Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons^™

The Carbon Frame: Lobbying For Renewable Energy In The European Union, Kyle S. Herman

Master's Theses

This paper demonstrates how using the word "carbon" within global warming debates severely impedes lobbyists in favor of building stronger renewable energy policies in the European Union (EU). Within the EU, carbon is widely used to speak about many of the perils of climate change, global warming, energy policy, and contingent subject matters. In political circles, media outlets, and public debates, carbon acts a the pillar for many policies, discussions, and ideas related to fundamental errors of transferring energy from fossil fuels and nuclear sources. At the same time, however, limiting carbon does not necessarily preclude fossil fuels, such as …

Staff Of The People? Assessing Progress In Descriptive Representation Under The Obama Administration, José Villalobos

Selected Works Temporary Series

Over the past few decades, presidents have made some increasingly noticeable efforts to fill their administrations with a higher number of minorities. Though not yet fully representative of the general public, such advances in descriptive representation are a sign of progressive change occurring within the executive branch, with positive potential implications for the state of representative democracy and public policy. In this article, I survey the current state of descriptive representation under the Obama presidency and the extent to which the president’s policy agenda has substantively addressed the needs of historically underrepresented groups. Descriptively, I find that President Barack Obama …

Staff Of The People? Assessing Progress In Descriptive Representation Under The Obama Administration, José Villalobos

Departmental Papers (PS)

Over the past few decades, presidents have made some increasingly noticeable efforts to fill their administrations with a higher number of minorities. Though not yet fully representative of the general public, such advances in descriptive representation are a sign of progressive change occurring within the executive branch, with positive potential implications for the state of representative democracy and public policy. In this article, I survey the current state of descriptive representation under the Obama presidency and the extent to which the president’s policy agenda has substantively addressed the needs of historically underrepresented groups. Descriptively, I find that President Barack Obama …

Extrapolating Strategies For The Scientific And Technological Development Of Underdeveloped Societies From The Examples Of South Korea, Slovenia And Serbia, Vuk Uskoković, Dragan Uskoković

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The recent history of scientific excellence of a society could be used as an indicator of its economic, cultural and communal prosperity. In this work, two examples of countries that successfully arose from the remnants of comparative poverty and established themselves as scientifically thriving societies, South Korea and Slovenia, are compared with the case of Serbia, a country that is presumably on the doorsteps of a similarly explosive developmental path. Guidelines for social progress in the direction of greater scientific and social prominence are outlined in the course of the discourse. It is concluded that the ideal model of growth …

Street Food Policy In A Growing Economy: A Case Study Of Street Food Vendors In Hanoi’S Old Quarter, Alexandra J. Pill

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Street food vending is a global phenomenon present in both the developed and developing worlds and it is increasingly evident as countries continue to modernize, urbanize, and globalize. Street food policy is interdisciplinary in nature, incorporating economic, social, cultural, and health dimensions in order to account for urban planning, food safety, and tourism development. In Vietnam, street food is rampant, and in particular, in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, street food vendors can be spotted on every street at all times of the day. This study explores the role of street food vendors in Hanoi's Old Quarter from the vendor’s perspective. Complementing …

“Necesitamos Amar La Autonomía”: Los Retos Que Enfrenta El Desarrollo Autonómico De La Raas, Joshua L. Mayer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Twenty-four years after the passage of the Autonomy Law (Ley 28) by the Nicaraguan National Assembly, the Southern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS) continues to struggle to exercise its newfound rights and fill the space provided to it. Especially in the five years since President Daniel Ortega took office for the second time and began an earnest effort to reinforce the autonomy kept weak over the past sixteen years, the internal challenges facing the region’s ability to assert itself in its own political and economic development have become increasingly clear. This project aims to highlight these challenges as a synthesis of …

Who Benefits From Early Childcare Subsidy Design In Ireland?, Bernie O'Donoghue Hynes, Noirin Hayes

Articles

Best Newcomer Article

The design of policy tools reveals underlying biases that are not easily identified in policy documents. A review of two early childhood education and care subsidies in Ireland aimed at different target populations exposes differential treatment of children, parents and service providers. It also demonstrates how in a split system ‘early education’ is prioritised over ‘childcare’. The designs serve to reinforce stereotypes that enable the powerful and advantaged to accrue benefits while those perceived to be less deserving are burdened through the maldistribution of resources.

Alternative To Incarceration Methods: A Case Study Of The Hall County Drug Court, Kristen Long White

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

Over the last several years, it has become more and more economically difficult for counties and states to run their programs. One of the areas that has seen drastic budgetary cuts is the Criminal Justice System. Prisons, detention centers and other rehabilitative programs have been closed down across the country to solve some of the impending budget problems. This is one of the reasons that accountability courts have become a more accepted and utilized part of the criminal justice system. Many jurisdictions are taking advantage of what these programs have to offer in an effort to battle the rising cost …

¿Por Qué Participan? Las Motivaciones De Participación De Los Miembros De La Corriente Classista Combativa En La Matanza Why Participate? The Motivation To Participate For The Members Of The Corriente Classista Combativa In La Matanza., Googie Karrass

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The ‘piquetero’ movement that emerged out of Argentina’s economic crisis of 2001 has undergone many transformations. Beginning in the early 90’s in response to the devastating neo-liberal policies of Carlos Menem, this movement of unemployed workers created new forms of political dissent and organization. While individual groups existed within the movement their method of public protest, the blockage of transit routes, and their shared objectives for institutional change and stable employment, allowed this movement to act as an untied front. During the crisis of 2001 and in the wake of the utter failure of Menem’s neo-liberal agenda the ‘piqueteros’ converged …

Resolution, Reinvestment, And Realignment: Three Strategies For Changing Juvenile Justice, Jeffrey A. Butts, Douglas N. Evans

Publications and Research

In recent decades, legislators and administrators have created innovative policies to reduce the demand for expensive state confinement and to supervise as many young offenders as possible in their own communities. This report reviews the history and development of these strategies and portrays their methods as following one of three models: resolution, reinvestment, and realignment.

Verifiable And Non-Verifiable Anonymous Mechanisms For Regulating A Polluting Monopolist, James Prieger, Nicholas J. Sanders

School of Public Policy Working Papers

Optimal regulation of a polluting natural monopolist must correct for both external damages and market power to achieve a social optimum. Existing non-Bayesian regulatory methods require knowledge of the demand function, while Bayesian schemes require knowledge of the underlying cost distribution. We introduce mechanisms adapted to use less information. Our Price-based Subsidy (PS) mechanisms give the firm a transfer that matches or approximates the incremental surplus generated each period. The regulator need not observe the abatement activity or know the demand, cost, or damage functions of the firm. All of the mechanisms induce the firm to price at marginal social …

Aids/Hiv Denialism: Patients' Privacy Rights, Fadia Abdullah, Guadalupe Medrano

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

HIV is a sexually transmitted disease that develops into AIDS. There is no cure for it, only treatment. In this poster, we look at the pros and cons of disclosing this type of information. People who decide to disclose their HIV status may have various reasons for doing so, but most do it for emotional support and for prevention of spreading the disease. Those who decide to keep it private primarily do it to not face rejection, discrimination, degradation, and loss of respect. (Petronio Page 72) The problem with creating a public database is that many organizations are against the …

Nevadagives.Org: Building Website Capacity For Data Collection, Snezhanka V. Christy, Lisa E. Stamanis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the adoption of the Government Performance and Result Act of 1993, the same demand for accountability placed upon government agencies is also expected in the nonprofit sector (Poister, 2003). Also fueling the need for dependable nonprofit performance data, is the current economic environment where funding is scarce or non-existent. Along with providing routine information and services, developing a competent website to collect and make available performance data for stakeholders and patrons is a necessary practice in both the public and private sector. Nonprofit organizations fortunate enough to have functioning websites can maximize their potential by managing them as a …

Independent Living Program Evaluation For Rebuilding All Goals Efficiently, Patricia Armour, Debra Moulton, Araceli Pruett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper evaluates the outcome of independent living (IL) services provided to clients with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) by a local non-profit organization, Rebuilding All Goals Efficiently (RAGE). Agency services are directed at increasing client self-sufficiency, self-advocacy, and maintenance of least restrictive living environment. Secondary data provided by RAGE for 22 SCI clients who received services in FY10 was used in the evaluation. Outcomes were measured for living arrangement at case closure, impact of services on client’s life, and cost effectiveness of services provided. Descriptive statistical analysis of the data revealed successful outcomes for all 22 SCI clients. All clients …

Evaluation Of Mentoring In Southern Nevada, Andrew Merz, Glen Leavitt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition (SNRPC) is charged with the issuance of grants and funding to groups who provide and run mentoring programs in Southern Nevada (which is primarily composed of Clark County.) The SNRPC desires to streamline and regiment this process, as currently it is operated with minimal oversight and regulation. We designed a survey to ascertain what mentoring groups in Clark County consider to be central to mentoring; both within and without their own programs. It is our desire that the SNRPC be able to administer the newly created survey to groups who receive and groups who …

Decision Models For Housing And Community Development, Michael P. Johnson Jr.

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

Decision science provides tools and methods to support strategy design and operations in housing and community development by generating guidance regarding the number, type, location and development process of housing units in order to balance objectives such as social benefits and costs, tenure mix and equity. These decision models address the needs of multiple stakeholders, reflect the public and private nature of housing, and incorporate best-available evidence regarding markets, policies and impacts of housing and community development. This chapter reviews applications over the past 30 years and describe current applications in decision support for housing and community development, including: affordable …

Experiences With Peace Corps’ Third Goal: Perspectives Of Peace Corps Mali Volunteers, Elizabeth N. Gardiner

Capstone Collection

When asked what the best part of their service was, the large majority of Peace Corps Volunteers will light up as they describe a cross-cultural experience or relationship. Peace Corps Volunteers want to share these sentiments with Americans. I conducted a qualitative case study by interviewing three fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and evaluating 35 survey responses, in order to explore Peace Corps Volunteers’ perceptions of Peace Corps’ Third Goal- to share a host country culture with Americans. The interviews were transcribed and then compared and contrasted. From the interviews and survey findings, it has been found that the Peace Corps …

Food & Shelter: Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Developments In California And Access To Grocery Stores, Darci Coleen Palmer

Master's Theses

Since the mid-century proliferation of public housing, policy makers and environmental justice advocates have exposed the fact that geographically and economically isolated public housing sites are ultimately detrimental to residents and communities. In recent years, more progressive housing policies have emphasized the importance of site location in the success of housing programs. This study explores the intersection of affordable housing policy and “food desert” research, by assessing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program in California, with specific attention to the grocery store category within the Site Amenities section. Since the inception of the LIHTC program in 1986, the California …

Disability Management: The Potential Benefits For The Feca Program, H. Allan Hunt, Rochelle Virginia Habeck

Presentations

No abstract provided.

La Génération Perdue: Youth Unemployment In France And The Policies Behind It, Katharine L. O'Kane

Senior Honors Projects

In the 1970s, the world began moving towards free market policies. Open borders, lower taxes, and market-based economies became more prominent as centrally planned governments declined in both number and significance. In order to participate in European trade and to enhance its global position, France also moved towards decentralization. French socialists became less concerned with centralized government, yet continued to preserve their strong national desire to protect French citizens. France experienced substantial growth in its employment costs during the 1980s. By the early 1990s, France introduced labor contracts that better defined the duration of employment. These contracts pressured French companies …

Promises And Human Rights: The Obama Administration On Immigrant Detention Policy Reform, José Villalobos

Selected Works Temporary Series

This article evaluates the Obama administration’s efforts towards reforming U.S. immigration detention policies. Over the past decade, immigrant rights advocates have increasingly criticized certain policies of the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) system of immigration detention, including the widespread use of private contractors, lack of proper oversight, grouping of violent criminals and non-violent undocumented immigrants (particularly minority women and children) in holding cells, and neglect of detained immigrants in need of medical attention. In reviewing these developments, I contend that the Obama administration must take substantive steps towards reforming the existing system, particularly by instituting legally enforceable standards with …

Promises And Human Rights: The Obama Administration On Immigrant Detention Policy Reform, José Villalobos

Departmental Papers (PS)

This article evaluates the Obama administration’s efforts towards reforming U.S. immigration detention policies. Over the past decade, immigrant rights advocates have increasingly criticized certain policies of the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) system of immigration detention, including the widespread use of private contractors, lack of proper oversight, grouping of violent criminals and non-violent undocumented immigrants (particularly minority women and children) in holding cells, and neglect of detained immigrants in need of medical attention. In reviewing these developments, I contend that the Obama administration must take substantive steps towards reforming the existing system, particularly by instituting legally enforceable standards with …

Ready For Life — An Evaluation: Factors Relating To Truancy And Promising Practices, Clayton Nichols, Shenita Harper, Maria Thomas, Mikaela Louve, Christina Vela

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Truancy has been linked to serious delinquent activity in youth and to significant negative behavior and characteristics in adults. Truancy is one of the most common factors leading to dropout and students not meeting graduation standards. Nevada has arguably the highest high school dropout rate in the nation. This evaluation was prepared for Ready for Life: A movement created by Nevada Public Education Foundation (NPEF), to connect youth to school and work by age 25, but can be of use to several audiences. Practitioners who work with struggling students, court representatives and parents, teachers and administrators, and anyone who has …

Telework Within The Bureau Of Reclamation Lower Colorado Region Office, Theresa Lee, Lynne Arnold, John Wagner, Elias Samorano, Anita Morgan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A team of researchers from The University of Nevada, Las Vegas were invited by management to observe, assess, and offer recommendations. It was determined by the research team that the first step to improving participation would be to observe the functional telework policy, compare and contrast it with the Department of the Interior standards, and offer recommendations to generate data necessary to develop an updated telework policy by management. The recommendations made by this group include creating an employee eligibility list, tracking actual participation by creating a renewal policy for employees choosing to telework. It is also recommended that a …

Public Utilities Commission Of Nevada: A Research Design For Data Collection, Mario Heresi, Jamie Stout, Brandy Davis, Cheyenne Pasquale

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) needs tools to develop a system by which reliable data can be collected in order to assist in the regulation of public utilities in Nevada. Their particular emphasis is on low-income and elderly populations. The PUCN needs to have reliable data they can utilize to make decisions that are fact based. Part of their needs is to have a thorough understanding of the factors that affect both low-income and elderly populations. Like so many other organizations, the PUCN does not have a set system to investigate all issues and makes decisions on a …

Help Of Southern Nevada Analysis Project, Lauren Cella, Carly Dunlap, Jonathon Nunes, Anna Vaillancourt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

HELP of Southern Nevada (HELP), a not-for-profit agency, would like to expand their current services by operating a thrift store. It is anticipated that this thrift store would bring in additional revenue and also benefit their current programs. In direct conversations with the Chief Operating Officer of HELP, areas of concern were expressed regarding the implementation process of the thrift store. These areas pertained to size and location of their potential facility, staffing issues, and distribution priority of donated goods to their existing programs. Analysis was conducted through on-site interviews with other executives of Southern Nevada not-for profit thrift stores …

Consensus On The Colorado: Issues In The Allocation Of A Limited Resource, Jeffrey D. Tilton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to identify current issues in water allocation in the Lower Colorado River Basin and to locate existing areas of consensus among its stakeholders. Surveys, both paper and web-based provided the data required to measure overwhelming agreement on issues. The data analysis served to locate the areas of agreement within and between interest groups. While overwhelming agreement between all groups proved to be a relatively rare occurrence, the existence of issue specific agreement between two or more groups was more common than expected. Accord was demonstrated in all four major areas: allocation, augmentation, conservation, and …

Licensing Policies Of Public School Principals, Jerri Mausbach

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A descriptive rationalist policy analysis was used to examine current licensure policies in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The differences and similarities between states that received Race to the Top competitive grant funds and those that did not were examined, in addition to the proposed policy reforms included in recipients of Race to the Top competitive grant funds. The demands made of public school principals in the 21st century have increased significantly. In addition to the continuing role of school manager, today's principals are also expected to be instructional leaders, and in some cases exemplary leaders.

With …

Evaluation Of Interim Sessions In State Legislatures, Laurie Erin Russell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Various authors have analyzed the work of state legislatures during the regular session; however, there is a noticeable void in the study of the functionality of the legislative process during the interim session. The interim session refers to the time span between regular legislative sessions, which varies in duration dependent on the state. It should not be deducted that the lack of research devoted to the interim session evaluation is because the legislative workload is dormant during this period. The findings of this paper support the concept that interim session activity merits evaluation since it is a contributing factor to …

Clark County Family Mediation Center: A Time Efficient Solution To Child Custody Dispute Resolution, Danielle Puentedura

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

To reduce court dockets and streamline child custody resolutions, a growing number of US states are implementing mandatory mediation sessions for divorce cases where child custody is in dispute. Clark County Eighth District Court, Family Division implements such mandatory mediation through the Family Mediation Center.

During 2008, approximately 6,295 divorce cases were filed, and of those 2100 were ordered to attempt mandatory mediation.