Public Policy Commons^™

The Public’S Case Against Dte Energy: Extracting Profits, Inducing Health Harms, And Damaging Democracy, Alex B. Hill, Bridget Vial, Aly Shaw, Gin Armstrong, Robert Galbraith

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Together with our partners, MEJC and LittleSis, We The People Michigan finds that DTE has extracted profit from its customers through hundreds of thousands of shutoffs, the second highest amount of rate hikes in the country, and unnecessary power outages that leave customers without power. They have invested heavily in new fossil fuel power plants that place significant health burdens on customers while blocking renewable energy initiatives. Finally, this report digs into the campaign donations of DTE executives, board members, and PAC to reveal how they utilize dark money to advance their profit-driven agenda.

Forms Of Community Engagement In Neighborhood Food Retail: Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project, Ravneet Kuar, Megan R. Winkler, Sara John, Julia Deangelo, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Ashley Hickson, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Christina Kasprzak, Bree Bode, Alex B. Hill, Emma C. Lewis, Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, Jake Munch, Lillian L. Witting, Angela Odoms-Young, Joel Gittelsohn, Lucia A. Leone

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Community engagement is well established as a key to improving public health. Prior food environment research has largely studied community engagement as an intervention component, leaving much unknown about how food retailers may already engage in this work. The purpose of this study was to explore the community engagement activities employed by neighborhood food retailers located in lower-income communities with explicit health missions to understand the ways stores involve and work with their communities. A multiple case study methodology was utilized among seven retailers in urban U.S. settings, which collected multiple sources of data at each retailer, including in-depth interviews, …

Housing Affordability For Top Occupations In Nevada Metros, 2022, Kristian Thymianos, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Ally M. Beckwith, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This fact sheet combines housing and employment data from the National Housing Conference (NHC) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to examine housing affordability for the 10 most common occupations in the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV and the Reno-Sparks, NV metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in Quarter 1 of 2022.

2022 Adult Foster Home Resident And Community Characteristics Report On Adult Foster Homes, Ozcan Tunalilar, Paula C. Carder, Jaclyn Winfree, Sheryl Elliott, Minju Kim, Diana Jacoby, Wafi Albalawi

Institute on Aging Publications

This report describes results from a study of Oregon adult foster homes (AFH), including home and owner characteristics; monthly charges and payment sources; resident characteristics, personal and health-related needs; and owners’ experiences with supports and challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s purpose was to collect and report data that can inform and advise policymakers, state and county agency staff, aging advocates and AFH owners about the status of AFHs in Oregon. The report includes information collected between December 2021 and March 2022 and, where possible, compares it to findings from prior years of this study and to other …

Arts Vibrancy In The Mountain West, 2020, Joshua Padilla, Ally M. Beckwith, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet highlights data on various arts vibrant communities in the United States from the 2020 Arts Vibrancy Index Report. The growth of arts communities across the country contributes to the increased intensity of the United States’ cultural sector. Using the original data prepared by Southern Methodist University (SMU) Data Arts, this fact sheet focuses on the arts vibrancy of communities in the Mountain West.

Ready For Nuclear Energy?: A Policy Review Of The Philippines’ Nuclear Energy Plan And Participation In The Asean Network Of Regulatory Bodies On Atomic Energy, Julius Cesar Trajano

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Recently, the Philippines has been demonstrating its interest in using nuclear energy, including addressing issues and gaps in its nuclear energy preparations, several of which fall under nuclear security, nuclear emergency preparedness and response, and regulatory capacity. This article argues that the ASEAN member states’ growing regional cooperation in nuclear safety and security, spearheaded by the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM), can have a strong positive impact on the Philippines’ nuclear energy preparations. ASEANTOM’s regional activities and projects can help the Philippines address some of the current critical gaps and issues in its nuclear energy preparatory …

Oregon's Senate Joint Resolution 12: Understanding The Implications Of A Constitutional Right To Healthcare, Anna Starr, Mpp

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

Problems persist throughout the U.S. healthcare system including exorbitant costs, poor health scores, high rates of uninsured, and lack of access to services among marginalized groups. Among many proposed solutions is a constitutional provision to healthcare. Largely based in ethics, healthcare as a right is also expected by many to improve health outcomes. However, while constitutional provisions for healthcare are found in countries around the world, empirical research results are limited and mixed at best. In the wake of social justice movements and resurgence of vibrant conversations about human rights, and with international pressure mounting for the U.S. to follow …

Adjusting Community Survey Data Benchmarks For External Factors, Allen Miller, Nicole M. Norelli, Robert Slater, Mingyang N. Yu

SMU Data Science Review

Abstract. Using U.S. resident survey data from the National Community Survey in combination with public data from the U.S. Census and additional sources, a Voting Regressor Model was developed to establish fair benchmark values for city performance. These benchmarks were adjusted for characteristics the city cannot easily influence that contribute to confidence in local government, such as population size, demographics, and income. This adjustment allows for a more meaningful comparison and interpretation of survey results among individual cities. Methods explored for the benchmark adjustment included cluster analysis, anomaly detection, and a variety of regression techniques, including random forest, ridge, decision …

Women In Tech In The Mountain West Cities, 2021, Saha Salahi, Joshua Padilla, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines data exploring the SmartAsset, “Best Cities for Women in Tech – 2021 Edition” and presents information on the best cities for women in tech in the Mountain West. This fact sheet focuses on the eight cities in the Mountain West region that appear within the 63 U.S. cities included in the original report.

Competency-Based Personnel Selection Oklahoma - Intervention Background, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

What is competency-based personnel selection and why was this intervention selected?

Competency-based personnel selection refers to a hiring process that is rooted in assessment of the required job-related competencies or knowledge, skills, abilities, or other characteristics (KSAOs). Competencies can be evaluated to make hiring decisions using a variety of different methods, including interviews, paper-and-pencil or computer-administered tests, work samples, or situational judgment tests, to name a few. In Oklahoma, a structured interview, typing test, and writing assessment were implemented and pre-employment tests assessing personality, cognitive skills, and attitudes were administered to staff to inform decisions about future …

Supportive Supervision And Resiliency Ohio - Needs Assessment Summary, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

Exploration of Needs The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) partnered with the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment in nine participating counties, to identify potential issues related to staff retention within the child welfare workforce. A number of data sources were used to inform the process, including: 1) administrative data and metrics provided by the Human Resources representatives in each of the nine agencies, 2) formal surveys of child welfare staff and supervisors in the nine participating counties, and 3) the subjective perceptions and expertise from the QIC-WD and Ohio …

Onboarding Program Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians - Implementation Overview, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The Implementation Team

The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) worked with EBCI Family Safety Program (FSP) to establish an implementation team to lead the development and implementation of their intervention. The implementation team included the FSP Manager, the individual unit supervisors, and the Site Implementation Manager (SIM)/Data Coordinator (the same person fulfilled the role of SIM and Data Coordinator), leadership from throughout the Public Health and Human Services Division, and three members of the QIC-WD (representing expertise in workforce, implementation, and evaluation). The SIM and Data Coordinator positions were partially funded by the QIC-WD and all other …

Bringing People Back Into Public Health Data: Community Feedback On A Set Of Visualization Tools - Summary Report, Alejandro Cerón, Mia Glover, Quisi Rodriguez-Oregel, Dani Thompson, Tom Adams, Naomi Asakura, Kaela Belknap, Anna Block, Nicole Boehler, Hannah Boeve, Sarah Bomers, Sasha Borovok, Grace Bryan, Kate Buffington, Majesty Cain, Beth Carideo, Haley Chesno, Grace Connell, Jake Corbett, Camille Cruz, Chloe Dawkins, Anna Denniston, Lydia Dickens, Sophie Duplock, Samuel Dwinell, Avery Ess, Sam Ferman, Ellis Geis, Ethan Graupmann, Xander Hedrick, Angel Hernandez-Miramontes, Grant Huyghe, Sara Ibrahiem, Anna Jamieson, Ian Kang, Allie Kris, Erin Lawrence, Maddie Leake, Ryan Leary, Taylor Loh, Charlotte Monroe, Alexander Nguyen-Lopez, Henry O’Daffer, Cat Parish, Jaylee Recountre, Grace Rizzo, Noah Roseth, Grace Rothstein, Katie Sage, Marie Saltzmann, Stephen Shlain, Riley Shores, Mackenna Simson, Mark Teneza, Jack Weinmeister, Justin Weinzweig, Alison Wenman, Patch Whelan, Lea Zimmerman

Anthropology: Undergraduate Student Scholarship

This course-based study is a product of the University of Denver’s Spring 2022 The Social Determination of Health (ANTH 2424) class. The study aimed to understand how well a set of public health visualization tools tells the data stories about people in Colorado, and about important public health problems. For this, a team of almost sixty undergraduate students taking the class, coordinated by three graduate teaching assistants, and directed by the course instructor interviewed a total of fifty-six people from Colorado, qualitatively analyzed those interviews, and wrote reports that draw conclusions and recommendations.

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Editorial 14.1 And 14.2, Teri Behrens

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue 14.1 And 14.2

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Out Of Crisis, Learnings Shape Future Grantmaking, Stacie S. Cherner

The Foundation Review

Like other philanthropic organizations during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jim Joseph Foundation took steps to loosen grant requirements, support CEOs and leadership teams, and provide funding for emergencies and innovations.

The foundation, which strives to bring consistent expertise with evaluation and research in untroubled times and whose mission is to foster effective Jewish learning experiences for young Jews, has a unique perspective when reflecting on learning. So another area that required flexibility was in the re-examination of learning plans to take advantage of the “forced experimentation” imposed by the pandemic lockdown.

In March 2020, the foundation …

Immediate Needs And Systemic Solutions: Harnessing A Collective Crisis Response By Regional Philanthropy Alongside Systemic Change, Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, Nancy M. Blaschak

The Foundation Review

On March 13, 2020, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo invited the John R. Oishei Foundation, the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, and United Way of Buffalo & Erie County to convene all funders in western New York to respond collectively to the impending COVID-19 crisis. Funding was raised swiftly and, using a racial equity lens, more than $14.2 million was granted in 18 months to more than 400 nonprofits of all sizes serving on the front lines in eight counties.

While emergency funding was the first priority for the collective group of more than 60 foundations, …

Happiness And Policy Implications: A Sociological View, Sarah M. Kahl

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The World Happiness Report is released every year, ranking each country by who is “happier” and explaining the variables and data they have used. This project attempts to build from that base and create a machine learning algorithm that can predict if a country will be in a “happy” or “could be happier” category. Findings show that taking a broader scope of variables can better help predict happiness. Policy implications are discussed in using both big data and considering social indicators to make better and lasting policies.

The Effects Of “No Pro Homo” Policies On Lgbtq+ Perceptions In The American South, Isabella L. Brocato

Honors Theses

Five states in the American South currently have “no pro homo” policies in place, while an increasing number of bills targeting discussions about sexuality and gender identity in public schools are being introduced to House floors around the country. Although there is extensive research on the ways in which these policies put the physical and mental well-being of LGBTQ+ students at risk, there is little to no research about how they shape public perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community collectively. With inspiration from Kenneth and Mamie Clark’s social science study cited in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), this study works …

Editorial 14.1 And 14.2, Teresa R. Behrens

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue 14.1 And 14.2

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Back Matter 14.1 And 14.2

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Diving Deep On Equity And Power: Exploring Shifts In Philanthropic Practice With The Iceberg Model, Sonia Taddy-Sandino, Kim Ammann Howard, Lori Nascimento

The Foundation Review

Lessons from the events of this historic time — from a national reckoning with systemic racism to a global pandemic and its economic and social fallout — have deep implications for philanthropy that go beyond grantmaking and include fundamental questions about the sector’s role, power, and influence in advancing equity and social change. Confronting those questions requires a look inward at the practices, policies, structures, mindsets, and cultural norms that govern how foundations operate.

The experience of The California Endowment and The James Irvine Foundation shows what can be learned from this period of crisis and disruption. Through specific examples …

Back Matter 14.1 And 14.2

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Automatic Voter Registration And Voter Turnout In Nevada Elections, Dielle T. Telada, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Elections & Governance

For the first time in Nevada’s history, voters who are not registered as Democrats or Republicans (i.e., nonpartisans and minor party registrants) constitute a majority of active registered voters. In particular, the rapid growth in nonpartisan registrants corresponds with Nevada’s adoption of Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) in January 2020, resulting in the addition of more than 320,000 new voters to the electorate. This fact sheet summarizes voter registration and voter turnout statistics reported by the Nevada Secretary of State for elections since 2012.

Respectful Tribal Partnership: What Philanthropy Can Learn From The Navajo Nation’S Collaborative Response To The Covid-19 Crisis, Nancy Petersen, Karletta Chief, Toni M. Massaro, Nikki Tulley, Crystal Tulley-Cordova, Jonelle Vold

The Foundation Review

The gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disparately harsh impact on Indigenous peoples are now well known. U.S. death rates normalized by population, for example, have been far higher for Native Americans than for the white population in the United States. Many funders, realizing that basic human services are lacking for many Native American and Indigenous communities, have responded to the crisis. While this desire to act is laudable, many fail to grasp the complexities and necessity of applying trust-based collaborative principles that respect tribes as sovereign nations.

This article describes a successful model for collaboration among a tribal …

Front Matter 14.1 And 14.2

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Kentuckians And Expanded Gaming: Opposition To Protect The Vulnerable?, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

During the 2022 meeting of the Kentucky General Assembly, gambling interests in the state had both triumphs and setbacks. An attempt to raise taxes on revenues earned by specialty slot machines (historical horse racing machines, or HHR machines) was turned back, yet an attempt to legalize sports gambling on sports such as the NFL, NBA, NCAA, etc., was also turned back. Lotteries, charitable gaming, and pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing have been legal in the state for some time, and HHR machines were made fully legal after state laws were re-written in 2021 to have them comply with the state …

Front Matter 14.1 And 14.2

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.