Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

2005 Nebraska Population Report, David J. Drozd, Jerry Deichert

Past Publications

This report shows annual estimates of the population for Nebraska and its counties and cities. Demographic patterns and trends, including changes in the components of population change, are illustrated. As the passage of time takes us further from Census 2000 and closer to the 2010 Census, it is important to see how changes have been occurring at both the local and statewide level.

Report To The Nebraska Supreme Court On Indigent Defense Systems And Fee Structures, Nebraska Minority Justice Committee

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

On May 18, 2005 the Nebraska Supreme Court adopted the following resolution: “The Minority and Justice Implementation Committee shall study indigency attorney fee structures statewide and report and make recommendations, if any, to the Supreme Court regarding indigency fees throughout the State of Nebraska.”

The Nebraska Supreme Court’s resolution was influenced by a certain county’s attempt to establish a flat fee for court appointed attorneys. The legal profession’s concern with this policy is that such a drastic rate reduction would likely encourage attorneys to spend less time on court appointed cases, and discourage more experienced attorneys from accepting court appointments …

Who Chooses, Who Uses? Initial Evidence From The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, Patrick J. Wolf, Nada Eissa, Babette Gutmann

School Choice Demonstration Project

The federal government recently enacted its first school voucher program as a pilot project in the District of Columbia. To be eligible, students need to be entering grades K-12 and have a family income at or below 185 percent of the poverty level. Although a rigorous analysis of the Opportunity Scholarship Program’s impact on student achievement and other outcomes remains a prospect for the future, at this early point initial data exists regarding the families that are applying for the program and the students that are using and not using the voucher when offered. Here we present a preliminary analysis …

Torch (July/August 2006), Amy Homans, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Mid-Term Review Of The Undp Integrated Mine Action Programme (Imap), Gichd

Global CWD Repository

The break-up of Yugoslavia led to the 1992-1995 Bosnian war, which resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, massive displacement, and widespread landmine contamination. There was no clear victor in the conflict, and the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) established a loose confederal structure, with a weak central government (the State), two Entities (the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska or RS) and, within the Federation, ten cantons (each with its own constitution). Because of the danger of renewed conflict, NATO fielded an Implementation Force (IFOR) to enforce the military provisions of the GFAP, while the broader international community …

The Impact Of Higher Education On Police Management In Three Ontario Police Services, Jason Dale

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the impact of higher education on the management of police services in Ontario and whether education has a direct impact on the retention of officers in their police organizations. A survey administered to sworn police officers from three Ontario police services – Strathroy-Caradoc, Chatham-Kent, and the Niagara Region – was conducted. The findings reveal that officers with higher levels of education seek different career rewards and are harder to retain because they are much more willing to leave for job opportunities elsewhere.

No Equity In A Vacuum: The Ontario Municipal Diversity Project – An Examination Of The Current State Of Employment Equity And Diversity In Ontario Municipalities, Benjamin Elling

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines employment equity practices at the municipal level in Ontario based on a survey of 121 municipalities to determine the degree to which they utilize employment equity practices in their organizations and the extent to which these practices are voluntary. The findings reveal that few municipalities engage in any sort of comprehensive employment equity processes and without legislation that provides guidelines for municipalities, it appears unlikely that employment equity in Ontario will improve.

Coping With Diversity: Municipal Actions In Response Of Increased Immigrant Diversity In The Cities Of Hamilton And Markham In Ontario, Erika Hegedues

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the methods for coping with increased diversity and its consequences at the local level based on a literature review, case studies of the selected municipalities – Hamilton and Markham – and interviews with experts from these municipalities. The findings reveal that financial support from both the provincial and federal government is necessary to support the integration of immigrants, especially in large urban areas, in addition to the prioritization of certain policy areas and the municipal development and enhancement of their own services.

A Public Policy Analysis: The Effect Of Issue Framing And The Policy Network On Environmental Tobacco Smoke Bylaw Development In Peel Region, Deborah Keen

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the decision-making process used by local officials in the Region of Peel in the development of the environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) bylaw based on an analysis of literature, public documents, and media accounts. The findings reveal that the factors consistent with a weak policy outcome were evident in the decision-making process, including the poor networking skills of external proponents, a strong network of opponents, the primary use of an economic frame, and a council that was receptive to economic arguments.

Service Delivery Review: The Ontario Experience, Kelly Stymiest

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the application of service delivery review approaches in Ontario local governments based on surveys and consultations with municipal managers in Barrie, Brantford, and the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. The findings reveal that there is a strong commitment among municipal managers to excellence, improvement, and information sharing and they are seeking more information and advice on how to manage organizational performance, people, and money.

Wpa News 77 (2006), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Summer 2006), number 77

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Electronic Government Accessibility For People With Blindness Or Low Vision Who Utilize Assistive Computer Technology, Robert J. Sobie

Dissertations

Citizen access to electronic government information and services continues to enjoy an expansionary phase in local government. This expansionary phase holds a prominent place in service delivery strategic planning as governments address on-going operational challenges caused by increased fiscal pressures and greater accountability to the citizenry for their actions. Since the advent of the World Wide Web, in the mid 1990s, static information and interactive applications are available on government websites to facilitate information dissemination and citizen interaction.

The presence of electronically delivered information and services may not address the accessibility needs of people with blindness or low vision who …

Providing Uninsured Adults With Free Or Low-Cost Primary Care: Does It Influence Their Use Of Hospital Emergency Departments?, Anne G. Zahradnik

Dissertations

This study analyzes one component of the health care safety net to determine whether or not being enrolled in a free or low-cost primary care physician access program subsequently affects emergency room utilization by uninsured adults ages 18 through 64. Those individual decisions are analyzed from both public goods and rational choice schemas. Additionally, physician access programs of different formats (a low-cost physician referral program and a freewalk-in clinic) are analyzed and compared for relative effectiveness. The study is a quantitative analysis of more than 40,000 individual patient records rather than relying on qualitative patient recall or on analyzing broad …

Facing Reality : Pernicious Obstacles To Collective Action On Climate Change, Paul G. Harris

Centre for Public Policy Studies : CPPS Working Paper Series

The international climate regime, primarily designed to limit the emissions of pollutants causing global warming, has failed. Why has international cooperation to combat global warming been so difficult, and what factors must change to improve the situation—assuming it is even possible? Using Mancur Olson’s classical theory of collective action, this essay endeavors to explain the failure of the climate regime. Other international environmental agreements and the associated regimes, such as the Mediterranean Action Plan and the Montreal Protocol on ozone depletion, demonstrate that collective action to address international environmental problems is possible. Both agreements contain the ingredients that classical theory—that …

Data Note: Relationship Between Ssi Recipients Who Work And State Unemployment Rate, Katherine Fichthorn, Dana Scott Gilmore

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) administered by the Social Security Administration provides cash assistance to low-income individuals who are seniors, blind, or have a disability.

Research To Practice: The National Survey Of Community Rehabilitation Providers, Fy2004-2005 Report 1: Employment Outcomes Of People With Developmental Disabilities In Integrated Employment, Heike Boeltzig, Dana Scott Gilmore, John Butterworth

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Where do people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities work? What are their hours, wages, and benefits? This brief covers partial results from a survey that gives a snapshot of the outcomes for recently employed people with developmental disabilities.

Research To Practice: Trends And Emerging Issues Regarding Ssa/Vr Reimbursements For Ssi/Ssdi Recipients, John Halliday, Dana Scott Gilmore, Katherine Fichthorn

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This brief discusses the declining amount of reimbursement paid to public VR agencies from federal fiscal year (FFY) 2002 to FFY 2005 by considering the impact that fewer claims submitted and a rising SGA level may have on the amount of reimbursement paid.

A Guide To Housing Rehabilitation Programs For The Omaha Metropolitan Area, Jarrod Reece, Silas Clarke, Gail Braun, Norita Collar, Heather L. Bloom, Russell Smith, School Of Public Administration, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Offices Of The Mayor, City Of Omaha

Public Administration Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Focal Point, Volume 20 Number 02, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

This issue of Focal Point describes the need for, and provides examples of, new strategies for meeting the mental health needs of children and adolescents involved with the juvenile justice system.

Rejecting The 65-Percent Solution, John Yinger

Center for Policy Research

It’s Elementary is a series of essays on topics in education and education policy. The main focus is on education finance in New York State, but general research findings in education and education policy issues in several other states are also discussed. John Yinger, Professor of Economics and Public Administration at the Maxwell School, Syracuse University is the author of most of these essays, although a few are written by or co-authored with other scholars.

Pursuing Cost Containment In A Pluralistic Payer Environment: From The Aftermath Of Clinton’S Failure At Health Care Reform To The Balanced Budget Act Of 1997, Rick Mayes, Robert E. Hurley

Political Science Faculty Publications

Following a decade in which Medicare operated as the leading ‘change agent’ within the US health care system, the private sector rose to the fore in the mid 1990s. The failure of President Clinton’s attempt at comprehensive, public sector-led reform left managed care as the solution for cost control. And for a period it worked, largely because managed care organizations were able to both squeeze payments to selective networks of medical providers and significantly reduce inpatient hospital stays. There was a lot of ‘fat’ in the nation’s convoluted health care system that could be (and was) eliminated through competitive negotiations …

Water, Development, And State Security In South Asia: Scenarios For China And India, Ray Chandrasekara, John M. Polimeni

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Conflict over water resources is rare and has not occurred for thousands of years. However, the dynamics in South Asia are changing so rapidly that a conflict in the not-so-near future may be unavoidable. Water shortages could have the nonlinear effects of food shortages, political instability, migration problems, and diminished economic growth. All of these factors, caused by water shortages, could be a driver of conflict in the region, causing territorial disputes. Global instability would be sure to follow as both the U.S., attempting to protect their national security interests, and China, reacting as the regional power, tries to intervene. …

Policy Analysis Of The Victim Offender Restitution Program, Veronica Damon, Marie Bostick, Lamont Mcgary

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Both the criminal justice and the juvenile justice systems have experienced increased strain due to criminal acts committed by juveniles. Many experts suggest that one way to ease the burden of the courts can be found in the theory of restorative justice. Most often the juvenile justice system is most concerned with the risk and needs of youthful offenders without significant consideration for the victims. A key component in the restorative justice theory is victim offender mediation which seeks to reduce the impact of crime on victims and the community. Clark County, Nevada has one such program, the Victim Offender …

Evaluating Collaboration Constructs: An Analysis Of The Paradise Creek Restoration Plan, Pamela Trump Dunning

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

This study examines collaboration constructs using Gray & Wood's framework of theoretical dimensions of collaboration and two conceptual models found in the literature in an effort to determine which constructs are present in the successful collaborative efforts of the Elizabeth River Project's Team Paradise as they developed the Paradise Creek Restoration Plan. The study used a mixed method approach involving both qualitative (interview and documents) and quantitative (survey) methods to gather data. The findings from this study support construct findings from three other studies on collaborative processes: Gray & Wood's framework of theoretical dimensions of collaboration; the Selin & Chavez …

Analysis Of The Weatherhead 100 Companies Within The Context Of Northeast Ohio Industries: Analytical Report, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Lsuhsc Facilities Biweekly Update: July 2006, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates: 2006

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates from July 10 and 25, 2006These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Update: July 2006, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2006

LSUHSC Dailly Facilities Updates from July 2006. These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

2006 July, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for July 2006.

Freedom Of The City: Canadian Cities And The Quest For Governmental Status, Ron Levi, Mariana Valverde

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Until recently, Canadian cities were limited to the legal powers explicitly prescribed by provinces (the U.S.-based Dillon's Rule). Despite much talk about a "new deal for cities," recent changes to municipal legislation do little to empower municipalities to define and govern local problems, although courts appear somewhat willing to expand the scope of cities' authority. Through two case studies involving the City of Toronto, we demonstrate that even after the overhaul of provincial municipal acts, cities still lack the necessary legal tools and the legal flexibility to respond to pressing urban needs.

Interagency Science And Research: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2006, Margaret N. Rees

Interagency Science and Research Strategy

• The Desert Research Institute has completed one of two information collection (Vital Signs) workshops scheduled for May and August 2006.
• The Science and Research Team charter was approved by the SNAP Board
• A short-term (Phase I) science and research strategy has been completed, with the initial beta-test scheduled for Round 7 proposals.
• Productive relationships with Clark County are being developed.
• Interagency Science and Research Team meetings are conducted approximately once per month.