Public Policy Commons^™

Escaping The Snowstorm: Legal Rights And Economics In The Developing World, Zane Tolchinsky

CMC Senior Theses

In this thesis, I seek to provide a framework for developing nations making policy-decisions about legal rights, as in the realm of Rawlsian ideal theory, prescriptions for governments not living in conditions of moderate scarcity is lacking. I first springboard off Stephen Holmes and Cass R. Sunstein’s conclusion that “all legal rights are positive,” from their book, The Cost of Rights, to argue for the value of considering the economic implications of rights protections. I then propose that Holmes and Sunstein’s conclusion means that we can think of legal rights as goods to be purchased by governments. Next, I …

Healthy And Unhealthy Responses To American Democratic Institutional Failure, Thomas D'Anieri

CMC Senior Theses

I have set out on the hunch that politics in America “feels different,” that we are frustrated both with our institutions as well as with one another. First, I will seek to empirically verify this claim beyond mere “feelings.” If it can be shown that these kinds of discontent genuinely exist to the extent that I believe they do, I will then explain why people feel this way and why things are different this time from the economic, political, and social points of view. Next, I will examine two potential responses, what I will call the populist and the institutional …

Environmental Governance For Whom? Examining The Political, Institutional, Fiscal, And Legal Determinants Of State Environmental Agency Budget Policy In The Us, Andrew R. Duggan

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets are a prospective tool of governance, and appropriations are a planning vehicle reflecting: bureaucracies’ values, complex interactions, collective preferences, political influences, and available resources. Research spanning 30 years finds that environmental pollution is a key determinant of environmental budgets in the US, though myriad factors, actors, and subsystems are important to consider. Due to federalism and devolution of responsibilities and authorities, environmental governance falls largely to the states. While the dynamics that shape state environmental budget policy have received scholarly interest, theoretically-driven examinations of environmental appropriations remain limited within the public budgeting and environmental policy literature.

Using panel data …

Turning Mismanaged Crisis Into Opportunity: Developing A Municipal Emergency Communication Plan For Puerto Rico, Mariely Valentin-Llopis

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Three years after Hurricane Maria, rural municipalities of Puerto Rico find themselves as vulnerable as before the category 4 storm dwindled the Island’s resources. The town of Aguas Buenas is among the rural municipalities struggling to prepare for the next natural disaster. This pilot study provides a plan for activating the community with the purpose of forming the first community emergency management team (CEMT) in coordination with local officials. Through in-depth interviews with the people living in Aguas Buenas, the study presents a situation analysis followed by recommendations on how to train the community leaders and turn the crisis into …

The Political Preference Of Arkansas Farmers And Ranchers, Rachel J. Barry, Donna L. Graham

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Access to information is critical to improving production efficiency, but little is known about how farmers are informed on the policy or issues influencing programs related to farming. This research sought to determine the sources of communication used by farmers and ranchers to form opinions about agricultural policy and candidates, identify the issues important in voting, and their level of participation in the political process. Face-to-face interaction was the preferred form of communication in farm organization meetings, with friends, or farm agencies. Magazines were the preferred source of print communication, and university/extension websites were preferred for internet sources. Broadcast media …

Police-Civilian Interaction Trend Analysis In Detroit And Atlanta (1980–2018), Australia Powell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study compared trends in arrests and fatalities between Black Americans and Caucasians in Atlanta and Detroit. A descriptive analysis was conducted on secondary data compiled by the Department of Justice (1980-2014) and the Mapping Police Violence Organization (2015-2018) to compare Police-Civilian Interaction between races and cities over the past four decades. Trend analysis was conducted on arrests records for Atlanta, Georgia and Detroit, Michigan for years 1980 to 2014, and for persons who were fatally shot by police from 2015 to 2018 in these cities. The number of arrests from 1980 to 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia was 26,532 and …

Gender Quota Policy Plans And Female Members Of The Board Of Directors, Saidah Muhammad Traish

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The present study explored how gender quota policy plans hindered and supported the access of female board members serving on the board of directors of their nonprofit organizations. The gender organizational theory guided the theoretical framework of this study by exploring how gendering organizational processes replicated, challenged, and reproduced gender perceptions of women in caregiving roles rather than leadership roles. The qualitative phenomenological approach explored the lived experiences of 6 female board members from 6 different nonprofit organizations on gender quota policy plans. The results of the analysis revealed succession planning, the inclusiveness of the mission and vision statements, and …

Islamophobia In The United States: Experiences Of Senegalese Immigrant Muslims In Indianapolis Post-9/11, Malick Ndiaye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, anti-Muslim sentiments appeared in the United States. Because of those attacks, the United States government passed some measures to try and protect the American people from any future attacks. However, the unintended drawbacks of such measures have negatively affected Muslim Americans. Little is known about how adult Senegalese immigrant Muslims have experienced Islamophobia. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to fill the gap in the research literature on how Islamophobia affected adult Senegalese immigrant Muslims. The theoretical frameworks for this study were the integrated threat and representative bureaucracy theories. The central …

Evidence-Based Practice Guideline: Breastfeeding Support Of The Active Duty Servicewoman, Heidi A. Koslo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is no policy on breastfeeding support of the active duty military servicewoman at the targeted military treatment facility, and no global policy serving active duty personnel applicable at the Department of Defense and Defense Health Agency (DoD/DHA) level to span across branches of the U.S. military. Nurses, as members of the most trusted profession, are often expected to know how to assist a mother in meeting her feeding goals. Creation of an evidence-based practice guideline (EBPG) for support of the active duty servicewoman in the military health system was the purpose of this project. The project was conceptualized within …

Previously Incarcerated Individuals’ Perceptions Of Decision-Making Leading To Their Solitary Confinement, Rita Pavone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the issue of communication in prison systems in conjunction with an overextended utilization of isolation confinement methods. Using Sexton’s conceptualization of the penal subjective consciousness model as a guide, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand the experiences of confined offenders related to their experiences regarding the perspectives of prison officials based on a variety of factors including criminal background, social status, and programming needs. Data from semi-structured interviews with 25 participants addressed the process of communication between prison personnel and inmates from the time of incarceration through placement in isolation confinement, and then …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Virginia’S Senate Bill 1294 On Crisis Intervention Team Cooperation, Dennis Ray Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2009, the Commonwealth of Virginia passed Senate Bill (SB) 1294 that directly involved the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in the spread of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program statewide. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore how the passage of SB 1294 affected the level of stakeholder cooperation within Virginia’s statewide CIT program, through 11 interviews with Virginian CIT leaders and by the completion of 115 questionnaires by CIT members in a region of central Virginia. Findings indicated the most common way that SB 1294 affected CIT …

Abc County’S Welfare-To-Work (Wtw) Program Participation Rate, Alberto Banuelos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Welfare-to-work (WTW) programs are an essential part of societal assistance made available to families in need. In ABC County, CA, problems have been found with the implementation and success rates of their WTW program: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Even with funds allotted for the program, ABC County has not been able to design a WTW program that meets the TANF program work participation requirement of 50% of active TANF recipients in a WTW activity. The purpose of this study was to address this need as it related to the TANF program specifically. A qualitative, exploratory, single case study …

Iraq Programme Report 2020, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

In 2020, UNMAS Iraq prioritised the following areas of support:

• Support government and national mine action entities with managing, regulating, and coordinating a mine action response through Technical Support (TS) initiatives;
• Deliver Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) at the community and national level; and
• Provide Explosive Hazard Management (EHM) response in support of humanitarian and stabilization efforts.

Due to the nature of threats posed by EO, UNMAS and its implementing partners are among the first responders allowing the humanitarian community and local authorities to intervene quickly and efficiently to help civilians.

A significant mine action capacity gap remains in Iraq. …

Palestine Programme Eore Portfolion 2019-2020, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

The persistent conflict faced by the Palestinian population has resulted in large areas of the Palestine being contaminated by various ERW. The key threats differ regionally between Gaza and the West Bank Areas A, B and C. Whereas Gaza has been continually exposed to ERW including Israeli Aerial Bombs; the West Bank is contaminated with a mixture of mines. ERW and Riot Control Agents such as tear gas.

The UNMAS Palestine programme has worked hard to mitigate the impact of the Palestine Israel conflict in Gaza. Unfortunately, the presence of ERW is indiscriminate in Gaza and there is a possibility …

Landmine Monitor 2020, Icbl-Cmc

Global CWD Repository

This is the 22nd annual Landmine Monitor report. It is the sister publication to the Cluster Munition Monitor report, first published in November 2010.

Landmine Monitor 2020 provides a global overview of the landmine situation. Chapters on developments in specific countries and other areas are available in online Country Profiles at www.the-monitor.org/cp.

Landmine Monitor covers mine ban policy, use, production, trade, and stockpiling; includes information on developments and challenges in assessing and addressing the impact of mine contamination and casualties through clearance, risk education, and victim assistance; and documents international and national support for mine action. This report focuses on …

Sculpting The Public Land Base Of Northern Minnesota: Past, Present And Future, Lori A. Dowling-Hanson Dr

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Sculpting the Public Land Base in Northern Minnesota Counties: Past, Present and Future. This 3-article dissertation addresses the large public land base in the Arrowhead Region of Northern Minnesota. One fourth of all lands in the state are public lands, with the overwhelming majority located in the Arrowhead Region. These counties have anywhere from 30% to 92% public lands. The region relies heavily on a natural resource economy. Methodology for research includes secondary data analysis from several preexisting research projects and studies. Data was acquired from state auditor government costs of maintaining and managing public lands. Data was also collected …

Right To Counsel: Improving Access To Justice In Us Indigent Defense Systems, Travis Hartman

Capstone Showcase

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel for indigent defendants. Even though a constitutional right, indigent defense in the US suffers from significant problems. While scholars have attempted to provide solutions to the problems, a question persists, How are Indigent Defense Systems impacting how Access to Justice is being provided in the United States? To answer this question, a structured, focused comparison method was utilized to evaluate US indigent defense systems. Case studies were chosen based upon the delivery and majority of funding for indigent defense coming from counties. Right to counsel for Access to Justice was defined by …

How Misinformation Spreads Through Twitter, Mary Blankenship

Student Research

While living in the age of information, an inherent drawback to such high exposure to content lends itself to the precarious rise of misinformation. Whether it is called “alternative facts,” “fake news,” or just incorrect information, because of its pervasiveness in nearly every political and policy discussion, the spread of misinformation is seen as one of the greatest challenges to overcome in the 21st century. As new technologies emerge, a major piece of both content creation and the perpetuation of misinformation are social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. As news events emerge, whether be a pandemic, a mass …

Synergies And Competition: Export Survival In Africa And Latin America, Luisa Blanco, Jesse Mora, Michael Olabisi, James E. Prieger

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Using firm-level export data from six African (Burkina Faso and Senegal) and Latin American (Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay) countries, we examine factors that determine the survival of export flows. We explore the effects on export survival of changes in the number of home-country exporters serving the same destination, firm-level export diversification, and country-level factors. Unlike previous studies, we find that export survival rates decrease with the number of co-exporters selling the same product to the same country. We also find that the relationship between firm-level product diversification and export flow survival is hump-shaped: firms that do not diversify or …

From The Legal Literature: The Threat And Promise Of Police Use Of Dna Databases, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

From The Legal Literature: Automating Police, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

From The Legal Literature: Disentangling Prison And Punishment, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

From The Legal Literature: If The Fetus Is A Person—Is It Relevant? An Argument On The Rights Of Pregnant Women, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Public Perceptions Of Delays In The Release Of Police Body-Worn Camera Footage, Christopher Lee Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Delays in the release of police body-worn camera (BWC) video footage have amplified public concerns about police misconduct. Law enforcement transparency is questioned when video from BWCs is not shared in a timely manner with the community. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore community and victims’ family’s beliefs related to delays in the release of police BWC footage. Rogers’s diffusion innovation theory and Mettler and Sorelle’s policy feedback theory were used for the study’s conceptual framework. The research questions focused on understanding the perceptions of community relationships with law enforcement around transparency, communication, and information sharing. …

Engaging External Stakeholders To Improve Public-Private Partnership Water Project Completion Rates, John Paul Kolman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public-private partnership (PPP) water projects may have competing external stakeholders, resulting in a disproportionately high project failure rate when compared to other types of infrastructure projects. Private companies and local governments use PPP projects as a means to bridge deficiencies in local government funding and knowledge to assist in bringing improved water to their communities. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to examine strategies leaders use to engage their external stakeholders in improving their PPP project completion rates. The study was grounded in Freeman's stakeholder theory. The participants consisted of 3 leaders who recently completed stakeholder activities …

Factors That Influence African American Male Retention In Public Four-Year Institutions, Shantya V. Plater

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to the lack of policies at the federal and state level, 4-year public colleges and universities across the United States are left to develop retention policies at the institutional level to support their diverse populations. Retention rates for minority students lag behind their peers, especially African American male students. This study identified the factors that influence retention amongst African American male students at 4-year public colleges and universities. The theoretical framework used in this study was the Tinto model of academic and social integration. The data identified that financial resources, family support, and academic and social engagement influence the …

The Impact Of Sex Offender Registration Laws On Offenders’ Reintegration Into Society, Stephanie Rose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information related to the experiences of sex offenders required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2006 is predominantly based on quantitative data, and the majority of information relates to the factors that contribute to sexual offenses, recidivism rates, and public opinion of the sex offender registry. There is a lack of research on the lived experience of sex offenders who are required to register, specifically those in rural Pennsylvania. Research is also lacking on how sex offenders and the professionals with whom they interact perceive the registry. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study was …

Impact Of Progress Toward Degree On Major Selection For Division I Historically'€¯Black'€¯College'€¯And University Student-Athletes, April Alicia Chestnut

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I student-athletes select or may change their majors to maintain participation eligibility in sports rather than focus on their specific academic interests. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the impact of progress towards degree (PTD) on the degree choices and perceived academic value of the degree received by student-athletes attending HBCUs. The study used Sabatier's and Jenkins-Smith's advocacy coalition framework. The research questions focused on the perceptions and lived experiences of student-athletes, athletic advisors, and athletic administrators on the impact of PTD on major selection. A researcher-developed interview …

Exploring A Pathway Out Of Poverty Using The Welfare System, Cadarrall A. Eddings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals dependent on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) encounter

multiple contributors that impede economic empowerment and a pathway out of poverty

that leads to self '€“ sufficiency. Previous research has not been fully clarified as to why

TANF has not been successful in moving recipients out of dependency and into lasting

economic success. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to

conduct a comparative analysis between two administrations, namely the Obama and

Trump administrations, concerning welfare policies. The human capital theory provided

the theoretical framework for the study. This study explored the lived experiences of

TANF recipients related …

Exploring The Impact Of Entrepreneurship Education Program On Current Graduate Entrepreneurs, Ruth Oluwatoyosi Abioye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigeria produces up to 500,000 graduates from multiple disciplines every year from its educational institutions however, most of these graduates fail to possess the 21st Century skills and competencies that are required to be effective in the workforce and are therefore considered unemployable. The current general qualitative study employed the theory of planned behaviour and the theory of social construction in order to examine the role of entrepreneurship education and its impact on the graduates in the country. Semi structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 15 recent graduates from Covenant University’s entrepreneurship education programs and who are …