Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

201028 Obiter Dicta: End Of The Year 2010, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Fiscal Impact Of The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: 2010 – 2011 Update And Policy Options, Robert M. Costrell

School Choice Demonstration Project

In February 2008 and March 2009, the School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP) issued its first report and subsequent update on the fiscal impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) on taxpayers in Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. These reports covered the period 1993-2009, and addressed two distinct questions: 1. What is the net impact of the MPCP on state and local public funds? That is, what is the difference between the public funds expended on Wisconsin students, including MPCP students, and the amount that would have been spent without the MPCP? 2. How is the fiscal impact distributed …

Milwaukee Independent Charter Schools Study: Report On One Year Of Student Growth, John F. Witte, Patrick J. Wolf, Alicia Dean, Deven Carlson

School Choice Demonstration Project

The general purpose of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of independent charter schools in promoting two desirable student outcomes: student achievement growth and educational attainment. Independent charter schools are authorized by non-district entities and are considered “independent” because they are not a part of the Milwaukee Public School District. We will estimate achievement growth of independent charter school students in grades 3-8 over four years in reading and math on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE). Similarly, in later reports we will track student attainment, specifically whether uppergrade cohorts in our evaluation graduate from high school. Case …

Family Security Insurance: A New Foundation For Economic Security, Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown University Law Center, Berkeley Center On Health, Economic & Family Security, Uc Berkeley School Of Law

Published Reports

A report released by Georgetown Law's Workplace Flexibility 2010 and the Berkeley Center on Health, Economic & Family Security (Berkeley CHEFS) outlining a blueprint for establishing and financing a new national insurance program to provide wage replacement for time off for health and caregiving needs. The report describes the need among working Americans for time off from work to address personal illness, to care for a new child, or to care for a loved one with a serious illness. It argues that the need for time off is no longer an issue for individual families or select industries, but a …

Doppler-Broadening Of Light Nuclei Gamma-Ray Spectra, Melinda D. Whitfield

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Non-destructive methods of material interrogation are used to locate hidden explosives and thwart terrorism attempts. In one such method materials are bombarded with neutrons which react with the nuclei of the atoms within causing a de-excitation process emitting a gamma-ray. The spectrum displayed by the collection of these gamma-rays gives valuable information regarding the material’s elemental make-up. It has been hypothesized that gamma-rays from neutron-induced gamma-ray reactions on light elements with atomic numbers less than 20, including most of the gamma-rays of interest in explosives detection, are Doppler-broadened. This thesis focuses on the gamma ray spectra from the 4438 keV …

Organic And Sustainable: The Emergence, Formalization And Performance Of A September 11th Disaster Relief Organization, David A. Campbell

Public Administration Faculty Scholarship

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, spawned 252 new nonprofit organizations. We know little about these organizations, including how they emerged, formalized, met constituents' expectations for immediate performance, and ultimately survived. This article explores these issues through a case study of one successful organization, the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund. Using concepts from disaster, organizational ecology, and entrepreneurship research, the analysis identifies six propositions that link these literatures, notably the role of resource acquisition in formalization and the role of legitimacy in both fund development and organizational endurance. The study contributes new knowledge about the role of collaboration …

Performance Enhancement Of Bridge Bracing Under Service And Extreme Loads, Peter Dusicka, Max Taylor Stephens, Kate Fox-Lent

TREC Final Reports

As truck loads continue to get bigger, the demand on many aging bridges increases. Slender steel structural elements widely used in bridge superstructures and braced substructures to resist these loads are built primarily for tension, however, and can buckle under compressive loads. Portland State University associate professor Peter Dusicka set out to develop and demonstrate the concept of retrofitting bridge brace elements with fiber reinforced composites in order to provide restraint against buckling. The advanced materials consisted of a combination of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite pultruded sections and wet lay-up wraps intended to be applied in the field. This …

Interview With Dan Mcfarling, Aorta, 2010 (Audio), Dan Mcfarling

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Dan McFarling by Andrew Scanlan at Union Station, Portland, Oregon on December 1st, 2010.

The interview index is available for download.

Hospice, Palliative Care And Health Care Reform: Beyond "End Of Life" To Quality Of Life, Dale Lupu

Health Policy and Management Faculty Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Low-Speed Vehicles On Transportation Infrastructure And Safety, Katharine M. Hunter-Zaworski, Linda Cornell

TREC Final Reports

There are increasing numbers of low-speed electric vehicles (LSVs) on public roadways. These vehicles are designed to be used within protected environments and on roadways with a maximum posted speed of 25 mph. Currently these vehicles are not subject to the same federal requirements for occupant protection as passenger cars. This research project investigated safety standards, operating regulations, and LSV manufacturer materials from sources around the world. The purpose of the research was to determine positive and negative impacts that LSVs, including Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and Medium Speed Electric Vehicles (MSEVs), are likely to have for the Oregon Department …

Healthcare Reform In Two States: A Comparative Analysis Of Georgia And Massachusetts, Jason Stansberry

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

Healthcare has been an ongoing conversation throughout the formation of America's sense of values and rights based on its Constitution. The role that the state plays in ensuring access to care based on legislation passed by the United States Congress is crucial for the public administrator to understand. This paper attempts to review the nature of the relationship between two states, Georgia and Massachusetts, and the federal government since the passage of the Healthcare Reconciliation Act of 2010 and the politics surrounding the controversy that has since ensued since the Act’s enactment.

Access to healthcare is an important part of …

City Of Burleson Community Development Department Performance Review, William Crear, Douglas Mcdonald, Brian Stanley, Joyce Stephens

Public Administration Capstone Reports - Archive

The City of Burleson, Texas requested that The University of Texas at Arlington School of Urban and Public Affairs conduct a study to create employee performance evaluation measures for six positions in the Burleson Community Development Department. As such, it is the intent of the student team to coordinate employee performance evaluation measures with the recently adopted Roadmap to a "2030 Comprehensive Plan." The final product will include, but not be limited to, a set of standardized performance criteria for a total of six positions, a format for periodic goal-related performance appraisals in relation to the Roadmap to 2030 Comprehensive …

Preston Road Corridor Study: Community Preference Report, City And Regional Planning Institute Of Urban Studies, City Of Celina, Texas

Institute of Urban Studies Publications - Archive

No abstract provided.

How Are The Torres Strait Islander's Traditional Hunting Practices Affected By The Current Rate Of Decline In Dugong And Sea Turtle Populations And The Australian Government's Co-Management Policies On Marine Preservation?, Katilyn Price

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This paper will attempt to identify the extent to which the Torres Strait Islanders traditional hunting practices have been disrupted by the overall decline in dugong and sea turtle populations, which has directly correlated to an increase in hunting restrictions put in place by the Australian Government. The traditional hunting of dugongs and sea turtles provides not only a food source, but brings prestige to the men who catch them and serves as an educational platform to teach the younger generations about their culture. There are many environmental threats that impact the populations of sea turtles and dugongs though the …

Recent Legislation To Promote Wind Energy In Nebraska, Ryan Lemke

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Nebraska is currently ranked 4th in the nation for wind energy potential, but ranks low in actual wind power production. The lack of wind energy production could be the result of Nebraska’s unique public power districts that have eminent domain of distribution and retail sales of electricity in the State. Public Power districts are prohibited from receiving benefits of state and federal tax incentives for the development of wind farms, however some Nebraska power districts still pursue wind energy as a renewable source of energy.

Recent legislation changes, including the passing of laws LB629 and LB1048, have provided the State …

Accessibility Of Primary Health Care Settings For People With Disabilities, Nancy R. Mudrick, Mary Lou Breslin, Mengke Liang, Silvia Yee

Social Work - All Scholarship

People with disabilities report physical barriers in doctors’ offices that affect the quality of care. The analysis seeks to describe overall primary care office physical accessibility and identify (1) in which areas offices meet access criteria, (2) which accessibility criteria are most often not met, and (3) whether there are urban/non-urban differences.

Discovering The Leadership Skills Of Alumni Who Participated In An Adult Agricultural Leadership Development Program: A Case Study, Terence Alan Hejny

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Coalition For Prisoners' Rights Newsletter, Vol. 35-B, No. 12, Coalition For Prisoners' Rights

Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletters

¡Up With The New!

The Unity We Have

Concession: Semi-Contact Visits

End of Lethal-Injection Drug

Voices in Solidarity

El Secretario de Comercio de EEUU

2012 Census Of California Water Transit Services ,Mti Report 12-02, Richard M. Kos, Maria Louise Javier, Brent Carvalho, Asha W. Agrawal

Mineta Transportation Institute

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics conducts a nationwide census of ferry boat operators for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the collected information is used for statistical purposes. The Caltrans Division of Local Assistance has been asked by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to gather data regarding ferry operations under MAP-21, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. MAP-21 includes a new formula program for ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities eligible under 23 USC 129(c) which authorizes federal participation in toll roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferries. FHWA has asked that Caltrans assure the ferry boat …

Measuring Walking And Cycling Using The Pabs (Pedestrian And Bicycling Survey) Approach: A Low-Cost Survey Method For Local Communities, Ann Forsyth

Mineta Transportation Institute

To tackle the problems of greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, resident quality of life, and public health concerns, communities are using initiatives to spur more walking and cycling. As local governments face hard choices about which programs to fund, decision makers, planners, and residents seek to understand if proposed policies to increase bicycling and walking—modes referred to as “active travel”— actually work. However, most communities have unreliable means to know how many active travel trips occur in their jurisdictions, let alone how the numbers may change over time. This project developed a low-budget survey method and related sampling strategy for …

Development Of The Trauma Informed System Change Instrument: Evaluation Of Factorial Validity And Implications For Use, Margaret M. Richardson

Dissertations

This paper outlines the process of developing and evaluating an instrument measuring the extent to which a complex community system has changed as a result of a community initiative, and for purposes of this research, doing this within the content area of developing local trauma informed child welfare systems in specific communities in Michigan. The instrument was designed for the Southwest Michigan Children's Trauma Assessment Center's (CTAC) SAMHSA-funded initiative to bring a trauma informed perspective to professionals working with children in child welfare. Because there is not a standard set to define what constitutes trauma informed treatment of children in …

Applying Case Characteristics To Expand Outcome Measures And Strengthen Effectiveness In A State Family Preservation Services Program, Randy Jay Baxter

Dissertations

This research evaluates the effectiveness of Family Preservation Services (FPS) in a Midwestern U.S. state. The research setting is an Intensive Family Services Program (IFPS) component connected with a state agency, with data gathered from selected contractor sites. This research is guided by the dual techniques of the Five-Tier Approach (FTA) model and the logistic regression data analysis process. The hypotheses posit that specific intensive clinical, safety, skill-building, and concrete services provided to families at a high risk level increase the likelihood of positive proximal case outcomes for up to 1 year after case closure, after controlling for family characteristics. …

Mainstreaming Evaluation: Four Case Studies Of Systematic Evaluation Integrated Into Organizational Culture And Practices, Amy M. Gullickson

Dissertations

Following a literature review, a researcher generated a descriptive theory of evaluation mainstreaming, the integration of systematic evaluation into the culture, systems, and job responsibilities of organizations. She then explored the validity and generalizability of the theory in the National Science Foundation’s grant-funded Advanced Technological Education Program using mixed methods research. Four centers were chosen based on quantitative survey responses which suggested that the organizations were likely to be mainstreaming evaluation. For each center, the researcher conducted a site visit, interviews, and document review to understand (i) the processes by and extent to which evaluation became part of everyday operations; …

Cultivating The Commons An Assessment Of The Potential For Urban Agriculture On Oakland’S Public Land, Nathan Mcclintock, Jenny Cooper

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This is an inventory of open space with potential for agricultural production on land both owned by public agencies and within the city limits of Oakland, California. The inventory was conducted between the summer of 2008 and spring of 2009 and is part of an ongoing movement to develop a more resilient, sustainable, and just food system in Oakland. This project aims to locate Oakland’s "commons"—land that is owned by public agencies and therefore a public resource—and assess the potential for urban agriculture (UA) on this land. We hope that this assessment can be used 1) to inform policy decisions …

Demographic Analysis Of Recovery Act Supported Jobs In Massachusetts, Quarters 1 And 2, 2010, David Sparks, Paige Ransford, Carol Hardy-Fanta, Christian Weller, Meryl Thomson, Robert Turner

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Massachusetts policy makers decided to go beyond existing ARRA federal reporting requirements and collect additional data in order to gauge the effectiveness of ARRA’s fiscal policy by counting the number of individuals who have received an ARRA-funded paycheck. In addition, policy makers wanted to look at some of the demographic characteristics of this population. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the data that the MA Recovery Office collected during the first and second quarters of 2010, with a particular focus on job creation and retention by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, and geographic location.

Highlights of the report include: …

Economic Writing On The Pressing Problems Of The Day: The Roles Of Moral Intuition And Methodological Confusion, Julie A. Nelson

Economics Faculty Publication Series

Economists are often called on to help address pressing problems of the day, yet many economists are uncomfortable about disclosing the values that they bring to this work. This essay explores how an inadequate understanding of the role of methodology, as related to ethics and human emotions of concern, underlies this reluctance and compromises the quality of economic advice. The tension between caring about the problems, on the one hand, and writing within the existing culture of the discipline, on the other, are illustrated with examples from U.S. policymaking, behavioral economics, and the economics of climate change and global poverty. …

International Security Strategy And Global Population Aging, Christian Leuprecht

Journal of Strategic Security

To be successful, grand strategy requires objectives, concepts, and resources to be balanced appropriately with a view to defeating one’s enemy. The trouble is, of course, that Generals are always well prepared to fight the last war. In the words of Yogi Berra, predictions are always difficult, especially when they involve the future. Yet, grand strategy is all about the future. But how is one to strategize about a future that is inherently difficult to predict? One way to overcome this conundrum is to rely on independent variables that can be projected into the future with reasonable accuracy. Aside from …

Operation Opera: An Ambiguous Success, Joshua Kirschenbaum

Journal of Strategic Security

To assess the efficacy of Israel's strike on Osirak, one must determine Israel's strategic objectives and their material effects on Iraqi capabilities. The capacity of the facilities to produce fissionable material without detection remains in dispute. So, too, does the timeline—and therefore the imminence—of Iraqi acquisition of a nuclear option. The political cost-benefit equation in this case requires a fair dose of subjective judgment. How much did the Israelis delay the program? How much did Iraqi motivation increase post facto? Is military counter-proliferation a viable strategy? Was the potential Iraqi bomb worth risking a bold, unprovoked attack that inevitably drew …

Devolving Jihadism, Aaron Rosler

Journal of Strategic Security

The danger and effectiveness of religiously motivated terrorist organizations is undeniable. However, a different type of threat is on the rise on the global playing field as a result of the ongoing operations against these organizations. "Devolved" jihadism, Islamist terrorism conducted by native, amateur, untrained and unfunded individuals, or small ad hoc groups, has recently garnered headlines and the attention of terrorists and counterterrorists alike. These devolved jihadist operations are planned and carried out by native members of a country's populace, radicalized in their home country, resulting in the interchangeable monikers of "homegrown" or "grassroots" jihadism.

Book Reviews, Edward J. Hagerty, David B. Gray, Edward M. Roche, Mark Roberts

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.