Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Creating A Culture Of Meaningful Evaluation In Public Libraries: Moving Beyond Quantitative Metrics, Bill Irwin, Paul St-Pierre

Bill Irwin

The current state of practice sees public libraries, like all public institutions, enduring funding challenges within the dominant political-economic environment, which is shaped by the tenets of new public management and the neoliberal audit society. Libraries, feeling threatened and unsure about their future stability, seek new ways to demonstrate their value. However, they face institutional cultural constraints when attempting to introduce new assessment methods to meet this challenge. The new dynamics require them to go beyond output measures (counts). With research findings supported by survey and interview data from Ontario public libraries, and in agreement with the current literature on …

One Haccp, Two Approaches: Experiences With And Perceptions Of The Hazard Analysis And Critical Control Points (Haccp) Food Safety Management Systems In The Us And The Eu, Richard Hyde, A. Bryce Hoflund, Michelle Pautz

Michelle Pautz

This paper explores the differences in the use of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system to manage food safety risks in the food chain from farm to fork in the EU and the US. In particular, this paper investigates the current uses and potential expansion of HACCP as a mechanism for the delivery of safe agricultural products, particularly safe produce. It considers not only whether HACCP systems are the best mode of governance for delivering safe food, and describes why HACCP has achieved an important role in the regulatory framework that governs food safety, but asks why this …

Strategy Design For Community Response To Distress And Decline Using Data Analytics, Michael P. Johnson Jr.

Michael P. Johnson

The foreclosure crisis in the U.S. has resulted in immense economic and social losses for individuals and neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods face long-term declines in population and economic activity that have been compounded by the foreclosure crisis. How can government and non-profit organizations design responses to neighborhood distress that reflect distinctive community characteristics and are consistent with long-term policy and planning goals? In this talk, I discuss alternative decision modeling strategies that support neighborhood health. Where foreclosure responses are likely to ensure that neighborhoods remain vital places for residential housing, productive strategies may include property acquisition and redevelopment. Other neighborhoods, however, …

Urban Blue Space And "The Project Of The Century": Doing Justice On The Seattle Waterfront And For Local Residents, Anne Wessells

Anne Taufen

No abstract provided.

Citizen Confidence In The Public Service: An Examination Of Established And Emerging Democracies In North America And Eurasia, Nurgul Ryskulovna Aitalieva

Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Ph.D.

How do levels of confidence in the public service differ across countries? Are these attitudes about the public service determined by similar individual-level attributes across countries? Do country-level correlates explain variation between countries in citizen attitudes toward the public service? Data from the 2005-2009 World Values Survey for 21 North American and Eurasian countries, in addition to aggregate-level measures of national context, are analyzed using multilevel binary logistic regression. The study shows that there is a significant amount of variation in the confidence attitudes not only within each country but also across countries. Citizens of Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Finland …

Tennessee Municipal Benchmarking Project Fy2010, Frances Adams-O'Brien, Rick Whitehead, Nurgul Aitalieva, Matthew Marshall, David Folz

Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Ph.D.

FY2010 annual report to compare the relative cost, efficiency and effectiveness of a set of municipal services by using a collaborative approach with the participating cities, and to set standards and identify "best practices" in municipal government for use and comparison by all Tennessee cities. Per capita average costs of providing police, fire and residential refuse services are presented.

Public Management In Political Institutions: Explaining Perceptions Of White House Chief Of Staff Influence, José Villalobos, Justin Vaughn, David Cohen

José D. Villalobos

The notion that public managers influence organizational performance is common in public administration research. However, less is known about why some managers are better at influencing organizational performance than others. Furthermore, relatively few studies have systematically examined managerial influence and scholars have yet to investigate either quantitatively or systematically managerial influence in the White House. Utilizing original survey data collected from former White House officials who served in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations, this study applies empirical public management theory to examine for the first time the key determinants that shape perceptions of chief of staff managerial …

New Directions In The Middle East, Mohammed Aman, Mary Jo Aman

Mohammed M. Aman

This second book on the Middle East brings together papers presented by international scholars at the 2013 Middle East Dialog Conference (MED) held in Washington, DC in 2013 and chaired by Prof. M. Aman, and the Association of Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA), held in Ifrane, Morocco. The three themes/chapters in this volume are: Israel and Palestine Divide (pp. 1-46); Communication, Media, and the Arab Spring (pp. 45-114); and Management and Conflict Resolution (pp. 115-214). The book concludes with extensive references for each of the four chapters (pp. 215-246), and brief bios of authors (pp. 247-251).

Feasibility Study Of Consolidating Public Safety Answering Points In Highland Heights, Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village And Richmond Heights, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Kyle Johnson, Eugene L. Kramer, Charles Post

Daila Shimek

This study found that – based on certain configurations of communities and cost considerations – it is economically viable to consolidate public safety answering points (PSAPs) in Highland Heights, Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village and Richmond Heights, Ohio. When comparing 2012 staffing and noncapital costs to estimated staffing and noncapital costs for a consolidated PSAP, the consolidated PSAP would provide an estimated collective reduction in staffing and noncapital costs of ranging from $775,400 to $1.19 million. When comparing 2012 staffing and noncapital costs to estimated staffing and noncapital costs for a consolidated PSAP – plus costs for additional staff to …

Sewer Syndicalism: Worker Self-Management In Public Services, Eric M. Fink

Eric M Fink

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, municipal governments in various US cities assumed responsibility for utilities and other services that previously had been privately operated. In the late twentieth century, prompted by fiscal crisis and encouraged by neo-liberal ideology, governments embraced the concept of “privatization,” shifting management and control over public services to private entities.

Despite disagreements over the merits of privatization, both proponents and opponents accept the premise of a fundamental distinction between the “public” and “private” sectors, and between “state” and “market” institutions. A more skeptical view questions the analytical soundness and practical significance of these …

Feasibility Study Of Consolidating Public Safety Answering Points In Berea, Broadview Heights, Brook Park, North Royalton, Olmsted Falls, Seven Hills, And Strongsville, Ohio, Daila Shimek, Kyle Johnson, Eugene L. Kramer

Daila Shimek

This study found that – based on selected configurations of communities and specific cost considerations – it is economically viable to consolidate public safety answering points (PSAPs) in Berea, Broadview Heights, Brook Park, North Royalton, Olmsted Falls, Seven Hills, and Strongsville. When comparing 2012 staffing and noncapital costs to estimated staffing and noncapital costs for a consolidated PSAP, the consolidated PSAP would provide an estimated collective reduction in costs ranging from $117,500 to $1.72 million. The analysis also revealed that consolidation is legally feasible. It would also offer improved service by ensuring all dispatchers are certified professionals and would provide …

Location-Allocation Planning Of Stockpiles For Effective Disaster Mitigation, Jomon Aliyas Paul, Govind Hariharan

Jomon Aliyas Paul

In the existing framework for receiving and allocating Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) assistance, there are three noticeable delays: the delay by the state in requesting federal assets, the delay in the federal process which releases assets only upon the declaration of a disaster and lastly the time it takes to reach supplies rapidly from the SNS stockpile to where it is needed. The most efficient disaster preparedness plan is one that addresses all three delays taking into account the unique nature of each disaster. In this paper, we propose appropriate changes to the existing framework to address the first two …

Data, Analytics And Community-Based Organizations: #11;Transforming Data To Decisions For Community Development, Michael P. Johnson Jr.

Michael P. Johnson

Big data and analytics for community-focused nonprofits can improve analytic capabilities and increase impact. However, Community-based organization needs do not match well with conventional notions of data and analytics. Decentralized model for data-driven research may be preferred, but centralized model is dominant. CBOs can articulate data needs, but are often not yet able to access relevant data easily and use data effectively. Finally, certain values maximize impact of big data and analytics

Change.Gov, La Loria Konata

La Loria Konata

The Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics explores how the rise of social media is altering politics both in the United States and in key moments, movements, and places around the world. The essay, Change.gov, gives an overview of the website, detailing how it was used to transition the presidency to President-Elect Barack Obama.

Curriculum Vitae, Judah J. Viola

Judah J. Viola, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

A Fact Book On Proposition 2 1/2, Padraig O'Malley

Padraig O'Malley

In this age of inflation many tax reduction plans have been proposed throughout the nation. This November Massachusetts voters will vote on Proposition 2 1/2 - a tax reduction proposal sponsored by a coalition of citizens. This booklet describes the costs and benefits of Proposition 2 1/2 in an objective way, so that you can make an informed decision when you cast your vote. The University of Massachusetts' Center for Studies in Policy and the Public Interest and the Massachusetts Cooperative Extension Service believe that when you have access to unbiased information you will make better decisions and participate more …

The Massachusetts Fiscal System: Structure And Performance, Padraig O'Malley, Raymond G. Torto

Padraig O'Malley

On November 4, 1980 the citizens of Massachusetts, by a vote of 59% to 41%, resoundingly endorsed a tax reduction plan known as Proposition 2 1/2. All communities in the Commonwealth were faced with an immediate reduction in their local revenues due to the immediate cut in the excise tax that Proposition 2 1/2 called for, and up to 130 communities will have to implement a 15% reduction in their tax levies for FY 1982. Already there are protestations from many local officials that they cannot make the required tax cuts without severely reducing the level of local services. The …

The Analysis Of Auditor General Report On Public Spending Must Inform The Public Accurately, George E. Ekeha

George E Ekeha

Good public financial administration is one important element of economic development. Many African countries have various institutions and legal frameworks that guide against the proper usage of public funds to benefit the ordinary people. One of such institutions is the Auditor General Department. This institution conduct professional audit on all public expenditure and revenue and publishes their report which is expected to be placed before the parliamentary committee on finance for scrutiny. One important value of such report is the ability of the public to interpret the report in order to make meaning of it. Unfortunately, however, such reports are …

The Leap Model: Perceptions Of Emergency Service Leaders Of Legitimacy, R. Jeffery Maxfield, John Fisher

Dr. John R. Fisher

This study adds to the qualitative data showing how leaders in the emergency services perceive legitimacy and the bases of power. The study examines the perception of leaders and their perspective on why subordinates view their leader as legitimate and/or authentic. Two definitions of legitimacy are presented: the traditional viewpoint of French and Raven (1959) associating legitimate power “with having status or formal job authority” and the other proposed by Maxfield (2012) in the LEAP leadership model basing legitimacy or authenticity more on the characteristics and skills leaders bring to their positions. Emergency service students interviewed leaders in their career …

On The Effects Of E-Government On Political Institutions, Jane E. Fountain

Jane E. Fountain

Research on e-government typically focuses on disruptive technologies and their presumed transformational effects on government. Yet the Internet and associated technologies are more than two decades old, and even cursory observation demonstrates that institutional change in government is often painstakingly slow. To theorize longer term developments in e-government, an institutional perspective on e-government is sketched and illustrated in this chapter. An institutional approach invites one to examine interactions among people, technologies and structures over time and in political environments characterized in part by conflict over ideas, rights and resources to uncover mechanisms that contribute to stability and change.

To extend …

The Evolution Of Internal It Applications And E-Government Studies In The Public Administration Discipline: Research Themes And Methods, M. Jae Moon, Jooho Lee, Cheol Yong Roh

Jooho Lee

This study reviews research themes and methods used in Information technology (IT) in government and e-government research. Although IT/e-government studies (including inward aspects of IT applications in government and e-government studies) continue to increase, they are not comprehensively understood as a subfield within public administration. Based on Rosenbloom’s three competing approaches to public administration (managerial, political, and legal), we investigated the major research themes of IT/e-government studies in public administration. We analyzed 248 IT/egovernment articles published in six major public administration journals from 1965 to 2010 to examine IT/e-government research trends in terms of research themes and methods.

The Administrative Organization Of Sustainability Within Local Government, Rachel Krause, Richard Feiock, Christopher Hawkins

Rachel M. Krause

Administrative structure can shape bureaucratic process, performance, and responsiveness and is a particularly important consideration when new bureaucratic functions and programs are being established. However, the factors that influence the assignment of these functions to specific government agencies or departments are understudied, particularly at the local level. The absence of empirical evidence regarding bureaucratic assignment in local government limits understanding of institutional design and the organizational choices available, particularly as they relate to specific policy areas. As an initial step in developing a theory of agency assignment at the local level, we examine the placement of sustainability programs in 401 …

Take A Flying Leap: The Ascent To Success, R. Maxfield, Rodger Broome

R. Jeffery Maxfield, Ed.D.

Have you ever wanted to have more influence on your family, friends, or work associates? Effective leadership is not created from some long-lost, dark secret, but rather the development and application of attributes in four areas of one's life. In Take a Flying LEAP: The Ascent to Success, you will learn about and how to develop these attributes from people who have not only studied leadership and influence, but have lived it.