Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons^™

A Comparative Analysis Of The Lexington Police Department’S Disability Pension Plan, Eric A. Miller

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Injuries are taking Lexington police officers off of the streets and placing them on the disability pension rolls in rising numbers. Police officers in Lexington must have a total and permanent disability according to American Medical Association guidelines of impairment ratings to receive a disability pension. There is no minimum percentage of impairment an officer must have to receive a disability pension. This poses a problem because the Lexington police department gives at least 60 percent of their final pay to disabled officers regardless of the percentage of their impairment. Some Lexington police officers who are receiving disability pension payments …

Elasticity Of The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Tax Structure, Bradly Settle

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

No executive summary.

Estimating The Economic Impact Of The New Arena At The Kentucky Horse Park, Alexis R. Bwenge

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

For the first time in its history, the World Equestrian Games (WEG) will be held outside of Europe in 2010. Kentucky has won the bid to host the event at the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) in Lexington. The games will last two weeks in the fall of2010 and organizers estimate ticket sales of 300,000, and over 1,000 athletes from 50 countries are expected to compete (Commonwealth of Kentucky).

However, for the Horse Park to be a suitable location to host WEG, it must have a climate controlled indoor arena. The current proposal for the arena plans for a 6,000 seats, …

The Effectiveness Of The Dunbar Neighborhood Association: A 79 Month Examination Of Criminal Activity In Lexington, Kentucky, Timothy J. Goobic

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the Dunbar Neighborhood Association’s ability of reducing crime for its residents. In November of 2002, a resident of Dunbar Neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky established the Dunbar Neighborhood Association (DNA) to counter the perceived growing amount of criminal activity in her community. The DNA held monthly meetings and relayed information about perceived and known criminal activity to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police Department. The police in turn promised to provide a beat officer who could be contacted by the DNA Chairwoman when she became aware of potential future crimes. The following study …

Light-Rail In Louisville: Assessing The Financial Feasibility Of Mass Transit, Brian K. Howell

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Louisville-Jefferson County area encompasses a vast area and large population of citizens. To meet the transportation needs of this growing city, the Transit Authority of River City or TARC undertook a study in 1996 to determine potential transportation solutions to traffic congestion in the area. Based on their analysis, TARC determined that a 15-mile light rail transit system would best service their needs. This light rail system would run from the downtown central business district to a park-and-ride facility at the Gene Snyder Freeway.

Prior to undertaking this project, TARC and all those parties involved should ask the fundamental …

What Factors Influence Seat Belt Usage Rates In The United States?: A Meta-Analysis, Tiffany L. Lockhart

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem:

The traffic safety community is interested in reducing the number of lives lost and injuries due to automobile accidents. This can be done in two ways, through advancing automobile safety technology and by changing automobile driver behavior (Desai and You 1992). Seat belt laws are thought to be the behavioral solution because they have been proven to increase seat belt usage among automobile occupants. However, studies on the topic have varying answers when it comes to the degree to which these laws increase seat belt usage and factors which influence on seat belt uses.

Research Questions:

This study uses …

Economic Impact Study For Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Division Of Parks And Recreation, Melynda L. Milburn

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

When requesting funds, planning activities or soliciting input from the public or elected officials, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Division of Parks and Recreation needs to be able to document the economic impact of its activities. The challenge is a lack of data to illustrate that impact. Considering this information gap, it would be even more difficult to gain support for a consistent funding source based on the economic impact of Lexington Parks and Recreation programs.

The intention of this capstone is to answer the following questions:

• Does Lexington Parks and Recreation have an impact on money being brought into Fayette …

The Politics Of Problem Gambling: Explaining Differences Between Victoria And Western Australia, Ryan Blake

Theses : Honours

Greater accessibility of electronic gaming machines increases the prevalence of problem gambling. The emergence of gaming machines in the context of Australian gambling is a relatively recent phenomenon. Victoria has had strong growth in electronic gaming machines, whereas in Western Australia growth and accessibility has been very limited. This dissertation examines the importance of gambling revenue to the state economies, what factors explain Western Australia's lower dependence on gambling revenue and the extent to which problem gambling is more prevalent in Victoria.

Purchase Of Development Rights In Fayette County: A Hedonic Price Analysis Of Easement Payments, Perry A. Papka

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In January of 2000, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government established a purchase of development rights (PDR) program as part of the comprehensive Rural Service Area Land Management Plan. The goal of the program is to purchase conservation easements on 50,000 acres of farmland and natural areas within the county by the year 2020. By purchasing the development rights of these lands, the program intends to preserve the agricultural and natural character of the county that development pressures otherwise threaten.

Typically, PDR programs calculate the value of a conservation easement by subtracting the current value of the property with the …

Matching A Publishing Model To Board Values: A Decision Analysis For The American Society Of Missiology, Betsy A. Northrup

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of the Problem

Faced with declining revenue, increasing print costs, and an increasingly electronic world, The American Society of Missiology (ASM) has to make a decision and can choose between three alternatives: 1) Continue to publish its quarterly journal, Missiology: An International Review, using its current print-only model and contracting out on-line availability to the American Theological Library Association (ATLA); 2) Accept the offer of a commercial firm in the United Kingdom to manage, publish, and distribute Missiology in return for immediate on-line availability, increased exposure through marketing, and a guaranteed modest income for the Society; or 3) …

Outcome Evaluation Of The Center For Women, Children And Families' Parenting Program, Elena Buzarnescu

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The evaluation of family support programs employing parent education to achieve prevention of child abuse and neglect is an important consideration for professionals as it can provide a good insight into possible improvements of a program.

A parent education program administered by the Center for Women, Children and Families (CWCF) was assessed using participants’ pre- and post-program scores on the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2) from 148 parents.

Statistical analysis indicated that parenting knowledge has significantly improved on all five dimensions measured following program attendance. This finding supported the answer to the first research question. To answer the second research question, …

The Elimination Of The Federal Tax Deductibility Of State And Local Taxes: Possible Effects On State And Local Tax Structures, John M. Foster

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Through the use of intermediaries such as elected officials and hired advocates, people choose the level of resources that will be used for public goods and services, as well as the manner in which those resources will be used. They also decide how these goods and services will be financed. The extent to which governments utilize taxes on income, wealth, and consumption is guided by considerations of political factors, equity, administrative costs, revenue adequacy, and the effects of the tax system on allocative efficiency. Incentives that are embedded in the federal tax system may also influence state and local tax …

A Retrospective Analysis Of The Impact Of The Henry Toll Fellowship Leadership Development Program, Lizeth C. Fowler

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Council of State Governments (CSG) is the premier organization forecasting policy trends for state leaders in all three branches of government. Central to its mission is the development of leadership training for improved decision-making of state elected and appointed officials.

CSG has sponsored the Henry Toll Fellowship Leadership Development Program for state and government officials since 1986. This competitive program invites ten state officials from each of the four regions, West, Midwest, South and East, to participate in an intensive five-day program to learn practical leadership skills and strategies to meet challenges and lead change and innovation.

While the …

An External Communication Audit Of The Kentucky Arts Council: An Analysis Of The Publications Distributed By A State Agency, Jess N. Kropczynski

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem

The specific objective of the audit is to conduct a formal examination of how the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) is communicating with target authorizing groups outside of KAC, such as artists, arts administrators, educators, media and legislators.

Research Strategy

The external communication audit is an instrument used to gauge authorizers’ feedback on the publications distributed regularly by the agency. This audit is designed to paint a picture of the current communication patterns, policies, practices, capabilities and needs in order to make informed recommendations for the improvement of communication. The specific research question guiding this audit is: How effective are …

Financial Efficiency In The Nonprofit Sector: An Analysis Of Factors Affecting Expense Ratios Of Kentucky Nonprofits, Emily A. Lane

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Statement of Problem

Recent events in both the public and private sectors have lead to an environment of mistrust and caution surrounding the way organizations are managed and funds are handled. For the nonprofit sector, this has led to an emergence of charity rating or watchdog organizations and increased scrutiny of finances. Individual donors, charity rating agencies, and funding institutions have begun using expense ratios as a measure of financial efficiency. Decisions on the financial efficiency of organizations are being made without a good understanding of what factors affect these ratios.

Research Questions

The purpose of this paper is to …

Does The Voluntary Standards For Excellence Program Improve Reporting Qualities & Financial Ratios Of Nonprofit Organizations?, Harmony Little

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Problem Statement

The issue of accountability in the nonprofit sector has increased over the past few years, and along with it, questions about the adequacy of information in the 990 forms filed annually by nonprofits to the IRS. The intent of the 990 form is to provide the public with necessary information to evaluate the performance of a nonprofit; however, a number of studies show that there are significant errors on the 990 returns. At the same time, there has been a rise in nonprofit watchdog groups who use the information available on the 990 forms to calculate nonprofits’ financial …

Uncertainty, Climate Change And Nuclear Power, David M. Hassenzahl

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Long time-horizon environmental risks with potential for global impacts have increased in visibility over the past several decades. Such issues as climate change, the nuclear fuel cycle, persistent synthetic chemicals, and stratospheric ozone depletion share some characteristics, including intergenerational impacts, strongly decoupled incidence of risks and benefits, substantial decision stakes and extreme uncertainty. What is not well understood are the similarities and differences among sources and implications of uncertainty among these global environmental threats, especially those associate with current and future human behavior. This describes the uncertainties associated with managing two global concerns: the nuclear (fission) fuel cycle and anthropogenic …

Livestock, Liberalization, And Democracy: Constraints And Opportunities For Rural Livestock Producers In Reforming Uganda, Robin L. Turner

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

This paper explores the policy environment surrounding livestock policy improvements in Uganda, a country that has undergone substantial reforms in the last 15 years. It aims to identify opportunities for pro-poor interventions—reforms that would improve the livelihoods of poor rural livestock producers. Towards this end, the paper reviews challenges facing for livestock producers and analyzes the broad political economic context in which livestock sector dynamics are situated. The adoption and implementation of pro-poor livestock sector interventions are in some ways constrained and, in others, enabled by civil conflict in several parts of the country, the semi-authoritarian nature of the Museveni …

The Politic 2005 Fall, The Politic, Inc.

The Politic

No abstract provided.

The African Telecommunications Union: A Pan-African Approach To Telecommunications Reform, Patricia K. Mccormick

Communication Faculty Research Publications

This article examines the organisational structure and strategic plans of the African Telecommunica- tions Union (ATU). Although the ATU has been restructured to include private telecommunications entities as asso- ciate members, it remains essentially an inter-governmental agency. The article assesses the benefits of a regional approach to telecommunications reform and proposes that regional economic organisations replace the nation states as members of the ATU. Although the goals of the ATU, as articulated in its strategic plans are laudable, clearly de- fined benchmarks and specific strategies to achieve them are needed to make the organisation more effective.

The Politic 2005 Summer, The Politic, Inc.

The Politic

No abstract provided.

Brief 19: The Dean’S Role In Faculty Evaluation, New England Resource Center For Higher Education, University Of Massachusetts Boston

New England Resource Center for Higher Education Publications

Faculty work continues to change in response to the increased emphases on diversity requirements in undergraduate education, partnerships between academic and student affairs, and computer technology (O’Meara, et al, 2003). As even more is learned about strategies for the educational success of their students, faculty will be counted on to tailor their skills and pedagogies to new populations of students. At the same time, colleges and universities must keep pace with these changes by ensuring that expectations about faculty work are clearly defined and are reflected in evaluation and reward structures—and that faculty are supported in their efforts. The quality …

Generalist Function In Intelligence Analysis, F. Matthew Mihelic

Faculty Publications

While there has been an increasing need to integrate and synthesize the rapidly expanding complexity within intelligence analysis, there has developed an antithetical contemporary deemphasis of generalist orientation and function that can decrease analytical effectiveness. Increases in knowledge and information have naturally led to an increased demand for specialization with consequent increased influence of specialty experts, but this has been at the expense of generalist function, which is becoming increasingly limited to progressively higher administrative levels. A generalist is more than an individual with an eclectic background, rather, successful generalists are best understood by their functional characteristics which include a …

Examining The Basis For Change In Clark County Non-Conforming Zone Change Process, Was It Needed?, Maria D. Kaseko

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study reviews Clark County's non-conforming zone change process from 1990 to 2002. A non-conforming zone change, sometimes known as a non-conforming zone boundary amendment is a proposed request that is not within the range of residential densities and/or non-residential intensities indicated on the applicable land use plan map, master plan, or concept plan. This research explores and examines two questions raised by the Clark County's new implementation plan, which was approved in April 2003 to amend the non-conforming zone change process. 1) Clark County assumed there was a public perception that non-conforming zone changes were being approved without regard …

Public Safety Communications Center Staffing: Do We Have An Emergency?, Steven L. Herrin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The 911 Public Safety Communications Specialist, operator, call taker, dispatcher, or whatever title these behind-the-scenes professionals operate under, they are indeed, the first public safety responder. Whether it is for police protection during criminal activity, fire extinguishment to save a burning house and rescue the victims, or paramedic treatment to remediate a life-threatening medical incident, the first contact the vast majority of these callers will have is with the 911 System.

Dr. Jeff Clawson, president of the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, and creator of the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) first coined the term “first, first responder”1 to describe …

“As Tough As It Gets”: Women In Boston Politics, 1921-2004, Kristen A. Petersen, Carol Hardy-Fanta Phd, Karla Armenoff

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

This study seeks to answer the question: Given the wealth of talent and resources women possess—and the state offers—why is it so tough for women to gain representation in Boston City Hall? To answer this question, and to document the efforts women have made over almost 100 years, we examine the history of women who have run for and won—or lost—election to the Boston City Council in the 20th century. How does the structure and culture of a given urban political arena (i.e., “Boston politics”) affect women’s opportunities as elected officials? What is women’s political culture and how has it …

The Politic 2005 Spring, The Politic, Inc.

The Politic

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Sex Offenders Under Sexually Violent Predator Laws: How Might Mental Health Professionals Conceptualize The Notion Of Volitional Impairment?, Cynthia Calkins Mercado, Robert F. Schopp, Brian H. Bornstein

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

This paper examines the significance of the Supreme Court’s Hendricks and Crane decisions, with focus given to how mental health professionals may conceptualize the notion of volitional impairment. The Hendricks decision authorized postsentence civil commitment for sex offenders having a mental abnormality or personality disorder, rendering them likely to engage in future acts of sexual violence. In the Supreme Court’s majority opinion, Justice Thomas implied that the Kansas Act was legitimized by limiting the class of offenders eligible for this specialized form of commitment to those who are “unable to control” their dangerousness. In Crane, the Court ruled that …

Identifying Robust, Parsimonious Neighborhood Indicators, George Galster, Chris Hayes, Jennifer Johnson

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Identifying a few indicators that summarily tracked key dimensions of neighborhoods would be invaluable for neighborhood monitoring and measuring impacts of interventions. Our goal is to search empirically for such robust, parsimonious indicators. In five cities we analyze the interrelationships among a broad set of census tract indicators related to: mortgage market activity; home prices; jobs and firms; demographic, socio-economic, and housing stock characteristics; crime; and public assistance and health. Through factor analysis we identify four to six neighborhood dimensions among these indicators that are common across cities. Using regression we identify a parsimonious number of indicators that are inexpensive, …

Where Supply Meets Demand: Women In Diesel Mechanics, Emily Raine

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In 2004, with a participation rate of 59.2 percent, women represented 46 percent of the total U. S. labor force. This same year, women earned an average of $573 per week, approximately 80 percent of men’s median weekly earnings. It is rarely disputed that a gender wage gap exists; rather it is the cause of this differential that is often the subject of debate. Empirical evidence indicates that the wage differential can be attributed to factors such as differences in education, labor market experience, and occupational choice.

Research has consistently shown that increases in educational attainment will lead to positive …