Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons^™

Cyprus: National Bank Holiday, 2013, Stella Schaefer-Brown

Journal of Financial Crises

The Greek government debt crisis was especially hard on the two largest Cypriot banks. Bank of Cyprus (BoC) and Laiki Bank lost EUR 1.8 billion and EUR 2.3 billion, respectively, on their Greek government bonds after the European Union (EU) decision in October 2011 to haircut the bonds. Over the next year, Laiki Bank faced severe liquidity problems from depositor withdrawals, the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) extended to it significant emergency liquidity assistance, and the government owned 84% of the bank after injecting EUR 1.8 billion. The Cypriot economy also suffered negative effects and in March 2013, authorities negotiated …

Ecuador: National Bank Holiday, 1999, Bailey Decker

Journal of Financial Crises

After a series of exogenous shocks hit Ecuador’s economy in 1997 and 1998, foreign creditors reduced external credit lines to the country, draining liquidity. The newly created Deposit Guarantee Agency (Agencia de Garantía de Depósitos, AGD) administered deposit insurance and a new blanket guarantee and had the authority to resolve failing banks. Despite these actions, bank runs continued. After depositors reportedly withdrew USD 400 million from banks over a two-week period, on Monday, March 8, 1999, one hour before banks were supposed to open, the bank superintendent declared a surprise bank holiday effective that day; banks reopened a week later …

Argentina: National Bank Holidays, 2001, Owen Heaphy

Journal of Financial Crises

Starting in 1991, Argentina operated a currency board regime under which the central bank guaranteed a one-to-one peg of the Argentine peso to the US dollar. But in 2001, markets became increasingly concerned that the central bank would be unable to maintain the peg and would allow the peso to devalue against the dollar. At that time, more than two-thirds of Argentine bank deposits were denominated in dollars. Throughout 2001, depositors withdrew funds from banks; by November, peso deposits had declined by more than one-third and dollar deposits had fallen by one-tenth. On November 28, 2001, the systemwide banking run …

Argentina: Mutual Fund Suspensions, 2019, Owen Heaphy, Anmol Makhija

Journal of Financial Crises

With Argentina facing a liquidity crisis and collapse in demand for government debt, on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, the country's minister of economy, Hernán Lacunza, announced after markets closed that the government was extending the maturity of USD 7 billion of its short-term public debt securities, among other measures. Lacunza stated that domestic retail investors would not be subject to the terms of the maturity extension and would be paid principal and interest on the affected securities per the original maturity schedule. This announcement caused confusion about the treatment of individual investors who held the affected securities indirectly through mutual …

Survey Of Bank Holidays And Fund Suspensions, Rosalind Z. Wiggins, Owen Heaphy, Anmol Makhija, Stella Schaefer-Brown, Greg Feldberg, Andrew Metrick

Journal of Financial Crises

In this paper, we analyze seven case studies involving bank holidays and two involving mutual fund suspensions produced by the Yale Program on Financial Stability. Our main purpose is to assist policymakers who are considering utilizing a bank holiday in designing the most effective program as efficiently as possible. We find that a bank holiday may be most useful when designing and implementing a comprehensive remedy to an underlying problem distressing banks, particularly when an exogenous shock rather than balance sheet weaknesses is the cause of general distress to the system. A holiday is also useful to “ring-fence” one or …

Stewards Of Place, Stewards Of Democracy: The Role Of Regional Public Universities In Rural Political Well-Being, Katie Kleinhesselink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative embedded single-case study explored how a rural-serving regional public university (RPU) contributed to the political well-being of its politically polarized service region ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Guided by the stewardship of political place theoretical framework, which integrates rural consciousness, the Community Capitals Framework, and the stewardship of place framework for RPUs’ public engagement, the study utilized policy discourse analysis to examine regional residents' and internal constituents' perceptions regarding WPU’s role in promoting regional political well-being. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, direct observations of campus civic engagement events, and institutional document reviews.

The study demonstrates that regional …

Options For Modifying The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act In The United States: An Equitable Perspective, Dr. Amira Elshamy

Future Journal of Social Science

The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act referred to as Affordable Care Act (ACA), is a United States (U.S.) federal statute, signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2010, it is also known as Obamacare. The law has made health insurance more accessible and affordable for millions of Americans, yet many still remain uninsured or struggle with unaffordable coverage. In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services started receiving a significant increase in complaints from consumers who reported being enrolled in Marketplace coverage without their consent, around 5 million people were wrongly enrolled in subsidized ACA coverage …

Plan Mano Dura: A Punctuated Political Act? Addressing Gang Violence In El Salvador, Carlos A. Arias

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

On July 23, 2003, Salvadoran President Francisco Flores introduced a punitive and militaristic gang-prevention measure, Plan Mano Dura (Plan Iron Fist), in an attempt to solve the gang phenomenon plaguing El Salvador. Although it turned out to be an abject policy failure, its future effects and significance would far outweigh its intended impact, essentially dictating how El Salvador would combat gang violence for the next 20 years and beyond. As such, it is essential to better understand how such an ineffective policy could arise as a policy approach. This paper examines whether Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) can account for the …

Rule-Mediated Connectivity In Social-Ecological-Technological Systems: A Comparative Network Analysis Of Reservoir Operation Rules In Coyote Valley Dam (United States) And Ameghino Dam (Argentina), Tomás Olivier, Hoon C. Shin, David J. Yu, Margaret Garcia

Center for Policy Design and Governance

This brief summarizes "Rule-mediated connectivity in social-ecological-technological systems: A comparative network analysis of reservoir operation rules in Coyote Valley Dam (United States) and Ameghino Dam (Argentina)," co-authored by Tomás Olivier, Hoon C. Shin, David J. Yu, and Margaret Garcia in the Journal of Environmental Management.

An Assessment Of Maine's Capacity To Support Transitions Of Care Through The Substance Use Disorder Continuum, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Sarah Mclaughlin Mph, Rachel M. Gallo Mph

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

This report evaluates Maine's capacity to support effective transitions of care across the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment continuum. Using data collected from a statewide survey of 65 SUD providers, conducted from February to April 2025, the study examines organizational practices, inter-provider communication, and coordination strategies related to transitions between levels of care: medically supervised withdrawal, inpatient, and outpatient treatment programs. Key findings reveal strong intra-organizational communication, widespread understanding of ASAM criteria, and a general commitment to patient-centered care. However, gaps persist in coordination between care levels, particularly in withdrawal management programs, which rarely conduct follow-ups or collaborate with outpatient …

Withdrawal Management In Maine: Capacity Challenges And Opportunities For Improvement, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Katie Rosingana Ba, Tyler Egeland Ba, Sarah Mclaughlin Mph

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

This summary report presents findings from healthcare provider interviews conducted in 2024 to assess the current landscape of withdrawal management (WM) services in Maine. Sixteen providers, across eight counties and representing a range of substance use disorder (SUD) service types, were interviewed to evaluate capacity, challenges, and opportunities for improvement across the continuum of care. Thematic analysis identified widespread gaps in withdrawal management capacity, especially in ASAM Levels 1.7 to 4.0, with critical shortages in ambulatory and low-intensity residential services. Key barriers included geographic inequities, insufficient infrastructure, long waitlists, inadequate reimbursement, and workforce shortages exacerbated by stigma and provider discomfort. …

Feedback On Withdrawal Management Services In Maine From Persons With Lived Experience, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Katie Rosingana Ba

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

This summary report presents findings from interviews with twelve persons with lived experience of substance use disorder (PWLE). The interviews asked persons in recovery about their experiences accessing withdrawal management and broader substance use treatment services across Maine. Participants identified key barriers to treatment including high costs, limited bed availability, long wait times, geographic inaccessibility, and lack of centralized information. Gaps in service infrastructure, particularly for opioid withdrawal management, long-term treatment, and transition supports post-detox, were widely reported. Participants emphasized the critical need for more localized and individualized services, particularly for parents, rural residents, and low-income individuals. Recommendations include expanding …

Bridging The Gap: Exploring The Intersection Of Formal Mental Health Services And Informal Social Supports In Bipoc Communities, Patrice D. Patton-Campbell

Dissertations

Despite growing awareness of mental health disparities, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities continue to face significant barriers in accessing culturally responsive mental health care. This dissertation explores the intersection between formal mental health services and informal social supports such as family, religious institutions, and community networks to understand which systems are more trusted, accessible, and effective for BIPOC individuals. Grounded in Urban Liberation Psychology and guided by decolonial and culturally responsive care frameworks, this qualitative study draws from focus groups and interviews with 33 participants, including both community members and service providers from the Chicagoland area and …

Post Soviet Russia: Challenges To Transition And Modernization, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the beginning of a complex, often turbulent, period of transition and modernization for Russia. Unlike the anticipated linear path toward Western-style democracy and market economics, Russia’s post-Soviet experience has been defined by profound contradictions, reversals, and ongoing contestations over its political, economic, and social order (Minakov, 2016). The initial wave of reforms, particularly in the 1990s, brought about radical economic restructuring, privatization, and an attempted shift to a free-market system. Yet, these rapid changes led to significant economic dislocation, social inequality, and the rise of oligarchic power structures, which ultimately undermined …

Assessing Willingness To Pay For Parking Fees Among Residents: Evidence From Malang City, Damas Dwi Anggoro, Aleyda Farihatus Shofwah

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

This study aims to investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) for user charges imposed by the local government using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Viewing the local government as a service provider, the construct of perceived value is incorporated to determine behavioral intention toward user charges, marking a novel contribution of this study to the literature. Specifically, this study analyzes (1) the effect of each TPB construct—attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC)—on WTP, (2) the effect of perceived value on WTP, and (3) the indirect effect of perceived value on WTP mediated by …

Selected Artificial Intelligence Provisions In U.S. Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

The 2025 Fiscal Year National Defense Authorization Act contains multiple provisions relating to artificial intelligence (AI). These congressionally mandated provisions direct various sections of the Department of Defense (DOD) and individual U.S. armed service branches to execute congressional intent for AI policymaking. Examples of such intent include identifying and planning DOD's AI workforce, demonstrating AI biotechnology applications for national security, improving the human usability of AI systems, and establishing an AI security center. This presentation will note that reports on these initiatives must be prepared for relevant congressional oversight committees, and, in many cases, are in many cases, publicly released …

Reassessing Policy Responses To Irregular Migration In Receiving Democracies: A Process-Tracing Analysis Of Transactional Migration Governance, Otoniel Ramos

Student Research

This policy brief analyzes the growing use of transactional migration agreements (TMAs) by receiving democracies—bilateral arrangements that exchange financial or diplomatic concessions for the external enforcement of migration control. While politically expedient, TMAs often generate long-term strategic liabilities: they reduce state control over enforcement outcomes, expose receiving states to coercive leverage by partner states, and weaken normative commitments to transparency and rights protection. Using analytic process tracing and formal modeling, this paper identifies four recurring mechanisms by which TMAs evolve into systems of asymmetric dependence. It then evaluates three alternative policy frameworks—Exit Doctrine, Legal Category Reform, and a Structured Conditionality …

Advancing Equity In Financial Aid For Black Students: A Document Analysis Study Of Student Equity Plans In California Community Colleges, Edwina Williams

Dissertations

This study examined how California Community Colleges (CCCs) constructed financial aid discourse in Student Equity Plans (SEPs) and assessed whether these strategies mitigated or perpetuated racial disparities for Black students. Previous scholarship identified racial inequities in financial aid systems and explored how equity planning documents addressed race; yet, the influence of institutional discourse on financial aid access remained underexamined. This study contributed to the literature by applying critical race hermeneutics (CRH) to examine how SEPs outlined financial aid strategies, with particular attention to the framing of work–study opportunities and the extent to which the SEP intended to employ race-conscious approaches. …

The Politics Of Being Heard: Communication And Power Struggles In Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, Caroline Trejo

Master's Projects and Capstones

The environmental and public health challenges in Bayview-Hunters Point have catalyzed widespread community activism, as residents and advocates respond to the ongoing fallout from radiological contamination at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Communication plays a vital role in bridging the gap between affected communities and government entities throughout the cleanup process. This research asks: how have the communication strategies of advocacy groups influenced government actions and policies during the Bayview-Hunters Point Shipyard cleanup? To explore this question, I conducted semi-structured interviews with three community advocates, two former members of a non-partisan civil jury, one independent researcher, and one government official. …

From Data To Action: An Adaptable Crosstabs Template For Participatory Survey Data Analysis, Natalia Pinzon, Vikram Koundinya, William O'R Dowling, Ryan Galt

Journal of Extension

We present a practical and accessible template for quantitative survey data analysis designed for non-academic researchers in order to facilitate engagement from community collaborators. The template, created in Google Sheets, is mainly for computing cross-tabulations, but it also displays frequency distributions and p-values for determining statistical significance. The template allows collaborators to record their observations and questions, promoting an efficient yet interactive review process and fostering a democratic analysis environment. Based on our own experience using this template for a data party, we highlight its effectiveness in promoting collaborative data interpretation, decision-making, and the actionable use of survey findings.