Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

The Policy Of Decentralization In The Mano River Region, Naigow Kuyon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Decentralization policy is advanced in many regions as a collaborative approach to regional stability, economic and political development, and poverty reduction. However, there is not a valid decentralization policy in the Mano River Region (MRR) countries of West Africa despite the presence of multinational institutions and United Nations Peacekeeping forces. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological case study was to use the sequential theory of decentralization to investigate why peace and stability in the MRR are still fragile. The primary research question concerned how the policy of decentralization implementation in MRR can significantly contribute to regional stability, enhance economic development, …

Perceptions Of Unrestricted Gift Giving And The Integrity Of Public Servants In Nigeria, Malachy Ogbonna Ugwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many observers are concerned about the ramifications of the policy regulation in Nigeria that allows public servants to accept gifts without restriction on the basis of culture. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand this cultural practice and its implications for the integrity of public servants. Using Mettler and SoRelle's conceptualization of policy feedback theory, the research questions focused on the perceptions of leaders of civic organizations on this cultural practice in relation to the integrity of public servants in a particular region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 10 purposely selected leaders of civic organizations …

Increasing Permanent Home Placements For Children With Diagnosed Disabilities In Foster Care, Adina Ekwerike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 397,000 children received foster care services in 2012. Some states successfully achieved permanent homes for children with diagnosed disabilities who exited care while others were less successful. Using change theory and social ecological theory as the foundations, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact that diagnosed disabilities had on permanent home placements among Pennsylvania's foster care children who were discharged and were between ages of 0 to 6 years in 2012. Hernandez's and Hodges's theory of change was used to evaluate the 1982 standards that license foster care agencies, while Stokol's ecological theory …

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement And The Changing Face Of Free Trade Agreements: The Resultant Social, Political, And Economic Consequences, Joseph Heyliger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known about the impact of nontrade issues on developing countries entering trade agreements. The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) represents an attempt to set high-standard trade rules for participating countries in the Asian-Pacific region that require the inclusion of wide-ranging nontrade issues in the TPPA. This general qualitative study explored the economic, social, and political consequences for developing countries by including nontrade issues in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The overarching research question addressed whether nontrade issues in FTAs detract developing countries from achieving their trade goals. This study was guided by the theory of comparative advantage propounded by Ricardo …

The Need For Public Policy Initiatives To Retain Medical Doctors In Ethiopia, Berhanu Bankashe Balaker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ethiopia suffers from a medical shortage or brain drainthat has severely affected its already fragile health care system. The country has a very low physician-to-population ratio,whilemany in the medical community continue to leave in great numbers. Aphenomenological approach was used in this study to explore the lived experiences of medical doctors who have left Ethiopia, with contemporary migration theory serving as the conceptual framework. The central research question focused onwhy Ethiopian medical doctors leave their country and what can be done to retain them. Participants were 10 medical doctors of Ethiopian origin who live and practice medicine in the Washington, …

The Relationship Between Isolation, Distress, And Medical Care Among Transgender Coloradoans, Charles Tinnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Colorado in 2014, suicidal ideation or suicide attempts occurred up to 10 times more frequently among transgender persons than the general population. This reality occurred within a milieu of stigma that included transgender persons' negative perceptions of healthcare, a higher incidence of psychological distress, and an uncertain role for social isolation in their well-being. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the interactions between social isolation, supportive medical care, and psychological distress within the framework of Meyer's minority stress theory. Data were acquired from the 2014 Colorado Transgender Health Survey conducted by the One Colorado Education Fund …

Decentralization Of Local Government And Rural Development In Rivers State, Nigeria, Eddy B. Kaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rural communities in Rivers State, Nigeria are fraught with underdevelopment crises despite the accrual of wealth from oil and gas. Community Development Committees (CDCs) are established by the Rivers State government in each town and village to facilitate community development. However, the CDCs have failed to generate substantive development in rural communities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perceptions of local stakeholders as to the factors that have contributed to this policy failure. Benet's theory of polarities of democracy was used in this study. Twenty-two participants in the Khana region of Rivers State were interviewed …

Relationship Between Policy Expectations And Education Outcomes In A Midwestern School District, Latonya Latamore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A financially secure public school district can provide children with an educational foundation that will eventually transition them into self-sufficient employed adults. These adults will become tax-paying citizens who will contribute to their local economies. The problem with one midwestern public school district is that a history of financial insecurity has affected the district's ability to provide students with all of the programs to which they are entitled. Using Baumgartner and Jones' conceptualization of punctuated equilibrium as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between aspects of the Local Financial Stability and Choice …

Regression Analysis Of Young Elderly Americans' Needs To Alleviate Poverty, Barbara Ann Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Demographics are changing for the young elderly population in America, and poverty is a growing concern among this population. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between young elderly demographics and income level, and between government programs and economic status. Rawls's theory of justice was useful to examine the relationship between predictor variables and the outcome variable. Secondary data came from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey from March 2016. The results of multiple and logistic regressions indicated no statistically significant linear correlation. There was no statistical linear correlation between income level and region, race, …

Beliefs Influencing Hiring Agents' Selection Of Qualified Autistic Candidates, Angela Marie Mai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Qualified and capable working age autistics face an 83% unemployment rate, thus, straining the economy and deteriorating their quality of life. This research examines potential contributing factors by inquiring what hiring agents' beliefs may be influencing their selection of qualified autistic candidates. This quantitatively weighted, concurrent, mixed methods (QUAN > qual), multiple linear regression study measured the influence of hiring agents' control, normative, and behavioral beliefs upon their selection of qualified autistic candidates. Through the theoretical lens of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior, conceptually crystallized with other validated theories; a representative, simple, random probability sample of hiring agents throughout the contiguous …

Exploring Peace Education For Consensual Peace Building In Nigeria, Agada John Elachi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence, insurgency, and terrorism have been a recurring problem in Nigeria. Efforts to address these challenges through the use of force have proved ineffective. The purpose of this study was to explore the application of peace education in the educational curriculum with a view to promoting consensual peace building in Kafanchan Town, Jema'a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Although peace education has been applied in some countries, this approach has not been applied to these challenges plaguing Nigeria. This study adopts the survey research method and utilizes the tripodal theoretical framework of ethnic conflict theory, enemy system theory, …

Effects Of Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act On Behavioral Health Access, Godwin Oshegbo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

About 50% of adults in the United States suffer from at least 1 mental health challenge in their lifetime. Annually, mental health and substance use disorders cost the United States about $800 billion, leaving individuals with unaffordable cost of care and the nation with diminished productivity and revenue. With the Essential Health Benefits and Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), healthcare resources were created to address gaps in behavioral healthcare. There is a need to understand how the healthcare law has influenced the availability of behavioral health services and access to needed care. This study …

Effect Of Military Law Enforcement Interviews On Victims Of Military Sexual Trauma, Paul Broner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effect of Military Law Enforcement Interviews on Victims of Military Sexual Trauma

by

Paul Brian Broner

MS, Chaminade University, 2011

BA, Chaminade University, 2004

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Criminal Justice Administration

Walden University

May 2018

Effectiveness Of Practice Change From Risk Model To Safety Model At Dhs, Shirlana Norene Dash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported an estimated 686,000 victims of child abuse and neglect. Forty-nine states reported a total of 1,593 fatalities. This quantitative research study examined the relationship between the variables: age of child, gender of child, age of parent/caregiver, prior substantiated reports of abuse, and incidents of abuse in Philadelphia at the Department of Human Services using risk practice model (RPM) and safety practice model (SPM). Although child welfare practitioners have examined the relationship between family and societal factors that affect child abuse; few researchers have examined the correlation between service delivery …

Developing Ecological Citizenship: The Role Of Political Agents Using Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model, Teresa Victoria Grabs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite decades of research on environmental behavior, it is unknown how various political actors aid in the development of ecological citizenship (EC). The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the relationship between environmental worldview (NEP) and willingness to take action (WTTA) among political actors within 5 states: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The overarching research question examined how EC can be increased within the 5-state region by identifying the similarities and differences in NEP and WTTA between state legislators, state partners, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model provided the theoretical framework for the study. …

Substandard Rental Housing In The Promise Zone Of A Mid-Sized U.S. City, Ruth Elizabeth Metzger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A persistent gap exists between established federal, state, and local standards for housing habitability and the condition of rental housing. The condition persists despite local code enforcement mechanisms, leaving significant potential to improve housing. Such housing can have adverse impacts on people's physical and mental health, economic stability, education, crime, community development, and municipal budgets. The purpose of this case study was to identify factors that create and perpetuate the problem, make it difficult to resolve, and to identify policy actions with the potential to help mitigate it. Rational choice theory and public choice theory formed the framework to analyze …

A Global Perception On Contemporary Slavery In The Middle East North Africa Region, Kimberly Anne Pavlik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although human trafficking continues to be a growing problem around the world, there are scarce quantitative methodologies for evidence-based research because it is hard to gather reliable and comparable data on human trafficking. It is also difficult to track patterns in human trafficking on a regional or global scale because the victims are a vulnerable population. Using Datta and Bales conceptualization of modern slavery as the theoretical foundation, the primary purpose of this study was to establish a baseline measurement of trafficking predictors in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) as well as understand the statistical relationship between measurements of …

Psychological Consequences Of The Boko Haram Insurgency For Nigerian Children, Paul Adebayo Adepelumi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies have examined the causes and impacts of terrorism in Nigeria; however, no known research has documented the psychological impacts of witnessing ongoing Boko Haram terrorist violence based on the lived experiences of Nigerian children. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the psychological consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency based on the lived experience of Nigerian children exposed to terrorism in Nigeria. The study's theoretical framework combined Piaget's theory of cognitive development and punctuated equilibrium theory. The central research question examined the adverse psychological effects of the Boko Haram insurgency for Nigerian children residing in Nigeria. …

Media Framing Of Refugees In The United States And Canada, Janine Allwright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The ongoing war in Syria and the subsequent refugee crisis has brought the need for refugee resettlement to the forefront of policy debates. Canada and the United States display stark differences in the outcome of their refugee policies. Canada continues to welcome Syrian refugees, whereas the United States has become less willing to engage in resettlement. The purpose of this study was to use Entman's conceptualization of framing theory to compare media framing of refugees in Canada and the United States to deliver insight into the different policy outcomes. Data were acquired through a content analysis of 850 newspaper articles …

Review Of Child-Custody Standards And Its Effects On Children Of Cohabitating And Non-Cohabitating Fathers, Jermaine Rahsaan Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The involvement of fathers in the daily activities of their children has proven to be a substantial factor in nurturing children's speech and language development, fine motor skills development, gross motor skills development, social and emotional development, and cognitive development. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate fathers and the time spent involved in the daily activities of their children. Guided by Rawls's social contract theory, the research question sought to determine whether there is a statistically significant relationship between the living arrangements (cohabitating and non-cohabitating) of fathers and the time spent involved in the daily activities of …

Using Communication Theories In Mine-Risk Education Campaigns: The Case Of Vietnam, Duong Trong Hue

Global CWD Repository

In this study, I will look at the problem from a health communication perspective with a focus on the linkage between the theories of attitude and behavioral change in the health communication field and the application of mine-risk education programs in Vietnam. This research will contribute to the field of risk education, specifically in communication campaigns to save lives and limbs in landmine affected communities. It also helps to shed more light on the real impact of mine-risk education campaigns to the mine-affected population.

The paper is organized as follows. First, I will provide a brief introduction of the mine-risk …

Making Medicaid Work In The Mountain State? An Assessment Of The Effect Of Work Requirements For Medicaid Beneficiaries In West Virginia, Simon F. Haeder

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the nation, and West Virginians face some of the highest rates of illness and disability. One of the few bright spots for the health of West Virginians have been government-funded programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the expansion of Medicaid under Governor Tomblin in 2014, has brought health coverage and access to care to hundreds of thousands of West Virginians. Today, about a third of West Virginians rely on Medicaid, and the program has become the backbone of the state’s health …

Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann: A Regional Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of SeniorCare, Inc. (hereafter referred to as SeniorCare), to learn about the age- and dementia-friendliness of the region of Cape Ann, including the Massachusetts municipalities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Rockport. The contents of this report are intended to inform SeniorCare for the purposes of planning and implementing the Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann (ADFCA) Initiative. The ADFCA Initiative builds on ten Areas of Focus, which are essential components of a livable …

Three Essays On Public Finance And Public Policy: Financial Disclosure And Policy Reinvention In U.S. State And Local Governments, Jinhai Yu

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay, or Chapter 2, advances the literature by examining the conditional effects of lobbying on the relationship between policy learning and policy reinvention. Scholars have consistently shown that learning of successful policies in other states leads to higher likelihood of policy adoption. This essay extends this finding two ways. First, policy learning can also lead to more comprehensive adoption of successful policies. Second, the effect of policy learning on policy comprehensiveness is conditional on lobbying by interest groups, an alternative source of information about policy success. To test these hypotheses, I conduct …

A Multidimensional Poverty Index For The United States, Nate Kratzer

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

A multidimensional poverty index for the United States is designed, evaluated, and defended as a useful measurement tool for policymakers to evaluate poverty. Chapter 1 presents a normative case for the index. Chapter 2 reviews the literature on poverty measures. Chapter 3 constructs the proposed index. Chapter 4 is a statistical examination of the internal structure of the index. Chapter 5 explores the index across states, over time, and among population subgroups, as well as presenting policy applications.

Effects Department Of Justice Investigations Have On Violent Crime And Arrest Rates, D. Scott Hoffman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 1994 Congress enacted the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which in part gave the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division (DOJCRD) the power to investigate local law enforcement agencies for Constitutional and civil rights violations. Researchers have found these investigations are expensive, time consuming, and highly intrusive to a law enforcement agency. To understand how these investigations are impacting communities, data were gathered on cities with local law enforcement agencies that have experienced an investigation by the DOJCRD. Using a quasi-experimental, multiple time-series research design with a paired samples t-test, the dependent variables (violent crime and arrest …

An Analysis Of Servant Leadership In Russian-American Nongovernmental Organization Partnerships, Frederica Doctor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite Russia's foreign agent law and a plethora of literature on the deterioration of Russia's civil society, there is a scarcity of research about the breakthroughs and transformation of Russian-and-American (RA) nongovernmental organization (NGO) partnerships. Accordingly, the research goal of this qualitative case study was to explore the tenets of servant leadership theory exhibited by foreign aid organizations for the restoration of RA NGO partnerships. The research questions addressed the influence and dominance of servant leadership tenets within United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its collaborating agencies. A content analysis was conducted using online publicly available data such …

Perspectives And Post-Release Experiences Of Convicted African American Women Drug Offenders, Janet Fash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prisons in the United States are full to capacity because of the revolving doors created by recidivism. African American women comprise a significant proportion of those who return to prison, yet most studies about women and recidivism focus on the experiences of white women. The communities into which formerly incarcerated African American women are released do not make things easier in terms of the potential for reoffending because of the difficult access to good jobs, safe housing, good health care services, and assistance with child cares services. Using Cullen's social support theory as the foundation, the purpose of this general …

Patterns Within Nine Preattack Phases That Emerged In Israel Suicide Bombing Cases, Aaron Richman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 2000 to 2013, Israel had the second highest number of deaths from suicide attacks and was on the list of countries that may experience increases in terrorism due to ongoing conflicts. Suicide bombings present highly complex situations for counterterrorism and counterinsurgency professionals. Using Freeman, Tucker, and Merton's framework of 9 preattack phases as the primary theoretical constuct, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore specific patterns that consistently emerged in the adversary planning process for 6 successful or failed suicide bombing cases in Israel. Secondary, archival data were acquired through a data use agreement with a …

Inclusion Of The African Diaspora In Florida Nonprofit Organizations, Lydia Asana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social and economic challenges in one part of the world influence budgets, security, health, and well being of populations globally as was the case with the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Deficits in healthcare, education, governance, and the economy in African nations result in financial and social contributions from the diaspora residing in the United States. Many African-born immigrants to Florida came with useful knowledge and experience from their home nations that could be a valuable resource in carrying out effective development initiatives. However, accessing that knowledge is challenging. The purpose of this research was to explore the inclusion of members of …