Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Birding By Ear: A Study Of Recreational Specialization And Soundscape Preference, Zachary D. Miller

All Theses

Soundscapes have become recognized as an important natural resource. The traditional human-made versus natural soundscape comparison currently used in recreational resource management is challenged by borrowing soundscape components (i.e., biophony, anthrophony, and geophony) from soundscape ecology. This study is designed to evaluate the soundscape preference of birders. A three-component model of recreational specialization was used to evaluate how recreationists may differ in their preference for soundscape components. Data from in-person surveys collected at The Audubon Center and Sanctuary at Francis Beidler Forest in Harleyville, South Carolina were used in combination with surveys from online birding list servers to obtain a …

Organizational Culture And Generation Cohorts: A Comparative Analysis Between A Public And Private Organization, David A. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The relationship between organizational culture type and generation cohort values has potential implications for how we understand a workplace environment. The examination of an organization’s culture through the prism of generation cohorts and their corresponding values is the focal point of this research question. Utilizing the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) to measure the current and preferred culture type within an organization, and identifying the generational cohorts whom measure these cultures allow empirical data to establish the relationship between these two variables. By examining these results through a public sector and a private sector organization, the claim that the two …

Is Texas Measuring Up To Federal Expectations? An Examination Of The No Child Left Behind Legislation On Texas Region One Education Service Center District Schools, Maricela De Leon

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research paper presented information on student performance results for school children in Texas Region One – Title I district schools. By using recent data on student performance from a seven year period, 2003 to 2010, between district schools in Region One, the findings of the results is reflected to answer the question on whether district schools in Texas Region One –Title I schools reflect the intended No Child Left Behind act performance indicators as identified in the 2002 legislation.

Disaster And Poverty : The Differential Impacts Of Disaster On The Poor In The Gulf Coast Region., Abu Muhammad Sufiyan 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Low-income and vulnerable populations that suffer most in natural disasters are females, children, elderly, disabled, and ethnic minorities This dissertation explores the association between natural disaster and poverty conditions among socially disadvantaged subgroups within the social, economic, and political contexts of the disaster affected regions in the Gulf Coast States. It argues that poverty conditions increase the negative impacts of disaster for socially vulnerable populations. This dissertation advocates incorporating the vulnerabilities of the marginalized population in each phase of disaster management planning, from mitigation to recovery. The study uses correlation and regression analyses to find the association between disaster impacts …

Housing First, Neighborhood Second? : The Role Of Housing And Neighborhood Characteristics On Residential Stability In Two Housing First Projects., Carey D. Addison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impacts of neighborhood and housing type on housing stability for formerly homeless individuals participating in Housing First projects in Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Both projects operate similarly except that the Louisville project has only scattered-site housing while the Cincinnati project has both project-based and scattered-site housing. The first chapter presents five key research questions that frame the study. Chapter 2 reviews literature on homelessness and policies to address this urban problem with a specific emphasis on Housing First. Chapter 3 proposes qualitative and quantitative methods for answering the proposed research questions. Chapter 4 summarizes findings …

Broadband Infrastructure In The 21st Century : An Evaluation Of Local Outcomes And Conditions., Chad Stephen Foster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 2001, the Federal government has invested approximately $10 billion to expand broadband infrastructure throughout the nation, including various loan programs and grants authorized through Farm Bills and, more recently, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Kruger, 2012). These investments dwarf capital investments made by the top telecommunications and cable companies estimated at $50 billion per year (Federal Communications Commission [FCC], 2010, p. 18). While the rage on all levels has been connecting residents, few studies have attempted to measure investments in broadband infrastructure to demonstrate positive outcomes or improvements, especially from a wide variety of economic and …

Assessing Urban Freeway Deconstruction : A Survey Of 21 Cities With Case Studies Of San Francisco And Milwaukee., Doddy Aditya Iskandar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the effect of urban freeway deconstruction on the local economy. Scholars for years debated the role of urban freeway on the local economy. Those who found a positive effect of urban freeway use national data to support their finding. However, other scholars found the effect of urban freeway on the local economy mixed. Four major questions are raised in this study: What are the key factors of the city that affect the decision to remove urban freeways? What are the similarities and differences between cities that choose to remove their urban freeways? Does freeway deconstruction bring about …

The Impact Of Education Finance Reform On Student Achievement In Massachusetts, 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.

An Examination Of Cultural Motives, Festival Motivator Attributes, Desired Experiences And Authenticity In Tourists To Oktoberfest In Helen, Georgia, Janet Marie Gunnels

All Theses

Helen, Georgia is nestled in a valley of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains along the Chattahoochee River in northeast Georgia. Originally a logging community serving as a stop for tourists to Anna Ruby Falls, Helen is now a faux-Bavarian town and the third largest tourist draw in the state. Research exists on 'theme towns' paying tribute to their cultural background by hosting seasonal events to boost tourism. There are also studies on residents of a town with an Oktoberfest, but little research exists concerning places using a not-native history to accomplish similar goals of producing cultural events that tourists see …

The Perceived Impact Of The National Board Certification Process On Arkansas Teachers, Darlynn Cast

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed the perceived impact of the National Board Certification program on Arkansas teachers, relative to their professional practice, leadership practice, and students' achievement. An electronic survey was sent out to 2144 Arkansas National Board Certified Teacher (AR NBCTs) and received a 53% response rate. The survey asked AR NBCTs demographic information and questions to determine the factors that influenced them to pursue NB certification. They responded to Likert scale questions about their professional practice, leadership practice, and student achievement, ranking how they perceived each was affected by their participation in National Board Certification. The study found that AR …

The Fundamental Law Of Highway Congestion Revisited: Evidence From National Expressways In Japan, Wen-Tai Hsu, Hongliang Zhang

Research Collection School Of Economics

The fundamental law of highway congestion states that when congested, the travel speed on an expanded expressway reverts to its previous level before the capacity expansion. In this paper, we propose a theory that generalizes this statement and finds that if there exists a coverage effect, that is, the effect of longer road length on traffic conditional on capacity, then the new equilibrium travel speed could be lower than its previous level. Given the fundamental law, the theory predicts that the elasticity of traffic to road capacity is at least 1. We estimate this elasticity for national expressways in Japan …

The New Capitalism: Asia And The Future Of Business, Government, And Society, Ann Florini, Bindu Sharma

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

To have a conversation, the appropriate language is needed. The language is just starting to emerge in both Asia and the West for one of the most important conversations the world is now having—the discussion about the future of business and capitalism. Thailand’s King Bhumibol refers to the sufficiency economy. Harvard’s Michael Porter speaks of shared value. Ellen MacArthur’s eponymous foundation supports the transition to the circular economy. John Elkington proposes breakthrough capitalism. Bhutan’s call to measure progress by gross national happiness (GNH), rather than the narrow metric of gross domestic product (GDP), is now attracting attention around the globe. …

2014 May, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for May of 2014.

The Impact Of World Bank’S Conditionality-Ownership Hybrid On Forest Management In Cameroon: Policy Hybridity In International Dependence Development, Asongayi Venard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many developing countries depend on the World Bank for development assistance, which the Bank often provides with policy reform conditions. Resistance to World Bank’s conditionality caused the Bank to posit “ownership” as a country’s real assent to its development policies. The combination of ownership and conditionality invalidates the neocolonial, false-paradigm and dualism theses in explaining the international dependence development model. This study explains this model by investigating how the relationship between conditionality and ownership in the context of this model impacts forest management in Cameroon.

Integrating theoretical and methodological insights mainly from political science, economics, geosciences, and sociology, the study …

Social Media: An Effective Tool For Risk And Crisis Communication?, William Kelly

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Montana Nonresident Traveler Expenditures And Economic Contribution: 2013, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report shows the economic contributions, expenditures, and average daily spending of nonresident visitors to Montana during 2013.

Simultaneous Equation Modeling For Crash Rate Of Freeway Segments, Anthony Ramos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 2010, the total number of reported traffic crashes in the state of Nevada was 51,664 of which 235 (0.6%) resulted in one or more deaths (Nevada Department of Transportation, 2012). The state's "Zero Fatalities" traffic safety campaign aims to reduce the rate even further. Out of the total number of crashes, Clark County (includes Las Vegas) accounted for 78.89%. This study examines safety improvement by developing advanced crash prediction models. The system of crash prediction equations consider geometric conditions and traffic volume using simultaneous equation modeling (SEM). The models are based on geometric characteristics and traffic volume data collected …

The Influences Of The American Boxer Indemnity Reparations Remissions On Chinese Higher Education, Xiaojuan Zhou

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to consider the influences of the American Boxer Indemnity Reparations Remissions (ABIRR) on Chinese higher education. These remissions were used to establish two universities, to establish the American Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program (ABISP) to support Chinese students’ studying in America, and to support other higher education- related projects.

This study focused on higher education considering ABISP as an individual case. The ABISP students were selected from all the students who studied in America in the corresponding period in part because of the inconsistencies of research before 1949.

Through tracking 1,152 ABISP students of Type …

Poverty Deconcentration Priorities In Low-Income Housing Policy: A Content Analysis Of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Lihtc) Qualified Allocation Plans, Monique Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Structural inequalities within the social and economic environment have wide reaching impacts on the housing conditions of the poor. These households are marginalized by swelling housing cost burdens, shelter insufficiency, and sociospatial restriction to the lowest income communities. Housing research has examined the correlation between policy and the social location of low-income individuals. However, very little research analyzes the intersection of low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) policy design and sociospatial trends among low-income households. Using content analysis, the purpose of this dissertation is to determine whether the policy documents that guide allocation of the LIHTC encourage poverty deconcentration. The research …

Urban Livestock Ownership, Management, And Regulation In The United States: An Exploratory Survey And Research Agenda, Nathan Mcclintock, Esperanza Pallana, Heather Wooten

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

As interest in urban agriculture sweeps the country, municipalities are struggling to update, code to meet public demands. The proliferation of urban livestock—especially chickens, rabbits, bees, and goats—has posed particular regulatory challenges. Scant planning scholarship on urban livestock focuses mostly on how cities regulate animals, but few studies attempt to characterize urban livestock, ownership and management practices in the US in relation to these regulations. Our study addresses this gap. Using a web-based survey distributed via a snowball technique, we received responses from 134 livestock owners in 48 US cities, revealing the following: why they keep livestock; what kind of, …

The Breach Of Security At San Jose’S Airport Raises Broader Issues, Brian M. Jenkins

Mineta Transportation Institute

This Transportation Security Perspective is the fifth in a continuing series produced by the National Transportation Safety and Security Center of the Mineta Transportation Institute. These examine major terrorist attacks and trends in terrorists targeting surface transportation. Previous perspectives include the bus attack in Abuja, Nigeria, the terrorist bombings in Volgograd, Russia; the assault on passengers at the Kunming train station in China; and more.

Mechanisms For Arranging Ride Sharing And Fare Splitting For Last-Mile Travel Demands, Shih-Fen Cheng, Duc Thien Nguyen, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

A great challenge of city planners is to provide efficient and effective connection service to travelers using public transportation system. This is commonly known as the last-mile problem and is critical in promoting the utilization of public transportation system. In this paper, we address the last-mile problem by considering a dynamic and demand-responsive mechanism for arranging ride sharing on a non-dedicated commercial fleet (such as taxis or passenger vans). Our approach has the benefits of being dynamic, flexible, and with low setup cost. A critical issue in such ride-sharing service is how riders should be grouped and serviced, and how …

Human Torches: The Genesis Of Self-Immolation In The Sociopolitical Context, Ryan Michael Nixon

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In 2012 there was a record number of self-immolations globally. This phenomenon has been associated with the civil unrest and the collapse of regimes. Most recently, self-immolations in Tunisia sparked a revolution that led to the collapse of the Tunisian government. In the study of politics, self-immolations frequently appear merely as footnotes in the discussion of other phenomena. Where research has been previously conducted, focus has rested mainly on how it initially became a tool of contention and how it spreads. This paper seeks to understand the conditions that lead individuals to choose this method of protest. To do so, …

Examining The Target Levels Of State Renewable Portfolio Standards, Laurence Douglas Helwig

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

At present 37 U.S. states have passed Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) or have a legislative driven goal that supports investment in renewable energy (RE) technologies. Previous research has identified economic, governmental, ideological and infrastructural characteristics as key predictors of policy adoption and renewable energy deployment efforts (Carley, 2009; Davis & Davis, 2009; Bohn & Lant, 2009; Lyon & Yin, 2010). To date, only a few studies have investigated the target levels of renewable portfolio standards. Carley & Miller (2012) found that policies of differing stringencies were motivated by systematically different factors that included governmental ideology. The purpose of this dissertation …

Smart Data Collection Using Mobile Devices To Improve Transportation Systems, Tharindu Dasun Abeygunawardana

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Travel time is a matter that affects most of us, especially those that live in highly congested cities. Ideally, we want to reduce travel time as much as possible, thereby freeing up more of our time and enabling a higher quality of life. Data collection of transportation metrics helps us get a clearer picture of the transportation system, and helps us make smarter choices when it comes to improving the existing system. The rapid emergence of interconnected mobile devices carried along by travelers opens up many possibilities for gathering data as they travel, and also to serve them relevant data …

Interorganizational Performance Comparisons Using Quality Assurance Audit Results, Raymond E. Keeler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 requires government agencies to conduct performance measurements of their contractors for purposes of evaluation and comparison. To be most meaningful, performance comparisons need to consider all relevant characteristics that are of importance to the agency. Yet, bounded rationality theory states that managers of complex programs may have insufficient time and resources to consider all potentially relevant factors. Therefore, metrics used for decision making need to incorporate all relevant factors before the information is provided to decision makers.

Over the last several decades, government agencies have increasingly identified Quality Assurance compliance as …

Should Las Vegas Pursue Establishing An Online Gaming Cluster? An Exploratory Study, Laimonas Gubista

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this research was to determine whether (1) clustering benefits cities, (2) Las Vegas is a cluster of the worldwide gaming industry, and (3) online gaming cluster is forming in Las Vegas in spite of unfavorable business environment. The exploratory study should be useful to lawmakers and business leaders in shaping Nevada’s future. It could provide essential information focusing on whether Las Vegas should actively pursue an online gaming cluster.

Sentiments Of Community Stakeholders Living In Southern Nevada Neighborhoods, Erin Sheehy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Community stakeholders provided insight to their local neighborhoods and shared their thoughts about the potential redevelopment of their neighborhoods. This study utilized data from the Southern Nevada Strong ethnographic research project. Ethnographic research was conducted over ten weeks in Summer 2013. Neighborhood observations and interviews with community stakeholders were conducted to understand how neighborhoods are utilized, how residents feel about potential redevelopment, and what areas of the neighborhoods residents would like to see improved in the future. Photographs were also collected to further examine the characteristics, aesthetics, and spatial landscape of the neighborhoods. The purpose of this qualitative research project …

Empowering Positive Youth Development In Saudi Arabia: Youth Civic Engagement, Agenda Setting And Policy Formulation, Abdullah M. Alshanbri

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate what issues youth are facing in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and to examine how these issues can be brought to the forefront for decision-makers' agendas. Additionally, the study determines whether the concept of youth civic engagement "youth councils" could help to address youth issues and identify the constraints to implementing such a policy proposal. This study utilizes Kingdon's Agenda Setting Theory as a theoretical framework. Additionally, this study used a qualitative methods approach. High school students and public officials from the government were participants in the study. The literature review …

Lobbying On Behalf Of The Faithful: Three Mainline Protestant Denominations And Their Advocacy Efforts On Capitol Hill During The 110th Congress, Julia Ann Summers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A number of mainline Protestant denominations engage in direct lobbying and grassroots advocacy efforts with Congress on behalf of the poor and other marginalized groups. This study explores the work of three specific denominations the Presbyterian Church [PC(USA)], the United Church of Christ (UCC), and the United Methodist Church (UMC), as religious special interests. Specifically, the study explores how they facilitated their policy agendas on Capitol Hill during the 110th Congress (2007-2008). This question is answered primarily through interviews with and surveys of the professional staff engaged in this work during that session. Results indicate that each denomination works extensively …