Digital Commons Network^™

Spid: A New Database For Inferring Public Policy Innovativeness And Diffusion Networks, Frederick J. Boehmke, Mark Brockway, Bruce A. Desmarais, Jeffrey J. Harden, Scott Lacombe, Fridolin Linder, Hanna Wallach

Government: Faculty Publications

Despite its rich tradition, there are key limitations to researchers' ability to make generalizable inferences about state policy innovation and diffusion. This paper introduces new data and methods to move from empirical analyses of single policies to the analysis of comprehensive populations of policies and rigorously inferred diffusion networks. We have gathered policy adoption data appropriate for estimating policy innovativeness and tracing diffusion ties in a targeted manner (e.g., by policy domain, time period, or policy type) and extended the development of methods necessary to accurately and efficiently infer those ties. Our state policy innovation and diffusion (SPID) database includes …

The True Capabilities Of American Education Policy, Mirren Galway

Political Science

This paper is an analysis of today’s American education system, how it has come to be, and why it seems to consistently fall behind when compared to other countries. Beginning with an evaluation of American education today, this paper follows the implementation of recent policy, the deep issues facing the education system and what can be done to address them. Specifically, it explores why, despite such bipartisan legislation like the No Child Left Behind Act, many students and teachers are still being left behind, and why common arguments about education policy continue to fail students. I argue that, although new …

George Peter Mwanza And Melvin Beene V Attorney General Appeal No. 153/2016 Sc Selected Judgment No. 33 Of 2019, Ellah T.M. Siang’Andu

SAIPAR Case Review

On the 9th December 2019, the Supreme Court of Zambia delivered a landmark decision changing the human rights jurisprudence in the context of protecting and preserving the fundamental human rights of prisoners. The appellants were HIV positive and were both in custody at the Lusaka Central Prison. They petitioned the High Court contending breach of their rights to life and protection from inhuman treatment contrary to the Republican Constitution. The argument of the appellants was that the State’s failure to consider their dietary and health needs, due to the budgetary and logistical restraints, fell short of all prescribed standards for …

The Impact Of Teacher Beliefs On Relationship-Building In A High School Advisory Program, Insoon H. Olson

Dissertations

This was a descriptive case study at a high-needs, comprehensive public high school in Northern Colorado, focused on teachers’ beliefs regarding building relationships with students in the context of a structured high school advisory. Participants were members of the ninth-grade advisory team, including the Coordinator, counselor, Zero Drop-out Student Interventionist, and fourteen content teachers. Each teacher had approximately twenty freshmen students, some of whom were also in their ninth-grade content courses. The author created and anonymously distributed an open-ended pre-questionnaire to the participants, whose responses were blind copied to an anonymous Google survey, collecting all responses within a Google spreadsheet …

Retroactive Justice: Toward Fundamental Fairness In Resentencing Crack Cocaine Offenders Under Section 404 Of The First Step Act, Daniel P. Peyton

University of Richmond Law Review

In analyzing these four methods, this Comment argues that Method IV best serves fundamental fairness in sentencing, in congruence with the purpose of the First Step Act. To resolve its arbitrary implementation, section 404 must be amended to require a full plenary resentencing in accordance with all updated sentencing guidelines and caselaw in effect at the time of the resentencing. This was the approach taken by the court in resentencing Mr. Rhines to time served. While the Supreme Court could rule Method IV is the correct interpretation of the statute, Congress is the more appropriate actor and should capitalize on …

Balancing Religious Liberties And Antidiscrimination Interests In The Public Employment Context: The Impact Of Masterpiece Cakeshop And American Legion, Brenda Bauges

University of Richmond Law Review

Finally, this Article concludes by analyzing different potential methods for trying to balance religious liberty claims with antidiscrimination concerns, and thus Establishment Clause concerns, in public employment. This Article argues for a combination of relevant tests that balances the magnitude and likelihood of third party harm, substantiality of burden to religious liberty, and availability or prevalence of secular accommodations. This test provides room for factual inquiry and context-specific value judgments, while still allowing a workable framework, the results of which are sufficiently predictable that employers and employees are not left to wonder about the boundaries by which their relationship should …

Aces, Onset Of Aggression, And Initiation Of Out-Of-Home Placements In A Sample Of Youth In Residential Treatment For Sexually Abusive Behavior, Teliyah Cobb

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) exhibit a strong influence on later functioning in adolescence and adulthood, including impacts on physical and mental health, as well as behavioral and risk-related outcomes. Youth who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors experience ACEs and negative outcomes at significantly elevated rates. The current study evaluates the relationship between ACEs and the youth’s own behavior and onset and length out-of-home placements, including family- or home-based, residential, and correctional placements. Data for this study consisted of archival records that were collected from a nonprofit inpatient treatment facility for adolescents who had engaged in sexually abusive behavior. The …

Ethical Standards Of Human Services Professionals In Trauma Informed Care Across Diverse Settings, Emily Burroughs

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ethics are important in every aspect of our professional lives. Actions have consequences and in the Human Services field, decisions that we make will potentially directly impact our clients. A human services professional’s responsibility is to care for their clients and provide them with the appropriate resources needed to succeed in their daily lives. When a professional begins working with a trauma victim, they must be sure to assess their ethical behaviors and provide proper resources to the victim. This work is often referred to as trauma informed care which goes beyond the typical helping process of professionals. It is …

An Analysis Of Cross-Ideological Expectation Voting On The United States Supreme Court, 2000-2017, Sarah Saulsbury

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Contrasted with the other branches of government, the Supreme Court has long been an institution posing a level of secretiveness equal to its power. Naturally, that has developed a desire, and maybe necessity, to gain a better understanding regarding the principal influences of judicial decision making on America’s highest Court. One phenomenon that has long been of interest to Court observers is the notion of the justice’s voting across established ideological lines. Previous attempts to explain and reconcile cross-ideological votes have focused on the influence of external actors on the Court, its legitimacy, public opinion, and dynamics between justices. Yet, …

College Students’ Attitudes Towards Police Officers And Their Perceptions Of Prison Systems, Lee Poff

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The current research seeks to study and gauge current perceptions of police among college students at East Tennessee State University. As well as studying perceptions of police among students, the research will compare police perceptions among students with student opinions on incarceration. Correlations will be attempted to be observed through various demographical characteristics and similar standardized viewpoints. This will build on prior research from Lim (2015) and others in which college students were used to gauge results around perceptions of police. It is important to understand college student perceptions on police and incarceration as they form the future work force …

Employer Perceptions About Addiction Recovery And Hiring Decisions, Haley Henderson, Joseph Barnet, Valerie Hoots, Andrea Clements

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drug and alcohol addiction is a nationwide epidemic with an increasing number of Americans being affected. Individuals who seek treatment for their addiction often face barriers, such as costs, waiting time, and available support, and those who are able to receive treatment are likely to experience or anticipate stigma from others. Existing literature has found that many employers have negative perceptions of individuals in addiction recovery. However, there is limited research that has analyzed whether these negative perceptions affect hiring decisions. We predicted that employers would have negative perceptions of those in recovery, would be less likely to hire individuals …

Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) And Temperament In Children Aged 14 To 36-Months, Elysabeth Sexton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Researchers have explored the effects of early adverse life experiences (ACEs) on children’s developmental outcomes for decades. In this study, I explored whether ACEs in toddlerhood were associated with temperament. I tested the hypotheses that: 1) children who were determined to have a difficult temperamental profile would have higher parent-reported ACE scores than children with an easy temperamental profile, and 2) children’s temperament types would have stronger associations with abuse and neglect ACE scores than with household dysfunction ACE scores. Parents of 94 toddlers, who were between 14 and 36 months of age, completed online surveys on behalf of their …

Lindenwood Magazine, Spring/Summer 2020, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Magazine (2017- )

Lindenwood University news magazine.

Diploma Privilege And The Constitution, Claudia Angelos, Sara Berman, Mary Lu Bilek, Carol Chomsky, Andrea A. Curcio, Marsha Griggs, Joan W. Howarth, Eileen Kaufman, Deborah Jones Merritt, Patricia E. Salkin, Judith Wegner

SMU Law Review Forum

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdowns are affecting every aspect of society. The legal profession and the justice system have been profoundly disrupted at precisely the time when there is an unprecedented need for legal services to deal with a host of legal issues generated by the pandemic, including disaster relief, health law, insurance, labor law, criminal justice, domestic violence, and civil rights. The need for lawyers to address these issues is great but the prospect of licensing new lawyers is challenging due to the serious health consequences of administering the bar examination during the pandemic.

State Supreme Courts are …

College Student Perceptions Of System-Culpability In The Frequency Of Wrongful Convictions: Gauging The Importance Of Respondent Characteristics, Merideth Smith

Honors Theses

Prior literature has highlighted several factors that contribute to wrongful convictions and described the frequency in which these factors influence wrongful convictions; they include mistaken eyewitness identification, mishandling of forensic evidence, and misconduct among criminal justice professionals. The literature concerning perceptions of the influence of these factors on wrongful convictions is limited, however, by its failure to consider the impact of respondent characteristics on their perceptions. In this study, I extend this line of research by examining the influence of respondent characteristics on perceptions of the culpability of criminal justice actors, contamination of forensic evidence, and mistaken eyewitness identification in …

Examining Differences In Housing Voucher Law Application In Cook And Dupage Counties, Justin Wettstein

University Honors Program Senior Projects

This study examines the experiences of families with active involvement in open cases with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) within a Housing Advocacy Program (HAP) at La Casa Norte in Chicago, Illinois. Housing advocates in this program work with clients in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County, as well as DuPage County. This program focuses on assessing the needs of families with open DCFS cases who are nearing completion of a mandated program, with housing that meets DCFS guidelines and requirements being one of the final steps towards case closure. HAP case managers educate …

Thoughts And Opinions On Police Intervention On Domestic Violence, Magdalene Thebaud

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Historically, the criminal justice system was highly criticized for dismissing the intimate violence reports. Many lawsuits were filed against the police for not responding to victim’s police reports. It is important to consider the victim’s opinions on intimate partner violence interventions when deciding what it effective or not. Policy research should implement more victim focused resources and laws that would allow victims to safely leave abusive relationships. Being mindful of the evidence this study should encourage policy makers to consider the police intervention of intimate partner violence. This research could provide statistics showing that police intervention is causing retaliation and …

Changes In Religiosity Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Emerging Adults, Brandi Woodell, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Highly religious Americans are relatively likely to oppose lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) rights and many churches are unwelcoming to sexual minorities, which may lead LGB Americans to retreat from religion. To assess this possibility, we investigate trajectories of religious change for sexual minorities and other emerging adults. We use two longitudinal data sources (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and the National Study of Youth and Religion) to explore how sexuality predicts the likelihood of decreasing religiosity in emerging adulthood. Results show that three different operationalizations of sexual minority status—attraction, behavior, and identity—are each strongly and consistently …

Plea Bargaining And Collateral Consequences: An Experimental Analysis, Carlie Malone

Vanderbilt Law Review

The overwhelming majority of convictions in the United States are obtained through guilty pleas. Many of these guilty pleas are a product of plea bargaining, where a defendant enters a guilty plea in exchange for some form of official concessions. Despite its prominence, plea bargaining is subject to limited regulation. One consequence of this limited regulation is that courts generally only require the direct consequences of a guilty plea to be communicated to a defendant. Thus, when a defendant is deciding whether to plead guilty, he is often operating with incomplete information about the costly collateral consequences that may attach …

Generals & General Elections: Legal Responses To Partisan Endorsements By Retired Military Officers, Hannah M. Miller

Vanderbilt Law Review

Retired generals and admirals of the U.S. military appear to be endorsing partisan political candidates in greater numbers, with more visibility. This Note argues that the practice represents a clear danger to civilian control over the military and weakens military effectiveness. It explains that while retirees remain subject to military jurisdiction, the existing array of statutory and regulatory restrictions on political activity cannot adequately address the problem. Neither can professional norms be expected to shore themselves up to solve it. This Note describes how political restrictions on service members have evolved over time in response to novel challenges to civilian …

School Social Work: A Curriculum Analysis, Nikki Snyder

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

School social workers, although typically underutilized, provide extremely valuable services to school-aged children and their families, entire school districts, and communities. The purpose of this research was to study the level of compliance by MSW programs offering School Social Work with the National Association of Social Worker’s (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice, identify curricular gaps, and discover curricular areas implemented in these programs that are outside the NASW (2012) standards. The researcher asked the following questions (1) What is the level of compliance with the National Association of Social Worker’s (2012) Standards for School Social Work Practice by …

Examining School Safety And Security: A Situational Crime Perspective, Jessica A. Barnett

Honors Theses

In recent years, an interest in focus of research addressing school safety and security has increased; however, this literature lacks a cohesive theoretical perspective for addressing solutions to school crime and violence. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature on school safety and security. Then, analyze this literature in light of the situational crime prevention perspective. A literature search using Web of Science yielded 45 eligible studies. Results indicated that each of the 45 articles could be organized into one of the five mechanisms of Situational Crime Prevention: increasing effort, increasing risk, removing …

Editors' Note, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A reflection on the origins of the Michigan Law Review book review issue.

Equality's Understudies, Aziz Z. Huq

Michigan Law Review

Review of Robert L. Tsai's Practical Equality: Forging Justice in a Divided Nation.

Redefining Reproductive Rights And Justice, Leah Litman

Michigan Law Review

Review of Reproductive Rights and Justice Stories edited by Melissa Murray, Katherine Shaw, and Reva B. Siegel.

What Is Remembered, Alice Ristroph

Michigan Law Review

Review of Sarah A. Seo's Policing the Open Road: How Cars Transformed American Freedom.

The Misplaced Trust In The Doj's Expertise On Criminal Justice Policy, Shon Hopwood

Michigan Law Review

Review of Rachel Elise Barkow's Prisoners of Politics: Breaking the Cycle of Mass Incarceration.

Ordinary People And The Rationalization Of Wrongdoing, Janice Nadler

Michigan Law Review

Review of Yuval Feldman's The Law of Good People: Challenging States' Ability to Regulate Human Behavior.

The Right To A Well-Rested Jury, Caroline Howe

Michigan Law Review

The vast amount of control that state trial judges exercise over the dynamics of their courtrooms is well established. The length of trial days and jury deliberations, however, has received little scholarly attention. Longstanding research has conclusively established the disruptive effects of sleep deprivation on many of the mental facilities necessary for juries to competently fulfill their duties. By depriving juries of sleep, trial judges may be compromising the fair rights of criminal defendants for the sake of efficiency. This Note argues that trial judges must use their discretion to ensure juries are well-rested, keeping jurors’ needs in mind. Further, …

Conceptualizing Legal Childhood In The Twenty-First Century, Clare Huntington, Elizabeth S. Scott

Michigan Law Review

The law governing children is complex, sometimes appearing almost incoherent. The relatively simple framework established in the Progressive Era, in which parents had primary authority over children, subject to limited state oversight, has broken down over the past few decades. Lawmakers started granting children some adult rights and privileges, raising questions about their traditional status as vulnerable, dependent, and legally incompetent beings. As children emerged as legal persons, children’s rights advocates challenged the rationale for parental authority, contending that robust parental rights often harm children. And a wave of punitive reforms in response to juvenile crime in the 1990s undermined …