Social Policy Commons^™

Three Essays On Governance, Inequality, And Social Equity, Sarah Ausmus Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Comprised of three essays, my dissertation is linked by a common focus: the relationship between state or local governance arrangements and inequality or facets of social equity. I draw upon a range of literatures to motivate my research questions and inform my methodologies—welfare and social policy, public economics, intergovernmental relations, public finance and management.

In the first essay, I ask: does localizing welfare governance impact geospatial access to the social safety net? This is an important question because proximity is highly salient to program utilization. I geocode the location of human services nonprofits from tax filings in eight states using …

Lincoln Vital Signs, 2022 Report (Version 1.2), Stacey Hoffman, Alyssa Sloane, Taylor Smith

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Executive Summary

Since 2014, Lincoln Vital Signs, authored by the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, has been a community-wide data resource. The 2022 Lincoln Vital Signs report is sponsored by Lincoln’s and Nebraska’s largest public and private charitable organizations. Lincoln Vital Signs 2022 continues the tradition of providing credible, reliable information about Lincoln, compared to its recent past and to other communities in the United States. Data from the report are used by organizations and individuals to inform decisions, spark connections, and spur collaboration. You can view the report, along with new interactive graphs, at https://www.lincolnvitalsigns.org. Lincoln Vital …

Older Supplemental Security Income (Ssi) Recipients Work Less Frequently Than Their Younger Counterparts, But Use Work Incentive 1619(B) At Higher Rates, Daria Domin

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Data Note 77 examines Social Security Administration data that shows that younger SSI recipients were three times more likely to be working than older SSI recipients. However, younger recipients participated in work incentives at a lower rate compared to older SSI recipients.

"Ethnic" Some Days, White The Rest: Whittier, Ca As A Case Study In Mexican-American Racialization And Assimilation In Los Angeles County, Maria Gutierrez-Vera

CMC Senior Theses

Per the U.S. Census Bureau, the Latino population in the United States stands at 60.5 million. This thesis tells the story of a few hundred-thousand Mexican-Americans in Southeast Los Angeles County’s suburbs, who live in a region nicknamed the “Mexican Beverly Hills.” This is a unique site of middle-class ethnic affluence, but also a place where questions of “Hispanic” racial identity, assimilation, and belonging are played out. The Mexican Beverly Hills promises residents the fulfillment of their own (Mexican-) American Dream, but also plays into tropes of model minorities, demands assimilation and ethnic betrayal from its residents, and is the …

Towards Indigenous Women’S Meaningful Participation: Their Voices, Their Spaces, Ma. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza

Political Science Department Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Covid, Care, And The Carceral State: American Disposability Politics And The Selective Weaponization Of Public Health Guidelines During Covid-19, Uma Nagarajan-Swenson

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis examines the American state's role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on marginalized communities, arguing that the state used the frame of disposability politics to justify expanding its carceral capacities and withdrawing as a provider of welfare during the pandemic.

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And The Risk Of Drug Overdose In Adulthood, Samantha E. Wright

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) encompass a variety of traumatic events that occur during one’s youth. ACEs may be physical, mental, emotional, or sexual in nature, and they are often associated with long-term negative consequences such as alcoholism, substance abuse, and criminal justice involvement. The global rise of the opioid epidemic has intensified the need to better understand and address factors associated with illicit substance use. The current study will investigate the relationship between exposure to ACEs, onset of drug use, and history of drug overdose.

Methods: This study will utilize an observational design in which participants will be asked …

Facultas Marginem: Assessing Disability Data And Public Aau Universities’ Affirmative Action Plans For Systemic Barriers Facing Faculty With Disabilities, Joseph Carlton Barry

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

This dissertation contributes to education equity scholarship produced by academics seeking to develop understandings of disability, Persons with Disabilities (PWD), and how both are situated amongst faculty in institutions of higher education. As such, this dissertation centers on a study of public US universities belonging to the Association of American Universities (AAU). This study looks for institutional level associations between respective rates by which college and university faculty with disabilities (FWD) are employed, certain aspects of disability policy drawn from each institution’s 2020 Affirmative Action Plans (AAP), and various other instances of empirical disability data (EDD).

While this study contributes …

Disparate Financial Assistance Support For Small Business Owners, Sophia Fox-Dichter, Daniel Auguste, Mathieu Despard, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Social Policy Institute Research

Small business owners experienced a drastic economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Government pandemic assistance failed to reach many small business owners, especially those historically underserved by financial institutions. Drawing on a 2021 survey of 246 small business owners, the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis descriptively examined the extent to which small business owners sought and received business assistance, and whether applications and approval of government assistance varied by race and ethnicity. We find that though Hispanic and Black business owners applied for government assistance at a higher rate than white business owners, Black business …

Neo-Emancipatory Sex Education In Germany: Sexual Abuse And Gender Confusion, Bernd Ahrbeck, Karla Etschenberg, Marion Felder

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This article focuses on two related areas of concern with regard to sex education and implications for children and youth in Germany. The first one is the history of the currently dominant neo-emancipatory sexual education and its implications for today. This direction of sex education is highly influenced by theories of Helmut Kentler who with the help of the German city of Berlin youth protection services department sent homeless and troubled boys to known pedophiles for care. This experiment went on for 30 years, ending in 2001. Only now has the extend of this horrific practice been fully discovered. The …

Impact And Coping Strategies Among Vulnerable Groups: An Urban-Rural Resilience Trajectory Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rizki Fillali, Ana Rosidha Tamyis, Sulton Mawardi, Hening Wikan Sawiji

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on the livelihoods of vulnerable groups. Previous studies have indicated that vulnerable groups in urban areas suffer more economic impacts than their counterparts in rural areas, largely due to mobility restrictions, social and physical distancing measures, and pre-pandemic vulnerabilities, exacerbating the challenges that urban groups face to survive. This article examines variations in the impacts and coping strategies of vulnerable groups in selected urban and rural areas in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic, and determines how these impacts and coping strategies have shaped the trajectory of community resilience. The article argues that although …

When And How Does Anti-Semitism Occur? The Different Trigger Mechanisms Associated With Different Types Of Criminal And Non-Criminal Hate Incidents, Matteo Vergani, Dan Goodhard, Rouven Link, Amy Adamczyk, Joshua D. Freilich, Steven Chermak

Publications and Research

We used data from an Australian community register to build a database containing 673 incidents, including both criminal and non-criminal anti-Semitic acts that occurred between October 2013 and September 2017. We conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses to explore the differences in the types of incidents associated with different trigger events. Using time series methods, we found a significant increase in criminal (but not in non-criminal) incidents during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict. During Jewish religious festivals, we found a significant decrease in criminal incidents, and a significant increase in non-criminal incidents. After the establishment of the neo-nazi group Antipodean Resistance, we …

Stay-At-Home Fathers: What Is Their Life Really Like? An Intimate Portrayal, Christi Ann Hosking

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Reinforced by years of gender stereotypes is modern societies’ definition of masculinity, which has long been characterized by breadwinning and providing. Current literature has observed the growing trend which finds an increasing number of men engaged in the role of caregiver and the dynamic change in the home-work balance. Only a few studies looked at what life is like for a stay-at-home father and even fewer have allowed these fathers a unique voice for sharing their story. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of what day to day life was really like as a stay-at-home …

'Indirect Pathways Into Practice': Philippine Internationally Educated Nurses And Their Entry Into Ontario's Nursing Profession, Lualhati Marcelino

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

While there are several studies that highlight the quantitative and statistical profiles of internationally educated nurses (IENs) from the Philippines who migrate to countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the United States and Canada, there is little research that delves deeply into the qualitative review and analysis of their experiences in their own words. This study addresses that gap by applying the transnational feminist concept of “global care chains” in a single case study design that explores the experience of nurses who migrated to Ontario through permanent and temporary immigration streams and were interviewed in 2011 to 2012 to …

"Our Strength Is Unity:" Delivery Bikers In Their Own Words, Connor W. Zaft

Capstones

"Our Strength Is Unity" is a year-long photographic essay on food delivery workers and their attempts to self-organize during the pandemic.

Reproductive Freedom For All: A Policy Brief, Noa J. Cook

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Reproductive freedom in the United States has been a source of controversy throughout history and current legislation places these rights under attack. Divided into three parts, this policy brief seeks to address the lack of accessible reproductive healthcare for women, with special attention to economic, racial, and ethnic disparities. Part 1 includes a historical overview of abortion access and significant legislation in the U.S., describes the present status of the problem, and the populations affected. In Part 2, the pros and cons of current policies such as the federal contraceptive guarantee of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Hyde Amendment, and …

Billions In Covid-19 Rental Assistance Fails To Reach Tenants, William Clay Fannin

Population Health Research Brief Series

COVID-19 exacerbated existing problems with housing affordability in the United States, particularly for Black and Hispanic renters. To curb these financial hardships, Congress created the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, but ERA rollout has been slow and inconsistent. This brief describes geographic differences in ERA spending across the U.S. and encourages states and localities to adopt policies that increase program eligibility and streamline fund disbursement.

Whose Turn Now? The Enactment & Expansion Of Private School Choice Programs Across The Us, Yujie Sude, Patrick Wolf

School Choice Demonstration Project

Private school choice policies have been enacted and expanded across the United States since the 1990s. By January 2021, 30 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico hosted 67 distinct private school choice policies. Why have some states adopted and expanded this education reform while others have demurred? Which states are more likely to adopt specific types of private school choice initiatives in the coming years? We present the results of an exploratory empirical analysis examining which state-level political, economic, and educational factors predict past policy decisions regarding the enactment and expansion of private school choice in 49 …

Socio-Economic And Environmental Issues: Implications For Food Security In Nigeria, Isaiah O. Olurinola, Evans Osabuohien

Economic and Financial Review

Socio-economic activities within the agricultural sector have witnessed significant changes in recent times. Two major factors account for this recent development. Available evidence shows that over the last four decades, environmental challenges (such as pollution, extreme weather, fire disaster and deforestation, among others) have been on the increase in Nigeria. This is complicated by a weak institutional framework to stem the tide (Egbetokun et al., 2018; 2020). Also, the information from Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) shows that the annual mean climatic conditions (that is rainfall and temperature) in Nigeria have witnessed huge variation (NIMET, 2020; Egbetokun et al., 2020), which …

Determining The Impact Of Government Intervention On Firm Decisions For Sustainable Production, Katherine Ann J. Fernandez, Joshua Ryan C. Go, Jean Nicole L. Ng, Bianca Alanis Ysabel C. Redulla, Jason Alinsunurin, Dickson A. Lim, Mariel Monica R. Sauler

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

We use a game theoretic approach to assess how the government can influence firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) investment and production decisions to enhance social welfare, considering the negative externalities of unsustainable production and positive externalities from CSR investments. Using a Stackelberg duopoly as a base model and lump-sum tax as the government’s decision variable, we find that when the government chooses not to intervene, it results in greater environmental damage as firms will underinvest in CSR and overproduce in quantity to achieve profit maximization. As such, the model extends to the assumption that the government acts as a benevolent …

One Or The Other: Parent Religiosity Or Private School Choice May Reduce Crime And Paternity Disputes In Milwaukee, Marilyn Anderson Rhames, Patrick J. Wolf

School Choice Demonstration Project

Religious faith is one of the strongest motivators known to man. For millennia, human beings have turned to a higher power to help them cope with the challenges of life and define their values and behaviors. Millions of people have died for their faith. Yet, when it comes to public education reform and research, the influence of religion is grossly underexplored. This study takes some initial steps to change that. We analyze parent survey responses from the 2008 Milwaukee Parent Choice Program (MPCP) Longitudinal Education Growth Study Baseline Report. Our analysis compares MPCP students who were matched to students from …

Opportunities For Positive Youth Development: The Organized Activity Participation And Educational Outcomes Of Adolescents In Adopted, Foster, And Kinship Care, Ryan D. Heath, Keunhye Park, Sarah Faith Millward

Falk College Research Center

Purpose: Children who grow up outside the care of their biological parents – e.g., those in adoptive, foster, or kinship (AFK) care – experience poorer educational outcomes than their peers. However, the protective factors that could mitigate any risks of AFK care have received less attention. One understudied area is the participation of AFK youth in organized activities (e.g., extracurricular or afterschool programs).

Method: Drawing on nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (n=16,197), this study used multilevel modeling to (1) examine the association of AFK care status with organized activity participation and …

Testing The Efficacy Of Leadership For Empowerment And Abuse Prevention (Leap), A Healthy Relationship Training Intervention For People With Intellectual Disability, Parthenia Dinora, Seb Prohn, Elizabeth P. Cramer, Molly Dellinger-Wray, Caitlin Mayton, Allison D'Aguiliar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) is an abuse prevention intervention for people with intellectual disability. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the intervention’s efficacy. Findings indicated no significant differences in scenario identification questions depicting acceptable or concerning situations. However, statistically significant improvements were noted in participants’ depth of understanding, including their ability to correctly describe why a scenario was abusive or exploitative and what to do next when confronted with unhealthy situations. Limitations and implications for practice are discussed.

Testing A Wellness Indicators Measure For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Matthew Bogenschutz, Michael Broda, Sarah Lineberry, Parthenia Dinora, Seb Prohn

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background and Purpose: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often have health and wellness issues that are not as good as people without disabilities. States are required to monitor health and wellness for people with IDD who use many disability services. However, there are few ways to monitor wellness between states or at different points in time. In this study, we share a new model that states may use to monitor wellness of people with IDD.

Methods: We used data from a survey called the National Core Indicators (NCI) to develop this model. First, we developed the model using …

College Students’ Knowledge Of And Openness To Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Louis W. Turchetta, Valerie Ryan

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

College students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges due to limited understanding of this condition. This study investigates college students' awareness of and openness to peers with ASD using an educational intervention. Data were analyzed via a pre–post survey design with two groups.

Factorial analysis of variance showed no significant differences between groups. However, a Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed significant differences in the treatment group’s ranks on the openness scale and knowledge scale between pre- and post-intervention surveys. Findings yielded small (openness) and large effect sizes (knowledge) as expected. Brief educational interventions in required courses can thus potentially enhance …

Community Conversations: Finding Solutions To Increase Employment For Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, James Sinclair, Kyle Reardon, Katherine W. Bromley, Christen Knowles, Dana Cohen Lissman, Megan Kunze

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This study describes the implementation and findings of a pilot community conversations event in the state of Oregon to identify innovative solutions to under- and unemployment experienced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The event was facilitated in partnership with the University of Oregon UCEDD, local Arc chapter, and other relevant community stakeholders. A total of 36 diverse individuals (e.g., school personnel, business owners, individuals with IDD, and caregivers of individuals with IDD) participated in a two-hour community conversations event about how to improve employment opportunities for those experiencing IDD. Participants engaged in discussions about solutions to employment …

Daily Life Experiences Of Families Of People With Disabilities During Covid-19 Pandemic, Evan E. Dean, Karrie A. Shogren, Courtney Sanchez, Sean Swindler

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background. For people with IDD and their families, COVID-19 has introduced additional challenges including significant disruptions to daily life and increased risk in accessing services and supports. Understanding how families are adapting and navigating through the crisis is critical both to inform ongoing supports as the pandemic continues and beyond as there will likely be ongoing changes in service and support delivery both directly and indirectly related to COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to survey families in one Midwest state in the U.S. to document experiences during COVID-19 with a focus on understanding how families are navigating current …

Advance Care Planning Within Individualized Care Plans: A Component Of Emergency Preparedness, Heather L. Church, Christina Marsack-Topolewski, Jacqueline M. Mcginley, Victoria Knoke

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Federally-legislated Medicaid requirements for recipients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) to have a person-centered plan (PCP) do not specifically require that advanced care plans (ACP) be a component of the plan. However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has provided a salient reminder of the importance of incorporating ACP within the PCP for people who have IDD. As demonstrated by situations arising from COVID-19, emergencies and crises can dramatically alter access to care for people with IDD. This paper synthesizes results from an environmental scan related to ACP for adults with IDD. Findings suggest that the use of ACP, particularly when …

Editorial: Increasing Accessibility In Academic Publishing And Upcoming Initiatives, Matt Wappett

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This editorial provides an overview of the current issue, and then several initiatives that DDNJ is working on to increase the accessibility of academic publishing. This editorial introduces our new podcast and our upcoming presentation at the Fall 2021 AUCD Conference.