Public Administration Commons^™

Deliberative Democracy And Empowerment: An Analysis Of The Toronto Community Housing Corporation’S Tenant Participation System, Sewit Tamene

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether programs that adopt the principles of deliberative democracy can evoke feelings of empowerment among participants. Interviews with residents of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) were conducted to determine whether tenants who participate in the Tenant Participation System, specifically the participatory budgeting program, become empowered. The findings reveal that deliberative democracy is consistent with high levels of empowerment and tenants felt that empowerment was derived from a decision-making process that they were able to control.

Using Lean To Teach The Technical Services Value Stream: An Online Continuing Education Course, Tamera Hanken

Library Faculty Presentations

Lean Principles:

• Identify steps in the process that add customer defined value

• Identify waste in transportation, wait, overproduction, defect, inventory, motion, or extra processing

• Eliminate the steps in the process that don’t add value or are unnecessary

• Make sure the steps flow in an efficient sequence

• Establish pull, i.e., make sure the steps in the sequence don’t create bottlenecks

• Continue to improve the process

Eksklusi Sosial Dalam Anggaran Publik Studi Kasus Di Ngawi, Lamongan, Dan Makasar, Dzuriyatun Toyibah

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

The article aims to describe the process of social exclusion and inclusion within local government budget (APBD) in Lamongan and Ngawi East Java in 2006-2008, and Makasar South Sulawesi in 2009. Social exclusion was indicated by the absent of public participation in the decision making process. Social exclusion for public local budget appeared in regulation level such as unclear mechanism of public participation and the constraints to access budget documents. Those lead to avoid civil society to understand the real local budget. However, civil societies in three regions made several strategies to reduce social exclusion. The process was begun by …

Recidivism In Ontario Works In The Region Of Waterloo, Catherine Bossenberry

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the reasons why Ontario Works (OW) clients return to social assistance, with a specific focus on the Region of Waterloo. It uses an analysis of case file data from the Province of Ontario’s social assistance database to provide a comprehensive understanding of the OW caseload for the regional municipality. The findings reveal that the reasons why clients return to OW in the Region of Waterloo are complicated and there are many factors – such as gender, age, education, family composition, and housing – that determine whether a client will return to social assistance.

A Study Of Ontario Caos: Career Progression And The Influence Of Political Actors, Kelley Coulter

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether there is a standard career path for chief administrative officers (CAOs) in Ontario and if mayoral turnover has an effect on CAO tenure. A study of the 100 largest lower- and single-tier municipalities in the province was completed involving various research methods to discover the professional background of CAOs and changes in political actors. The findings reveal that a career path of single-city careerists or ladder climbers is prevalent in Ontario, with substantial turnover among the top appointed CAO position, and mayoral change appears to have a direct relationship on the tenure of CAOs.

The Progression Of Open Data Initiatives In Canadian Municipalities: The Evolution Of E-Government Services And Its Relationship To An Emerging Movement, David Crozier

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the rationale for why local governments develop open data programs. Interviews were conducted with officials from six Canadian municipalities involved in open data projects – Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, London, Nanaimo, and Medicine Hat – and two community members from Vancouver and London who have played an important role in these developments. The findings reveal that both municipal officials and citizens have a strong desire for open data but the movement has progressed slowly and there are several areas in which it can improve.

Accessibility: Legislation And Implementation In Canada And China, Weizheng Fu

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines what China can learn from Canada regarding how to design and implement accessibility legislation, with a specific focus on Ontario. It analyzes accessibility laws and policy implementation in Canada and the existing problems in China’s accessibility policies based on a literature review, documentary research, case studies, and interviews. The findings reveal the following lessons that China can learn from Ontario: raising awareness about accessibility; making accessibility laws more comprehensive; enhancing the importance of accessibility on the government’s agenda; and improving legislative review mechanisms.

Affordable Housing Within A Post-Welfare State: The Case Of Toronto, Dave Guyadeen

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the firsthand effects of the federal government’s Affordable Housing Initiative on the City of Toronto. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with key housing stakeholders within the housing sector, including representatives of the City of Toronto and Toronto Community Housing, as well as affordable housing advocates. The findings reveal that despite the introduction of the Affordable Housing Initiative, Toronto’s affordable housing system has experienced an increased reliance on the private sector and the perpetuation of temporary solutions that fail to address the affordable housing crisis in the city.

Workforce Diversity Management In Ontario Municipalities, Jennifer Lajoie

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines why some municipalities have implemented workforce diversity management plans and policies, while others have not. A case study analysis of nine mid-sized Ontario municipalities – Chatham-Kent, Sudbury, Guelph, Kitchener, Lambton, London, St. Catharines, Thunder Bay, and Windsor – was conducted. The findings reveal that common patterns for the existence of workforce diversity management policies include: a wake-up call that helps trigger change; the creation of organizational buy-in; the existence of a champion for diversity; and a consideration of local environmental forces.

Aging Related Issues And The Agenda Setting Process: A Comparative Analysis, Annie Tam

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the agenda setting process with regards to the implementation of initiatives concerning population aging. A comparative analysis of Age Friendly London in the City of London and the Older Adult Plan in the City of Mississauga were conducted. The findings reveal that both initiatives illustrate many elements of the agenda setting process proposed in the relevant theories and fundamental factors, such as the impact of the media and the power of a political champion, were evident in each case study.

Oust The Louse: Does Political Pressure Discipline Regulators?, James Prieger, Janice A. Hauge, Mark A. Jamison

School of Public Policy Working Papers

We consider a possible determinant of regulatory decisions by public utility commissioners: the desire to remain in office. We examine regulatory exit, where a regulator leaves a commission during a term or is not re-appointed/re-elected. With data from US states, we empirically investigate several hypotheses motivated by a political agency model of regulatory decision-making. Our empirical results generally support the hypotheses, including that higher electricity prices lead to ousting, that ousting is less common where it is more costly for the principal to whom the regulator reports, and that ousting is more likely where regulators are more accountable or are …

A Centrist Solution To Central American Violence And Inequality, Devin Joshi

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The northern triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) has experienced horrific violence, poverty, and a vicious cycle of human rights violations for decades. Repeated natural disasters and the re-routing of the drug trade through Central America are not helping the situation. On the other hand, nearby Costa Rica has achieved a much higher standard of human rights, public safety, and political stability. Why? Costa Rica has put in place four pillars of development and stability lacking in most other countries in the region: a stronger state, an educated population, inter-racial cooperation, and a more inclusive democracy. For …

Generic Wish-Lists For State-Centric Policies, Edzia Carvalho

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The Central America depicted in the article under review resembles a region visited by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—colonial Conquest, civil War, Famine and other natural disasters, and poverty, disease and Death. Added to this list of woes are the recent drug-fueled conflict, democratic instability, weak state capacity, and the socio-economic fallout of the economic recession in the United States. While the first half of the article records these problems, the author shifts gears in the second half and provides an array of responses to these challenges, with a forceful recommendation that states in the region focus their efforts …

Moving United States Health Care Forward, Thomas R. O'Neill

Honors Scholar Theses

Substantive Health Care reform poses one of the greatest current challenges to the American political system. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 marks the most recent attempt at approaching this daunting task. Charged with expanding coverage while controlling costs, it pursues a sundry number of legislative solutions to achieve these seemingly incompatible goals. Despite the strides the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has made, lingering educational, pharmaceutical, and legal concerns stand to derail progress made on fixing the health care system. If these goals are to be successful, a number of additional measures are needed to …

Promises And Human Rights: The Obama Administration On Immigrant Detention Policy Reform, José Villalobos

Selected Works Temporary Series

This article evaluates the Obama administration’s efforts towards reforming U.S. immigration detention policies. Over the past decade, immigrant rights advocates have increasingly criticized certain policies of the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) system of immigration detention, including the widespread use of private contractors, lack of proper oversight, grouping of violent criminals and non-violent undocumented immigrants (particularly minority women and children) in holding cells, and neglect of detained immigrants in need of medical attention. In reviewing these developments, I contend that the Obama administration must take substantive steps towards reforming the existing system, particularly by instituting legally enforceable standards with …

Promises And Human Rights: The Obama Administration On Immigrant Detention Policy Reform, José Villalobos

Departmental Papers (PS)

This article evaluates the Obama administration’s efforts towards reforming U.S. immigration detention policies. Over the past decade, immigrant rights advocates have increasingly criticized certain policies of the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) system of immigration detention, including the widespread use of private contractors, lack of proper oversight, grouping of violent criminals and non-violent undocumented immigrants (particularly minority women and children) in holding cells, and neglect of detained immigrants in need of medical attention. In reviewing these developments, I contend that the Obama administration must take substantive steps towards reforming the existing system, particularly by instituting legally enforceable standards with …

The City Of Kennedale Historic Preservation Plan, Amy Cannon, Whitney Ellis, Michael Lark, Martin Phillips, Amy Rodriguez, Stuart Young

Public Administration Capstone Reports - Archive

The City of Kennedale's adoption of the strategic plan, Imagine Kennedale 2015, details several unique opportunities to heighten the City's image with regard to family living and economic development. One of the priority strategies highlighted in the plan focuses on defining the historical identity of Kennedale by recognizing and classifying existing landmarks that have historical significance to the community within a downtown historic district. The framework within the strategic plan emphasizes a community consensus for the appreciation of historic preservation in Kennedale.

Parks And Obesity In Rural And Urban Nebraska, Michaela S. Wolf

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In order to better understand the role community design plays in obesity rates, this project studies a potential relationship between distance of parks from homes and obesity rates in four Nebraska counties. Park use may contribute to important health benefits, such as reducing risk of obesity by increasing physical activity levels. There are limitations to park use, such as crime rates and facility upkeep that are important to understand so that they might be managed and communities can reap greater benefits from their parks, including better fitness. This study examines park distance from homes as a potential limiting factor to …

Sozialpolitik Nach Dem Verursacherprinzip : Beispiele Der Anwendung Bei Sucht, Gewichtsproblemen, Medikamentenmissbrauch, Arbeitslosigkeit, Prostitution, Isidor Wallimann

Books

Dieses einzigartige Buch ist der "Praxisband" des bekannten und renommierten Experten im Bereich der modernen Sozialpolitik. In mehr und mehr Ländern wird punktuell das Verursacherprinzip auch in der Sozial- und Gesundheitspolitik angewendet, leider zu bruchstückhaft und oft wenig reflektiert. Sozialpolitik nach dem Verursacherprinzip ist genau jenes Thema, dass kontroversiell diskutiert wird. Prominente Fallbeispiele wie zB im Bereich der Tabakindustrie in den USA prägen die Diskussion und gesellschaftspolitischen Diskurse.

Im Idealfall sollen mit dem Verursacherprinzip Soziale Probleme und Belastungen an alle dafür verantwortlichen Akteure zurückgebunden und so vermieden werden. Akteure, die andern Schaden zufügen, müssen dafür die Verantwortung übernehmen. Kosten zu …

Public Utilities Commission Of Nevada: A Research Design For Data Collection, Mario Heresi, Jamie Stout, Brandy Davis, Cheyenne Pasquale

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) needs tools to develop a system by which reliable data can be collected in order to assist in the regulation of public utilities in Nevada. Their particular emphasis is on low-income and elderly populations. The PUCN needs to have reliable data they can utilize to make decisions that are fact based. Part of their needs is to have a thorough understanding of the factors that affect both low-income and elderly populations. Like so many other organizations, the PUCN does not have a set system to investigate all issues and makes decisions on a …