Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Race And The Rush To Reopen Schools During Covid-19, Emily M. Farris, Heather Silber Mohamed

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

While the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted student learning in the spring of 2020 and impacted nearly all of the 55 million students in kindergarten to 12th grade nationwide, it also magnified significant racial inequities in schools and society. Generations of systemic racism left communities of color and their neighborhood schools more at risk during the crisis. Over the summer of 2020, school leaders and communities considered whether to reopen school campuses or keep buildings closed for the 2020-2021 academic school year, and media began to highlight racial and ethnic difference in attitudes about those plans. Consistent with popular …

Impact Of Stand Your Ground, Background Checks And Conceal And Carry Laws On Homicide Rates In The U.S, Sounak Chakraborty, Charles E. Menifield, Ranadeep Daw

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

In recent years, the number of gun related killings appear to be on the rise. In fact, data show that gun related murders rose 32% between 2014 and 2017 (Gramlich 2019). While the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows citizens to bear weapons, many states have passed additional laws regulating the industry. These include restrictive and prohibitive laws. The goal of this paper is to assess the impact of changes in hand gun related legislation on firearm homicide rates in the United States for the period 1999-2015. More specifically, we focus on the impact of stand your ground, right …

Changing The Social Equity Language Game In Public Administration: An Ethical Perspective, Diana P. Negron, Parisa J. Vinzant, Staci M. Zavattaro, Adam M. Butz

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

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Managed Racial Capitalism: Understanding The Bureaucratic State’S Racialized Practices In Detroit, Michigan, Meghan Wilson, Prentiss A. Dantzler, Jason D. Rivera

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Public administration navigates an important place in governing in that it is multidisciplinary and focused on practice, thus all theories need to be prepared to face critique from the people. At this watershed moment of social justice, political reckoning, and revolutionary imagination, it is key that public administration contends with the racist logics driving the field and the practice. In this article, we examine the ways that the current governing system fails to account for the racialized political economy, thus reproducing the inequality inherent in that system. The paper poses two questions: 1) How does the public administration of local …

Strategies For Introspection And Instruction Towards Antiracism In Public Management And Administration, Rachel Emas, Megan E. Hatch, Del Bharath, Tia Sherèe Gaynor

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

To be anti-racist is to be actively engaged in the fight against racism, as inaction only serves to reinforce racism and oppression. In teaching the next generation of public servants, educators have a responsibility to be antiracist in their classrooms. The development of this antiracist approach requires both introspective and instructional efforts. Building on knowledge from Critical Race Theory, Black Feminism, intersectionality, and public service pedagogy, this article discusses the internal work that educators must undertake to become antiracist before teaching students how to do so. Then, the article explores what steps faculty can take towards building an antiracist pedagogy …

What The Hell Is Wrong With America? The Truth About Racism And Justice For All, James E. Wright Ii, Stephanie Dolamore, Rajade M. Berry-James

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

A Call For Racial Justice And Improving Equity In Policing, Education, And Childcare, Charles E. Menifield

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Is Arizona’S Senate Bill 1070 A Degenerative Policy? Latinos Say Yes, And No. Implications For Latinos And Democracy In A Trump World, Karina Moreno

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Schneider and Ingram’s theory of policy design (1997) states that policy making includes a process through which knowledge is socially constructed and is a domain in which power elites are able to manipulate symbols, rhetoric, images, and distort logical lines of inquiry to justify policies that privilege certain social groups while stigmatizing and disenfranchising others. Policies act as lessons, and individuals, in turn, then internalize messages on their value to society based on the policies that are assigned to them. Using qualitative data in the form of in-depth interviews conducted with Latinos in Arizona, this paper asks, Is Arizona’s Senate …

Interdistrict And Charter School Mobility In Arizona: Understanding The Dynamics Of Public School Choice, Jeanne M. Powers, Amelia M. Topper, Amanda U. Potterton

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

We investigate the mobility patterns of elementary students enrolled in Arizona’s traditional public school districts and charter schools. We address interdistrict and charter school mobility simultaneously. Most student movement is interdistrict or between school districts. In Arizona, interdistrict mobility has played a greater role in creating and sustaining the “educational market” than charter schools. There is also a substantial amount of student movement from charter schools to school districts. Regression analyses suggested that the relationship between demographic and achievement variables and the different types of student mobility differed across the two sectors. We also document regional differences in mobility patterns, …

In The Midst Of An Epidemic: How Print Media Shapes Policy Feedback To The Opioid Crisis, Peter S. Federman

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

As opioid addiction has spread across the country, media discourse around opioid abuse has consistently increased. A content analysis of local newspaper articles from the state of Massachusetts reveals that political and administrative officials conceive of Narcan in distinct ways. Administrators, including police and fire officials, see Narcan as a means to accomplish their organizational mission. Conversely, elected officials are primarily concerned with cost, legal ramifications and the broad impact of the opioid crisis, remaining disconnected from street-level concerns. In delineating these divergent perspectives, this article provides two unique contributions: first, it applies policy feedback theory as a framework to …

The Good, Bad And Ugly Of Innovations In Human Services Administration: Evidence From New York Counties, Lauren Mullins, Jyldyz Kasymova

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Counties are often seen as “forgotten” and understudied governments in the family of local jurisdictions. The recent growing demand for public assistance led to a renewed interest in county governance, specifically in relation to the administration of social services. In order to cope with a post-recession growing workload, many counties began using technology and other innovative methods to serve clients effectively. This research seeks to learn and make sense of innovation practices in providing social safety services in several counties in New York State. In particular, we attempt to respond to the following questions. First, what types of innovations are …

Municipal Consolidation And Organizational Realities: A Case From New York City, Bakry Elmedni, Sade V. Mcintosh, Beverly P. Lyons

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Consolidation in the public sector has always been conceptualized as a tool for enhancing service provision and fiscal responsibility. The evidence is dubious in both front. Using self-administered questionnaire and follow-up interviews, this study attempts to explain why the merger of two NYC agencies (DJJ into ACS) is incomplete after six years based on employees’ perception. The paper contends that a well-designed and carefully-negotiated merger can lead to harmony while meeting the intended goals of the new organization. The study concludes that because of insufficient efforts in the three phases of merger (pre-merger, during and post-merger), employees were oblivious to …

Municipal Consolidation, Innovations And The Dynamics Of Public Policies, Andrew Ewoh

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Conditions For Competition: Assessing The Competitive Dynamics Of Us Counties, Josh Mitchell, Lashonda Stewart, John Hamman, Steve Modlin

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Research in public policy examines specific theories that drive policy adoption among jurisdictions. One of these theories, referred to in the economics literature as economic competition (or strategic competition), posits that local governments may engage in competition with one another because of the potential interjurisdictional economic spillover effects of certain fiscal policies. In this article, sales tax rates, a common, yet overlooked, policy instrument in the policy literature is examined to determine if sales tax rates drive competition among counties. Testing several hypotheses, this study finds that sales tax rate increases can exacerbate competition among counties. However, this relationship is …

Marginalized: The Missing Public Management Research On Homelessness, Richard F. Callahan

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Abstract

Homelessness is long-standing issue in American cities, with significant human consequences. However, current public management research does not typically include research on public agencies responding to the needs of the homeless.

This paper uses a case study to explore the disconnect between public management research and those living on the margins of society as homeless. The case study illustrates the potential for multiple streams of research in public management to effectively research the complexities of homelessness. This paper makes the case for that public agency responses to the varied dimensions of homelessness align with public management research, with the …

Addressing Social Inequity: A Case Study Of Success, Ed Tarlton, Robert Harper, Brandi Blessett, Brian N. Williams, Jarrad Carter

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Social equity is relatively easy to define but much harder to accomplish. As a result, achieving social equity continues to be difficult in American society and across the globe. We present a case study of a collaborative effort by two nonprofits to conduct a program for public high schools and local law-enforcement agencies across the United States. The program was designed to acknowledge and address the historic harms that impact police-community relations. Our paper delineates the origins of the problem and our approach, presents data that demonstrate the positive impact the program had on bridging gaps, changing perceptions, and lessening …

Efforts To Diminish Social Inequity In South Africa: Evaluating Life Skills And Income Generation Programs On Maternal Socioeconomic Position In Cape Town, Simone Martin-Howard

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

The purpose of this case study was to explore perceptions of the impact of program participation on diminishing social inequity using in-depth semi-structured interviews with marginalized Black and Coloured mothers at a civil society organization (CSO) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa (SA). Narratives from a total of thirty-seven interviews form the basis of this paper. Interviews provide examples of extreme poverty and the importance of within-in program social support networks. This case study highlights the successful efforts of one CSO to alleviate social inequity – through life skills and income generation programming – among impoverished women. Findings …

Achieving Equity In Education: A Restorative Justice Approach, Dalton Miller-Jones, Marilyn Marks Rubin

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

The critical role of education in making the United States a more equitable nation underscores the importance of eliminating the persistent academic achievement gap between students of color and White students. A school culture that fosters trusting relationships can play a key role in reducing this gap. This importance of trusting relationships at the core of school culture has, however, not always been recognized nor prioritized in policies and actions. Restorative justice, a philosophy based on repairing harm and creating a sense of belonging in a community, brings the discussion of trusting relationships into the public forum. This paper …

Social Equity And Body Worn Camera Policies: How Do State Politics Lead To Policy Adoption And Implementation?, Heath Brown, James Wright

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Police body-worn cameras (BWC) emerged on state policy agendas to improve public accountability and mitigate social equity concerns in the wake of a national debate on police violence. Some, but not all, states adopted BWC, suggesting several state-level factors determined the policy making process. We develop a two-step political model of state criminal justice policy (adoption and implementation) that incorporates three distinct political actors: law enforcement groups; traditional advocates for civil rights/liberties; and new advocates for social equity/justice. We find that in the first step (policy adoption) traditional civil rights groups are not statistically related to a state adopting a …

From Etiology To Action: Exploring The Origins, Obstacles, Opportunities And Outcomes Of Achieving Social Equity, Charles E. Menifield

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Determining Access To Financial Services Among The Young And Poor In American Communities, Komla Dzigbede, Sarah R. Young

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This paper investigates access to financial services in American communities. It analyzes the access gap that the young and poor face relative to more economically advantaged and older groups in society. The paper uses data from the World Bank’s Global Financial Inclusion survey to create a multi-dimensional index of financial access and estimates a menu of quantitative models to gauge financial inclusion. Results show that young and poor people face substantial gaps in access to financial services when compared with older people, higher income individuals, more educated people, and individuals who are less vulnerable to future economic shocks. These findings …

Have Voucher Will Relocate? Poverty Deconcentration In A Large American City, Kathy Thomas, Nicholas O. Alozie Dr.

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

The epic failure of fixed public housing projects supports the paradigm that poverty concentration makes poverty and the cycle of poverty intractable. Moreover, neoliberal, free-enterprise theorists interrogate the viability of the state as a provider of social goods and services and press the need for market-based schemes such as housing vouchers. However, how do you de-concentrate the poor voluntarily without government dictating residential choice? This article reports the results of the first ten years of a policy experiment leveraging a mobile voucher program to attempt to achieve voluntary dispersion and de-concentration of the poor in Phoenix, Arizona. Using Phoenix’s 308 …

Barber Shops, Salons, And Spas: The Complexity – And Simplicity – Of Implementing Outreach And Enrollment Contracts Under The Affordable Care Act, Michael Hatch, Rebecca Yurman, Anna A. Amirkhanyan, Jocelyn Johnston

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This article examines the implementation of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) with a particular focus on the states’ contracted outreach and enrollment services. Having collected administrative and perceptual data from key informants, we examined outreach and enrollment contracts in six states that have reduced the uninsured rate by at least 20% of ACA-eligible population. Our findings suggest that the complexity of the law and its structure, as well as the characteristics of contracting were, in effect, “drowned out” by clear patterns of highly collaborative implementation that involved extensive chains of diverse outreach/enrollment actors. These networks – ranging …

Responsive Management: Municipal Leadership For An Aging Population, Laura M. Keyes, Abraham David Benavides, Laura Keyes

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This article focuses on the responsive management of municipal leadership by identifying organizational and community values that affect age friendly policy making. The data comes from a sample of 1050 cities extracted from a national list of cities identified as place geography on the U.S. census list of geographies. The web-based questionnaire explored policy choices of 331 respondents in the areas of mobility, housing, the built environment, and public service delivery administered between May and August 2016. The institutionalization of the needs of an aging population in city management principles results in high levels of age friendly policy action by …

Municipal Diverging From “Bureaucracy:” A Case Study Of Organizational Image In Housing Services, Shawn T. Flanigan Ph.D.

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

This article presents a case study of efforts of a workforce development unit within a local public housing authority to recraft its image as separate from the larger housing authority, in order to better attract participants to its optional supportive services. Using qualitative interview data with Section 8 voucher recipients and public housing authority staff, and descriptive quantitative data from a larger dataset, and drawing on theories of street-level bureaucracies and agency-client interactions, the case study finds that service recipients perceive the housing authority as a largely compliance-oriented organization that is overly bureaucratic, excessively regulating of private spheres of family …

Housing, Medicaid Expansion, And Cultural Competence In Policing And Public Service Delivery, Andrew Ewoh

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Public Management & Social Policy Volume 25, Issue 3, Journal Of Public Management & Social Policy

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Public Management & Social Policy Call For Manuscripts

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Improving Transgender Policy For A More Equitable Workplace, Nicole M. Elias, Rana Lynn Johnson, Danny Ovando, Julia Ramirez

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

Sex and gender categories have become more fluid in recent years. With evolving understandings of sexual orientation and gender identity, public administrators are confronted with questions of how to craft policy and make decisions based on new conceptions of sex and gender for transgender employees. Policy and practice is especially challenging in the workplace where sex and gender encompass both personal and professional dimensions. Within the public sector, the federal government is recognized as a leader on these issues, and this work examines federal transgender policy to answer the following questions: 1) how are federal agencies addressing transgender issues in …

Neighborhood Concerns And Mobilization Patterns Of Homeowners And Neighborhood Associations, Daniel S. Scheller, Anaid Yerena

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

What issues and concerns of residential community associations (RCAs) compel them to mobilize and lobby local government? Do these patterns vary by RCA type? We argue that they do, and that neighborhood associations face different concerns than homeowners associations (HOAs). We also believe neighborhood associations are more likely to mobilize and interact with municipal government on behalf of the neighborhood. Using survey and interview data of neighborhood association and HOA presidents in Tallahassee, Florida, we find that neighborhood associations mobilize and interact with municipal government to a greater extent than HOAs. The issues and concerns that compel neighborhood associations to …