Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Open Data And Big Data Programs In Local Government Policy Analysis, Susan Chase

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the development of policy around the open data programs for local government. Through a literature review, a survey of large municipalities in Ontario, and in-depth interviews, the research attempts to identify if there are factors that ensure whether the policy development process is more likely to be implemented along with the program or if there is a lack of policy development as a result of it. The findings reveal a definite lack of policy development with the open data program, which is likely due to the challenge for policy makers to ensure appropriate access and privacy protection, …

The Impacts Of Land Use Growth Restrictions Upon Municipal Finances: A Comparative Study Of A Rural Municipality, An Urban Settlement Municipality, And A Primary Settlement Municipality, Douglas Herron

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the impact of growth controls on the finances of local government. It focuses on the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the growth controls imposed through the Growth Plan upon the County of Simcoe and the local municipal governments within the boundaries of the County of Simcoe. The impact of growth controls is analyzed using a detailed analysis of three sample municipalities, which include the Township of Tiny, a rural municipality, the Town of Wasaga Beach, a high growth municipality, and the Town of Collingwood, a high growth municipality designated for population intensification. The findings …

Strategic Asset Management In The City Of Hamilton: An Analysis Of The Integration Of Strategic Planning And Management Elements Into Municipal Infrastructure Asset Management Programs, Brent Kittmer

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines which elements of strategic planning and strategic management are associated with improved organizational performance and how these elements are practically implemented in a municipality’s asset management program. The four key elements of strategic planning and management identified include: developing formal plans and using planning tools; setting goals and implementing performance measurement systems; internal and external stakeholder involvement; and linking the strategic process to the organization’s budget. A qualitative case study of the City of Hamilton’s asset management program was completed to describe how these strategic elements are practically implemented. The findings reveal that each of the key …

Public Engagement Trends In Southwestern Ontario’S Municipalities, Marcy Puzanov

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper explores what topics municipalities are utilizing public engagement for the most and the reasons behind those decisions, as well as the tools that municipalities are using most frequently to engage the public and the associated rationales behind those decisions. The research data was collected using an online questionnaire that was sent to various municipalities in Southwestern Ontario. The findings reveal that the respondent municipalities are engaging in public engagement to some extent, particularly with provincially legislated topics. Furthermore, traditional tools of engagement, such as public meetings, are favoured over innovative tools, and the benefits associated with local problem …

Development Permit System Policy Development In Ontario: Factors That Contribute To Implementation, Natalie Stopar

MPA Major Research Papers

In 2007, the Province of Ontario introduced a new planning tool called the Development Permit System (DPS) in order to increase the efficiency, certainty, and scope of the planning system. Despite these stated benefits, it has only been implemented in four municipalities. This paper examines the factors that could be limiting the implementation of the system in some municipalities, while encouraging implementation in others, using case studies conducted in five municipalities: the Township of Lake of Bays, the Township of Mulmur, the City of Kitchener, the Town of East Gwillimbury, and the City of Hamilton. Interviews were conducted with a …

Policing In Ontario: Financial Impacts And Opportunities, Michael Touw

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines police forces across Canada and the United States in an effort to determine why there are such large discrepancies in per capita policing costs between Ontario and North American comparators. While there are obvious differences between the various states, provinces, and territories in North America, and not all are similar to Ontario, all jurisdictions were nonetheless assessed and compared with the expectation that the variances might help to explain the figures for per capita police cost. The data was collected from a variety of sources, including Statistics Canada and the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as various …

Assessing Transit Fare Equity In Utah Using A Geographic Information System, Steven Farber, Keith Batholomew, Xiao Li, Antonio Paez, Khandker M. Nurul Habib

TREC Final Reports

The goal of this study is to develop and apply a new method for assessing social equity impacts of distance-based public transit fares. Shifting to a distance-based fare structure can disproportionately favor or penalize different subgroups of a population based on variations in settlement patterns, travel needs, and most importantly, transit use. According to federal law, such disparities must be evaluated by the transit agency, but the area-based techniques identified by the Federal Transit Authority for assessing discrimination fail to account for disparities in distances travelled by transit users. This means that transit agencies currently lack guidelines for assessing the …

Development, Implementation, And Assessment Of A Competency Model For A Graduate Public Affairs Program In Health Administration, Jill Jamison Rissi, Sherril B. Gelmon

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Competency-based education has become the norm for professional graduate degree programs. This paper describes the development, implementation, and ongoing validation of a competency model designed for a multifaceted public administration program. The model is based on accreditation standards and competencies promulgated by NASPAA and CAHME, and reflects a unique focus on community-engaged pedagogies. A framework consisting of 10 competencies was implemented in 2011–12 and validated through feedback from stakeholders, alumni, field preceptors, and graduates. A two-dimensional matrix of content coverage and expected levels of competency attainment delineates the articulation of competencies, curriculum, and course content, and provides a framework for …

Coalition For Prisoners' Rights Newsletter, Vol 39-Pp, No. 7, Coalition For Prisoners' Rights

Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletters

"Give me your tired, your poor…" Today's Version

Jail Suicide Rates High

Crime of the Month

Recursos para Inmigrantes

Summer Fan Availability

Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards

Impact Of Transformational Leadership On Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment And The Re-Enlistment Intention Of Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers, Kervin Gregory Sider

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

A key component to the success of the Army National Guard (ARNG) is the retention of its soldiers. The ARNG must maintain enough soldiers to accomplish their mission of supporting the active duty Army. Leadership is one of the important factors that influence soldiers' level of job satisfaction and organizational commitment and ultimately their intention to remain or leave the ARNG. This research study sought to determine the impact of transformational leadership on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and re-enlistment intention. The research questions guiding this study included: (1) Does transformational leadership impact the re-enlistment intention of first term soldiers, mid-term …

Focal Point, Volume 28, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

Between one–third and one–half of young adults with mental health challenges have co-occurring substance use issues. This issue of Focal Point examines treatments and supports for this population.

A Survey Of Urban Agriculture Organizations And Businesses In The Us And Canada: Preliminary Results, Nathan Mcclintock, Mike Simpson

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes the results of an online survey, conducted during February and March 2013, of 251 groups involved with urban agriculture (UA) projects in approximately 84 cities in the US and Canada. This is only a preliminary report. As such, we present descriptive statistics rather than a interpretive analysis of the survey responses. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that these results are not necessarily representative of all urban agriculture businesses and organizations across North America. Nevertheless, these results point to certain trends and patterns that offer rich opportunities for further inquiry.

Our preliminary results reveal that the UA …

Politics Are Crushing The Standards, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

The recent news that Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill to, in the parlance of the times, "repeal and replace" the common-core standards in her state was surprising, to say the least, notwithstanding a legal challenge to the repeal filed in the Oklahoma Supreme Court by parents, teachers, and state board of education members on June 25. Before Gov. Fallin was against the standards, she supported them. [excerpt]

Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Impediments And Challenges In The Process Of Sustainable Reconstruction And Development In Post-2014 Afghanistan, Mohammad Ilyas Payab

Open Access Theses

Armed conflicts have left numerous marks on the history of mankind and still continue to do so. They have resulted in considerable damage to the social and physical fabric of the society. Millions of people both in the past and present have been suffering from the consequences of this unfortunate man-made disaster. Yet we see a continuing trend that seems to be resistant to any change despite efforts on a global level. This study sets out to understand the nature of reconstruction and development after armed conflicts with a focus on Afghanistan. After more than a decade of expended …

Resort Vacation Activities And Recovery Experiences: A Case Of Visitors To Thailand, Maneenuch Tanyatanaboon

Open Access Theses

An increase of work demands during workdays and sometime on the weekends can put more stress on individuals and lead to a higher need for recovery. Vacation is a prime candidate of a longer respite that can ensure a more complete recovery process because it allows individuals to temporarily take several days or weeks off without actively engaging in their job. This study thus intends to explore which activities are done upon vacation and how can they influence an individual's recovery experiences. By reviewing the theories related to recovery, vacation activities, and recreation opportunities, the study's conceptual model was developed …

Field To Flight: A Techno-Economic Analysis Of Stover To Aviation Biofuels Supply Chain, Amanda C. Bittner

Open Access Theses

Greenhouse gas emissions have been a growing concern. The transportation sector contributes to one-third of GHG emissions in the United States from fossil fuel burning. The Renewable Fuel Standard set a requirement for 16 billion gallons (ethanol equivalent) of cellulosic biofuels to be used in the market. Aviation biofuels can help to meet both of these problems as well as improve U.S. energy security.

Investment in the biofuel industry carries a lot of risk. The biofuel industry is run by the private sector, but can be incentivized by government. Cellulosic biofuels carry even more risk than first generation biofuels, because …

Systems For Delivering Electric Vehicle Data Analytics, Vamshi Krishna Bolly

Open Access Theses

n the recent times, advances in scientific research related to electric vehicles led to generation of large amounts of data. This data is majorly logger data collected from various sensors in the vehicle. It is predominantly unstructured and non-relational in nature, also called Big Data. Analysis of such data needs a high performance information technology infrastructure that provides superior computational efficiency and storage capacity. It should be scalable to accommodate the growing data and ensure its security over a network. This research proposes an architecture built over Hadoop to effectively support distributed data management over a network for real-time data …

Parental Acceptance Of The Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among South Asian Immigrants Living In The Midwest Usa, Samina Shams Khan

Open Access Theses

The objective of this investigation was to initiate the first study of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination acceptance among South Asian parents living in the USA. The primary focus of this study was to identify the knowledge, awareness, acceptance, and those factors that influenced South Asian parents' decision regarding the vaccination of their children against HPV.

This research utilized a cross-sectional study design conducted among South Asian parents in Indianapolis and the Greater Lafayette area of Indiana. The data were collected online using Qualtrics survey software. The survey included six segments containing questions on: socio-demographic information, knowledge and source of information …

Accessibility-Based Transportation Planning: Literature And Applications For Shrinking Cities, Joanna Ganning

TREC Final Reports

For 15 years, scholars have claimed that accessibility-based transportation planning was at the brink of becoming a new paradigm, and yet this hope remains unrealized. Its implementation may lag due to vague definitions when compared to mobility, or because those who would benefit from accessibility-based planning lack political power to rally its support. Possibly, the lag in implementation reflects the missing linkages between theory and application for many contexts. This literature review synthesizes knowledge regarding the applications for accessibility-based transportation planning for shrinking cities along the themes of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. While residents in shrinking cities might especially …

Rekindling The Public Romance: Rethinking Civic Engagement, Tony Andersen

Metroscape

Public engagement specialist Tony Andersen, examines the state of the relationship between the government and the public and finds the relationship wanting. In his piece he examines new tools for public participation and channels for improving communication—always the first step on the path of reconciliation.

The Landscape: Activating The Waterfront, Jeremy Young

Metroscape

This article discusses ideas from a 6-month project (Downtown Portland Waterfront Activation Strategy) completed by a team of students in PSU’s Masters in Urban and Regional Planning program.

Crisis Informatics, Christine Hagar

Faculty Publications

No abstract available.

Social Actors Fight The Rising Tide Of Hiv In U.S. Southern Poor, Courtenay Sprague, Sara E. Simon

Center for Peace, Democracy and Development Publications

The greatest number of persons living with HIV in the United States are now living in the South, and they face poorer health outcomes and increased AIDS-related deaths as compared to the rest of the country. The southern United States has a disproportionate share of low-income individuals, with many lacking access to health care and health insurance. Health facilities are also comparatively fewer and more difficult to reach than in other areas of the United States. The impacts of this already poor health infrastructure on low-income people living with HIV in the South can be life-threatening.

This policy brief summarizes …

The Importance Of Community Resilience: Developing The American Red Cross International Services Department In The New Hampshire Region, Sarah Romac

Capstone Collection

Disaster management and humanitarian aid organizations have had to reevaluate how communities and individuals can better adapt and prepare for future disaster events. One concept organizations are incorporating into their overall framework is strengthening community resilience. Increasing a community’s resilience level increases its ability to cope with the changes that affect it. Creating awareness of the vulnerabilities in an area, addressing these vulnerabilities with preparedness training, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and sustainable changes made over the long-term can develop a community’s adaptive capacity to be more resilient.

For my practicum, I was given the opportunity to be the International Services …

Book Review. Somin, Ilya, Democracy And Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government Is Smarter, Steve Sanders

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Parameters – Full Issue, Usawc Parameters

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Rebalancing the Rebalance by Michael Spangler Strategy Versus Statecraft in Crimea by Lukas Milevski Eisenhower and US Grand Strategy by Raymond Millen Private Contractors & Military Professionals by Scott L. Efflandt, Christopher Spearin, Birthe Anders Special Commentary: Insights from the Army's Drawdowns by Jason W. Warren

Marriage And Child Bearing, Kong Weng Ho

Research Collection School Of Economics

This chapter considers the impact of existing incentives and policies to encourage marriage and child-birth, and other direct and indirect ways to raise the total fertility rate (TFR).

Factors Associated With Quality Of Life Among Mothers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Marian Marconyak

Health Services Research Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has levied associated effects upon the quality of life (QOL) of mothers of children with ASD. These mothers are subjected to various influences upon their lives as a result of their role as caregivers to children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to assess the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Body Functions and Structures, Activities, Participation, Environmental, and Personal Factors associated with QOL among mothers of children with ASD.

English literate, inhabitants of the United States, mothers over the age of 18, of children with ASD were …

Explaining Nuclear Energy Pursuance: A Comparison Of The United States, Germany, And Japan, Lauren Emily Mckee

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Energy is critical to the functioning of the global economy and seriously impacts global security as well. What factors influence the extent to which countries will pursue nuclear energy in their overall mix of energy approaches? This dissertation explores this critical question by analyzing the nuclear energy policies of the United States, Germany and Japan. Rather than citizen opposition or proximity to nuclear disasters, it seems that a country's access to other resources through natural endowments or trading relationships offers the best explanation for nuclear energy pursuance.

Assessing Inland Hazards Associated With Hurricanes In The U.S. Atlantic Basin, Dereka Latrese Carroll

Open Access Theses

The skill of tropical-cyclone (TC) track forecasts has steadily improved over the past decades, as has the understanding of TC risk in coastal regions. However, there is still much to be learned about the TC risk in inland regions, which is complicated by the presence of coastal evacuees, and includes hazards such as inland flash flooding and tornadoes. This was exemplified by Hurricane Ivan (2004), which spawned 118 tornadoes and produced significant rainfall amounts contributing to flooding inland. Ivan was responsible for 25 deaths in the U.S. and $18.8 billion (2004 USD) in damages. As part of a larger effort …