Public Affairs Commons^™

The Impact Of Institutional Support Networks: A Case Study Of A Small Texas Public School District, Christine B. Fougerousse

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

This thesis project focuses on a small independent school district in Texas that serves a high-poverty population yet excels at graduating economically disadvantaged students. Using the concepts of cultural and social capital as a theoretical framework, the paper discusses ways that schools can build institutional support networks that can help students succeed. The study focuses on efforts within the high school, using personal interviews to discover the foundations and methods of the school's supports. Findings include the importance of building trust among staff members and staff members working as a team, therefore building internal social capital that students can then …

The Extent Of Social Disparities In Black And Hispanic Neighborhoods, Monique Coleman

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

The argument of race and segregation is an age-old debate. Nevertheless, in 2013 there are still segregated black and Hispanic neighborhoods experiencing high levels of poverty despite the Fair Housing Act, inclusionary housing practices, and other methods that strive to create mixed-income and mixed-race neighborhoods. Since segregation appears to be a phenomenon that eludes a simple explanation, this research offers to shed light on the subject matter and guide others researching the subject matter to help ascertain the root(s) of social disparities in minority neighborhoods. This report is an extensive review of 2007-2011 American Community Survey (ACS) data for Dallas …

Transitions In Public Administration Theory Through Presidential Approaches To Healthcare Policy, Clifford Smith Blumberg

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

Through interdisciplinary research of twelve presidential administrations and their various approaches to national healthcare policy, a better understanding of the borderless transitions (which I term "melting points") within Public Administration Theory can be pursued. Can key components or characteristics of these transitions in Public Administration be revealed through a President's approach to healthcare policy?

Prison Prerelease Facilities In Texas: What Effect Do These Programs Have On Offender Success?, Brittany Michelle Rodriguez

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

There is sufficient evidence to suggest that inmates who participate in prerelease programs are less likely to recidivate once released from prison than those who do not participate in these programs. Research shows that the impact of education, employment skills, and life skills while incarcerated helps contribute to an offender making positive choices that will prevent them from committing new crimes. Furthermore, researchers posit that these offenders have more opportunities for success then offenders who are released with no added programs. The major hypothesis for this study is that inmates in Texas who are released from a prerelease program have …

Effective Truancy Reduction Programs: How Is Success Defined?, Veronica Cole

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

This research examines how stakeholders involved with the Dallas County Truancy Court measure and define the success of truancy reduction programs. Previous studies have failed to include the perceptions of all of these major stakeholders. Judges, non-profit organizations, parents, and principals from the six districts serviced within the Dallas County Truancy Court were interviewed to assess how success was measured within truancy reduction programs. Findings indicated the measure of success among stakeholders was not consistent. This study identified the barriers associated with developing a uniform definition of success among multiple stakeholders in a decentralized arrangement.

The Aesthetic Experiences Of Public School Teachers: A Study Of The Physical Environment Of Schools Through The Lens Of The Organizational Aesthetics Framework, Kenneth Clifford Goodwin

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Related in part to the study of organizational culture, organizational aesthetics is concerned more with that level of culture that is represented through the symbols and artifacts found within an organization. Artifacts, as in the present study, can be represented by the larger physical environment in toto. The current study used a qualitative approach in applying the organizational aesthetics framework to explore teachers' perceptions of the aesthetics of the physical environment of public middle schools in the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD). No previously identified studies of schools have used the organizational aesthetics framework. Consequently, this study was covering …

Public Budgeting With A Gender Lens: Fulton County, Georgia And San Francisco, California, Mercy K. Dena

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Public budgeting with a gender lens, also known as gender budgeting [GB], evaluates policies for their effects on men and women to promote gender equity. This research assesses GB in Fulton County, Georgia and San Francisco, California - the only two local governments in the United States [U.S.] that practice it. This study describes the adoption, implementation and impact of GB to fill a dearth of research on U.S. approaches within global GB literature. The study utilizes qualitative methods of focus group discussion, face-to-face and telephone interviews of county administrators and nonprofit agency representatives, as well as observation and secondary …

The Factors That Influence The Development Of Performance Measures In Texas Counties, Julius Awuor Owino

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Over the past few decades, governments have developed performance measurement systems with the objective of improving the quality and effectiveness of services delivered to the public. However, there is scant information about the factors that influence the development of performance measures in county governments because few studies have been carried out to determine the significance of the participation of stakeholders, the strategic planning, the use of incentives, and the availability of resources on the development of performance measures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the development of performance measures in Texas counties by addressing …

Prison Prerelease Facilities In Texas: What Effect Do These Programs Have On Offender Success?, Brittany Michelle Rodriguez

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

There is sufficient evidence to suggest that inmates who participate in prerelease programs are less likely to recidivate once released from prison than those who do not participate in these programs. Research shows that the impact of education, employment skills, and life skills while incarcerated helps contribute to an offender making positive choices that will prevent them from committing new crimes. Furthermore, researchers posit that these offenders have more opportunities for success then offenders who are released with no added programs. The major hypothesis for this study is that inmates in Texas who are released from a prerelease program have …

The Aesthetic Experiences Of Public School Teachers: A Study Of The Physical Environment Of Schools Through The Lens Of The Organizational Aesthetics Framework, Kenneth Clifford Goodwin

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Related in part to the study of organizational culture, organizational aesthetics is concerned more with that level of culture that is represented through the symbols and artifacts found within an organization. Artifacts, as in the present study, can be represented by the larger physical environment in toto. The current study used a qualitative approach in applying the organizational aesthetics framework to explore teachers' perceptions of the aesthetics of the physical environment of public middle schools in the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD). No previously identified studies of schools have used the organizational aesthetics framework. Consequently, this study was covering …

Public Budgeting With A Gender Lens: Fulton County, Georgia And San Francisco, California, Mercy K. Dena

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Public budgeting with a gender lens, also known as gender budgeting [GB], evaluates policies for their effects on men and women to promote gender equity. This research assesses GB in Fulton County, Georgia and San Francisco, California - the only two local governments in the United States [U.S.] that practice it. This study describes the adoption, implementation and impact of GB to fill a dearth of research on U.S. approaches within global GB literature. The study utilizes qualitative methods of focus group discussion, face-to-face and telephone interviews of county administrators and nonprofit agency representatives, as well as observation and secondary …

Challenges Of Mixed-Use Developments : An Analysis Of Current Mixed-Use Developments In U.S.A., Gizachew Teferra Tesso

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

There are numerous urban problems that could not be addressed in single use development. Mixed use development as a new theory claims to have the solutions to the urban issues associated with single use development. However, mixed used developments have been criticized for also failing to address their purported claims. This research focuses on analyzing and evaluating the tenets of mixed-use development to determine whether claims of accommodating mixed-income residents, increased density, improved racial diversity, provision of affordable housing, and improved employment trends are achieved. In doing so, 632 single use Block Groups and 84 mixed-use development Block Groups that …

The Factors That Influence The Development Of Performance Measures In Texas Counties, Julius Awuor Owino

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

Over the past few decades, governments have developed performance measurement systems with the objective of improving the quality and effectiveness of services delivered to the public. However, there is scant information about the factors that influence the development of performance measures in county governments because few studies have been carried out to determine the significance of the participation of stakeholders, the strategic planning, the use of incentives, and the availability of resources on the development of performance measures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the development of performance measures in Texas counties by addressing …

Managing The Polarities Of Democracy: A Theoretical Framework For Positive Social Change, William J. Benet

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

People around the globe have embraced democracy to bring about positive social change to address our environmental, economic, and militaristic challenges. Yet, there is no agreement on a definition of democracy that can guide social change efforts. The Polarities of Democracy model is a unifying theory of democracy to guide healthy, sustainable, and just social change efforts. The Polarities of Democracy model consists of ten elements, organized as five polarity pairs: freedom & authority, justice & due process, diversity & equality, human-rights & communal-obligations, and participation & representation. In this model each element has positive aspects and negative aspects and …

Good Publicity: The Legitimacy Of Public Communication Of Deliberation, Chad Raphael, Christopher F. Karpowitz

Communication

Although deliberative democratic theory values the principle of publicity, few empirical studies systematically assess the public communication of civic groups that deliberate over policy. The proliferation of such groups in contemporary politics, and of uncertainty about their legitimacy, suggests the need for such study. Drawing on contemporary deliberative theory, we derive a set of legitimate publicity indicators for assessing how well groups report their deliberative processes and policy conclusions. We demonstrate the reliability and utility of these measures in a comparative content analysis of the final reports of three common kinds of deliberative bodies: a governmentstakeholder task force, an activist …

Fertility Rate For All Races By State: 2007 Final Versus 2013 Final, National Center For Health Statistics (Nchs)

Past Publications

Sources: Table 11, Births: Final Data for 2007 released 8-9-2010; Table 12, Births: Final Data for 2013 released 1-15-2015, NCHS @ CDC

For The People: Popular Financial Reporting Practices Of Local Governments, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Meagan M. Jordan, Katharine A. Neill, Merl Hackbart

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Popular financial reports are reports distributed to citizens and other interested parties who lack a background in formal government financial reporting but who desire an overview of the government’s financial status and activities. This paper examines the current state of local government popular financial reporting in the U.S. The results of a survey of large cities and counties indicate that 75 percent of these local governments have issued popular financial reports and that the types of reports and methods of distribution vary. Many of the reasons for providing popular reports relate to providing information and improving transparency and accountability by …

A Mixed-Methods Approach To Examining The Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (Cit) Model: An Exploratory Study Of Program Effectiveness And Institutionalization Processes, Megan Magers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study utilized a mixed-methods strategy to examine the effectiveness, diffusion, and institutionalization of the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. To evaluate the effectiveness of the training component of the CIT model, a panel research design was employed in which a sample of 179 law enforcement officers and 100 correctional officers in nine Florida counties were surveyed on the first day of training (pretest), the last day of training (posttest), and one month following their completion of CIT training (follow-up). These surveys measured the extent to which CIT training achieved several officer-level objectives, including increased knowledge of mental …

Legislature’S Planning Committee 2013 Report, John Harms, Tanya Cook, Greg Adams, John Wightman, Heath Mello, Mike Gloor, Kathy Campbell, Paul Schumacher, Kate Sullivan

Past Publications

The Legislature’s Planning Committee was created in 2009, pursuant to LB 653, introduced by Senator John Harms, of Scottsbluff. The 2012-13 Committee is:

Senator John Harms, Chair
Senator Tanya Cook, Vice-Chair
Senator Greg Adams, Speaker of the Legislature
Senator John Wightman, Chair, Executive Board
Senator Heath Mello, Chair, Appropriations Committee
Senator Mike Gloor
Senator Kathy Campbell
Senator Paul Schumacher
Senator Kate Sullivan

When the Committee was formed in 2009, it was decided that, in order to achieve their goals, they would be assisted by the Legislative Research Office and the College of Public Affairs at the University of Nebraska at …

Nebraska Legislative District Quick Facts, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar)

Past Publications

These Legislative District Quick Facts tables are summary profiles showing frequently requested data items from two Census Bureau programs: the 2000 Census and the 2007-2011 American Community Survey. These items also show how Nebraska’s Legislative Districts have changed since 2000 and demonstrate the wide variety of data available. These same data also are available for all of Nebraska’s counties and communities.

The tables in this report are based on the District Boundaries for the 102nd Legislature and do not reflect the boundary changes following the 2010 Census. The new Legislative District boundaries will be used when the 2008-2012 ACS data …

Needs Assessment For The United Neighborhood Alliances Of Omaha, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar)

Past Publications

In February 2013 the Neighborhood Center closed. The Neighborhood Center provided a range of programs and services to neighborhood associations in the Omaha area.The United Neighborhood Alliances of Omaha (UNAO) identified a needs assessment as a necessary next step in planning what will take its place. The needs assessment was envisioned to assist the alliances in moving forward by helping to identify strategies that make the best use of Neighborhood Scan and other existing resources and offer the best response to neighborhood conditions.

The UNAO partnered with the Consortium for Organizational Research and Evaluation (CORE) at the University of Nebraska …

Hunting For Huntington’S Evidence: An Empirical Reassessment Of The Clash Of Civilizations Theory, John Daniel Shindelar

Political Science Theses and Capstones

I inquire into Samuel P. Huntington’s clash of civilizations theory as outlined in his landmark The Clash of Civilizations. I explore conflicts starting at the end of the Cold War to 2007 in order to examine whether Huntington’s theory has been materializing (there is a marked increase in conflicts between Civilizations, and they have become more intense) or if the face of conflicts has stayed relatively similar to Cold War era clashes. I use International Crisis Behavior data on conflicts since the fall of the U.S.S.R. which Huntington cites as the end of a bipolar world and the beginning of …

Transitions In Public Administration Theory Through Presidential Approaches To Healthcare Policy, Clifford Smith Blumberg

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

Through interdisciplinary research of twelve presidential administrations and their various approaches to national healthcare policy, a better understanding of the borderless transitions (which I term "melting points") within Public Administration Theory can be pursued. Can key components or characteristics of these transitions in Public Administration be revealed through a President's approach to healthcare policy?

Community Garden Suitability Analysis For A South Dallas Community, Tiffany Mcleod

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

Community gardens have been proposed as a solution to combat the ongoing and escalating food desert problem in low-income communities. As planners, community leaders and residents look to implement this solution and convert vacant property into gardens they need to be aware of the potential conflicts that can arise when the area starts to develop. This paper offers an analysis tool and uses it to determine vacant sites that are appropriate for community gardens in a particular South Dallas neighborhood that do not conflict with the future development of the area. It also identifies the grocery store gap in the …

Public Contact With And Perceptions Regarding Police In Portland, Oregon, Brian Renauer, Kimberly Barsamian Kahn, Kris R. Henning, Greg Stewart

Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute Research Briefs

On September 12, 2012 the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint in the Federal District Court for Oregon asserting that the City of Portland has engaged in a pattern and practice of unnecessary or excessive force against persons experiencing a mental health crisis. This survey is the result of a settlement agreement between Portland’s City Council and the DOJ which specified the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) develop a means of assessing public perceptions.

The first report generated by the research team examined general attitudes of residents. This second report focuses on an area pertinent to the DOJ …

Women's Gun Culture In America, Laura Browder

English Faculty Publications

A recent article in the New York Times focused on the possible increase in female gun ownership in the United States. This “new” phenomenon of women and guns is of course far from new: as early as the 1870s, trapshooting for women was publicized by gun manufacturers as yet another feminine activity, not far removed from shopping or club work. The ultra-feminine Annie Oakley, who in the 1880s became an international star in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, personally taught fifteen thousand women to shoot. By the turn of the twentieth century, gun manufacturers were promoting hunting as a healthful activity …

Coups D'État And Democracy: Implications For Development Aid, Theresa Simcic

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Coups d’état are a type of political instability that involves a sitting ruler being overthrown by his or her own military or other elite within the state apparatus. Coups are commonly viewed as a threat to democracy. Policy makers in donor countries have taken action in line with this belief by implementing foreign aid suspension policies in regard to states that recently experienced a coup. More recent research, however, shows that coups may actually promote democracy; particularly in long-standing autocratic states. In these circumstances, the new democracies may benefit more from an increase in aid, as opposed to suspension of …

How Successful Was Kickstarter In Raising Funds For Library For All?, Yeerang Jang

Master in Public Administration Theses

No abstract provided.

Childhood Predictors In The Severity Of Combat Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Veterans With Combat Related Exposure, Michael Bermes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging research suggests that childhood adversities may increase both the risk and symptomology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in our veteran population. Over 40% of our reintegrating military veterans return with significant mental health issues led by combatrelated PTSD. PTSD impacts veterans in numerous areas including unemployment, increased criminal justice involvement, increased treatment costs, divorce, co-morbid mental illness, greater levels of domestic violence, homelessness, high college dropout rates, suicide, and long term health problems. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of childhood adversities (abuse, neglect, and poverty) upon the severity of combat-related PTSD in veteran populations. …

2013 January, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for January of 2013.