic Security

This article looks at the similarities and differences in British, Canadian, and Australian counterterrorism laws and policies. Canada and Australia are contrasted with the United Kingdom because their respective approaches to counterterrorism are based on the British approach, and yet have evolved to take into account differences in the nature and scope of the threat and the differing styles of governance in place in Canada and Australia. The article looks at each country in the context of: counterterrorism laws; detention and disruption practices; investigatory approaches; intelligence and law enforcement institutions; and the treatment of foreign fighters. The article then draws …

Right To Information Act And Records Management Practices In Some Selected Metropolitan Assemblies In Ghana, Ernest Effah Mr., Akwasi Duffour Frimpong Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

ABSTRACT

Every organization requires records. Transparency, accountability, and efficient service delivery are all enhanced by effective records management. The capacity to exercise one's right to access records is contingent on effective records management and its availability in government ministries and public bodies. The study investigated the records management and the right to information in some selected metropolitan assemblies in Ghana. These selected metropolitan assemblies include the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, and Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. A survey research design was used to carry out the study. A total of 80 participants were used for the study. Questionnaires were used …

Tracing The Roots Of A Poisonous Tree: On The Origins And Impact Of Criminal Terminology In A Civil Apprehension Scheme, Shani Mahiri King, Nicole Silvestri Hall

Articles (Current Faculty)

Language is powerful. It can affect how we think about and treat groups of people. Poor language choices have a massive impact on immigration law, an area of the law that determines how groups of perceived “outsiders” are classified and regulated. Language and bias in judicial opinions have been studied, but less research has been done on poor language choices in immigration statutes.

This Comment focuses on the harmful effects of poor language choices in immigration statutes, including the criminal terminology “arrest” and “warrant” in civil immigration apprehension statutes 8 U.S.C. Sections 1226 and 1357. Two fundamental problems arise when …

Uni Schedule Of Classes: Policies And Procedures, Summer 2023, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Schedule of Classes

A listing and schedule of the courses being taught as well as policies and procedures concerning attending classes at the University of Northern Iowa.

Estimating The Impact Of The Age Of Criminal Majority: Decomposing Multiple Treatments In A Regression Discontinuity Framework, Michael Mueller-Smith, Benjamin David Pyle, Caroline Walker

Faculty Scholarship

This paper studies the impact of adult prosecution on recidivism and employment trajectories for adolescent, first-time felony defendants. We use extensive linked Criminal Justice Administrative Record System and socio-economic data from Wayne County, Michigan (Detroit). Using the discrete age of majority rule and a regression discontinuity design, we find that adult prosecution reduces future criminal charges over 5 years by 0.48 felony cases (↓ 20%) while also worsening labor market outcomes: 0.76 fewer employers (↓ 19%) and $674 fewer earnings (↓ 21%) per year. We develop a novel econometric framework that combines standard regression discontinuity methods with predictive machine learning …

Current Vehicle Fleet Inventory And Future Implementation Of A Centralized Electric Fleet At Portland State University, Dane Kovaleski

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

As the effects of climate change continue to impact the world, many institutions have developed climate action goals to reduce their effects on the environment. Portland State University (PSU) has committed to an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. A part of this commitment must include looking at the contributions of transportation on campus to reduce carbon emissions. According to a greenhouse gas emissions report done by the Campus Planning and Sustainability Office in 2016, transportation contributed to 12% of total greenhouse gas emissions on campus.

This project aims to evaluate the management …

Revisiting Federal Tax Treatment Of States, Political Subdivisions, And Their Affiliates, Ellen P. Aprill

Florida Tax Review

Several provisions of the 2017 tax legislation, known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), focused attention on federal taxation of states, their political subdivisions, and their affiliates. Most prominently, the TCJA limited the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes to $10,000. States have sued and attempted workarounds. Another provision, which imposes an excise tax of 21% on “excessive compensation” paid by certain entities not subject to income tax, inadvertently failed to subject to tax entities that are integral parts of states or political subdivisions or are themselves political subdivisions. Calls for a technical correction have …

Transnational Ties Between Selected U.S. And Foreign Violent Extremist Actors: Evidence From The Mapping Militants Project, Martha Crenshaw, Kaitlyn Robinson, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, And Education Center

Reports, Projects, and Research

This report summarizes and assesses open-source evidence about transnational ties between violent extremist groups based in the United States and foreign state and non-state actors. Drawing from the detailed group profiles developed by the Mapping Militants Project, we find that the violent RMVE and AGAAVE universe is characterized by unstructured connections. U.S.-based RMVE and AGAAVE groups do not engage in widespread or systematic cooperation with foreign state and non-state actors. Rather, the connections that do exist across national borders are episodic, informal, fluid, and largely undirected. While we expect that these ties will not result in coordinated mass-casualty attacks in …

Developing Sustainable Smart Cities To Improve Citizen's Quality Of Life And Well-Being, Mohammed Ali Berawi, Mustika Sari, Perdana Miraj

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

In the wake of urbanization and environmental challenges, cities nowadays face multiple issues related to uncontrolled urban growth, insufficient public infrastructure, and inadequate citizen participation in the management of public affairs. Sustainable urban development cannot be achieved without addressing these challenges, necessitating a paradigm shift in urban space management. Therefore, urban development needs to shift traditional concepts and focus on incorporating smart and environmentally friendly practices that allow cities to adapt and implement intelligent solutions to meet the needs of their citizens while continuing to protect the environment.

To achieve sustainability, cities should prioritize a balance between economic activity, population …

Lindenwood Digest, June 28, 2023, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

Understanding Wellness In Law Enforcement: A Crisis, Phil Baebenroth

Doctorate in Education

This study investigates the perceptions of current licensed peace officers in Minnesota regarding reforming their profession. From 2017 to 2020, more police officers in the United States died by suicide than officers killed by gunfire, assaults, crashes, or accidents in the line of duty (Officer Down Memorial Page, 2023 & Blue H.E.L.P, 2023). These statistics present a wellness crisis in the policing profession that deserves immediate attention. There have been worldwide calls for changes in policing from people outside of law enforcement, but few incorporate the practical insights of police officers and even fewer are concerned with officer wellness aspects. …

State Sequestration: Federal Policy Accelerates Carbon Storage, But Leaves Full Climate, Equity Protections To States, Gabriel Pacyniak

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—the UN’s expert science panel—has found that limiting climate change to prevent catastrophic harms will require at least some use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) unless the world rapidly shifts away from fossil fuels and reduces energy demand. There is significant uncertainty, however, about the level of lifecycle GHG reductions achievable in practice from varying CCS applications; some applications could even lead to net increases in emissions. In addition, a number of these applications create or maintain other harms, especially those related to fossil fuel extraction and use. For these reasons, many environmental justice …

Can Local Governments Exercise Police Power To Combat Climate Change Impacts By Banning Natural Gas In New Buildings?, Yichao Gu

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

This Article analyzes whether the Berkeley Gas Ban Ordinance would survive federal or state preemption challenges and examines whether Berkeley properly exercised its police power in adopting the Gas Ban Ordinance. Section II of this article provides background on the air quality and climate change impact from natural gas combustion. Section III discusses Berkeley’s police power authority to adopt the Gas Ban Ordinance. Sections IV through VI present potential express and implied preemption challenges and analyze arguments on both sides. Section VII concludes that the Gas Ban Ordinance is likely to survive federal and state express preemption, but it may …

“So, I Am Back”: Adjudicated Youths’ School Reentry Experiences, Inita S. Knox

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adjudicated youth face a multitude of barriers when reentering school following incarceration. School administrators and educational personnel know very little about how these students perceive their reentry experiences and what the students identify as needed supports, resources, and barriers throughout the process. This qualitative study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with photo-elicitation to explore and describe how formerly incarcerated youth perceive their high school reentry experiences. Participants were male adolescents ages 16 to 18 years old. who provided rich and in-depth descriptions of their reentry experiences. Recommendations for policy, practice and future research are provided.

Center For Constitutional Democracy Welcomes Two New Board Members, James Owsley Boyd

Keep Up With the Latest News from the Law School (blog)

Beginning on July 1, the Center for Constitutional Democracy will be welcoming two new members to its Advisory Board: former Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller ’82 and former CCD Senior Managing Affiliate Brady Harman ’15.

Inaugural Defense And Security Research Symposium Of The Purdue Military Research Institute, Chad Laux, J. Eric Dietz, John Springer, Randy Rapp, Leon Robert

Purdue Military Research Institute: Inaugural Defense & Security Research Symposium “Academia as a Strategic National Asset”

This document is the full conference proceedings from June 26-27, 2023.

River Place Ii, Llc V. Hurd

All Decisions

In a nuisance holdover proceeding, the court voided a "no cure" provision in a probationary stipulation between a landlord and tenant, finding it against public policy. The court ordered a hearing to determine if the tenant, who alleged behavior breaches due to a mental health condition, is entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act, emphasizing landlords' obligations to accommodate disabled tenants. This decision aligns with legal precedents protecting individuals with disabilities in housing disputes.

Interview With Officer Daniel Hodges, Elizabeth Gingerich, Daniel Hodges

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

No abstract provided.

Summer/Fall 2023

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

No abstract provided.

Taxing Social Impact Bonds, Orly Mazur

Florida Tax Review

An exciting new way to fund social services has recently emerged. This new financing mechanism, called a social impact bond (SIB), has the potential to help us tackle some of our nation’s most challenging social problems. Broadly speaking, a SIB is a type of “pay-for-success” contract where private investors provide the upfront capital to finance a social program, but only recoup their investment and realize returns if the program is successful. Like any new financing instrument, SIBs create numerous regulatory challenges that have not yet been addressed. One unresolved issue is the tax implications of a SIB investment. This Article …