Public Policy Commons^™

Fresh Air: The Impact Of Reformulated Gasoline On Infant Health, Mohammed Husain

Theses and Dissertations

This paper considers a 1996 Reformulated Gasoline program, where gasoline emissions were regulated in California, to observe the effects on infant health indicators. I use a cross-county analysis to find significant effects from the policy that suggests an improvement in birth weight, gestational length, and infant mortality.

The Effect Of Health Insurance On Young Adults' Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence From The Affordable Care Act's Dependent Coverage Expansion, Quazi Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

The Affordable Care Act’s dependent coverage mandate extended young adults’ parental coverage to age 26. I study the expansion’s impact on young adults’ labor market outcomes using a control function method. Following the expansion, I find dependent coverage lowered labor force participation, lowered incomes, and mixed evidence regarding labor supply.

Factors Affecting Institutional Performance At High And Very High Research Universities: Policy Implications, Jose G. Alcaine

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions in the Unites States (U.S.) are under stress. Universities and colleges in the U.S. face competing demands marked by steeply declining state and local appropriations and increased competition for research dollars and prestige. This stress is felt most acutely at high and very high research universities who must face these funding challenges while at the same time must serve a multiplicity of missions and stakeholders.

This study examines factors that influence institutional performance at high and very high research universities in the U.S. These high and very high research universities, as classified by the Carnegie Foundation for …

Implementation Of Self-Directed Supports For Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A Political Economy Analysis, Matthew P. Decarlo

Theses and Dissertations

Self-directed supports, as a method of service delivery, have grown from small pilot programs in a handful of states to at least one program in every state. For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), self-direction presents unique opportunities to engage in self-determined behavior and shape the services upon which they rely. Although the evidence base for self-direction is relatively robust, there is a significant lack of information on how implementation of self-direction is faring on the national level. The purpose of this study is to understand how the political and economic factors within and across states have impacted the …

"They Believe That Because They Are Women, It Should Be Easier For Them." Subtle And Overt Sexism Toward Women In Stem From Social Media Commentary, Katherine Hall

Theses and Dissertations

This study implemented a social media based content analysis to examine the subjective experiences and the current public perceptions of sexism in STEM fields. Participants included men and women who a) identified as either in STEM or not identified as in STEM and b) commented through Facebook on HuffPost Women articles about women in STEM. The analysis indicated that sexism remains an issue for women in STEM careers. Women in STEM identified several gender-based challenges that they have experienced; some participants discussed how they handled those challenges. Men both in and not in STEM were less likely to acknowledge and …