Public Affairs Commons^™

How To Be An Effective City Manager: Narrative Insights From Leaders Within The Profession, Malcolm Khalid Oliver

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze what is necessary to be an effective city manager. Based upon a review of the literature that is presented in Chapter 1, a semi-structured survey was developed which allowed the researcher to interview city managers about the primary aspects of managing a city. The theoretical framework of this dissertation rest on the assumption that city managers can articulate for themselves what is necessary to be an effective city manager. In addition, since these professionals operate in an inter-subjective environment, the narrative method was utilized as a mode of inquiry in order to …

Identifying The Barriers To Collaboration Between Transportation Planning And Public Health Using The Network Model, Lou Kelley Brewer

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Transportation Planning and Public Health worked closely together a century ago but drifted apart over the decades. Today, both groups face enormous challenges. Transportation planning needs to replace aging infrastructures while preparing for population growth and the demands that come with it. Resources are already taxed and new ways of doing business are needed. Public Health successfully addressed communicable diseases during the last century only to be confronted with the high cost of treating chronic diseases including obesity in this century. Prevention in the form of increased physical activity as a key strategy led Public Health to the built environment …

The Multi-Campus System's Role In Maintaining Institutional Diversity In Texas, Public Universities, Rebecca J. Lewis

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Institutional diversity is a long-held value in U.S. higher education with origins dating back 300 years to pre-Revolutionary colonial colleges. Institutional diversity is still valued today, but Institutional theory predicts that institutional organizations, such as universities, will homogenize without intervention to prevent loss of diversity. Multi-campus systems should guard against homogenization as their primary function is to define the missions of constituent universities and ensure diversity throughout the system. Working under the assumptions of Institutional theory and the functional tenets of a multi-campus system, the purpose of this study was twofold; to determine if public universities in Texas were homogenizing …

Knowledge Management In Higher Education In Thailand, Surat Chumjit

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

This study examines how knowledge management (KM) is applied to higher education in Thailand, and it will also examine whether higher education in Thailand is ready to combine KM with their educational missions in terms of teaching, research, administration, and strategic planning. Knowledge creation and social networking frameworks are used to help understand approaches that higher education institutions in Thailand have used with KM in their day to day operations. The qualitative method is used to explore and understand KM applications within four autonomous universities in Thailand. In-depth interviews were used in this study and the narrative method is used …

A Comparison Of Economic Development Between Texas Cities Using The Economic Development Tax 4a/4b And Texas Cities Not Using The Tax, Ravindra Kumar Jain

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Over the last three decades, economic development has been a major policy issue in the State of Texas. But after the amendment of the Development Corporation Act of 1979 and subsequent amendments, municipalities are using the provisions of Section 4A and 4B to enhance economic development. The purpose of this research is to determine if the Section 4A/4B adopting cities are doing better in employment and income growth than the non-adopting cities. Methods. Using the employment, income, population, and quality of life variables data for years 1990, 2000, and 2007, this study evaluates the impact of ED policies of Sections …

The Children Of Mexican Immigrants In U.S.Public Schools: Exploring Their Parents' And Teachers' Perception And Knowledge Gaps, Uvaldina Janecek

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

The influx of Mexican immigrants has posed enormous challenges to the nation's public school systems where migration is rapidly increasing. The high Hispanic dropout rate points to a failure in educating Latinos and has received ample attention from researchers, educators, and policymakers; but the achievement disparities persist. Using the lens of critical theory to investigate the presence of a "hidden curriculum" that promotes the dominant ideology in our public school system, this study explores perception gaps between Mexican immigrant parents and the American teachers of their children in a suburban Texas school district where Latinos are in the minority. The …

How To Be An Effective City Manager: Narrative Insights From Leaders Within The Profession, Malcolm Khalid Oliver

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze what is necessary to be an effective city manager. Based upon a review of the literature that is presented in Chapter 1, a semi-structured survey was developed which allowed the researcher to interview city managers about the primary aspects of managing a city. The theoretical framework of this dissertation rest on the assumption that city managers can articulate for themselves what is necessary to be an effective city manager. In addition, since these professionals operate in an inter-subjective environment, the narrative method was utilized as a mode of inquiry in order to …

The Multi-Campus System's Role In Maintaining Institutional Diversity In Texas, Public Universities, Rebecca J. Lewis

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Institutional diversity is a long-held value in U.S. higher education with origins dating back 300 years to pre-Revolutionary colonial colleges. Institutional diversity is still valued today, but Institutional theory predicts that institutional organizations, such as universities, will homogenize without intervention to prevent loss of diversity. Multi-campus systems should guard against homogenization as their primary function is to define the missions of constituent universities and ensure diversity throughout the system. Working under the assumptions of Institutional theory and the functional tenets of a multi-campus system, the purpose of this study was twofold; to determine if public universities in Texas were homogenizing …

Knowledge Management In Higher Education In Thailand, Surat Chumjit

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

This study examines how knowledge management (KM) is applied to higher education in Thailand, and it will also examine whether higher education in Thailand is ready to combine KM with their educational missions in terms of teaching, research, administration, and strategic planning. Knowledge creation and social networking frameworks are used to help understand approaches that higher education institutions in Thailand have used with KM in their day to day operations. The qualitative method is used to explore and understand KM applications within four autonomous universities in Thailand. In-depth interviews were used in this study and the narrative method is used …

Monetary Policy In The Organization Of Eastern Caribbean States: How Important Is The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank In Crafting Policy, Moses Pologne

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

The research examines the effectiveness of monetary policy in improving standards of living at the local level in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. The study postulates that monetary policy should not be viewed strictly as the responsibility of the national government, instead, under specific conditions it can be viewed as a local economic development strategy. A combination of interviews and econometric techniques are applied to determine whether monetary policy is as useful as other more widely discussed variables in urban planning and policy making. The findings support monetary policy as a local economic development strategy in situations where certain …

Variation In Commercial Property Tax Appraisal Accuracy In Texas, James Howard Johnson

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Article 8 of the Texas Constitution requires property taxation to be "equal and uniform," and state law requires nearly all real property to be assessed at 100% of market value. Despite these requirements, evidence exists that the appraisals of some high-value commercial properties, specifically downtown class A office buildings, vary widely from market value. According to the state Comptroller's Property Value Studies, residential property tends to be fully valued for tax purposes. An equity issue arises from the apparent undervaluation of high-value commercial properties, which typically are owned by wealthy individuals and institutional investors.While residential property tends to be homogeneous …

Farmers Markets, Low Income Communities And Government Assistance Programs, Alysha Brady

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

Since the passage in 1976 of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act, there has been a sharp rise in number of farmers markets in this country, from approximately 600 in the 1970s to over 7,000 today. With this increase, farmers markets began to attract attention not only from farmers and consumers, but also from public policy experts. Some research has suggested that farmers markets may be a way to alleviate the poor access to healthy foods in low-income communities, in areas known as food deserts. The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) are …

Sustainability In The Private And Public Sectors: A Comparison Of Motivators, Actions, Barriers And Reporting Of Results, Lisa London

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

The concept of sustainability has developed over the past 40 years and continues to advance as organizations implement sustainable practices, quantify sustainability results, and communicate their accomplishments to key stakeholders. Despite these advances, sustainability remains an emerging field in need of clear definitions and goals; development of best practices; and effective tools for measuring, reporting, and benchmarking results. The literature suggests that the private sector is more advanced than the public sector in addressing these challenges. The purpose of this study was to discover if the public sector lags in pursuing sustainability, and if so, to identify some of the …

Farmers Markets, Low Income Communities And Government Assistance Programs, Alysha Brady

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

Since the passage in 1976 of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act, there has been a sharp rise in number of farmers markets in this country, from approximately 600 in the 1970s to over 7,000 today. With this increase, farmers markets began to attract attention not only from farmers and consumers, but also from public policy experts. Some research has suggested that farmers markets may be a way to alleviate the poor access to healthy foods in low-income communities, in areas known as food deserts. The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) are …

Health Information Technology And Nurse Staff Efficiency: An Empirical Test In Residential Care Facilities, Jason D. Smith

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

This study examines the effects of health information technology (IT) on nursing staff efficiency. Specifically, the impact of clinical health IT applications on nursing staff efficiency is considered, along with the impact of health information exchange on nursing staff efficiency in those facilities with that utilize clinical IT. In an effort to elucidate these effects, I use data from the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (NSRCF) to estimate six ordered logit models. The results indicate that clinical IT sophistication is positively associated with registered nurse (RN) HPPD. The effect on licensed practical nurses (LPN)/licensed vocational nurses (LVN) and …

The Nonprofit Sector's Involvement In Prisoner Reentry : A Mixed Methods Analysis, Michael Jay Woods

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

The 1990's were plagued with crime and high recidivism rates, and the State of Texas responded by embarking upon the largest expansion of a criminal justice system in its history. Having served their sentences, record numbers of offenders who were sent to prison in the 1990's are now flooding the streets. At the time of their release, some of these offenders will have unmet needs, such as a lack of food, housing, and clothing. Others may need help enrolling in school or finding a job. Whatever their needs, a host of nonprofit organizations stand ready to assist ex-offenders in their …

Hispanic/Latino Changes In Nebraska’S Population: 1980 To 2010, David Drozd

Past Publications

The Hispanic/Latino population has risen dramatically in Nebraska. After totaling about 28,000 Nebraska residents in 1980, the Hispanic/Latino population increased by about 9,000 or 32 percent to about 37,000 in 1990. Then the Hispanic/Latino population more than doubled in the 1990s, to more than 94,000 persons, an increase of more than 57,000 or about 155 percent. The 2010 census showed continued growth and more than 167,000 Hispanic/Latino Nebraska residents, an increase of nearly 73,000 or 77 percent since 2000.

Omaha Again Among Best Large Metros For Median Income Relative To The Cost Of Goods And Services, David J. Drozd

Past Publications

In 2007 the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) released an analysis of 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. These data were adjusted for the costs of goods as services (COGS) using indices released by the Council for Community and Economic Research. At that time the Omaha metro area ranked 2nd best among the 100 most populous metros for which data were available regarding this “purchasing power”. The Omaha metro’s median income in 2006 dollars was $51,627, but when accounting for Omaha’s relatively low cost of goods and services, this income had a purchasing …

Selected Characteristics From The 2006-2010 American Community Survey For Nebraska Counties, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar)

Past Publications

Selected Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey for Nebraska Counties

Has The Emergence Of Charter Schools Affected Student Performance In Traditional Public Schools In Shared Markets? Recent Evidence From Public Schools In Ohio, Robert Akers

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This paper addresses a key issue in the charter school debate, which is whether or not the existence of charter schools in a specific locality causes neighboring traditional public schools to improve their effectiveness. Measuring four student outcomes in Ohio counties where charter school enrollment represents at least five percent of the total public school-age population yielded mixed results. Standardized test scores in math and reading failed to keep pace with state averages but progress was made closing the gap in graduation rates and Performance Index Scores (the PIS is a weighted score given by the Ohio Department of Education …

Voter Ideology, Tax Exporting, And State And Local Tax Structure, John M. Foster

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

State and local governments play an important role in financing and delivering public services in the United States. In 2008, state and local governments collected 57 percent of total federal, state, and local revenue (Urban Institute and Brookings Institution, Tax Policy Center, 2009). The decentralization of fiscal responsibility has enabled a high degree of variation in state and local tax structures to emerge. This dissertation presents two empirical studies that extend the positive literature on state and local tax policy.

The extant literature contains evidence of a direct relationship between voter ideology and state and local tax progressivity. However, the …

Disaster Management Issues Of Pakistan : An Analytical View For A Viable Way Forward, Bashir Ahmad

Business Review

Disaster management is a dilemma in Pakistan; despite having experienced number of natural and manmade disasters in its short history, we are far off from the satisfactory arrangements. With all the policies and strategies worked out in apparent details/claims, we fall prey to paralysis at the time of occurrence. The point of concern is collapse of the system when it is required to put to practice. This leads to chaotic situation whereby despite having abundance inflows of resources/ means, our management system at the site of occurrence fails to respond. This research paper aims at detailed analysis of the issue …

2012 January, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for January of 2012.

Building On The Strengths Of Indigenous Knowledge To Promote Sustainable Development In Crisis Conditions From The Community Level: The Case Of Palestine, Jehad Yousif Alayasa

Dissertations and Theses

This study began focused on the use of traditional knowledge in promoting sustainable development in crisis conditions. Presented the question: How have successful community-level sustainable development efforts undertaken under crisis conditions drawn upon indigenous knowledge to achieve positive outcomes? The study is a cross case analysis. The three cases addressed in this study have explained some of the ways that indigenous knowledge has played significant positive roles in promoting sustainable development for communities living under crisis conditions in Palestine. Indigenous knowledge community based patterns indicated significant focus on strengths of local culture, social cohesion, the integration process, and special advantages …