Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Annual Report 2024, Tennessee. Department Of General Services

Annual Reports

This annual report briefly describes the business units in General Services and financial transactions made during the fiscal year.

Editorial: Citizen Initiatives For Global Solidarity (Cigs) In Disaster And Humanitarian Response, Erika Frydenlund, Hanne Haaland, Jose J. Padilla, Hege Wallevik

VMASC Publications

[Introduction] The papers in this Research Topic contribute to the growing body of knowledge on citizen-led initiatives responding to disasters and humanitarian emergencies globally. From conflict and climate change to increased migration and the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faces humanitarian challenges of unprecedented scope and scale. With the globalization of news, travel, and crowdfunding, these crises have become more visible to ordinary citizens, prompting some to start their own aid initiatives. These small, often spontaneous organizations, sometimes referred to as Citizen Initiatives for Global Solidarity (CIGS), emerge to address urgent needs. Our team has studied the phenomenon of citizen-led aid …

Navigating Success In Higher Education: Generative Ai, Financial Well-Being, And Parental Support, Tanya Gardner

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Postsecondary education is viewed as a sure path to economic mobility. This dissertation contains three essays which examine correlates of postsecondary value. Postsecondary students face a variety of stressors throughout their college career which may impact their ability to be successful. They must complete their coursework and pass their classes while balancing work, social, and familial obligations. Tools such as generative AI may help students achieve their goals even in the face of personal challenges such as low financial stability or the inability to afford the high costs of college. Together these essays add to the body of literature which …

Essays On The Dynamics Of Subnational Public Finance In Indonesia, Much Rosidi

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation comprises three essays that collectively explore the intricacies of subnational public finance in Indonesia: vehicle tax amnesty, property tax competition, and corruption. The research aims to understand the dynamics shaping fiscal policies at the subnational level.

In the first essay, I examine vehicle tax amnesty programs in Indonesia that have been very popular in dealing with high delinquency rates. From 2008 to 2020, provincial amnesties occurred every 2.5 years on average. Using the variation in the timing of the province’s amnesty adoptions, I estimate the effect of vehicle tax amnesty on vehicle tax revenue using difference-in-differences. The short-run …

Relationships Between Local Revenue And Expenditure Policies And Urban Housing Markets, Lucas Taulbee

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation consists of three essays on urban/local public finance, specifically residential property tax assessment and the provision of local public services. A general theme of the essays is the interplay between local financial policies and housing markets. Both revenue (tax) and expenditure policies can have significant effects on housing prices which can, in turn, have feedback effects on current and future revenues and expenditures. In the first chapter, Assessment Regressivity and Capitalization of Property Taxes, I consider assessment regressivity, the phenomenon in which higher-priced homes tend to be underassessed while lower priced homes tend to be overassessed. This may …

Essays On Public And Nonprofit Financial Dynamics, Yunjun Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation consists of three essays that explore different dimensions of financial dynamics in the public and nonprofit sectors. Each chapter examines how the fiscal behavior of neighboring jurisdictions, policy interventions, and financial practices influence fiscal decision-making and financial performance within these entities.

In the first essay, I investigate yardstick competition in local government spending in South Korea by leveraging the exogenous variation introduced by by-elections. This approach allows me to estimate the influence of neighboring jurisdictions on local expenditures. Contrary to previous empirical studies from other countries, my findings reveal no significant interdependence in spending among South Korean municipalities, …

Three Essays On Environmental Risk And Policy, Samuel Owens

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation comprises three essays that investigate different facets of environmental hazards and their implications for policy and governance. While each essay examines a different topic area, they are all linked by examining how entities respond to incentives at the intersection of environmental risk and public policy. Each chapter informs a distinct literature within environmental policy and utilizes different methodologies to examine largely unexplored research questions.

In the first essay, I examine how individuals respond to the low-visibility, long-term environmental risk presented by radon. I employ radon zone data from the Kentucky Geological Survey and home information from Zillow to …

Policy Brief, Zachary Owen

Libraries Award for Undergraduate Scholarship

The US grapples with a housing crisis, exacerbated in part by a shortage of conventional mortgage loans. Data from 2020 reveals a severe racial disparity, with 27.1% of Black mortgage applicants denied compared to only 13.6% of White mortgage applicants. These denial trends are highly correlated with homeownership rates. Current trends in homeownership by race mirror or exceed those present during the discriminatory practices of the 1960s. Lenders often cite low credit scores and high debt-to-income ratios as grounds for denial. Therefore, proposed solutions include mandating the inclusion of rental payment history in credit scores, offering free homebuying education, and …

Spatially Allocated Population Characteristics For Oregon Counties From The 2017-2021 Acs Pums, Version 1.0" [Computer File], Population Research Center, Portland State University

Publications, Reports and Presentations

A novel dataset and documentation containing spatially allocated estimates based on analysis of the 2017-21 ACS PUMS for counties in the State of Oregon. Analysis was performed by iterative adjustment to the ACS weights such that results were consistent with selected tables generated from the full ACS sample published by the US Census Bureau. The data are delivered in two pipe-delimited text files. Each row represents one county, and columns represent standard data fields described in the codebooks. Oregon Department of Human Services supported the analysis and selected the indicators for production; race/ethnicity are reporting in a manner consistent with …

Advanced Air Mobility, Economic Impacts, And Equity Considerations, Robert M. Mcnab

Economics Faculty Publications

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) may, in the coming decades, result in tens of thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars in additional economic activity. While much of the discussion surrounding AAM focuses on the technical aspects of the nascent industry, estimates of the potential economic impact vary significantly. Much less attention has been paid in the literature to potential externalities, positive and negative, and how these externalities may impact estimates of economic impact. We argue that much work remains to be done before policy advisors and decisions makers can formulate and implement strategies based on the projections of future …

Benefits And Challenges Of Institutionalizing Peacebuilding And Activism In A Post-Liberal World, Clare Bath, Philip Gamaghelyan

School of Peace Studies: Faculty Scholarship

Peace and conflict studies is a normative field that seeks to reduce or eradicate violence. With multiple forms of violence plaguing human society, institutionalization of civil society has long been a tenet of liberal approaches to peace intended to enhance sustainability and policy impact of activism. Along with benefits, however, institutionalization brought with it a set of challenges, including cooptation by donors and competition among activists. The article builds on the analysis of 14 in-depth interviews, insights gathered from the “Rethinking Peace” workshop conducted in Mtsheka, Georgia in July 2022, and desk research on the risks and benefits of institutionalization …

Saving Social Security: A Comprehensive Approach To Finding A Path Forward, Nicholas Teresi

CMC Senior Theses

Most Americans rely on social security as a significant source of retirement income, but without congressional action, the program’s projected insolvency threatens to reduce benefits for all covered retirees. This thesis explores a path forward to legislating a fix by evaluating several proposed provisions. First, this thesis analyzes the premises and purposes of the program’s structure. By intentional design, program executives and lawmakers fostered acceptance of the program as a type of insurance. Second, this thesis assesses how lawmakers previously approached reform to apply it to the present issue. Throughout both the program’s first and last forty years, lawmakers reinforced …

Diagnosing Market Inefficiency: The Impact Of Consolidation In The Private Health Insurance Market On Healthcare Costs In The United States, Zachary Ising

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study presents a critical analysis of the relationship between the market concentration of private health insurance companies and per capita healthcare costs in the United States. It explores the hypothesis that consolidation within the private health insurance sector, driven by frequent mergers and acquisitions, contributes to a dysfunctional healthcare system characterized by high consumer costs. The study investigates the degree of market concentration in the health insurance sector from 2017 to 2020, focusing on healthcare costs per capita as the dependent variable, and employing independent variables such as market data of health insurers, the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), and the …

Community Cultural Wealth And Its Impact On Pandemic Relief Funding For Small Businesses, Brett Smith

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This dissertation investigates the impact of social, navigational, familial, aspirational, and resistant capital on the ability of small business owners in Pennsylvania to access relief funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily the period from March 2020 to December 2020. Utilizing Dr. Tara Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, the study explores systemic barriers within relief initiatives and how they affect marginalized communities.

To meet business owners where they were, and to utilize technologies born as a result of the pandemic, this study utilized Asynchronous Video Interviews (AVI) and online surveys, to capture the lived experiences of these small business owners. Not …

Impact On Abortion Rates: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis Of Planned Parenthood’S Refusal Of Title X Family Planning Funding, Carrissa Griffing

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) decided to reject federal family planning funds when faced with a “gag rule” that would prevent PPFA from providing abortion services. The economic theory of scarcity and everyday human experience teach that a reduction in available resources or means will necessarily impact the ends to which those means are expended. This dissertation tests the prediction of economic theory that a reduction in available means results in a sacrifice in given ends, like a paycheck reduction might result in less food on a family dinner table. Planned Parenthood’s behavior is examined in light of this …

A Little Bird Told Me: The Lived Experiences Of Officers Who Participated In Deep Undercover Programs, Oakley Fungaroli

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to gather and analyze semi-structured interviews of seven participants who took part in deep undercover programs between the 1970s and 1990s. In the early 1980s, under pressure from civil rights advocates, law enforcement implemented policies restricting the use of undercover police officers in non-violent intelligence investigations. The new guidelines resulted in robust selection and training requirements for deep undercover assignments which became focused on those who advocated criminal acts in furtherance of social or political objectives. The lived experiences revealed that while intelligence guidelines intended to protect civil rights applied to all personnel, training …

Burning Fear, Amy Dorie

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Climate change is leading to more intense and devastating wildfires that lead to tragic loss of life and property (Cal Fire, 2018; Sinco et al., 2023) and disturbing environmental impacts (OECD, 2023). The purpose of this textile design was to create an activist design that communicates the fear and anxiety felt by those impacted by wildfires. First-hand accounts of those experiencing wildfires were researched as inspiration for the textile design. Based on the accounts, a selection of wildfire-related images were cropped in irregular shapes, placed around the canvas, and blended evoking a sense of chaos and devastation. An image of …

Public Patriotism, Silent Dissent: Women And The Making Of Senninbari In Wartime Japan, Mariko Nagai

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

During the early years of the so-called “Fifteen Year War” (1931–1945), Japanese women and girls created senninbari when men received draft notices to serve. Often worn around soldiers’ waists underneath their uniforms, these sash-shaped talisman were embroidered with 1,000 red knots, each knot made by a woman. In a time when the Japanese government censored dissenting voices against its militaristic and nationalistic foreign and domestic policies, this government-encouraged gesture of stitching senninbari became one of the few ways in which women could voice their personal protests within patriarchal gender expressions (良妻賢母 “good wife, wise mother”). Senninbari’s design evolved with regional- …

Pricing, Decarbonization, And Green New Deals, David M. Driesen, Michael A. Mehling

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

This Article evaluates an emerging literature claiming that carbon pricing (emissions trading or carbon taxes) has not performed very well and therefore cannot be the basis for the sort of transformative change now required to address the climate crisis. This is an important claim, as carbon pricing has been viewed as being at the heart of global efforts to address one of our most important contemporary problems.

We provide theoretical and empirical support for these critics’ claim that carbon pricing by itself cannot catalyze the technological transformation now required, and that other approaches have done and will likely do better. …

ปัญหาและอุปสรรคในการตรวจสอบสินค้าเพื่อคืนภาษีมูลค่าเพิ่มสำหรับนักท่องเที่ยว: กรณีศึกษาฝ่ายบริการผู้โดยสารที่ 3 สำนักงานศุลกากรท่าอากาศยานดอนเมือง, ณัฐกร โชติช่วย

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

สารนิพนธ์ฉบับนี้จัดทำขึ้นเพื่อศึกษาปัญหาและอุปสรรคที่เกิดขึ้นในกระบวนการตรวจสอบสินค้าเพื่อคืนภาษีมูลค่าเพิ่ม (VAT Refund) สำหรับนักท่องเที่ยว กรณีศึกษาฝ่ายบริการผู้โดยสารที่ 3 สำนักงานศุลกากรท่าอากาศยานดอนเมือง โดยเน้นวิเคราะห์ปัจจัยที่ส่งผลให้กระบวนการดังกล่าวเกิดความล่าช้า อันนำมาซึ่งข้อร้องเรียนต่อเจ้าหน้าที่ศุลกากร รวมถึงปัญหาที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการดำเนินงาน และแนวทางในการแก้ไขปัญหาเพื่อเพิ่มประสิทธิภาพในกระบวนการคืนภาษีมูลค่าเพิ่ม เพื่อการศึกษาที่ครอบคลุมและชัดเจนผู้เขียนได้แบ่งการศึกษาออกเป็น 3 ด้าน ได้แก่ ด้านการสื่อสาร ด้านกฎระเบียบ และด้านเทคโนโลยี งานวิจัยชิ้นนี้เป็นงานวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพ (Qualitative Research) โดยเก็บข้อมูลผ่านการสัมภาษณ์แบบกึ่งโครงสร้าง (Semi-Structured Interview) กับผู้ให้ข้อมูลสำคัญ ซึ่งประกอบด้วยเจ้าหน้าที่ศุลกากรที่ปฏิบัติงาน ณ จุดบริการ VAT Refund หัวหน้าฝ่ายบริการผู้โดยสารที่ 3 และผู้อำนวยการฝ่ายบริการผู้โดยสาร สำนักงานศุลกากรท่าอากาศยานดอนเมือง รวมถึงนักท่องเที่ยวที่ใช้บริการ ผลการวิจัยพบว่าปัญหาและอุปสรรคที่สำคัญ ได้แก่ ความล่าช้าจากกระบวนการตรวจสอบเอกสารและสินค้าซึ่งเกิดจากการขาดการจัดเตรียมข้อมูลล่วงหน้าของผู้รับบริการ การประสานงานระหว่างหน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้องที่ยังไม่มีความสอดคล้องกัน ข้อกำหนดด้านกฎระเบียบที่ซับซ้อนและมีความเปลี่ยนแปลงบ่อยครั้ง รวมถึงการขาดการสื่อสารข้อมูลที่ถูกต้องและชัดเจนให้แก่นักท่องเที่ยว ส่งผลให้นักท่องเที่ยวมีความเข้าใจผิดเกี่ยวกับขั้นตอนและข้อกำหนดในการคืนภาษี

Examining Systemic And Dispositional Factors Impacting Historically Disenfranchised Schools Across North Carolina, Raketa Ouedraogo-Thomas

Dissertations

This mixed method sequential explanatory study provided analysis of North Carolina (NC) school leaders’ dispositions in eliminating opportunity gaps, outlined in NC’s strategic plan. The study’s quantitative phase used descriptive and correlation analysis of eight Likert subscales around four tenets of transformative leadership (Shields, 2011) and aspects of critical race theory (Bell, 1992; Ladson-Billings, 1998; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 2006) to understand systemic inequities and leadership attitudes.

The qualitative phase comprised three analyses of education leadership dispositions and systemic factors in NC schools. The first analysis of State Board of Education meeting minutes from 2018–2023 quantified and analyzed utterances of racism …

Racial Disparities In Snap Receipt For Eligible Asian Americans In Massachusetts, Sokha Eng, Weichun Yan, Brian Beauregard, Susan R. Crandall

Center for Social Policy Publications

Despite qualifying as income eligible, many Massachusetts families do not access SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. Due to the sharp increase in the cost of living, especially the cost of housing and food expenses, more families are facing food insecurity. Thus, it is critical to ensure that families in need receive SNAP benefits. While previous studies have examined racial disparities, there is a limited focus on Asian American families. Even fewer studies disaggregate data to explore disparities among Asian American ethnic subgroups. Further, few studies have addressed disparities in SNAP receipt specifically for income eligible families.

The purpose of …

Research Review: "What Do Successful Military-To-Civilian Transitions Look Like? A Revised Framework And A New Conceptual Model For Assessing Veteran Well-Being", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The research in this IVMF review introduces an enhanced framework and practical model for evaluating the well-being of post-9/11 veterans as they transition back to civilian life. Data analysis spanning 2.5 years from a substantial cohort of post-9/11 veterans revealed varied experiences during their transition: while some exhibited progress, notably in employment, others faced stagnation or decline, particularly in physical health. Even in areas of improvement, a significant portion of veterans continued to encounter challenges, with mental health issues affecting 34% at a certain study juncture. Furthermore, specific demographics such as enlisted personnel, women, and people of color were disproportionately …

Climatizing National Security, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

Is climate change a national security issue? Human security? Ecological security? This Article addresses the growing nexus between climate change and various conceptions of security with a particular emphasis on climate change's national security impacts. This Article argues that there is a growing connection between national security and climate change and a corresponding need to address the normative implications of "climatizing national security." This connection can be observed through three lenses: mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions from military and national security sources); adaptation (investing in climate resilient infrastructure in an effort to prepare for climate impacts), and response (addressing climate-exacerbated …

The Worst Choice For School Choice: Tuition Tax Credits Are A Bad Idea And Direct Funding Is Wiser, Michael J. Broyde, Anna G. Gabianelli

Faculty Articles

School choice is on the rise, and states use various mechanisms to implement it. One prevalent mechanism is also a uniquely problematic one: the tax credit. Tax credits are deficient at equitably distributing a benefit like school choice; they are costly, and they invite fraud. Instead of using tax credits, states opting for school choice programs should use direct funding. Direct funding will more efficiently achieve the goals of school choice because it can be regulated like any other government benefit, even if it ends up subsidizing religious private schools.

Tax credits’ prevalence is not inexplicable, of course. It is …

Criminal Subsidiaries, Andrew K. Jennings

Faculty Articles

Corporate groups comprise parent companies and one or more subsidiaries, which parents use to manage liabilities, transactions, operations, and regulation. Those subsidiaries can also be used to manage criminal accountability when multiple entities within a corporate group share responsibility for a common offense. A parent, for instance, might reach a settlement with prosecutors that requires its subsidiary to plead guilty to a crime, without conviction of the parent itself—a subsidiary-only conviction (SOC). The parent will thus avoid bearing collateral consequences—such as contracting or industry bars—that would follow its own conviction. For the prosecutor, such settlements can respond to criminal law’s …

การจัดการการท่องเที่ยวอย่างยั่งยืน กรณีศึกษา : สถานแสดงพันธุ์สัตว์น้ำบึงฉวากเฉลิมพระเกียรติฯ, อาชว์ สุวรรณพงษ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยเรื่อง การจัดการท่องเที่ยวอย่างยั่งยืน: กรณีศึกษาสถานแสดงพันธุ์สัตว์น้ำบึงฉวากเฉลิมพระเกียรติ มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ 1) ศึกษาสภาพการจัดการการท่องเที่ยวของสถานแสดงพันธุ์สัตว์น้ำบึงฉวากในปัจจุบัน และ 2) เสนอแนวทางการพัฒนาการจัดการสถานที่ท่องเที่ยวให้มีความยั่งยืนในระยะยาว โดยการวิจัยนี้ใช้วิธีการเชิงคุณภาพ ผ่านการทบทวนวรรณกรรมที่เกี่ยวข้อง การศึกษาข้อมูลจากงานวิจัยและเอกสารอื่น ๆ ตลอดจนการสัมภาษณ์เชิงลึกกับกลุ่มตัวอย่างซึ่งประกอบไปด้วย องค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัดสุพรรณบุรี ประชาชนในพื้นที่ตำบลเดิมบาง หน่วยงานภาครัฐที่เกี่ยวข้อง ภาคเอกชน รวมถึงบุคคลสำคัญและอดีตข้าราชการระดับสูงของจังหวัดสุพรรณบุรีผลการวิจัยพบว่า การจัดการพื้นที่ของสถานแสดงพันธุ์สัตว์น้ำบึงฉวากเฉลิมพระเกียรติฯ จะประสบความสำเร็จต้องเกิดจากการทำงานร่วมกันของชุมชน หน่วยงานภาครัฐ และเอกชน โดยมีการพัฒนาและปรับปรุงพื้นที่ การประชาสัมพันธ์ที่ทันสมัย และการจัดกิจกรรมที่สอดคล้องกับวิถีชุมชน การกระจายรายได้สู่ชุมชนท้องถิ่น รวมทั้งการอนุรักษ์สิ่งแวดล้อมและวัฒนธรรมในพื้นที่ ซึ่งทั้งหมดนี้จะช่วยส่งเสริมศักยภาพการท่องเที่ยวและสร้างความยั่งยืนให้กับพื้นที่อย่างเป็นรูปธรรมจากผลการศึกษาแสดงให้เห็นว่า การพัฒนาการจัดการการท่องเที่ยวให้มีความยั่งยืนในบริบทของสถานแสดงพันธุ์สัตว์น้ำบึงฉวากจำเป็นต้องอาศัยความร่วมมือที่เป็นเอกภาพจากทุกภาคส่วน เพื่อให้การพัฒนาสามารถบรรลุเป้าหมายของความยั่งยืนในสามมิติหลัก ได้แก่ 1) มิติด้านสิ่งแวดล้อม โดยเน้นการอนุรักษ์และฟื้นฟูทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ 2) มิติด้านสังคม ด้วยการสร้างการมีส่วนร่วมและยกระดับคุณภาพชีวิตของคนในชุมชน และ 3) มิติด้านเศรษฐกิจ โดยการสร้างความสมดุลระหว่างการเติบโตทางเศรษฐกิจและการกระจายรายได้สู่คนในท้องถิ่นอย่างทั่วถึงและยั่งยืน

Rhetorical Demagoguery: An Exploration Of Trump’S And Hitler’S Rise To Power, Tanner Horne

Undergraduate Honors Theses

While many scholars have examined the rhetoric of President Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler individually, there is a void of scholarly work that highlights the similarities between the two leaders’ use of grandiloquent language to stoke the passions of their perspective nations. In the past one hundred years, rhetoric and propaganda have been employed to push political agendas that are divisive and dangerous. Trump’s incendiary vocabulary–“enemy of the people,” “vermin,” “retribution,” etc., employed frequently throughout his campaign and presidency, in many ways echoes Hitler's speeches and declarations. While their political strategies ultimately differed greatly, a close analysis of their speeches, …

Nursing Care During Natural Disasters, War Zones, And Mass Casualty Incidents: Implications For An Educational And Professional Overhaul, Erin N. White

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Emergency situations around the world are inevitable. Any nurse who practices for any period of time is sure to encounter situations like these. Their hospital may be flooded with traumatic and severely life-threatening patient cases where supplies can become scarce. In these situations, a nurse and all other healthcare personnel are expected to act effectively, efficiently and in a highly organized way. Despite this need, many hospitals fail to implement effective disaster preparedness programs and plans. This leaves healthcare workers at a loss for how to treat patients, communicate within and outside of the hospital, coordinate transport, and all the …

Hablando Sobre Inmigración: How Members Of The House Of Representatives In 118th Congress Frame The Issue Of Immigration, Guadalupe Castañeda Martinez

History and Political Science | Senior Theses

Historically, Immigration has played a critical role in forming the nation’s identity, economic prosperity, and promoting cultural diversity. Considering that the issue of Immigration has been in the news and is considered by many to be important and in need of policy solutions, little progress has been made on passing comprehensive immigration reform since the 113 th Congress in 2013. How members of Congress talk about Immigration is important because framing can influence public opinion, shaping perceptions of the issue and affecting policy decisions. Members may use their platform to communicate how they think about policy issues. Research has been …