Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons^™

The New Straightjackets: How Prisons Have Come To Be The Mental Illness Solution, Parker A. Wolfe

Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper examines the current mental health resources that are available in prisons, as well as the correlation between deinstitutionalization and the rise of individuals struggling with mental illness within prison walls.

Three Essays On Energy Related To State Policies And Low Carbon Transitions, Pinky Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three essays on energy-related state policies and energy transition. Each paragraph below refers to the three abstracts for the three chapters in this dissertation, respectively.

The first essay is entitled: “Impacts of State Tax and Resource Ownership Policies on Extraction: Evidence from U.S. Natural Gas Production”. The innovation of combined use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies during the 2000s has allowed natural gas producers in the United States to extract natural gas and liquids from deep shale formations in a cost-efficient manner. This essay evaluates whether unconventional gas production responds to tax changes, and …

The Sociology Of Bail Reform: Crime, Social Interaction, And Offender Experiences In Rurality., Scott Kevin Turner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study sought to explore the impact of the New York State “Bail Reform Act of 2019,” in rurality. It examined some of the legislative goals of the law, the claim that it caused crime, and offender experiences in rurality. Secondary data was used to map the rural crime landscape and primary data was collected from offenders during face to face interviews. The study was framed using deterrence and opportunity approaches and situated within the broader field environments; legislative, courtroom, and community. The research failed to find support for the claim that bail reform caused crime. Instead, it revealed that …

Consumer Demand For Food Products, Price Surge, And U.S. Public Policy: An Empirical Economic Analysis, Clement Olivier Codjia

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This dissertation, by leveraging advanced econometric modeling approaches and exploiting suitable large datasets, investigates consumer food product demand in a setting of change in regulating policies as well as unforeseen price increases. Three chapters have mainly enabled the dissertation to achieve its research goals, which have been explicitly presented in Chapter 1 along with the background as well as the core problem the studies have elaborated on.

Given that soft drinks stand out as a major cause of obesity and overweight worldwide, whereas the United States is the country most concerned with this problem, experts have agreed that labels and …

The Violence Of Numbers: A Critical Appraisal Of The Justice Capabilities Framework, Abhineet Maurya

Socio-Legal Review

Systems of indicators and international rankings have today become a new mode of evaluating social, political, and economic life. In the context of measuring the rule of law and justice delivery systems at a local as well as a global level, such indicators enable empirically grounded solutions to justice reform issues. However, scholars like Siddharth Peter de Souza argue that the existing discourse concerning the rule of law and access to justice indicators promote a specific vision of a well functioning justice system grounded in western normative considerations. de Souza, in his book Designing Indicators for a Plural Legal World …

Florida’S Most Recent Anti-Transgender Political Policies And Their Effects On Transgender Adults, Jaron A. Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

During May of 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed multiple bills into law, which included House Bill 1521, Senate Bill 1580, and Senate Bill 254. Critics have regarded these bills to directly discriminate against transgender individuals and negatively impact their quality of life. The main research question this project seeks to answer is what impact these bills have, if any, on transgender individuals who live in the state of Florida. This includes experiences that negatively impact quality of life outcomes and mental health disparities. An online survey of a small sample of the population that self identifies as transgender, that …

Enforcement Through Voluntary Participation: The Impact Of Non-Binding Informal Groups On The International Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime, Claudia M. V. Hampton

Dissertations and Theses

The present thesis analyzes the policy impact of the informal group known as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a non treaty-bound grouping of states organized to define mutually agreed upon nuclear export controls with the aim of advancing the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, in line with the values of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). As informal groups or voluntary forms of interstate cooperation are often criticized for their lack of enforcement mechanisms, two case studies in this thesis review the implementation of amendments and changes in national laws for states participating in the NSG (The United …

Redefining Rehabilitation: Evaluating The Washtenaw County Pre-Plea Diversion Program, William Ellsworth

CMC Senior Theses

The Washtenaw County (MI) Prosecutor’s Office’s Pre-Plea Diversion Program (PPDP) aims to divert eligible misdemeanor defendants from the criminal justice system, offering rehabilitative programming to reduce reoffending and minimize the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction with case dismissal. This research assessed whether PPDP participants were less likely to be re-arrested in the six months following program completion compared to a sample of defendants facing similar charges within the same court. It was hypothesized that the PPDP would effectively reduce re-arrest, with community service and mental health counseling proving particularly impactful. Employing a quasi-experimental design, data from 90 successfully diverted …

Exploring The Factors That Influence Female Offending In The U.S. And Mexico, Dana Villasenor

CMC Senior Theses

Hollywood has painted a picture of the criminal woman as a sexy, sneaky, and often psychotic female fatale. This is because men run Hollywood. Much like movies, research on why women offend had historically focused on men as their stellar. However, towards the turn of the century and with the disproportionate rise in female incarceration, literature caught up to the fact that women and men do not experience the same socialization, standards, or reality and, therefore, have different reasons for and ways of offending. This research explores those reasons for women in the U.S. and Mexico and paints the picture …

Essays On Public Finance And International Finance, Deepti Sikri

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The first chapter examines New York State's Fiscal Score Monitoring program to find the effect of two quality labels on school district outcomes: fiscal stress scores, reflecting the budget solvency, and environmental stress labels reflecting economic and demographic conditions. Using the NYS school district data from 2013-22, I employ the regression discontinuity design to find the effect of stress labels, in response to the political pressure on district finances, housing, and school outcomes. I find the effect of fiscal stress label is limited, leading to a decrease in the fund balance ratio and an increase in the tax rate. However, …

Community Resurrection: Qualitative Research Exploring Methods In Revitalizing Historic Districts Without Gentrification, Gayle Yvonne Green

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This qualitative study examines redevelopment and historic preservation in the Lincoln Street Historic District of Gary, Indiana. Established in 1906 by the United States Steel Corporation, Gary grew as a major industrial center before experiencing decades of disinvestment, abandonment, and renewed interest from commercial investors. Despite the district’s architectural and cultural significance, its historic structures and surrounding neighborhoods continue to face deterioration and redevelopment pressures.

Using a case study approach, this research explores the perspectives of seven residents and two business owners with longstanding ties to the district. Through interviews, participants identified resources needed to revitalize blighted and abandoned properties, …

An Integrated Framework For Establishing Long-Term Transportation Management Strategies Promoting Sustainable Urban Growth, M Imtiaz Rahman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Urban land areas are experiencing a more rapid expansion compared to their population growth on a global scale. This phenomenon, known as urban sprawl, is characterized by low-density development in the outskirts of cities. This unplanned urban growth leads to changing urban transportation patterns, posing a threat to sustainable development. In response, government agencies implement growth management practices, with transportation management strategies playing a crucial role in achieving sustainable urban growth. However, developing effective growth management strategies is difficult because of several challenges, including limited understanding of the key influencing factors, the complex interdependencies among these factors, and the uncertainties …

Integrating Biodiversity Protection And Climate Mitigation In Nature-Based Climate Solutions: An Indicator Analysis, Tatyana Feiner

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Climate change and biodiversity loss have been recognized as complex, interconnected issues that require synergistic and mutually reinforcing policy solutions. Given the ambitious commitments by the Canadian government to abate the two “wicked problems”, this study investigates whether the government has constructed a policy framework that synthesizes climate and biodiversity concerns through policy integration and mainstreaming processes. Through a semi-systematic and comprehensive content analysis approach, this study assesses the degree to which biodiversity protection and climate mitigation have been effectively mainstreamed into federal policies, programs, and instruments. Specifically, the study constructs an evaluative framework based on established “best practices” of …

Protecting Foreign Victims Of Trafficking In Iceland: An Interpretive Analysis Of Policy Efforts, Hlin Saethorsdottir

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Social justice and human rights are fundamental principles of social work. Today’s globalized world requires social workers to expand their local perspectives and to be alert to the negative sides of globalization, such as trafficking in person (TIP), which affects all countries around the world. TIP is a severe form of exploitation and a grave human rights violation (Jones et al., 2007). Iceland has been categorized as a transit and destination country for foreign victims who are mainly trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation (U.S. Department of State, 2016b).

Although much has been written on TIP, some scholars have pointed …

A General Model Of Good Executive Leadership In Policy Contexts, Thad Williamson

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

This commentary stipulates a general model of policy leadership, encompassing decision-making, implementation, and evaluation. The model stresses attaining clarity about the nature of the issue being addressed, the values at stake, and the possible outcomes of alternative courses of action. While focused on the context of elected executives in municipal government, the stipulated model has broader applicability to other contexts. The article contends that following the model may both improve the effectiveness of political leaders and help build consensus (or compromise) among distinct political actors.

France In The Middle East: A Democratic Justification For Military Interventions In Iraq And Beyond., Nicolas Demeure, Brice Tseen Fu Lee

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

How did France’s refusal to take part in the war on Iraq in 2003 has created the conditions that legitimizes its future military interventions abroad? In this paper, a discourse analysis of the official French Foreign Policy Discourse is done to show why saying no to war in 2003 paradoxically allows France to carry out military interventions in 2015. This paper argues that France, while perpetrating an existing discourse of democracy opposing the civilized against the uncivilized that legitimates Foreign policy as a security tool, by its refusal, transformed military intervention a latent policy andlegitimized the French Self as …

Exploring Local Elected Officials' Capacity To Govern Effectively, Mario King

Dissertations

A successful local government exemplifies inclusivity, innovation, and deliberate decision-making, all advancing responsible management of taxpayers' resources. In this qualitative investigation, a phenomenological approach is employed to delve into the lived experiences of local elected officials. The aim of this study was to gain insights into the capacity of these local elected officials for success in governance. Subsequently, the insights from these local elected officials' experiences are harnessed to evaluate their influence and impact on municipal performance.

The management of municipal performance encompasses the provision of social services, the maintenance of fiscal operations, and adherence to statutory obligations (Avellaneda, 2008). …

Western Maine Addiction And Recovery Initiative's Substance Misuse Prevention And Wellness Day: Year 2 Feedback Survey For Mvhs, Tyler Egeland Ba, Evelyn Ali Bs, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

As part of the evaluation of the Western Maine Addiction Recovery Initiative’s (WMARI) HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grant, staff from the Catherine Cutler Institute’s Substance Use Research and Evaluation team developed a survey to gather feedback from individuals who participate in substance misuse prevention and wellness events. Two separate PRE/POST surveys were deployed at Mountain Valley High School to assess knowledge gain, beliefs, and satisfaction. For more information, please contact Lindsey Smith at [email protected]

Western Maine Recovery Rally Feedback Survey, Evelyn Ali Bs, Tyler Egeland Ba, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

The 7th Annual Western Maine Recovery Rally was hosted on September 17th, 2023 from 11am to 3pm in downtown Norway, Maine; several hundred people attended the event. The local evaluation team developed a survey with the goal of understanding how participants felt about the rally and how future events could be improved. The survey was deployed via QR code on paper materials distributed at the rally, and through social media after the event. For more information, please contact Lindsey Smith at [email protected]

Power Projection And Counter-Terrorism: Strategies For Small States Like Brunei Darussalam, Brice Tseen Fu Lee, Gulshan Bibi Ms

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This study delves into the intricacies of power projection strategies and counter-terrorism measures, emphasizing their relevance to small states, with a specific focus on Brunei Darussalam. Using a dual matrix model, the research categorizes various strategies based on risk-reward parameters, offering a structured insight into potential approaches these states can employ against potential aggressors. The counter-terrorism matrix is the initial focal point, recognizing the contemporary significance of terror threats and their unique challenges for small nations. Subsequently, the power projection matrix offers a broader view of defense tactics beyond counter-terrorism. By synthesizing information from primary academic sources, the study aims …

Social Media And Mental Health: The Public Health Impact And Future Policy Directives, Renae A. Merrill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between social media use among young people and the increasing concerns of mental health problems in the U.S. and globally is on systemic agendas. Furthermore, research on social media use and mental health indicate reasons to suspect a causal relationship, but more work needs to be done. Therefore, this three-article dissertation seeks to explore (1) associations between social media use, personality, and depression; (2) associations between social media emotional support, anxiety, and personality; and (3) the relationship between social media use and mental health using Deborah Stone’s causal stories framework. Findings from this study provide an improved understanding …

A Policy Evaluation For California’S Care Act And The Application Of The Social Determinants Of Health, Adelina Mercedes Lang

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

In 2022, California passed a legislative bill, SB 1338: the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, which created a new statewide procedure for treating mentally ill homeless adults diagnosed with psychotic disorders through a court-ordered CARE plan. SB 1338 intends to alleviate the mental health and homeless crisis. This capstone project provides an early assessment of SB 1338 using a modified formative policy evaluation methodology, including a scoping literature review and applying a policy assessment using the CDC's Policy Evaluation Framework. A stakeholder survey was also applied to gather stakeholders' perspectives on SB 1338. The literature review supported the …

Improving Mental Health In Hispanic Communities, Paola Vargas

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

AIM Youth Mental Health is advocating for children who are suffering from lack of resources, guidance, and clinical research. The division implementing this project is the outreach program. The intern and team will passionately work together to make this event successful by creating bilingual fliers that share information about the agency's programs and training. Depression and suicide are the most common issues occurring in Monterey county as of today and has been affecting many families. Providing these resources will unite and educate professionals, parents, and students about school programs available for youths and measures for adults as well. The most …

How Can China Avoid The Middle-Technology Trap?, Yongnian Zheng

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No matter from the perspective of supply chain, industrial chain or value chain, China’s current technology is generally at a middle-technology level. The status quo of Chinese technological development has the following three characteristics. First, there is a lack of original technology, which means technological creation from “0 to 1”. Second, technological development is mainly applied technology. If we measure China’s level of applied technology development from “1 to 10”, China is in the position of “4 to 7” on the scale of “1 to 10”, but lacks the technical level of “8 to 10”. In other words, China’s applied …

Empirical Analysis For China’S Middle-Technology Status, Ge Lai, Bo Meng

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

After years of development, it is evident that China’s manufacturing industry has been seen a significant improvement in its scale and coverage. However, it has still not broken free from the dilemma of being big but not strong, comprehensive but not excellent. This phenomenon has garnered extensive attention from both the academic and policy communities. This study contends that technological progress is the core of high-quality development in the manufacturing industry. Through empirical research, it is discovered that for latecomer countries in the early stages of economic development, achieving economic growth and income improvement through technology imitation is relatively feasible. …

Concept Of Dual-Track System For Enhancing China’S Scientific Research Institution And R&D System, Lu Chen, Ping Huang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Through an analysis of the scientific research institution and R&D system of three typical models in the United States, Germany, and Japan, this study summarizes six common characteristics of the scientific research institution and R&D system. Based on this, it analyzes the current status and issues of China’s scientific research institution and R&D system. Finally, this study proposes the establishment of a dual-track scientific research institution and R&D system. On the one hand, it suggests creating a new track of R&D policies aimed at the private sector to address questions like why innovate, where to innovate, and how to innovate …

How To Improve Pure Basic Research System In China?, Randong Yuan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

A major pillar of the new innovation-driven three-pronged development model is pure basic research. With the development of an innovation-driven economy, pure basic research has become increasingly important in promoting scientific and technological progress. In the past few decades, China has made a lot of progress in pure basic research. However, in the new three-pronged development model consisting of the pure basic research system, the applied technology system and the financial support system, pure basic research is generally where China’s weakness lies. This study proposes that in order to comprehensively improve China’s pure basic research capabilities, we must first clarify …

Scientific And Technological Population, Tacit Technological Knowledge And Applied Technological System In China, Randong Yuan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

One of the conditions for breaking through the middle-technology trap is that there are some companies or institutions that could transform basic research into applied technologies. The progress of applied technology, as well as the inventions and new products and services produced by the applied technology system, play an important role in increasing productivity, improving quality of life, and promoting social and economic development. Different from the situation in basic scientific research, China’s applied technology used to be among the most advanced in the world in history. It was not until the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 18th century …

How Does China’S Chip Industry Overcome Middle-Technology Trap?, Rui Tan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Due to China’s great attention to and strong support for the chip industry, China’s chip technology level has made considerable progress. Nevertheless, compared with the United States, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and other countries, there is still a big gap. Specially, in the high-end chip product market, the scenario that China is subject to others has not been fundamentally changed. This study finds that to solve the stuck neck problem of China’s chip industry, it is needed to analyze internal institutional factors. China’s chip technology progress requires joint promotion from multiple actors, namely, government, enterprises, universities and research institutions to …

How Enterprises Achieve Technological Progress Through Openness?, Yongnian Zheng, Lanmeng Xu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As the main body of a country’s economic activities, enterprises play an important role in transforming basic scientific research into applied technology to achieve technological upgrading of national industries. It is crucial to explore how Chinese enterprises can achieve rapid technological upgrading and industrial transformation in order to realize the transition from quantitative economic development to high-quality economic development. It is worth noting that in key technological fields such as chips, precision manufacturing, medical devices, and artificial intelligence, core technologies are still firmly controlled by enterprises in developed countries such as Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Currently, …