Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Worker Voice Gap: How Much Say Do Workers Want—And How Much Do They Actually Experience?, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Thomas A. Kochan

Upjohn Institute Policy Papers

•The worker voice gap—the difference between the influence that workers want and what they experience—is very large. Nearly three-quarters of American workers want more voice at work than they currently have in three key areas: 1) compensation, 2) working conditions, and3) use of new technologies at work.

• The voice deficit is largest for compensation, but majorities of workers also express voice gaps over working conditions and the use of new technologies in their workplaces.

•Although voice gaps are relatively widespread, women tend to report larger voice gaps than men, and younger and middle-aged workers tend to report larger gaps …

Reconstruction And Repatriation Of Looted Cultural Heritage Property Ownership Mechanism, Yichi Zhang

Pepperdine Policy Review

The displacement of cultural artifacts through conflict, colonization, and illicit trafficking has created profound gaps in humanity's shared heritage. This paper examines the systemic barriers to cultural property restitution and proposes a structured dispute resolution framework as the primary remedy. Drawing on the social, nonmarket, and economic values of cultural heritage, the study establishes why repatriation extends beyond legal formality into questions of identity, sovereignty, and collective memory. A review of existing international instruments, including the 1954 Hague Convention, the 1970 UNESCO Convention, and the ICPRCP, reveals persistent enforcement gaps and jurisdictional inconsistencies that impede meaningful restitution. Comparative case studies …

The Monopoly Of Violence In Iraq: The Emergence Of The Islamic Resistance Of Iraq, Mobilization Of The Pmf, And The Future Of State Stability, Alexis Thomas

Pepperdine Policy Review

Iraq's fragile state faces threats from multiple factors including Iranian influence within the Popular Mobilization Forces and Iraq's political system, the decentralized nature of the PMF, and potential violence surrounding critical national elections. Formed during the 2014 ISIS war, the PMF is an umbrella organization consisting of various militias broadly aligned with Grand Ayatollah Sistani, Muqtada al-Sadr, or former Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei. Since October 7, 2023, Iranian-backed PMF militias operating under the Islamic Resistance of Iraq have conducted attacks against Israeli and American targets, threatening to drag Iraq into regional conflict. PMF-affiliated parties achieved considerable success in the 2025 …

The Capital Gap: Mitigating Banking Barriers For Nonprofit Providers In Mental Health And Educational Systems, Jinhee Lee, Josefina Martinez

Pepperdine Policy Review

Nonprofit organizations are vital contributors to public welfare, yet they are systematically excluded from conventional banking systems, creating a liquidity crisis that undermines their capacity to deliver essential services. This paper discusses the structural issues of the banking sector that hinder nonprofits in acquiring credit and explains how this problem can be solved. Specifically, it aims at investigating liquidity constraints faced by schools providing mental health services and education programs. With the help of information asymmetry and relationship lending theories, the paper explains why traditional credit approaches cannot work, considering the distinctive features of the financial model of mission-oriented institutions. …

Let Freedom Read: Exploring Mississippi’S Defiance Of National Book Banning Trends, Olivia S. Hoover

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Why have book bans have surged so dramatically across the United States in recent years, especially as they have become a defining political project for conservative lawmakers? At the center of this uptick in book bans lies a confusing puzzle: while book bans overwhelmingly occur in Republican-dominated states, Mississippi, despite its conservative political landscape, has seen almost none, even as states like Florida have enacted more than a thousand in a single year. Much of the existing scholarship on book bans focuses on national patterns of them or on the lawmakers and advocacy groups driving these bans, leaving a gap …

A Stadium In Our Backyard: Community Participation In Stadia Redevelopment Projects, Sofia Zazueta

Master's Theses

The Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain and the Chase Center in San Francisco, California are two stadium redevelopment projects that exemplify the stakeholder dynamics that come into play when developers pitch a multipurpose stadium located a few blocks away from people’s backyards. Urban development patterns must be in constant evolution to meet the needs and demands of the current generations. In cities, stadia redevelopment projects have entered the picture to reimagine the role that these structures once played. The stadium once used for the sole purpose of holding matches has become a venue that now hosts different events such as …

Justice On Autopilot: Comparing Predictive Litigation And Data Justice In Bay Area Municipal Governments, Darris M. Thomas

Master's Projects and Capstones

This Capstone project examines how Bay Area municipal governments, specifically the City and County of San Francisco, Alameda County, San Mateo County, and Santa Clara County, are adopting and governing predictive litigation technologies, and what these practices reveal about the possibilities and limitations of data justice in advancing racial equity, transparency, and public accountability. Drawing on a qualitative, comparative case study methodology analyzing procurement contracts, AI governance policies, California Public Records Act (CPRA) disclosures, and semi-structured interviews gathered across fifteen municipal legal institutions, the research applies an interdisciplinary theoretical framework synthesizing John Rawls’s distributive fairness, Nancy Fraser’s recognition justice, Tom …

Housing Pressure In Athens: A Contested And Fragmented Process Of Post-Crisis Housing Restructuring, Vasileia Spyrou

Master's Projects and Capstones

Athens has been experiencing a severe housing affordability crisis, recording one of the highest rent increases among EU countries in recent years. The absence of a strong housing welfare system, combined with new pressures related to tourism, investment activity, and post-crisis market restructuring, has intensified housing insecurity across the city. This thesis examines three Athenian neighborhoods that reflect different forms of housing pressure within the post crisis housing landscape: Koukaki, a central neighborhood heavily affected by short-term rentals (STRs); Palaio Faliro, a coastal suburb shaped by redevelopment and investment activity; and Nea Smyrni, a predominantly residential area experiencing increasing density …

Elevating Voices: Exploring The Impacts And Experiences Of Required Workplace Dei Training, Marika Barto

Dissertations

Mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training is a common element institutional DEI initiatives in their response to dismantling racial inequity in government organizations; yet, the lived experiences of racially marginalized participants remain critically underexamined—particularly in government settings, where the bureaucratic structures implementing these trainings are themselves racialized. This research was conducted during one of the most politically hostile environments for DEI work in recent memory. Federal executive actions in 2025, specifically the “Bondi memo,” directed entities subject to federal antidiscrimination laws to cease DEI practices, creating immediate chilling effects that directly impacted this study and reminded us that the …

Rainbow Promises, Uneven Promises: Framing Lgbtqia+ Educational Policy And Possibility In Education, Gerardo Lorenzo-Saucedo

Dissertations

Despite the expansion of LGBTQIA+ inclusive policies in K-12 education, disparities in students’ experiences with safety and belonging persist. This qualitative case study examines how such policies are interpreted and enacted within a high school and district in Southern California, and how these processes shape LGBTQIA+ students’ experiences.

Guided by ecological systems theory, queer theory, and multiple streams theory, this study conceptualizes policy implementation as a dynamic and socially constructed process influenced by power, ideology, and institutional context. Data were collected through interviews, document and artifact analysis, and observations, with analysis that used a multi-phased coding procedure.

Findings revealed that …

Care Ecologies Between Knots, Eliza R. Marris

Masters Theses

Discarded fibers like raw wool behave the way harm reduction does. Harm reduction resists stigma and works to move beyond assumptions and oversimplifications of substance use and addiction. Wool is irregular, complicated, and emotionally charged. It resists compression and maintains its own being even when pulled apart. Working with raw wool is in relationship with complexity, as is harm reduction.

At its core, harm reduction is grounded in thoughtfulness and empathy towards people, their lived experience, and its nuances. It is a witness to lives, memories, and imprints, acknowledging the entangled realities of addiction. Our detachment from fiber remainders, materials …

Hidden Systems, Samuel Choi

Masters Theses

Across buildings and cities, moisture is managed, concealed, and discharged through convoluted systems of containment. Still, water ultimately resists this framework. It reveals itself as leaks, puddles, condensation—moments typically understood as technical failure. Hidden Systems reframes these conditions as architectural knowledge, one that becomes evidence of water’s material capacity, limits of infrastructure, and a record of time.

NYC is constructed on, powered by, and profiting from water. Although it hosts a robust network, seepages disrupt control, allowing systems to be traced across scales. As pipes expand, contract, and freeze, the project unfolds seasonally, moving through water’s three states: solid, liquid, …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Citizen Response To The 2025 Post Fire Recovery In Los Angeles, Richard Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Hedonics Of Used Car Attributes On Market Price, Alexander Bent, Jason Gutierrez

Undergraduate Economics Working Paper Series

This paper uses Rosen's paper on hedonic pricing as a framework to analyze the determinants of used car prices found in Craigslist. Using cleaned data, we observe over 43,000 listings from 2005 to 2020 and investigate factors that affect used car prices and how they interact in this market. Results show that odometer readings and condition are the strongest factors that determine price, while manufacturers, paint color, drive type, fuel type, size, and year have more ambiguous effects that depend on certain perceived attributes or conditions.

Who Gets To Be Taken Seriously? Three Atypical Scholars Navigate Doctoral Education At The Intersections Of Race, Neurodivergence, And Veteran Identity, Sr. Richard De La Garza

Dissertations

As a first-generation, neurodivergent, Mexican American/Chicano veteran, I entered the University of San Diego's doctoral program having had experiences that most institutional intake processes would label as risk factors. The Findings chapter of this dissertation begins by describing those experiences—not as a confession, but as the foundation for a systematic inquiry into how doctoral legitimacy is produced, withheld, and defended. The description of my life experiences is followed by a discussion of the doctoral journeys of two other study participants who also were atypical doctoral candidates.

The central argument being advanced is this: What higher education calls "fit," "rigor," and …

Making Data Usable For Schools And Colleges: The Regional Data Collaboratives Approach, Benjamin Boer

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

This white paper outlines a strategic initiative by the Education Systems Center (EdSystems) to establish regional data collaboratives that improve how schools and colleges use information. Unlike traditional top-down accountability models, these collaboratives focus on longitudinal data sharing to help administrators understand student transitions from ninth grade through postsecondary completion and into the workforce. The framework relies on four core competencies: legal data agreements, secure management, linking analytics, and meaningful presentation of results. By examining factors like dual credit, pathway participation, and 9th-grade performance, these partnerships aim to identify and eliminate educational inequities. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to create a …

From Agroecology To Democratic Resilience: Community-Based Food Security And Climate Adaptation In West Sumatra, Dina Yulianti, Virtuous Setyaka, Arry Bainus, Deasy Silvya Sari, Akim Akim

Jurnal Wacana Politik

The West Sumatra has a high index of food security and because of its dependence on modern farming systems that are chemical based, farmers are susceptible to environmental degradation and market forces worldwide. Through the Critical International Relations (CIR) approach of Robert W. Cox, this paper analyzes how community-based agroecological practices can be the solution to a transition between climate change adaptation and democratic resilience in West Sumatra. The current study is dedicated to the case of Cheap Staple Rice Fields (Sawah Pokok Murah - SPM) an agroecological farming system, a grassroots movement that helps to break free of the …

Beyond Stabilization: Biological Healing, Structural Exclusion, And The Recovery Gap After Border-Fall Trauma At The U.S.-Mexico Border, Julia Robinson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis examines the biochemical, ethical, and public health consequences of insufficient post-operative follow-up care for undocumented immigrants injured in border falls. Discussing pathways of inflammation resolution, wound healing, and bone remodeling, this thesis argues that recovery depends on tightly regulated molecular and cellular processes that are highly vulnerable to disruption without continued monitoring and rehabilitation (Loi et al., 2016; Maruyama et al., 2020). When follow-up care is absent, these processes can be predicted to derail, leading to infection, impaired healing, and permanent disability (Chung & Sohn, 2025; Howard et al., 2020; Kruidenier et al., 2018). Framed through principles …

Construction Of New-Type Think Tanks With Chinese Characteristics Calls For Innovation In Think Tank Theories And Methodologies—Review, Summary, And Prospect Based On 10th Anniversary Of National High-End Think Tank Pilot Program At Institutes Of Science And Development, Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Jiaofeng Pan, Yijun Liu, Wuyun Qiqige, Mingxi Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since China launched the pilot program for the construction of high-end think tanks in 2015, the Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as CASISD), as the core carrier of the CAS National High-End Think Tank Pilot Program, has forged an exploratory path from specialization and scientization to disciplinization.Over the past decade, committing to the fundamental purpose of serving the scientific decision-making of the Party and the country and taking theoretical and methodological innovation as its core engine, CASISD has originally proposed the DIIS Process IntegrationMethod　and the Think Tank Double Helix Methodology, taken the …

From Institution Building To Decision Intelligence Enhancement: Achievements And Prospects Of New Think Tanks With Chinese Characteristics, Yongnian Zheng, Jincheng Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since the issuance of the “Opinions on Strengthening the Building of New-type Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics” in 2015, the development of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics has gone through a full decade. This period marks not only a critical transition from simply establishing think tanks to improving their quality, but also an important starting point for China’s transformation from a major producer of knowledge into a strong producer of ideas. Over the past decade, China’s think tank development has achieved staged progress: from initial institution building to systematic formation, from ex post commentary to whole-process policy engagement, from …

Research Progress And Think Tank Contributions To Regional Coordinate Development, Major Function Zoning Strategy, And Modern Spatial Governance—Based On Review And Analysis Of Contributions By Fan Jie’S Team In Bulletin Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Jie Fan, Jian Gao, Kan Zhou, Gan Li

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Based on the think tank research published by Fan Jie’s team in Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, this study reviews the progress of human geography in the fields of regional coordinate development, major function zoning strategy, and the spatial governance system. Furthermore, it focuses on reviewing the think tank contributions that serve the need of major national strategic decision-making. Think tank contributions include the followings. (1) Through continuous engagement in major preliminary research for national Five-Year Plans, the team has established a prominent think tank brand for the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This brand focuses on regional coordinate development …

Decade Of Local Think Tank Development In China: Retrospective And Prospective Analysis, Xiangzhi Zhou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since mid-2015, when the CPC Central Committee and State Council issued “Opinions on Strengthening the Building of New-type of Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics”, local think tanks in China entered a decade of rapid growth, divided into three phases: initial exploration, deepening differentiation, and quality innovation. A preliminary system has been established, with progress in institutionalization and demonstrated impact. Nevertheless, challenges persist, such as narrow vision, underutilized advantages, regional imbalances, low professionalization, and weak support. Future efforts should focus on improving the system, optimizing functions, emphasizing localized research, strengthening organized research, accelerating digital transformation, advancing scientific methods, and fostering an …

New-Type Think Tank Construction In State-Owned Enterprises: Historical Evolution, Current Challenges, And Optimization Paths, Jihai Huang, Jinpei Jia

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As a vital pillar of the new-type think tank system with Chinese characteristics, new-type think tanks in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are undergoing a critical leap from being established to becoming strong. Based on in-depth investigations and thematic discussions with a number of representative new-type SOE think tanks, this study systematically reviews their historical evolution and achievements, analyzes the practical challenges they face going into the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and proposes optimization paths. The study finds that the development of new-type SOE think tanks has progressed through four sequential stages: foundation building and emergence (1949–1978), initial exploration (1979–2012), rapid growth …

From Indicators To Systems: Logical Evolution, Practical Challenges, And Policy Recommendations Of Think Tank Evaluation In China, Gang Li, Zihao Ge

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Over a decade has passed since the issuance of the “Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of New Types of Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics”. During this period, the number of think tanks in China has continued to grow, and evaluation activities have evolved from spontaneous exploration to institutionalized practice. Examining think tank evaluation from both the supply and demand sides of think tank development, this study systematically reviews the practical progress and theoretical exploration of think tank evaluation in China over the past decade. Building upon an analysis of the conceptual connotation of think tank evaluation, the study argues that …

Characteristics And Influencing Factors Of Think Tank Talent Development, Yongna Yuan, Xuejiao Zhao, Yingming Li, Shimin Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The development of think tank talent has become a fundamental pillar for enhancing the quality of China’s new-style think tanks with Chinese characteristics. On the tenth anniversary of the establishment of China’s new-style think tanks with Chinese characteristics, this study conducts an empirical analysis of the growth patterns, basic characteristics, and influencing factors of think tank talent in China, based on data from 187 valid questionnaires collected by the Think Tank Talent Development Alliance. The study finds that think tank talent in China can be categorized into three types: the “capability accumulation” type, the “stable development” type, and the “senior …

Ecological Interest Theory Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” And Its Application In The Yellow River Basin, Guangqian Wang, Deyu Zhong

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

To address the core challenges of quantifying ecological value and converting it into economic gains, this study proposes a theoretical framework of ecological interest (EI) based on the principle that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”. Three fundamental origins of ecological interest are explained, including the temporal value discount, the spatial ecological compensation, and the civilizational occupation-compensation balance. These three dimensions establish the logical connection between ecological and economic values. Setting a 5% annual simple interest rate as the benchmark and adopting “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains” green certificates as the standardized ecological assets for property rights delineation …

Characteristics And Implementation Paths Of Goal For Building Energy Powerhouse, Liye Xiao, Jiaofeng Pan, Xiaojiong Wang, Deqiang Sun, Mingliang Qi, Jianlei Mo, Huimin Li, Ting Wang, Jie Yang, Jie Lin, Yuchao Wang, Haiting Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China is a major energy-consuming country, and ensuring effective energy supply is one of the core tasks for promoting national development and national rejuvenation. To guarantee national energy supply and energy security, and to vigorously develop and utilize clean and low-carbon energy, the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China clearly states: “We will thoroughly implement the new energy security strategy, accelerate the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system, and build a strong energy nation. We will promote the safe, reliable, and orderly replacement …

Logic And Pathways Of Higher Education In Supporting Science And Technology Innovation In Big Science Era, Yiran Song, Ying Wang, Yijun Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The new wave of technological and industrial transformation is propelling scientific and technological innovation from isolated breakthroughs toward ecosystem-based collaboration. Deepening interdisciplinary integration and accelerated data-driven and AI-powered processes present fresh challenges to talent cultivation in higher education, demanding a systemic shift in higher education to align with the demands of scientific and technological innovation. This study analyzes the co-evolutionary relationship between higher education and scientific and technological innovation from a historical perspective; examines the defining features of scientific and technological innovation in the era of big science and the new requirements it places on higher education; elucidates the practical …

Is Science Still An Endless Frontier? —Past And Future Of U.S. Science Policy Through Lens Of Social Contract Of Science, Chunliang Fan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

This study analyzes the evolution of the relationship between science and government in the United States through the lens of the social contract of science. It proposes a five-dimensional framework covering legitimacy, institutional support, autonomy, functional expectations, and responsibility, and identifies three historical stages from 1945 to 2024, followed by recent policy changes since 2025.The findings suggest a shift from a science-centered, cognition-driven model to a mission-oriented model shaped by national competition and technological capacity. This transition is marked by more concentrated resource allocation, stronger alignment with industrial and security policies, and growing pressure on basic research. Overall, the postwar …

Operational Responsibility In Ai Governance: A User-Centric Liability Framework, Zhengyang Chen

Faculty Publications

Who bears responsibility when artificial intelligence systems cause harm? This question has become central to AI ethics and governance. Most existing approaches focus on developers, yet this faces serious practical and theoretical problems. Drawing on tort law, agency law, and philosophy of technology, this paper argues that AI should be understood as an instrument whose outputs remain the responsibility of human operators rather than developers. We call this 'user-centric governance.' Placing accountability with deployers promotes public trust by creating clear lines of responsibility, a concern that governance approaches have often overlooked. It preserves democratic accountability by keeping human actors answerable …