Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Mine Action In Burma: Building Trust And Incremental Gains, Greg Crowther, Josephine Dresner, Michael Aaron

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Burma has long been known to be heavily contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), with 3,693 casualties reported since 1999.1 The area is a complex and dynamic environment for humanitarian organizations, with multiple overlapping and interlinked conflicts between a number of disparate Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO) and the Burmese Armed Forces, fought over several decades. In this context, international humanitarian mine action (HMA) operators have not been able to provide any form of technical response; there is currently no mine action coordination center, no agreed national standards, and no demarcation, technical survey, or clearance operations recognized by …

A Constitutional And Efficacious Analysis Of Affirmative Action Policies, Jeff Longust

Pepperdine Policy Review

After several Supreme Court cases, university admissions processes, and state/federal policies, affirmative action programs are under several layers of scrutiny. This paper explores how court precedent and research studies have both shaped policies and raised substantive questions about whether or not these programs are effective and equitable.

Personality Factors, Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior, And Sexual Fantasy As Predictors Of Paraphilic Disorder Intensity, Ethan Jack Edwards

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Researchers vary on their definitions of paraphilia. A difference exists between an individual possessing a paraphilia versus an individual possessing a paraphilic disorder. Hanson (2010) proposed a dimensional model of sexual deviance that includes a measure of intensity. However, research on sexual intensity has been lacking. A majority of existing research focuses on the potential risk factors of possessing a paraphilia or paraphilic disorder (e.g., criminality). There is less focus on whom in the population has the potential to develop a paraphilia; or which factors predict paraphilic behavior.

The Big Five personality factors (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and …

The Effects Of The Foreclosure Crisis On The Black And Hispanic Population In Lee County, Florida, Stenia K. Reid-Hall, Stenia K. Reid-Hall Ph. D

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The housing foreclosure crisis of 2007-2010 in the United States disproportionately affected persons of color. Some states, such as Florida, were heavily impacted by property value losses yet little is known about the experience of losing a home and recovering from that loss from the perspective of the homeowner. Using Carlson’s conceptualization of resiliency theory, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to assess the impact of housing foreclosure and the experience of recovery from foreclosure on Black and Hispanic people in Lee County, Florida. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 15 people in Lee County who experienced foreclosure …

Who Governs The Internationalization Of Higher Education? A Comparative Analysis Of Macro-Regional Policies In Canada And The European Union, Merli Tamtik

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

The internationalization of higher education has become a politically strategic and economically promising policy area. As a result, the traditional authority and governance boundaries related to internationalization are becoming fluid. This paper focuses on the macro-regional internationalization strategies in Canada and the European Union (EU) in order to understand the changing dynamics of internationalization governance. By applying multi-level governance theory, the paper analyses and compares how internationalization is understood at the macro-regional level, revealing fundamental differences in the normative values. The findings indicate that while Canada is formulating an aggressive marketization approach to benefit from the intensified global competition, the …

Multiple Perspectives On Service Animals In Society, Arthur W. Blaser

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

This paper explores alternative strategies for taking service dogs seriously. I argue for multiple analytical perspectives to understand service dog issues (as opposed to overreliance on a single method). Analysts (including journalists, policy-makers, and activists) should reflect on media coverage, socio-economic realities, politics and law, and many other factors. Rather than thinking "either/or" on service dogs in society, we need to move to thinking "both/and," to critical analysis of multiple perspectives.

Information And Communication Technologies In Public Child Welfare: A Systematic Literature Review, Stephanie K. Schneider

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This systematic literature review synthesizes findings from empirical studies published between 1989 and 2016 to examine types, use, purpose and implementation of information and communication technology in public child welfare to determine if there are thematic reoccurrences in these arenas. Study results yielded information to the field of social work and public child welfare by determining themes in successful usage, purpose and implementation of information and communication technology in public child welfare to better serve those vulnerable populations. This systematic literature review contextualizes and identifies these themes across the literature. Studies included in this review were analyzed and categorized to …

Health Budget Tracking At Local Levels: A Training Manual For Uganda’S Youth Leaders And Advocates, Rehema Z. Namukose Ms.

Capstone Collection

Uganda’s decentralization policy was introduced in 1997 under the Local Government Act to transfer power from central government to local government levels. The main purpose was to promote participation of all citizens in decision making processes to enhance responsibility and accountable monitoring of services delivered to citizens at all levels. The policy “aimed to achieve efficiency and effectiveness” in services delivered and managed at lower levels (Kebba & Ntanda, 2005). But how were citizens at local levels going to participate in accountability processes? How would they monitor the quality of services delivered under this policy framework? In what ways were …

More Women In Parliament: Advocacy Lessons Learned From The Georgian Women’S Task Force On Political Participation, Emma Shattuck

Capstone Collection

Emma Shattuck – PIM 75

MORE WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: ADVOCACY LESSONS LEARNED

FROM THE GEORGIAN WOMEN’S TASK FORCE ON POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

May 2017

This Policy Advocacy Course-Linked Capstone is a case study of an on-going advocacy campaign to increase women’s political participation in the Republic of Georgia’s Parliament. It tells the story of a dedicated group of advocates who are determined to help Georgian women’s voices be heard in a primarily male-dominated political context. Drawing on my personal experience living and working in Tbilisi, Georgia, and based on comprehensive key informant interviews with leaders of the campaign, I analyze the …

The Impact Of A Crowdsourcing Apparatus On Organizational Capacity In The Nonprofit Context: The Case Of Bar-Kayma, Ohad Shem Tov

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

While there is considerable information on the crowdsourcing (CS) phenomenon among online and for-profit organizations (Kittur, Chi, & Suh, 2008; Sufen, Zhonghui, & Feng, 2013), our understanding about the phenomenon among nonprofit organizations is limited (Brabham, 2008). The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how integrating a CS apparatus among nonprofit organizations impacts their capacity. The study drew on Hall et al.’s (2003) conceptual model, in which the capacity of a nonprofit organization is determined by its financial, human resources, and structural capitals.

Bar-Kayma (BK), a nonprofit umbrella organization that assists groups of Organized Artists Collectives (OACs) in Jerusalem, …

The Influence Of Age, Work Experience, Education Level, And Score On A Standardized Pre-Employment Competency Exam On The Outcome Of A Pre-Employment Polygraph Exam, David M. Torres

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the influence of age, work experience, education level, and score on a standardized pre-employment competency exam on the outcome of a pre-employment polygraph exam. Due to the strict selection requirements and competitive nature of sensitive government and public safety positions, organizations compete in the costly endeavor to hire qualified applicants efficiently and effectively. As these organizations fail to meet the required hiring levels, their responsibilities in public and national security cannot be carried out. This study was conducted in an effort to reduce the time and financial resources an organization must appropriate on applicants that cannot successfully …

American Immigration: Differing Views On The Threat From Immigrants, Carl Karpinski

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Immigration has been a hot button issue in politics across the world, especially in recent years in the United States. People’s views on immigration vary broadly among political parties and from every corner of the country. Why do people believe the things they do about immigrants? I researched this question to determine why immigration is at the forefront of American politics and how different aspects of one’s life affect his or her sentiments. Using General Social Survey data, I explored why some people feel threatened by immigrants coming to their country and others do not. Variables analyzed include income, church …

Beyond Pluralism And Elitism: How Much Influence Do Special Interests Have On The Content Of Congressional Legislation?, Kyle Johnson

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Do powerful special interests have too much influence over what is written in congressional legislation? There has been ongoing debate about how influence should be distributed between interest groups in affecting legislation. A central question in this debate asks whether interest groups with more financial clout have more influence in policy-making than interests that have fewer resources? Furthermore, much research has been on interest groups influence on the lawmaker’s vote instead of the interest’s influence prior to the vote. My research seeks to determine the extent to which interest groups influence the content of legislation in the U.S. Congress. My …

The Trouble With Transitions: Preserving Government Records During A Presidential Transition, Sarah C. Slinger, Nicholas Mignanelli

Scholarly Works

Times of transition from administration to administration are often, if not always, trying periods for the United States and its people. In particular, concerns arise over the preservation of documents from one administration to the next. This is especially true when the torch of executive power passes from one party to the other. Although preservation of information is a seemingly objective endeavor, it is difficult to abstain from politics when the documents involved are inherently political. Recently, the Trump Administration has expressed its intentions to scale back the size of government and take key offices—such as the Department of Energy—in …

Information Sharing, Transparency, And E-Governance Among County Government Offices In Southeastern Michigan, Lawrence Bosek

All NMU Master's Theses

The Internet has given rise to the availability of information at our fingertips. While the public, particularly consumers, are more commonly described as being the leading users and beneficiaries of electronic information services, businesses and governments are also players in the arena for sharing official information. Information can be easily stored on Internet websites for the public, businesses, and other governmental offices to search and peruse when needed. This study examined the ease of locating county governmental information, such as contact information for public officials and financial reports, and surveyed elected county officials for purposes of identifying how information is …

The Intersection Of Culture And Activism In The Filipino Community In Soma, Ericka J. Martynovych

Master's Theses

My research analyzes the intersection between culture and activism, through oral histories with participants and organizers of SoMa Pilipinas, the Filipino cultural heritage district in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco. I analyzed the impact of the establishment of the Filipino cultural heritage district on the Filipino community in the South of Market neighborhood. I examined what motivates members of this community to be politically active by organizing and attending protests and rallies, speaking at Planning Commission hearings at City Hall, attending planning meetings for SoMa Pilipinas, building relationships across organizations and fields, and providing resources for community …

Under The Care Of The City Of Fremont: Employees Embrace A Healthier Lifestyle Through Worksite Wellness, Kelly Wright

Master's Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine: (1) if the City of Fremont has effectively implemented wellness activities that promote health and wellness for employees; and (2) what strategies can the City of Fremont use to encourage and increase employee participation in workplace sponsored health and wellness program activities.

Addressing The Ab 109 Population In Santa Cruz County: The Santa Cruz County Recidivism Study Of Post-Realignment Offenders (2011–2016), Shea Johnson

Master's Projects

The goal of this paper and the included “Santa Cruz County Recidivism Study of Post-Realignment Offenders (2011–2016)” is to provide a meaningful presentation of recidivism rates for Santa Cruz County and, in doing so, help Santa Cruz County agencies to better design recidivism reduction programs, highlight the problems every county faces in trying to conduct recidivism reduction studies, and provide a roadmap for what is and is not possible for policymakers who are increasingly demanding more refined data sets and streamlined data for budgeting.

Promoting Your Community On The Web: An Exploratory Analysis Of The Web Presence Of Cities In Georgia, William Hatcher

Georgia Journal of Public Policy

Today, promoting community assets through a quality web presence is a vital component of economic development practice. However, many local development agencies do not have functional websites and also lack quality social media sites. In this study, we examine how municipalities in the Atlanta Metro area use their websites to promote economic development. The study seeks to answer two research questions: How are municipalities promoting their community assets on the web? And for agencies with a web presence, how effective are they at promoting community assets? The analysis describes the content of the agencies’ websites and assesses the overall quality …

Driverless Cars And Disability: Alternative Worlds In Media Presentation, Art Blaser

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

How liberating? For whom? At what costs (economic and social)? This paper is an exploratory examination of images that people have expressed about driverless cars, particularly as seen through particular media outlets. I am also concerned with the question of where disabled people fit. As I argue, many answers are narrow and superficial. Neither policy-makers nor media outlets should reduce disabled people to consumers of a product, while paying insufficient attention to related environmental and social issues. Although it would be easy to identify problematic media images of disabled people, there are also examples of nuanced, detailed analysis.

The author …

Examining Burnout In Division I Collegiate Athletes: Identifying The Major Factors And Level Of Importance In An Athlete’S Life, Angel A. Almodóvar Mr.

Siegel Institute Ethics Research Scholars

Burnout is a concept that has been studied within the past 35+ years becoming widely known and recognized around 1980 in various disciplines ranging from the professional workforce, to athletic coaches, to youth sports. The first burnout study conducted within a sport setting focused on coaching burnout, and since then, new developments have occurred concentrating on athletes. Burnout is a term defined as a withdrawal from a particular sport noted by a reduced sense of accomplishment, devaluation or resentment of the sport, with proponents of physical and psychological exhaustion. Thus, the focus of this study is to examine athletic burnout …

From The Director, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As we endeavor to make The Journal a forum of information and ideas for the conventional weapons destruction community, we look at the threat improvised explosive devices (IED) pose in countries around the world. Increasingly, humanitarian organizations are widening their scope to account for the prevalence of IEDs. The need for clear communication across humanitarian mine action and counter-IED (C-IED) operational lines is evident.

Improvised Explosive Devices (Ied): A Humanitarian Mine Action Perspective, Robert Keeley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Readers of this Journal need no schooling in the acceleration of the use of improvised explosive devices (IED) over the last 20 years. However, what has become obvious in the last few years is the degree to which the spheres of counter-IED (C-IED) and humanitarian mine action (HMA) now overlap. Danish Demining Group (DDG), for example, recently calculated that an estimated 67 percent of the countries where DDG is present also have an IED problem. In countries such as Afghanistan, IEDs are now the major cause of explosive-related casualties among the general population, the very constituents nongovernment organizations (NGO) and …

Mag: Clearing Improvised Landmines In Iraq, Chris Loughran, Sean Sutton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

MAG’s recent experience in the Middle East has shown that clearing improvised landmines can be achieved even in the most complex humanitarian contexts. It is imperative that detail and specificity is given to discussions on improvised devices if we are to avoid negative repercussions for the safety of beneficiaries and humanitarian workers.

Public, Private, And Civil Sector Partnerships Bolster Humanitarian Demining Efforts, Bob Ebberson, Wendy Hart

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Schonstedt Instrument Company is a small manufacturing company located in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, about 70 miles (112 km) from Washington, D.C. Schonstedt makes instruments that locate underground objects. These include pipe, cable, and magnetic locators that find and trace underground utilities and ferrous metals such as boundary markers used by surveyors. Magnetic locators have proven to be successful in locating unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other explosive remnants of war (ERW). In looking for ways to grow this market, Schonstedt recognized an opportunity to support humanitarian demining throughout the world. Determining that the sale of a pipe and …

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 21.1 (2017), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Feature: Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and Pressure Plate IED's

Spotlight: Bosnia and Herzegovina 2- years later

Field Notes

Research and Development

Do No Harm: The Challenge Of Protecting Civilians From The Ied Threat In South-Central Somalia, Abigail Jones

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In many countries, improvised explosive devices (IED), including improvised landmines, now constitute more of a threat to civilians than factory-manufactured landmines and other conventional weapons. The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor 2016 reported that the total number of casualties from victim-operated IEDs, which act in a similar manner to anti-personnel mines, increased from 1,075 in 2014 to 1,331 in 2015, the highest annual total of IED casualties recorded since 1999. In response to this, humanitarian mine action organizations are expanding their scope of activities to include IED awareness for civilians either as a stand-alone activity or by integrating messages on …

The Early Years Of Demining In Bosnia And Herzegovina: Transfer To National Ownership, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords on 14 December 1995, the newly formed Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina requested that the United Nations set up and manage a mine clearance program. However, it soon became clear that the government should take responsibility and ownership of the program.

The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina took place between April 1992 and October 1995. While the causes of the war and what happened are extremely complicated, Bosnian Serbs encircled Sarajevo and imposed a blockade, while ‘ethnic cleansing’ operations were undertaken by all sides in towns and villages throughout …

Bosnia And Herzegovina: Itf Enhancing Human Security Perspective 20 Years After The Conflict, Gregor Sancanin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

ITF Enhancing Human Security has worked in Southeast Europe’s post-conflict countries since 1998. In states affected by the break-up of Yugoslavia such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, ITF works to support the country’s fulfillment of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC).

World War Ii Coastal Minefields In The United Kingdom, Roly Evans

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While not widely appreciated today, there were once 1,997 minefields in the United Kingdom containing between 338,500–350,000 landmines. If you were to walk today on a beach suitable for amphibious landing on either the south or east coasts of the United Kingdom, chances are that you would be walking on a former 1940s minefield. This article briefly explores the story of the United Kingdom’s coastal minefields, from their hasty installation through their costly clearance. Many of the lessons from this period remain relevant today, as countries seek to apply land release principles to reduce the risk of explosive contamination to …