Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ergonomics : A Focus On The Prince George County, Va Emergency Operations Center Workstations, John Leach

Master's Theses

This research paper examines the current ergonomic characteristics of the Prince George County Emergency Operations Center Workstations. Further, the research attempts to answer the following question: How do the Prince George County Emergency Operations Center Workstations compare with conventional wisdom, and literature on the topic of workstation ergonomics?

Are We All Together? : A Study Of Evacuation And Sheltering Of Public Safety Special Needs Populations In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Anna M. Mcray

Master's Theses

Events thousands of miles away from Virginia have led to enhancements of the existing evacuation and emergency sheltering planning, highlighting the need to consider more than traditional special needs populations. Updated state-level plans specifically address the medical needs of evacuation populations. Pets were taken into consideration and inclusion of dogs, cats, and birds in traditional sheltering planning has begun. Planning began to address those with social needs such as low-income families who may not be able to evacuate until the final hours of an active evacuation. It became clear that there were specific populations that had not been included in …

The Effect Of The Mail In Voter Registration Form On Voter Turnout In The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Leroy O. Pfeiffer

Master's Theses

Over the years, many states have undertaken different approaches to increase voter registration and stimulate voter participation in the electoral process. One such approach was the Commonwealth of Virginia's Voter Registration Extension Form, which was instituted in 1989. Using statewide voter registration statistics and a survey of state voter registrars, this paper attempts to measure the impact that this form had on voter registration and turnout in the electoral process from 1989 to 1994. This thesis finds that the registration extension form was reasonably successful in terms of increasing registration. Yet, easing registration requirements does not significantly increase voter turnout.

Implementing Public Policy : The Virginia Comprehensive Community Corrections Act For Local-Responsible Offenders, Tracey L. Jenkins

Master's Theses

This is a study of how the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) attempted to implement a major crime initiative, the Comprehensive Community Corrections Act (CCCA). The aim is to explain the implementation process in DCJS with reference to organizational models developed by Richard Elmore (1978). A careful analysis of the day-to-day operation and decision-making processes of DCJS, with particular emphasis on the implementation of the CCCA, shows that DCJS normally corresponds with the expectations of the "organizational development" and "bureaucratic process" models described in Elmore's typology of organizations. Still, agencies often must adapt to political and policy changes that …

The 1990 Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act : A Case Study In Public Interest Lobbying, Louise Ryland Thornton

Master's Theses

This thesis compares and contrasts the tactics and techniques used by Virginia public interest lobbyists in the passage of the 1990 VIRGINIA INDOOR CLEAN AIR ACT with Alan Rosenthal's analysis of state legislative lobbying found in his book, THE THIRD HOUSE. Primary sources include personal interviews and legislative documents, while newspaper articles provide the secondary source of information. Lobbyists used the indirect and direct lobbying techniques, suggested in Rosenthal's framework, to persuade others to their point of view. Supporters of the CLEAN AIR BILL had to deviate, in part, from some of Rosenthal's direct lobbying strategies due to Virginia's history …

The Silver Bullet Hypothesis : Case Studies Of Post-Webster Virginia Gubernatorial Elections, Anne M. Morgan

Master's Theses

The 1989 Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services U.S. Supreme Court decision triggered a "new politics of abortion," marked by a shift in venue of the abortion political debate to the states and by invigorated mobilization of pro-choice activists alarmed about a potential erosion of abortion rights in state laws. Surfacing in the wake of the decision was a "silver bullet" theory of abortion: that unrestricted support for legal abortion guarantees a candidate's electoral victory. Case studies of two post-Webster gubernatorial elections in Virginia fail to confirm the validity of the silver bullet theory. Public opinion findings reveal that the electorate …

Alienation And Altruism Among Street Level Bureaucrats: A Study Of The Virginia Victim/Witness And Crime Assistance Program, Susan Margaret O'Donnell

Master's Theses

Author Michael Lipsky argues that street-level bureaucrats are unresponsive to clients' needs because of five conditions that characterize the bureaucratic setting. These conditions include a chronic lack of resources, an ever-increasing client load, ambiguous or conflicting agency goal expectations, goal measures that encourage impersonal service, and the lack of a client reference group for workers. One purpose of this paper is to determine if the five conditions of work that frame Lipsky's argument in a street-level bureaucracy exist for the Virginia Victim/Witness and Crime Victim Assistance (V /W-CVA) program. Another objective is to evaluate the implications of these conditions for …

A Look At Black Youth Unemployment (Sixteen To Nineteen Years Of Age) Focusing On Black Youth In Virginia, Mary Martin Tucker

Master's Theses

This thesis will identify patterns of black youth unemployment in the nation and in Virginia and analyze the problem in Virginia. The analysis involves identifying discrepancies in unemployment rates across counties and cities in Virginia, selecting cases in which black youth unemployment is relatively low, and exploring reasons for lower rates. The ultimate aim is to determine why some areas have lower black youth unemployment than others, and to use that information to suggest courses of action for treating the problem. The case studies of Virginia counties and cities reveal that under certain local environmental conditions, such as strong economies, …

The North American Free Trade Agreement And Its Potential Impact On The Commonwealth Of Virginia, Brian Charles Kroll

Master's Theses

This thesis consists of two parts. First, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is described in terms of free trade theory, its precedents, and the text of the treaty. Second, the international aspects of Virginia's economy are examined with regard to NAFTA. This thesis asserts that if implemented, NAFTA will produce the following results for Virginia: merchandise exports to Canada and Mexico will continue to increase; employment supported by merchandise exports will continue to increase; factory relocations and related employment losses will continue to be outpaced by employment growth in other manufacturing areas; trade in services will undergo direct …

Lame Duck Theory Called Into Question, Lawrence Leonard Schack

Master's Theses

The foundations of lame duck theory, the expression connoting the study of executive/legislative relations in association with tenure constraints, are composed of broad generalizations which are generally unchallenged by political scientists. Evidence in support of this assertion is scattered throughout relevant literature, most of which centers upon the national executive, the two-term limitation imposed by the Twenty Second Amendment, and the subsequent lack of influence our country's presidents wield as their "political capital dwindles" proportionate with the temporal progress of their second term. Interestingly, while a great deal of time and energy has been devoted to the discussion of the …

Virginia Annexations As Metropolitan Reform Movements : Are They Obsolete?, Demetra Yeapanis Kontos

Master's Theses

The proliferation of local governments and single-purpose regional governmental districts has given local and state government administrators throughout the country many problems. The multiplicity of governments exacerbates conflicts of authority, duplication of services, inadequate service levels, and many other problems. Three basic metropolitan reforms have been implemented to solve these problems: consolidation, disintegration and regional organization. Each of these types of reform has been implemented in Virginia. The most controversial of these reforms is annexation, a form of consolidation where an independent city annexes county land. What contributes to the controversy of annexation movements is that unlike most states, Virginia's …

Virginia, The United States And The World : The Effects Of Political, Cultural And Economic Factors On Export Activity, Kimberly Sue Williams

Master's Theses

During the Middle Ages, the "marketplace" may have consisted of one village; products were made and sold locally. From a business person's perspective, there was little need to find out about the preferences of people in another town, let aone on another continent. In the middle of the twentieth century, American made products were sold in America; there was not much incentive to find about the tastes of people in another country. Business in the 1990's is different. Today there is a "global marketplace." Technology has made the planet smaller, facilitating communication and transportation between nations. The world today, in …

Medical Care Facility Planning And Regulation In Virginia Through Certificate Of Public Need, Ronald Stephen Webb

Master's Theses

It is the central argument of this thesis that the cost of medical care has been the most salient political consideration in the evolution of certificate of public need Virginia. Certificate of need is a regulatory mechanism that public officials use to achieve health planning goals by controlling medical facility capital expenditures. This thesis sets the development and implementation of certificate of need in Virginia against the broad background of medical facility public policy in this country, as well as significant political movements in Virginia.

Several themes are evident from this analysis. Over time, the center of medical facility planning …

The Political And Legal Framework For Cable Television Franchising By Virginia Local Government, Clyde Edward Roettger

Master's Theses

Within the last decade state-of-the-art cable television has gone from an unsuccessful, premature proposal in Virginia, to operative franchises in several jurisdictions , including Richm::m.d, Henrico, Chesterfield, Arlington, and Alexandria. There are also a number of franchises which have been in operation for many years and which are intended largely for reception improvement with sone minimal extra services, such as those in Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights. It is proposed here to raise significant issues which could have been addressed by Virginia state and local government as to the regulation of this rapid growth of cable television in the Cormnnwealth, …

The Role Of Socio-Economic Status In Determining Voting Behavior In Richmond, Virginia, Arthur Henry Verburg

Master's Theses

The question as to why an individual votes as he does has been a much-researched and frequently debated source of inquiry. Many scholars over the years have examined the question from different approaches, utilizing a variety of data, and have arrived at several different answers. In this paper I will explore one such answer: the role of socio-economic status (SES). The area of study will be the City of Richmond, Virginia, during the years 1968-1973.

Justices Of The Peace And Magistrates In Virginia And West Virginia, Krista Unterzuber

Master's Theses

The justice of the peace system has long been a part of the judicial process in the United States. The system originated in Great Britain and was transferred to the British colonies in the seventeenth century. Through the years the duties of the justice of the peace increased in number and importance. In recent years the powers of the office have declined and criticism of the system has mounted. As a result sane state governments have eliminated the justice of the peace system entirely and instituted the magistrate system. Two states which have taken such action are Virginia and West …

Selected Aspects Of Interstate 295 : The Interstate Highway System Of Virginia, Gilray Moyes Anderson

Master's Theses

This paper has hopefully given the reader a better understanding of the Interstate Highway System in the United States and Virginia through a general history , with related planning and process of a particular road­ way, I-295. Using 1295, this thesis has attempted to correlate the connection of one planned interstate road­ way in Virginia with others in the Virginia system.

The interstate highway system in Virginia is the accumulation of the history of roads in the State from the first Indian trails and paths. Based on what the present has given us the future will bring larger, safer and …

Chronic Illness And The Richmond Nursing Home, Robert L. Gordon

Master's Theses

The problem of aging and chronic illness has become more acute with the 19601s and more in the public attention than ever before. Projected figures for 1970 estimate 9.1% of the population will be in the aged group. In 1965 one out of five under 17 was affected by chronic disabilities. Both the private and public sectors of the economy are involved in seeking solutions.

This thesis deals with the adm inist rative area of the public sector. The thesis attempts to state the problem, point out knowledge and recommendations in the hospital administration field and show the Richmond Nursing …

A Study Of The Cuban Community In Richmond, Mary E. Tyler

Master's Theses

For Cubans there has been a long, historic exile path to the United States. The Spanish historian Justo Zaragoza noted that 100,000 persons fled the island in 1869,² following the start of the Ten Years' War agitating for independence from Spain. Again in 1895 when the War for Independence broke out, Cuban colonies were founded in Southern Florida, Tampa, and other U.S. cities.

Political activity was very much a part of the exile groups from the time that the great Cuban hero, Jose Marti plotted his revolution in a house in Tampa.³ Revolutionary activity was carried on among …

An Analysis Of "The Third House" In The General Assembly Of Virginia, John Rowland Davis

Master's Theses

The problem as presented in this research will be (1) to present a profile study of the lobbyists in the State of Virginia; (2) to point out the techniques used by lobbyists as well as the cost of lobbying in Virginia; and (3) to point out existing as well as previous legislation dealing with lobbying and to show its effectiveness.

Th purpose of this thesis is not to synthesize all the available literature concerning pressure groups, but, instead, the objective will be to present an accurate and objective study of lobbying in the State of Virginia using those sources that …

The Impact Of The Telephone Industry On The Economy Of Virginia, Homer W. Marshall Jr

Master's Theses

There are forty-two independent telephone companies and the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia currently providing telephone services throughout the State of Virginia. The general goal of this study is to establish the economic nature and significance of the telephone industry on the State of Virginia. The basic function of this industry is to provide an increasingly vital service - communications within and between areas of the State, The United States, and foreign countries. Some of the background conditions covered in this study, as well as findings, are mentioned in this introduction as an invitation to the reader to …

An Appraisal Of The Utility Of Current Measures In Estimating The Population Subregions Of Virginia, Mary Boehling Duley

Master's Theses

The need for estimating population below the state level during intercensal periods has been recognized for a number of years. Many varied methods have been suggested as possible measures; this thesis will examine and test some of these current measures with respect to the situation in Virginia and will also experiment with a new technique.

A Study Of The Four Public Bridges Across The James River, Demitrios Basiliou Pantele

Master's Theses

As a result of its expansion to both the northern and southern banks of the James River, the city of Richmond, Virginia, has been obliged to construct a number of bridges in order to provide a link between the two parts of the city. There are now four such structures connecting north and south Richmond, the eldest dating back to the eighteenth century, with the most recent having been erected as recently as 1934. In the pages that follow it shall be our purpose to tell the story of these four spans not only from the point of view of …

An Evaluation Study Of The Rehabilitation Service In Virginia, Mabel Leigh Rooke

Master's Theses

Since 1920 the Commonwealth 0£ Virginia bas had an organized Civilian Vocational Rehabilitation Program, having enacted the legislation creating the Service. a few weeks prior to the passage of the Federal Act in June of that year. A national consciousness of tho crippled and disabled had been awakened following World War I which culminated in the Veteran Rehabilitation Act. This was, actually, the forerunner of all later legislation meeting the popular demand tor a program available to all citizens, and which now reaches into all of the forty-eight states and the District of Columbia as well.as Alaska, Puerto Rico, and …

An Income Tax For Virginia, Warren A. Mcneill

Master's Theses

Literature on the subject of the income tax has become so vast that to add something worthwhile to it seems almost a hopeless task. Men who have come authorities through years of reading and study in the field on taxation have set forth their views at length; commissions appointed by states and nations have made investigations and reported their findings, both as to the theory of the tax and its application; every fiscal report of the many nations and several states employing this form of levy is, in part, a document dealing with it. Supplementing these sources of materials are …