Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Two Essays On Agricultural Trade Policy And Total Factor Productivity, Hanifi Otgun

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

This dissertation consists of two essays: the first examines the welfare and trade implications of the 2016–2017 drought in Brazil and the subsequent temporary import ban on Robusta coffee; the second examines how trade openness influences agricultural total factor productivity across 26 NUTS-2 regions in Türkiye from 2013 to 2020.

The first essay focuses on Brazil, a major Robusta coffee producer and exporter that faced a significant drought in 2016–17, reducing Robusta output. In response, the government initially allowed one million 60-kg bags of Robusta coffee to be imported. An import ban was imposed shortly afterward due to lobbying by …

Defending The Homeland: An Archaeoethnodemographic (Aed) Analysis Of Population Dynamics And Settlement Patterns In The Navajo Dinétah, Ad 1720–1745, Kurt Mantonya

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

This dissertation presents an innovative archaeoethnodemographic (AED) analysis of Navajo population dynamics during the Middle Period (AD 1720−1745) of the Gobernador Phase in the Dinétah, the ancestral Navajo homeland in northwest New Mexico. During this critical quarter-century, intensified Ute and Comanche slave-raiding and Spanish military expeditions forced the Diné to abandon traditional dispersed settlement patterns in favor of defensive aggregation around fortified pueblitos—small masonry defensive structures built on boulder-tops and mesa-rims throughout the region.

The study employs an AED framework that systematically integrates archaeological site analysis, ethnographic household organization data, historical documentation, and demographic modeling to reconstruct population dynamics during …

Growing Up Under Mao And Deng: On Politician Ideology And Corporate Policies, Hao Liang, Rong Wang, Haikun Zhu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We provide firm-level evidence on how politicians’ ideologies shape economic outcomes, using a unique setting of ideological discontinuity in China, transitioning from Maoism to Dengism around 1978. We find that ideological exposure during a politician’s early adulthood has a lasting impact on contemporary firm policies in their city. Firms governed by “Maoist mayors” show greater stakeholder spending, lower pay inequality, and less internationalization compared with those governed by “Dengist mayors.” Further evidence suggests that politicians’ ideologies influence corporate behaviors through nonpolicy channels, and these results cannot be fully explained by selection bias, endogenous matching, or the age of the mayor.

Editorial, Julia Coffman

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Archetypes Of Ai Adoption: A Snapshot In Time Of Philanthropic Practice, Grace Lyn Higdon, Linda Raftree

The Foundation Review

The authors identified four archetypes describing philanthropic funders’ approach to AI: The Curious, The Doers, The Dreamers, The Skeptics.

The authors did not find major differences found across foundations based on their geographic location, though there were differences found based on their mission and values. Feminist and social justice funders in the Global South demonstrated more skepticism than others.

Even in seemingly benign or straightforward applications, AI systems demonstrate unpredictable behavior, leading to most foundations proceeding with caution.

The rapid pace of AI has meant that formal AI policies are rare, though foundations align on some common “red lines” that …

Deepening Our Understanding Of Resilience: How Evaluation Can Contribute, Michael Quinn Patton

The Foundation Review

Resilience is the capacity to experience a significant shock and adapt as needed to survive and move forward. The current age is one of constant system shocks economically, environmentally, and politically. Resilience becomes essential for navigating these and other risks.

Individuals, organizations, communities, and ecosystems manifest different degrees and types of resilience requiring appropriately matched evaluation responses. In considering new directions for philanthropic evaluation, this article offers for the first time an overarching framework of four different responses to system shocks and disruptions. This leads to four different evaluation criteria: continuity, adaptation, innovation, and capitulation.

In addition to the long-term …

Philanthropy As Risk Capital: Shaping Trust And Learning At The Speed Of Ai, Nina Sabarre, Clara Bennett, Laura Chavez-Varela

The Foundation Review

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes society, philanthropy is increasingly called to act as "risk capital" for the public good. But risk alone is not enough. Without rigorous, field-wide learning, philanthropy's bold bets may remain isolated and short-sighted, failing to catalyze the systemic change this moment demands.

This article draws on three sources of learning at Omidyar Network—an evaluation of The Tech We Want initiative, external strategy consultations with 29 stakeholders, and early learnings from a generative AI portfolio—to identify how philanthropy can uniquely "de-risk" AI innovation for collective benefit.

Through trust-based partnerships, ecosystem infrastructure support, and narrative change, these learning …

When Shift Happens: Navigating Toward A Framework For Responsible Philanthropic Exits, Laila Bell, Stephanie Teleki, Jaime Vazquez

The Foundation Review

Philanthropy can be a powerful force for social change, with influence extending far beyond the funding period. When foundations decide to cease funding in a specific area, how they exit can significantly impact the field they are leaving in both the short- and long-term. A poorly executed exit risks blindsiding grant partners and communities, damaging key relationships, undermining progress, and potentially leaving the field worse off than it was found. In contrast, a responsible exit can help the work continue long after the foundation ceases its funding.

What defines a responsible exit? In this article, learning leaders at three different …

Case Study: Using Ai To Design More Effective, Efficient, And Equity Focused Grant Application Review Processes, Emily Yu, Bryan Speelman

The Foundation Review

Grants fuel millions of organizations and advance social innovation across sectors. In the United States, foundations and corporations respectively awarded $103.5B and $36.5B to nonprofits in 2023 alone (Childress, 2024; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2024).

By extension, grant applications play a critical role in how grant recipients are identified and selected. While many funders are eager for more streamlined and equitable processes to review grant applications, the process remains primarily a manual and time consuming one (Hewlett Foundation, 2021). These factors leave some funders implementing grant application processes potentially at odds with their impact goals. Examples include restricting who …

Money At Work: How The Inflation Reduction Act Reshaped The Irs, Richard Hansen

University Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to analyze and explore the ways in which the funding increase for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) present in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) has impacted the real life operations of the agency. These impacts will be examined across two broad categories: the ways in which the IRS has offered improved taxpayer services, and the ways in which the IRS has been better equipped to collect owed taxes and enforce tax compliance since the passage of the IRA. Existing data and literature indicates that the increased IRS funding has been correlated with some improvements across …

Identity Salience Of Organizational Culture: The Intersection Of Racial And Occupational Identities In High-Risk Professions, Sarah Espinosa

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Despite decades of effort, issues of race and color in organizations remain unresolved. Representative Bureaucracy (RB) has been a necessary but insufficient response to these challenges. While RB promotes diversity and inclusion, it struggles to address deeper issues of equity and justice, which are seen in the persistence of police brutality, even with increased representation of officers of color. This dissertation will propose a new theoretical approach to address the shortcomings of RB, a framework for the Identity Salience of Organizational Culture (ISOC). The ISOC framework seeks to build beyond RB to explain how the culture of high-risk professions with …

Front And Back Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Défendre La Démocratie : Le Leadership Des Femmes Dans La Prévention Et L’Atténuation De La Violence Électorale (Sommaire), Briana Mawby, Arenne Taylor Flanders

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Depuis 1999, les membres de Women Waging Peace sont soigneusement sélectionnées pour rejoindre ce réseau mondial unique, qui s’efforce de mettre fin aux cycles de violence. Avec plus de 1 000 membres issues de plus de 56 pays et expertes dans plus de 30 domaines de la consolidation de la paix, ce réseau favorise des approches empiriques visant à construire des sociétés plus inclusives et plus pacifiques. Le réseau est hébergé par le Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice.

Les décideurs politiques et les bailleurs de fonds utilisent le rapport annuel de Women Waging Peace comme guide en s’inspirant directement …

Defender La Democracia: El Liderazgo De Las Mujeres En La Prevención Y Mitigación De La Violencia Electoral (Resumen Ejecutivo), Briana Mawby, Arenne Taylor Flanders

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Desde 1999, las integrantes de Women Waging Peace han sido cuidadosamente seleccionadas para formar parte de una red mundial única en su género que trabaja para poner fin a los ciclos de violencia. Con más de 1000 mujeres promotoras de paz de más de 56 países y más de 30 áreas de especialización en la construcción de la paz, la red impulsa enfoques basados en datos empíricos para construir sociedades más inclusivas y pacíficas. La red está auspiciada por el Instituto Kroc para la Paz y la Justicia.

El informe anual Women Waging Peace sirve de guía para los responsables …

Défendre La Démocratie : Le Leadership Des Femmes Dans La Prévention Et L’Atténuation De La Violence Électorale, Briana Mawby, Arenne Taylor Flanders

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Depuis 1999, les membres de Women Waging Peace sont soigneusement sélectionnées pour rejoindre ce réseau mondial unique, qui s’efforce de mettre fin aux cycles de violence. Avec plus de 1 000 membres issues de plus de 56 pays et expertes dans plus de 30 domaines de la consolidation de la paix, ce réseau favorise des approches empiriques visant à construire des sociétés plus inclusives et plus pacifiques. Le réseau est hébergé par le Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice.

Les décideurs politiques et les bailleurs de fonds utilisent le rapport annuel de Women Waging Peace comme guide en s’inspirant directement …

الدفاع عن الديمقراطية: ريادة النساء في منع وتخفيف حدة عنف الانتخابات الملخص التنفيذي, Briana Mawby, Arenne Taylor Flanders

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

ر ويعتمد بشكل مبارش عىل توصيات وأولويات صانعات السالم حول العالم. ً � لصانعي السياسات والممولني ر يعترب تقرير Peace Waging Women دليًال أعمار والميول الجنسية ومستويات التعليم وا إإلعاقة وحاالت الهجرة وقد قامت صانعات السالم بتقديم هذه االستنتاجات المستقاة من كافة البلدان واأل ن االعتبار. واستند هذا التقرير إىل وجهات نظر وتجارب 106 من صانعات السالم من 43 أ � عمال بناء السالم بعني أنواع المختلفة أل مع أخذ سياقات ال زنزاع واأل ن عىل ي ر تساعد الرش � كاء الدوليني بلدًاً لتحديد أولويات بناء السالم لعام ،2025 والنظر يفي تحديات وإنجازات عام ،2024 وتوفرير � التوصيات التالية …

الدفاع عن الديمقراطية: ريادة النساء في منع وتخفيف حدة عنف الانتخابات, Briana Mawby, Arenne Taylor Flanders

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

عتمد بشكل مبارش عىل توصيات وأولويات صانعات السالم حول العالم. ً � لصانعي السياسات والممولني ر يعترب تقرير Peace Waging Women دليًال أعمار والميول الجنسية ومستويات التعليم وا إإلعاقة وحاالت الهجرة وقد قامت صانعات السالم بتقديم هذه االستنتاجات المستقاة من كافة البلدان واأل ن االعتبار. واستند هذا التقرير إىل وجهات نظر وتجارب 106 من صانعات السالم من 43 أ � عمال بناء السالم بعني أنواع المختلفة أل مع أخذ سياقات ال زنزاع واأل ن عىل ي ر تساعد الرش � كاء الدوليني بلدًاً لتحديد أولويات بناء السالم لعام ،2025 والنظر يفي تحديات وإنجازات عام ،2024 وتوفرير � التوصيات التالية للطريقة …

Collective Learning In Philanthropy: Ai, Trust, And The Future Of Grant Reporting, Rachel Kimber, Valerie Ehrlich, Blanch Vance, Abigail Osei

The Foundation Review

Grant reporting has largely devolved from a learning tool to a bureaucratic exercise that reinforces power asymmetries and burdens nonprofits. As philanthropy confronts mounting crises demanding equity and transparency, reporting must transform into a space for collective sensemaking.

This paper explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI), paired with Oral and Alternate Reporting (OAR) methods, can build equitable, human-centered reporting systems. We propose the E⁴ framework — Efficiency, Effectiveness, Expansiveness, and Equity — for intentionally leveraging AI in service of more equitable reporting practices.

Traditional reporting often sidelines the expertise of nonprofit staff and communities most affected by funded programs. Drawing …

Tfr 17.3 Full Issue

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

The Ai Contributor: A New Thought Partner In Systems Change, Jewlya Lynn, Rachel Reichenbach

The Foundation Review

Many foundations are making long-term commitments to advancing systemic change, continually adapting and refining their approaches along the way. An emerging and often underutilized tool in their systems change toolkit is generative artificial intelligence (AI).

AI is enhancing practices across philanthropy, often focused on increasing efficiencies and scaling or streamlining human tasks. What if we instead focus on what AI can do that is distinctly different from what a human can offer? In the world of systemic change, we continue to struggle with the complexity and intractability of systems and finding moments when systems can be shifted. AI can be …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Base Building Evaluation: Three Opportunities To Improve Its Use And Relevance, Katie Fox, Margaret A. Post

The Foundation Review

The concept of base building comes from the traditions of electoral and labor organizing, where organizers focus on drawing leadership from a specific constituency or geography. Base building is foundational to organizing efforts. It involves the recruitment, training, and leadership development of people who are often most directly impacted by the issues and causes that organizing focuses on.

In recent years, base building has seen increased interest and investment from the philanthropic sector as funders recognize base building as critical to community-led change. As funders expand their investment in base building, they increasingly seek information and data about base building …

Beyond Transactions: Building Relational Partnerships Between Evaluators And Foundations, Lauren Beriont, Cassie Bruny, Madison N. Garcia, Ebonie Guyton, Chelsey Hurt, Leah Josephson, Kate Mallula, Mary Mattson, Rory Neuner, Ramona Perry, Andrea Prado Tuma, Sarah Smith, Kim Van Der Woerd, Sofia Vitalis

The Foundation Review

The co-authors have framed this article as an emergent learning journal of sorts, summarizing observations, findings, and key takeaways; walking the reader through the process, key tensions, and classic myths they identified; and highlighting principles they uncovered that underlie and lay the groundwork for imagining more equitable ways for evaluation consultants and foundations to act in relationships.

Can Better Transportation Infrastructure Help Bridge The Gender Mobility Gap?: Analysis Of The Dhaka Metro Rail, Prottoy A. Akbar, Tomoki Fujii, Arpita Khanna, Abu S. Shonchoy

Research Collection School Of Economics

Inadequate transportation infrastructure is a pressing challenge in rapidly expanding urban centers globally. However, the differential impacts of infrastructure improvements for women versus men remain inadequately understood and underexplored. This study addresses this knowledge gap by documenting gender-specific travel patterns and perceptions of safety in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Specifically, we analyze how the introduction of Dhaka’s first mass rapid transit (MRT) line has altered modes of transportation, the frequency of travel, and safetyrelated concerns among women. Our empirical findings highlight that the new MRT line has notably influenced women’s travel behaviors, particularly by alleviating safety concerns that previously discouraged regular travel.

When 'More Isn't More': The Normative And Practical Case For Improving Genetic Data Infrastructure, Sofia Labrecque, Jonathan Lawson, Bronwyn Danielle Walsh, Vasiliki Rahimzadeh

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Survey Of U.S. Reproductive Medicine Clinicians’ Attitudes On Polygenic Embryo Screening, Rémy A Furrer, Dorit Barlevy, Aayushi Gandhi, Shai Carmi, Todd Lencz, Stacey Pereira, Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Polygenic embryo screening (PES) is used to screen embryos for their genetic likelihood of developing complex conditions and traits. We surveyed 152 U.S. reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists (REIs) on their views of PES. While most respondents (97%) were at least slightly familiar with PES, general approval of PES was low (12%), with the majority expressing disapproval (46%) or uncertainty (42%). A majority (58%) believed risks outweigh benefits, while only 16% felt benefits outweigh risks. Most clinicians (85-77%) were very or extremely concerned about low accuracy, confusion over results, false expectations, and eugenics. Nonetheless, when asked to vote on whether …

A Narrative Review Of Dual Loyalty Conflicts In Custodial Settings And Implications For Community Practice, Michelle Suh, Marc David Robinson, Holland Kaplan

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Dual loyalty dilemmas are conflicts between health care professionals' obligations toward their patients and third-party interests. These conflicts are more common and starker in custodial settings, such as jails and prisons, military detention facilities, immigration detention centers, and involuntary psychiatric institutions. Despite encountering patients in custody, health care professionals (HCPs) in community settings have limited knowledge and training. In this narrative review, we examined dual loyalty conflicts faced by HCPs working in custodial settings and then applied the identified themes to community-based hospitals where HCPs care for patients in custody. We searched databases for original papers relating to patients in …

An Assessment Of The Viva Callesj September 2025 Event In San José, Richard Kos, Adam Cohen

Mineta Transportation Institute

Viva CalleSJ is an open-streets initiative where several miles of the City of San José’s streets are closed to vehicular traffic, allowing residents to walk, bike, scooter, and skate freely. This report evaluates the Viva CalleSJ event held in San José on September 7, 2025, which attracted more than 150,000 participants. Using a mixed-methods approach, this evaluation examines aspects such as attendance, activities, modal access, and economic impacts, utilizing data from participant surveys (in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese), interviews, and observational analysis. The findings indicate that the Viva CalleSJ September 2025 event was largely successful in achieving its objectives, including …

What Do Americans Think About Federal Tax Options To Support Transportation? Results From Year Sixteen Of A National Survey, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Hilary Nixon

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report summarizes the results from the sixteenth year of a national public opinion survey asking U.S. adults questions related to their views on federal transportation taxes. A nationally representative sample of 2,539 respondents completed the online survey from February 3 to February 27, 2025. The questions test public opinions about raising the federal gas tax rate, replacing the federal gas tax with a new mileage fee, and imposing a mileage fee just on commercial travel. In addition to asking directly about support for these tax options, the survey collected data on respondents’ views on the quality of their local …

Exploring Electric Bicycle Safety Performance Data And Policy Options For California, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Kevin Fang

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study was conducted as directed by California Senate Bill 381 (2023), which called for research to help policymakers develop effective laws and policy to support the twin goals of expanding electric bicycle use and protecting the safety of electric bicycle riders and other road users. The three major strands of findings presented in this report are (1) a review of how California and other states (and countries) regulate electric bicycle use, (2) a review of the electric bicycle safety literature, including original analysis of primary data on crashes, injuries, and deaths, and (3) strategies that the state could adopt …