Public Policy Commons^™

Public Awareness Of Human Trafficking, Chelsea Annette Farrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public awareness is crucial in the fight against human trafficking, but little academic research looks at the public policy implications of different types of messaging the public may be using in recognizing human trafficking. Using policy feedback theory as the theoretical lens, the purpose of this quantitative study was to compare mean awareness scores for both film and social media to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between the scores and their degree of public awareness. Data were collected through an online survey, which included questions related to both film and social media, using a participant pool service. …

Influence Of Privatization Policies On Residential Satisfaction In Military Family Housing, Kirsten R. Hawley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little published research has examined the post-implementation outcomes of public private partnerships for housing, specifically the Military Privatized Housing Initiative (MPHI) from the perspective of the end user, the Military Family Housing (MFH) resident. Using Mettler and SoRelle's conceptualization of policy feedback theory as the foundation, the purpose of this repeated cross-sectional study was to assess residential satisfaction pre- and post- implementation of the MPHI. The study also addressed the influence of sociodemographic factors on MFH residents' perceived residential satisfaction. Secondary data were collected using 2 Department of Defense surveys administered pre- and post-implementation. An independent-samples t test was used …

A Case Study Of Overcrowding In A County Jail In The Southeast United States, Marquice Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For the past several decades, the county jail in a large metropolitan city in the southeast United States has been overcrowded, which has resulted in violence within the jail, excessive costs to the Sheriff's Office, and a requirement of Federal oversight of the jail from 2005 to 2015. In spite of these events, little is understood about why jail overcrowding is prevalent in the county and what impacts overcrowding may have on the communities around the jail. Using Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to understand the unique circumstances around …

Implementation Of Food Safety Regulations In Food Service Establishments, Steve Randolph Mcallister

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Food service businesses in the United States have experienced millions of dollars in losses caused by foodborne illness outbreaks, which can lead to bankruptcy and business closures. More than 68% of all foodborne illness outbreaks occur in food service establishments. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore the strategies leaders of food service establishments use to implement food safety regulations. Force field analysis was the conceptual framework for this study. The population for the study consisted of 3 leaders of food service establishments located in the southeastern region of the United States. Data were collected using semistructured …

Review Of Child-Custody Standards And Its Effects On Children Of Cohabitating And Non-Cohabitating Fathers, Jermaine Rahsaan Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The involvement of fathers in the daily activities of their children has proven to be a substantial factor in nurturing children's speech and language development, fine motor skills development, gross motor skills development, social and emotional development, and cognitive development. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate fathers and the time spent involved in the daily activities of their children. Guided by Rawls's social contract theory, the research question sought to determine whether there is a statistically significant relationship between the living arrangements (cohabitating and non-cohabitating) of fathers and the time spent involved in the daily activities of …

College Rotc Cadets' Perceptions Of Gender Fairness With Selective Service Registration, Barrett Peavie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Selective Service System currently excludes women from the talent pool based upon the DoD's 1981 ban on women in direct combat. The DoD has removed the exclusion and has implemented a gender-neutral policy standard for assignments. However, there appears to be a misalignment of national security policy as it relates to gender fairness that impacts Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) participants in particular. Using Durkheim's functionalism theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine institutional differences in policies regarding justice and gender among ROTC participants who are between 18 and 26 years …

Nyc Administration For Children's Services Child Abuse And Neglect Prevention Polices, Program And Laws, Oluropo Abiodun Fele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite efforts and financial resources invested in the prevention of child abuse and neglect in New York City (NYC), many children are still in danger of being victimized by their parents or caregivers. The general public's assumption is that the NYC Administration for Children's Services (ACS) either does not have efficient policies, programs, or laws to protect at-risk children, or these are not being properly implemented. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide a thorough analysis of ACS policies, programs, and laws based on information gained from interviews with child welfare experts. Newberger and Newberger's social support theory …

U.S. Individuals' Perceptions Of Government Electronic Surveillance After Passage Of The Usa Patriot Act, Floyd Edwards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the implementation of the USA Patriot Act in October 2001, public trust in the U.S. federal government to protect individuals' right to privacy has been affected negatively. Many studies have addressed this topic, but few have delved deeply into the reasons behind the distrust. The purposes of this qualitative study were, to explore the perceptions and attitudes of U.S. citizens regarding the effect of the USA Patriot Act on their right to privacy, to determine whether a loss of trust in the government occurred, and to identify the factors contributing to the lack of trust. The theoretical foundation for …

Relationship Between Policy Expectations And Education Outcomes In A Midwestern School District, Latonya Latamore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A financially secure public school district can provide children with an educational foundation that will eventually transition them into self-sufficient employed adults. These adults will become tax-paying citizens who will contribute to their local economies. The problem with one midwestern public school district is that a history of financial insecurity has affected the district's ability to provide students with all of the programs to which they are entitled. Using Baumgartner and Jones' conceptualization of punctuated equilibrium as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between aspects of the Local Financial Stability and Choice …

The Relationship Between Isolation, Distress, And Medical Care Among Transgender Coloradoans, Charles Tinnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Colorado in 2014, suicidal ideation or suicide attempts occurred up to 10 times more frequently among transgender persons than the general population. This reality occurred within a milieu of stigma that included transgender persons' negative perceptions of healthcare, a higher incidence of psychological distress, and an uncertain role for social isolation in their well-being. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the interactions between social isolation, supportive medical care, and psychological distress within the framework of Meyer's minority stress theory. Data were acquired from the 2014 Colorado Transgender Health Survey conducted by the One Colorado Education Fund …

Increasing Permanent Home Placements For Children With Diagnosed Disabilities In Foster Care, Adina Ekwerike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 397,000 children received foster care services in 2012. Some states successfully achieved permanent homes for children with diagnosed disabilities who exited care while others were less successful. Using change theory and social ecological theory as the foundations, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact that diagnosed disabilities had on permanent home placements among Pennsylvania's foster care children who were discharged and were between ages of 0 to 6 years in 2012. Hernandez's and Hodges's theory of change was used to evaluate the 1982 standards that license foster care agencies, while Stokol's ecological theory …

Sustaining Peace In Sierra Leone Through Collaboration Of The Dominant Ethnic Groups, Osman Kabba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is convincing evidence in the literature that the civil war fought in Sierra Leone beginning in 1991 was the result of social and political grievances between the 3 dominant ethnic groups, Krio, Mende, and Temne. Hitherto, there were no studies which explored their collaboration on postconflict sustainable peacebuilding efforts. By closely examining the political behaviors of these groups, this qualitative expert study was designed to create understanding of how collaboration between them supported postconflict sustainable peace-building efforts. Data consisted of observational notes and semistructured interviews of 21 Sierra Leonean experts living in the United States. Data were analyzed using …

Exploring Peace Education For Consensual Peace Building In Nigeria, Agada John Elachi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence, insurgency, and terrorism have been a recurring problem in Nigeria. Efforts to address these challenges through the use of force have proved ineffective. The purpose of this study was to explore the application of peace education in the educational curriculum with a view to promoting consensual peace building in Kafanchan Town, Jema'a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Although peace education has been applied in some countries, this approach has not been applied to these challenges plaguing Nigeria. This study adopts the survey research method and utilizes the tripodal theoretical framework of ethnic conflict theory, enemy system theory, …

Strengthening Jamaica's Anticorruption Policy With An Independent Agency, Curt Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corruption is a kind of behavior that undermines good governance. Current research has suggested that Jamaica's present anticorruption policy is ineffective, and needs strengthening. A civic organization in Jamaica has advocated for an independent anticorruption agency, with both investigative and prosecutorial powers to strengthen Jamaica's anticorruption policy. Little is known about the perspectives from the Jamaican business community on this concept. The purpose of this study was to discover and understand perspectives from the Jamaican business community on this concept. A framework included in this study is the principal-agent theory, which provides an understanding of the essence and relevance of …

Building Process Of Public-Private Dialogue During Major Reforms In Myanmar, Thet Thet Khine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 1962, Myanmar has experienced stagnant economic growth despite its rich natural resources, demographic strength, and being located at the crossroad of Asia. To improve policy and regulation, Myanmar's private sector must advocate policy or administrative course of action to the government. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to evaluate the public-private dialogue (PPD) before and after the change of the government, and change of UMFCCI leadership during major reforms in Myanmar. Research questions were focused on the design, implementation, and benefits and risks of PPD. This qualitative case study, based on cross-sector collaboration theory, included semistructured interviews with …

United States-Mexico Dual Resident's Perceptions Of Heritage And Acculturation, Alisia N. Muir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

United States' policy makers have been challenged creating understandable nutrition labels and effective healthy food campaigns for consumers of mixed heritage. Previous studies explored the sociocultural factors that influence Hispanics' abilities to navigate consumer food education programs, but little was known about how Mexican culture impacts those programs. The purpose of this study was to better understand those factors. Research questions focused on the experiences of residents of a west Texas town regarding their food decision-making process about food choices and their understanding of food education information. The purpose of this phenomenological research was to explore how Mexican culture effected …

Countering Expansion And Organization Of Terrorism In Cyberspace, Sunday Oludare Ogunlana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Terrorists use cyberspace and social media technology to create fear and spread violent ideologies, which pose a significant threat to public security. Researchers have documented the importance of the application of law and regulation in dealing with the criminal activities perpetrated through the aid of computers in cyberspace. Using routine activity theory, this study assessed the effectiveness of technological approaches to mitigating the expansion and organization of terrorism in cyberspace. The study aligned with the purpose area analysis objective of classifying and assessing potential terrorist threats to preempt and mitigate the attacks. Data collection included document content analysis of the …

Political Affiliations And Interagency Collaboration In Emergency Management In Nigeria, Charles Otegbade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collaboration has been indispensable in resolving many contemporary problems involved in emergency/disaster management, but it is unclear if key determinants of collaboration established through studies focused on the Western world would apply to countries outside the West. The purpose of this cross-sectional non-experimental study was to examine the effects of political affiliation, an established determinant, on collaboration among emergency management agencies (EMAs) in Nigeria. Barnes's theory of social network and Lévi-Strauss's theory of social exchanges framed the study. Survey data were collected from a sample of 38 EMAs out of the population of 812 EMAs; they were affiliated with 6 …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Noncustodial Fathers In Tennessee, Anovia L. Slaughter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a disproportionate number of African American fathers in the State of Tennessee that experience parenting and child support disparities when compared to single parents of other ethnicities. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the experiences of African American noncustodial fathers and to examine the impact of the codification of Tennessee family laws. The theoretical frameworks for this study were critical race theory, and social construction and policy design. The key research questions examined the lived experiences of African American noncustodial fathers in the State of Tennessee and how the codification of Tennessee family laws …

Predictors Of Conviction: An Examination Of Arson Trial Outcomes In Florida, Timothy York

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The influences that crime control, due process factors, and individual demographic characteristics have on the criminal trial outcomes of accused arsonists was unknown. Absent this knowledge, it was not clear if public policy ensures justice for the accused, particularly for the disadvantaged. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate, using Packer's due process and crime control model as the theoretical framework, the relationship between time to trial, number of defense and prosecution witnesses, access to fire origin and cause experts, legal representation type, age, race, education, and gender and criminal arson case outcomes. A sample size of 165 …

A Comparison Of Restorative Justice Ideology Between Administrators, Teachers, And Parents, Renée J. Alger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers suggest that restorative justice processes in schools are a successful alternative to traditional punishments for school discipline, and are used for both reactive and proactive responses to behavior issues. However, the processes are not sustainable if the administration implementing restorative justice do not promote a restorative justice ideology (RJI), and if all systems that impact the student are not aligned. Therefore, study was conducted to compare the level of restorative justice ideology between groups of administrators, teachers, and parents with a validated restorative justice ideology survey instrument that includes cooperation, restoration, and healing, and an accumulative score for RJI …

Relationship Between Victims Of Urban Violence And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jashon Anthony Banks Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Urban violence has become common in lower-income communities that have high rates of shootings and African-American victims. Urban violence causes victims and their family and friends to experience trauma and puts them at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) injuries. However, there is a gap in knowledge in the framework of urban communities and their range of needs to address PTSD. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether a relationship exists between reinforcement of needs, membership, influence, shared emotional connection, and post-traumatic stress symptomology (PTSS) of urban violence victims in a large metropolitan city. Albert Bandura's self-efficacy …

Breaking Cycles Through Targeted Financial Literacy Education For Fifth- Through Eighth-Grade Students, Tonja Custis Brickhouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial literacy education continues to be a deficiency in the U.S. education system because it is not included in most school curricula, and little is known about the efficacy of the school district programs that do include it. A former Federal Reserve Chairman identified the lack of financial literacy as a national problem, and the National Financial Educators Council described it as the #1 problem in the current generation. Using Berger and Luckmann's conceptualization of social construction as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to explore how access to financial literacy education is perceived by fifth- through …

The Influence Of School Discipline Approaches On Suspension Rates, Donna Christy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A free and appropriate public education is promised to every child in the United States. However, zero tolerance school discipline policies have broken that promise, pushing students out of the classroom and into the school-to-prison pipeline. Despite the growing body of research demonstrating negative social and economic impacts of exclusionary discipline, public school administrators have been slow to adopt innovative policies that provide rehabilitative alternatives. The purpose of this study was to compare, using the consequences of innovations application of Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory, the impact of various school district approaches to school discipline on suspension rates while controlling …

Stress Management Treatments Among Police Departments, Cedrick D. Crockett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The police profession is viewed as one of the most stressful occupations in the world. Police officers are responsible for handling calls for service, serving and protecting the community, enforcing laws, and preventing and solving crimes. These responsibilities along with many others can become overwhelming and lead to police stress and trauma. Police stress has been linked to adverse effects on the performances and health of police officers. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to describe the internal and external factors of police stress through their lived experiences as police officers, and the stress management techniques used by …

Cultural Integration In Organizational Partnership With Statutory And Quasi Implications, Adeline Ukachi Emihe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current academic literature is inadequate on the possibility of applying a typological model of effective cultural integration within the context of public-private partnerships, particularly when governments collaborate with multinational corporations. Using Schein's organizational cultural framework as the foundation, the purpose of this case study of a partnership between a West African government and a multinational petroleum corporation is to understand clearly how synergistic cultural integration coupled with statutory requirements could catalyze public-private partnership success. Data for this study came from interviews with American or Nigerian individuals who were familiar with the partnership in the West African country, a review …

Vote-Selling: Infrastructure And Public Services, Nat Adojutelegan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vote-selling in Nigeria pervades and permeates the electoral space, where it has become the primary instrument of electoral fraud. Previous research has indicated a strong correlation between vote-buying and underinvestment and poor delivery of public services. There remains, however, a significant gap in the current literature regarding the nature of the relationship between vote-selling and the delivery of public services. The purpose of this study was to uncover voters' behaviors by investigating their common and lived experiences with respect to the provision of infrastructure, delivery of public services, and voting during elections. Using Bandura's theory of reciprocal determinism, the research …

Patterns Within Nine Preattack Phases That Emerged In Israel Suicide Bombing Cases, Aaron Richman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 2000 to 2013, Israel had the second highest number of deaths from suicide attacks and was on the list of countries that may experience increases in terrorism due to ongoing conflicts. Suicide bombings present highly complex situations for counterterrorism and counterinsurgency professionals. Using Freeman, Tucker, and Merton's framework of 9 preattack phases as the primary theoretical constuct, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore specific patterns that consistently emerged in the adversary planning process for 6 successful or failed suicide bombing cases in Israel. Secondary, archival data were acquired through a data use agreement with a …

Effectiveness Of A University Bilingual Degree Program Among Overseas Chinese, Sherry Liu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The language and communication skills of foreign students have long been a concern in

U.S. universities. The majority of U.S. universities require foreign students for whom English is not their native language to take English language proficiency tests such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as part of admission requirements. Some universities have included interventions to increase the success of Chinese students against their struggle to understand English course content. One such program is the Gateway to Successful Tomorrow Bilingual Degree Program (GST). The gap to be addressed on this study was that the effectiveness of …

Time Banks As Aging-In-Place Initiatives, Calli Sajnani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been growing concern over how state and federal governments can support the increasing population of aging Americans and their need for long-term care. Current insurance funding models cover acute hospitalization and skilled care only, leaving unskilled care needs and homemaker services at the full expense of those in need. Time banking allows individuals to exchange or barter time for goods or services without monetary payment. There is insufficient evidence to determine if members believe time banks to be a viable alternative to support aging-in-place care needs. This phenomenological study explored time banking as a potential vehicle for nonskilled …