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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™

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Pepperdine University

Journal

2011

Articles 1 - 15 of 15

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Unions Matter, John S. Thomas Jan 2011

Unions Matter, John S. Thomas

Pepperdine Policy Review

Unions invested heavily in the last statewide election in California. It is worthwhile to examine the correlation between the political candidates’ campaign war chests and union political funding. Meg Whitman, while largely self-funded, suffered a massive defeat at the hands of Jerry Brown. A credible argument can be made that Jerry Brown’s message resonated, while Whitman was simply out of touch with the average California voter. On the surface this might be true, but digging deeper into the campaigns reveals another story. Jerry Brown was the beneficiary of over $30 million spent by unions on negative advertising against Meg Whitman, …

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Bilingual, Esl, And English Immersion: Educational Models For Limited English Proficient Students In Texas, Kelly Faltis Jan 2011

Bilingual, Esl, And English Immersion: Educational Models For Limited English Proficient Students In Texas, Kelly Faltis

Pepperdine Policy Review

Education of limited English proficient (LEP) students is important for domestic economic growth, the cohesion of society within the United States, and for maintaining US competitiveness in the global economy. Ineffective education of LEP students might have detrimental effects on the economic future of the new immigrants, the education of English speaking students, and the US economy as a whole. A majority of the estimated 5.3 million LEP students within the United States are Hispanic.1 Given this large population, finding the best model to educate LEP students is an important policy goal. Texas has the second largest LEP population, next …

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Message From The Editor, Alexander N. Fondrier Jan 2011

Message From The Editor, Alexander N. Fondrier

Pepperdine Policy Review

Editor's introduction.

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The Political And Economic Implications Of The Asian Carp Invasion, Thomas Just Jan 2011

The Political And Economic Implications Of The Asian Carp Invasion, Thomas Just

Pepperdine Policy Review

“Asian carp will kill jobs and ruin our way of life.”1 Such is the sentiment expressed by Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and many other politicians and interest groups in the Great Lakes Region. The invasion of non-native species into the Great Lakes is a public policy problem that has the ability to severely damage the region’s environment and economy. Alterations to the region’s waterways have led to the threat of invasive species overwhelming, and in fact, destroying the natural ecosystem of the world’s largest body of freshwater. The issue of invasive species has resulted in a clash between numerous …

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Given The Choice: Family Values In California’S Largest School Districts, Raija Churchill Jan 2011

Given The Choice: Family Values In California’S Largest School Districts, Raija Churchill

Pepperdine Policy Review

Through a quantitative analysis of twenty-five school districts, which are among the state’s largest, this research asks what policies school districts choose to implement when California’s Education Code gives them freedom to adopt or ignore policies that impact traditional moral beliefs and parental rights. These beliefs recognize that parents hold primary responsibility—and therefore, primary authority—when it comes to deciding questions such as sexual education.

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The Merida Initiative: An Effective Way Of Reducing Violence In Mexico?, Sabrina Abu-Hamdeh Jan 2011

The Merida Initiative: An Effective Way Of Reducing Violence In Mexico?, Sabrina Abu-Hamdeh

Pepperdine Policy Review

In October 2007, the United States and Mexico announced the Merida Initiative, a $1.4 billion proposal for US assistance in Mexico and Central America’s drug war for FY 2008-FY 2010.8 For the 2008 fiscal year, Congress allocated $400 million for Mexico and $65 million for Central America. This marked a shift in US foreign drug policy, as until this time Colombia had been the main recipient of US aid, not Mexico. According to the US Department of State, Colombia received $600 million for FY 2006, while Mexico received approximately $40 million.9 As the US enters its fourth year of Merida …

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The Impact Of The Global Financial Crisis On Sub-Saharan Africa, Odinakachi J. Anyanwu Jan 2011

The Impact Of The Global Financial Crisis On Sub-Saharan Africa, Odinakachi J. Anyanwu

Pepperdine Policy Review

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the global financial crisis on the growth and development of sub-Saharan Africa and to discuss the policy implications of the crisis. Understanding the impact of the global financial crisis on sub-Saharan Africa is of critical importance because of the continent’s severe volatility. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the largest number of low-income countries in the world; more than fifty percent of the population lives on less than US $1.25 per day.1 The region is also plagued with country-specific political problems, which are at risk of exacerbation by increasing levels …

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Hope Worldwide Indonesia Positive Choice Program, Jillian Kissee Jan 2011

Hope Worldwide Indonesia Positive Choice Program, Jillian Kissee

Pepperdine Policy Review

This document provides recommendations and guidance for HOPE worldwide Indonesia’s implementation of Positive Choice. It discusses the current HIV situation; obstacles the country faces in implementing a school-based HIV-drug prevention program; criteria for the start-up, approach, and implementation of Positive Choice; and finally recommendations for further action. On the basis of extensive field research, it is recommended that HOPE worldwide institute a curriculum-based HIV-drug prevention pilot program in Jakarta, the province with the third highest rate of HIV infections in the country. This program should be rooted in evidence-based effective practices which incorporate the Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condom use …

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Here And Back Again: Us National Security Interest In The Arab/Israeli Conflict, Miriam Keim Jan 2011

Here And Back Again: Us National Security Interest In The Arab/Israeli Conflict, Miriam Keim

Pepperdine Policy Review

It would be easy to characterize the Arab/Israeli conflict as simply a religious disagreement: fiery rhetoric, often fueled by religious beliefs, is preached by both sides as to the legitimacy of the existence of Israel. Religion cannot be completely removed from the equation, as many contested sites, particularly in Jerusalem, have deep religious significance to Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. However, the main motivator behind the conflict is land, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming their rights to the area now known as Israel, as well as the disputed Occupied Territories, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.1 Any …

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Against Doom And Gloom, Michael Crouch Jan 2011

Against Doom And Gloom, Michael Crouch

Pepperdine Policy Review

Popular economic literature has been overcome by competition for trendy titles and unique subject matter. After all, authors dealing with topics other than the current financial crisis must provide publishers a reason to put out the book, and prompt readers to want to look at it. Yet, Matt Ridley seems to rise above it all in his most recent book, The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves (excepting, perhaps, his provocatively titled prologue). Ridley, a journalist by trade, has previously written about the fields of genetics and evolution and his skills make him a natural at answering two questions: how did …

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Twitter: A Platform For Political Discourse Or Social Networking, Timothy Nguyen Jan 2011

Twitter: A Platform For Political Discourse Or Social Networking, Timothy Nguyen

Global Tides

Previous research on new media has largely focused on the potential media effects of alternative news sources on their viewers. The effects of these studies have been limited, however, to the narrow audiences targeted by the increasingly polarizing alternative news sources. The advent and popularization of social networks has provided a reason to suspect that, for the first time, alternative news sources are making their way to the mainstream general public. In this study, I examine a new political and media environment that encourages the interaction between the politically inattentive public and polarized and alternative news sources – a link …

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Engagement And Disengagement: Rethinking Somalia, Ethan Hamilton Jan 2011

Engagement And Disengagement: Rethinking Somalia, Ethan Hamilton

Global Tides

This paper outlines three international policy options for Somalia in an effort to begin working towards solving the issues that have plagued the Horn of Africa for over 40 years. A short introduction summarizing Somalia’s tumultuous history precedes an examination of the three policy options. The first proposal, as supported and practiced by the U.S. State Department, is an interventionist policy involving political, economic, and in the past, military intervention. The policy would continue to allow the U.S. to closely monitor Somalia’s struggling government in an effort to maintain and protect its regional interests. The second proposal reconsiders Somaliland’s de …

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The Marginalization Of Afro-Asians In East Asia: Globalization And The Creation Of Subculture And Hybrid Identity”, Sierra Reicheneker Jan 2011

The Marginalization Of Afro-Asians In East Asia: Globalization And The Creation Of Subculture And Hybrid Identity”, Sierra Reicheneker

Global Tides

This article explores the topic of children born of biracial couplings in East Asia. The offspring of such unique unions face severe discrimination and marginalization. The status and future of this minority is especially salient in primarily homogenous states, such as Korea, Japan, and China, where racism varies from social stigma to institutionalized policies. The article will show that they have yet to create a cohesive group identity; they remain vulnerable to negative self image and socially imposed isolation. In such nations, progress in equality for Afro-Asians will require key Afro-Asian leaders and public figures taking a stand against prejudices, …

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Fair Trade Coffee In A Global Economy, Taylor Clayton Jan 2011

Fair Trade Coffee In A Global Economy, Taylor Clayton

Global Tides

As conscientious shoppers, the fair trade label we see on the coffee we drink from Starbucks and the bananas we buy at the natural food market often assure us of our ethical consumer choices. We should, however, question the accuracy of this marketing to find out where the products we buy actually come from. Are these goods truly traded fairly? Do these products provide equitable wages to farmers and their families in the Southern Hemisphere? This paper will inspect the current state of the fair trade industry as well as offer suggestions for improvement. The positive outcomes of true fair …

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The Path To Prosperity In Afghanistan And Central Asia: Obstacles At The Crossroads, Owen Lloyd Jan 2011

The Path To Prosperity In Afghanistan And Central Asia: Obstacles At The Crossroads, Owen Lloyd

Global Tides

Despite America’s lengthy nation-building project in Afghanistan, many Afghans still lack the basic resources and security necessary for a viable nation. Furthermore, the insecurity in Afghanistan is increasingly spilling over into their neighbors, stressing an already fragile region. While we in the West have largely forgotten Afghanistan, its neighbors look on with trepidation as they prepare for potential unrest. With vast amounts of natural resources and increased competition between the Russians and Chinese over the region, Afghanistan and its insecurity could lead to continued Central Asian economic and political stagnation. Despite the dangers in failure, inconsistent action and a destabilizing …

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