The Torch (February 2017), Brandon Baldwin

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

Civic and Community Engagement | Civil Rights and Discrimination | Education | Gender and Sexuality | Inequality and Stratification | Politics and Social Change | Public Policy | Race and Ethnicity

Recommended Citation

Baldwin, Brandon and Civil Rights Team Project, "Torch (August 2013)" (2013). Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter. 58. http://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/torch/58

Oregon’S Looming “Tecc” Challenge: The Imminent Rise Of “Total Employer Costs Of Compensation” For Oregon Local Government, Portland State University. Hatfield School Of Government. Center For Public Service, Phil Keisling

Center for Public Service Publications and Reports

Driven largely by dramatic increases in Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) costs, Oregon’s local governments face historically unprecedented increases in their “Total Employer Costs of Compensation,” or “TECC costs.” Even with 3% annual growth in general fund revenues under Oregon’s strict, voter‐passed property tax limits, the resulting budget squeeze could force reductions of 10% or more in the number of public employees who provide key public services – from police and fire/emergency medical protection to education, health care, and infrastructure maintenance.

Betsy Devos Is No Ruby Bridges, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

So maybe you saw this cartoon that was drawn by Glenn McCoy for the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat under the headline "Trying to Trash Betsy DeVos." If you didn't, take a look.

In the cartoon, of course, you see little Betsy DeVos walking to school, book in hand, surrounded by faceless men who are there to protect her. It seems to barely be working: there is profanity scrawled on the wall ("NEA"!; "Conservative"!; an anarchy symbol) and what appears to be a really juicy, nasty tomato thrown against the wall. For context, you might also be interested in looking at this …

Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014): An Ineffective Response To The Foreign Terrorist Fighter Phenomenon, Cory Kopitzke

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

Thousands of foreign terrorist fighters poured into the Middle East from almost every country across the globe. Radicalized by professionally edited videos and propaganda disseminated through the Internet, people from all walks of life were captivated by the Islamic State's rhetoric, and nations were struggling to figure out how to stop them. One solution came in the form of a United Nations Security Council Resolution- Resolution 2178 (2014). This resolution is directed specifically at foreign terrorist fighters and calls upon all Member States to act with haste to address this new phenomenon. Critics were quick to call into question the …

Big Steps Before The Big One: How The Portland Area Can Bounce Back After A Major Earthquake, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Citizen Evaluation Of Government And Confidence In Public Institutions In Emergent Islamic Democracies: Evidence From Afghanistan, Nicholas O. Alozie, Andrew I.E. Ewoh

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Extant literature on citizen evaluation of government and confidence in public institutions is anchored on findings largely derived from the rich and enduring democratic traditions of Western industrialized democracies. This research explores whether this literature informs and can be generalized to similar phenomena in a developmental Islamic democracy, such as that in Afghanistan. Analyzing national probability survey data of adult Afghans, we find that prevailing theories of citizen evaluation of government and confidence in public institutions do offer viable explanations, although the effect of each factor varies according to both level of government and institution. Also, the effects of perceptions …

Explaining Political Trust Among African Americans, Maruice Mangum

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

African Americans have low levels of political trust when compared to white Americans. Explanations of African American’s political trust remain minimal. Utilizing data taken from the 1996 National Black Election Study and ordered probit to analyze the data, this study examines four explanations of African American political trust. It estimates political trust as a function of demographics, perceptions about the economy, beneficence from the government, and race orientation. Results show support for most of these factors, but no support for government beneficence. Social location, economic evaluations, and orientation to race influence African American political trust. I conclude that group-centric perceptions …

Does Kipp Grow Advantaged? Analyzing Kipp Campuses Over Time, Robert Maranto, Sarah B. Moore, Gary Ritter

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools are regarded as among the most academically successful schools serving high poverty populations. KIPP schools serve students that are more likely to be poor and from racial minorities than their peers in nearby traditional public schools. Nevertheless, it is possible that, as parents become aware of KIPP’s seemingly successful track record, the student population at KIPP might become less disadvantaged over time. Using Common Core data, we examined demographic changes in 81 KIPP schools that opened between 1995 and 2011, finding no quantitative evidence that KIPP students are growing more advantaged over time. …

Shifting The Blame In Public Education: Are There Parallels Between Opinion And Policy?, Barbara Patrick, Aaron . C. Rollins Jr

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Federal policies have expanded the use of market driven performance reforms. A growing number of these reforms assume that citizens believe educators should be held accountable for outcomes and funding sanctions will cause underperforming school to enhance outcomes. However it is unclear if citizens share these views. This research assesses these assumptions by examining who citizens believe should be most accountable for education outcomes and whether they support policies that removes funds from underperforming schools and rewards them to other education entities. The results reveal that citizens believe either parents or students should be held more accountable for education outcomes, …

The Economic Impact Of Changing Water Levels: A Regional Economic Analysis Of Lake Thurmond, Rob Carey, Lori A. Dickes, Elizabeth L. Crouch

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This article examines the economic impact of declining lake levels on the local economy in six counties near the publically managed Thurmond Reservoir, located along the border of Georgia and South Carolina. A regression analysis of the relationship between lake level elevations and lake front real estate transactions is used in conjunction with an input-output model to estimate the median monthly economic impact of a one-foot increase in lake level in terms of employment, output, disposable income, and net local government revenue on the six counties bordering the lake. Thurmond Lake elevations have a statistically significant impact on regional economic …

How Promising Is The Second Chance Act In Reducing Recidivism Among Male Ex-Offenders In Alabama, Georgia And Mississippi?, Jonny Amasa-Annang, Gina Scutelnicu

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This study examines the effectiveness of reentry programs as provided by the Second Chance Act of 2007 in reducing recidivism among ex-offender males in the southern states of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Drawing on secondary data coming mainly from the Bureau of Justice Statistics the study uses multivariate analysis to assess the factors that explain recidivism, and evaluate the impact of the Second Chance legislation on recidivism among young adult males in the three states. Findings indicate that imprisoned Black and Hispanic males, as well as median household income are significant predictors of recidivism. Additionally, the study finds that, three …

Representative Bureaucracy, Street-Level Bureaucrats And Bureaucratic Discretion In Federal Disaster Assistance, Jason David Rivera

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This paper explores the role of representative bureaucracy and bureaucratic discretion in the allocation of federal disaster assistance to Hurricane Sandy survivors. Through the analysis of focus groups and key informant interviews, this study finds that FEMA home inspectors are not diverse in reference to race and gender; however, inspectors are found to be diverse in reference to place of origin. Although the role that race and gender play in the allocation of resources is found to be unclear, the region from which inspectors come from is found to be influential in the allocation of aid to survivors. As such, …

Representative Bureaucracy, Recidivism, Education, Public Trust, And Citizen Evaluation Of Government, Andrew I.E. Ewoh

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Individual Decision Making In Online Public-Participation Transportation Planning, Martin Swobodzinski

PSU Transportation Seminars

The empirical evaluation of complex decision support systems is often limited to the self-reported satisfaction of the systems’ users.

Such an approach is problematic due to the conflation of the user's satisfaction related to the decision support system and the decision making process and its outcomes.

In addition, it bears limitations that are common among most techniques that solicit participant-stated feedback.

In this talk, based on data that was gathered by a web-based participatory system for transportation planning in the Puget Sound region, I present analytical methods for the empirical evaluation of decision support systems based on human-computer interaction. In …

The Impact Of Parents Having Health Insurance On Their Children’S Health Care, Andrea Bennett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract of the Dissertation

This study examines the impact of parents having health insurance on their children’s health care in Kentucky. Child health insurance status and child a usual source of medical care are the two health care measures analyzed. The author builds on prior research that indicated more children would become insured if parents had access to affordable health insurance options. Through the implementation of the ACA in 2014, Kentucky expanded Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and offered discounts on private health insurance plans for families in certain income thresholds …

Research Brief: "Age, Race, And Cardiovascular Outcomes In African American Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study builds on previous research that shows increased risk of cardiovascular disorders among African Americans, and applies that research to African American veterans who receive care at the VHA. For policy and practice, this study suggests various ways that African American veterans can lower their risk of cardiovascular disorders, as well as ways that the VHA can improve the health of veterans. Suggestions for future research include having a larger sample of female veterans, analysis of the factors that contribute to African Americans' higher risk of cardiovascular disorders, and differences in access to health care among African American veterans.

Veterans - Best Practices For Effective Transitions Into The Nursing Profession, Mary Jean Schumann, Gretchen Wiersma

Health Workforce Speaker Series

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of John Burton’S Method Of Conflict Resolution And Its Applicability To The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, John Kenneth Steinmeyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper argues that the interactive problem-solving workshops created by political scientist John Burton and applied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by social psychologist Herbert Kelman, while not, as yet, resulting in a just and permanent peace agreement, are effective in resolving intractable conflict, and, if persistently used, can significantly help to produce such an agreement. This is done by closely examining two books of Burton and a series of articles by Kelman to describe their process; the characteristics of intractable conflict are also reviewed from the work of social psychologist Daniel Bar-Tal. It is then argued that the psychological elements …

Strategic Insights: Reimagining U.S. Foreign Assistance In The Middle East, Christopher J. Bolan

Articles & Editorials

No abstract provided.

And What If Devos Is Confirmed?, Dave Powell

Education Faculty Publications

So today is the big day: the Senate is expected to finally vote on Betsy DeVos's nomination to become the next U.S. Secretary of Education, and Vice President Mike Pence is poised to break an expected tie in her favor. I doubt very much that aything other than the expected result is going to happen. After all, we live in an age when too many politicians pick their voters, not the other way around. My bet is that Collins and Murkowski were allowed to announce their votes against DeVos because the leadership had already conducted a tight whip count …

The Al-Qaeda Organization And The Islamic State Organization: History, Doctrine, Modus, Operandi, And U.S Policy To Degrade And Defeat Terrorism Conducted In The Name Of Sunni Islam, Paul Kamolnick

ETSU Authors Bookshelf

The al-Qaeda Organization (AQO) and the Islamic State Organization (ISO) are transnational adversaries that conduct terrorism in the name of Sunni Islam. It is declared U.S. Government (USG) policy to degrade, defeat, and destroy them. The present book has been written to assist policymakers, military planners, strategists, and professional military educators whose mission demands a deep understanding of strategically-relevant differences between these two transnational terrorist entities. In it, one shall find a careful comparative analysis across three key strategically relevant dimensions: essential doctrine, beliefs, and worldview; strategic concept, including terrorist modus operandi; and specific implications and recommendations for current USG …

On Renewable Energy And Climate, Trump Voters Stand Apart, Lawrence C. Hamilton

Carsey Publications

In this brief, author Larry Hamilton discusses the results of pre- and post-election Polar, Environment, and Science surveys carried out by Carsey School researchers in August and November–December 2016, asking people about their general views on climate change and renewable energy. Almost three-fourths of Americans surveyed said that renewable energy should be a higher national priority than more drilling for oil. About two-thirds agree with the scientific consensus that humans are changing Earth’s climate. Priority for renewable energy development and recognition of human-caused climate change are majority opinions within every voter group except Trump supporters. On renewable energy, the reality …

Utilizing Social Network Analysis To Study Communities Of Women In Conflict Zones, James R. Gatewood, Candice R. Price

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This article proposes to study the plight of women in conflict zones through the lens of social network analysis. We endorse the novel idea of building a social network within troubled regions to assist in understanding the structure of women's communities and identifying key individuals and groups that will help rebuild and empower the lives of women. Our main argument is that we can better understand the complexity of a society with quantitative measures using a network analysis approach. Given the foundation of this paper, one can develop a model that will represent the connections between women in these communities. …

The Cresset (Vol. Lxxx, No. 3, Lent), Valparaiso University

The Cresset (archived issues)

No abstract provided.

An Initial Study Into Mine Action And Improvised Explosive Devices, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) present significant risks to mine action (MA) operators and the programmes within which they work. Such risks can be managed through well-informed risk identification and assessment, the avoidance of some activities, and the procurement/development of the necessary skills, equipment and procedures to address others.

This study focuses primarily on improvised devices of the types that are currently encountered by MA organisations during humanitarian operations. The use of IEDs for terrorist purposes or as part of active conflict is not addressed in this study. While it is recognised that MA organisations may be present in places where …

Bridging The Divide White Paper: Pregnant Women And Substance Use: Overview Of Research & Policy In The United States, Darla Bishop, Liz Borkowski, Megan Couillard, Amy Allina, Susanna Baruch, Susan Wood

Jacobs Institute of Women's Health

This paper examines the current literature and policy implications of substance use and substance use disorders among pregnant and parenting women. While this is not meant to serve as an exhaustive literature review on this topic, it seeks to describe: current research on health effects of substance use and substance use disorders on pregnant women1 and their children; policies and programs that help ensure that pregnant women who use substances have access to the highest quality healthcare, including prenatal care; the current barriers to accessing treatment for substance use disorders for pregnant women, including those who are incarcerated; and the …

Improving Trip Data For Livable Communities, Kelly Clifton

TREC Project Briefs

NITC researchers work to refine a framework for trip generation that includes people walking, biking and riding transit.

Could E-Bikes Spur A New Wave Of Biking In America?, John Macarthur

TREC Project Briefs

In this NITC study, researchers provided participants with electric bicycles to use for a ten-week trial period and surveyed them about the experience.

Bridging The Gap: Joint Fire Science Program Outcomes, Stephen W. Barrett

Joint Fire Science Program Digests

The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) has funded an impressive number of research projects over the years. However, the number of projects does not necessarily provide an accurate picture of the program’s effectiveness. Over the last decade, researchers have collected data and conducted several studies to determine whether the results of JFSP-funded projects are reaching potential users and informing management decisions and actions. Those studies have helped identify issues and influence changes within the program. Early studies pointed out the need for a boundary-spanning organization to improve delivery of science information, which resulted in the establishment of the Fire Science …

Coalition For Prisoners' Rights Newsletter, Vol 42-Yy, No. 2, Coalition For Prisoners' Rights

Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletters

A Lot Happens in One Month

Five Corporations Making Millions

Life is Longer

Precision Targeting

In Memoriam

Crime of the Month

Heroina de Hoy