Public Affairs Commons^™

Mitigating The Urban Heat Island Through A Targeted Look At Reforestation And Preservation Near Vulnerable Populations: An Applied Suitability Model, Derica Peters

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

The urban heat island (UHI) is a pervasive phenomenon that affects city dwellers. There are certain populations who are especially vulnerable to its affects. Studies have shown that the urban tree canopy helps to mitigate and alleviate the negative effects of the UHI. The research was conducted for the City of Dallas, Texas. The objective of this research is twofold: one to employ an assessment to determine who is vulnerable to the UHI affects, based on the Center for Disease Control's BRACE Framework. Next, a suitability overlay model is used to analyze the optimal places where planting trees or reserving …

Complexity In National Policy Implementation: A Top-Down Look At The Failure Of Healthcare.Gov, Samuel Fandrich

Master in Public Administration Theses

No abstract provided.

No Witness, No Case: An Assessment Of The Conduct And Quality Of Icc Investigations, Dermot Groome

Faculty Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Pursuing An Answer: Bureaucratic And Legal Accountability In Local Law Enforcement Pursuit Policies, Casey Lafrance

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

Using qualitative and quantitative data obtained from 30 interviews with local law enforcement managers (12 county sheriffs and 18 municipal police chiefs), this study explores the decision-making processes used by these managers in the context of a pursuit-related accident involving an innocent third party. My findings suggest that: (1) managers most often conduct internal investigations to ensure that their officers’ behavior demonstrated adherence to the agency’s standard operating procedures; (2) managers use multiple mechanisms, including consultations with legal actors and professional peers, to keep their pursuit policies updated with regard to case law; (3) policy restrictiveness shares a positive, but …

Introduction To Deliberation, Democracy, And Civic Forums: Improving Equality And Publicity, Chad Raphael, Christopher F. Karpowitz

Communication

Innovative forums that integrate citizen deliberation into policy making are revitalizing democracy in many places around the world. Yet controversy abounds over whether these forums ought to be seen as authentic sources of public opinion and how they should fit with existing political institutions. How can civic forums include less powerful citizens and ensure that their perspectives are heard on equal terms with more privileged citizens, officials, and policy experts? How can these fragile institutions communicate citizens' policy preferences effectively and legitimately to the rest of the political system? Deliberation, Democracy, and Civic Forums proposes creative solutions for improving equality …

Nebraska Metro Poll, A Research Report: Perceptions Of Community, Personal Well-Being, And Outlook On The Future, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar), David J. Drozd, Jerry Deichert, Abby Heithoff, Pavlin Netsov

Past Publications

The 2014 Nebraska Metro Poll continues an on‐going effort to understand the perceptions and concerns of urban residents. The Metro Poll expands upon the efforts of the Omaha Conditions Survey conducted by the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) periodically since 1990 to now include survey responses from the seven counties that comprise both the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas. With the knowledge and insights gained from surveying local residents, leaders and decision‐makers can be better informed on the views and priorities that the public shares.

Nebraska Metro Poll, A Research Report: Perceptions Of Crime And Personal Safety In Metropolitan Nebraska, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar), Abby Heithoff, David J. Drozd, Jerry Deichert, Pavlin Netsov

Past Publications

The 2014 Nebraska Metro Poll represents a critical effort to understand the perceptions and concerns of metropolitan Nebraskans. This survey expanded the work of the Omaha Conditions Survey, conducted by the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) periodically since 1990. The Metro Poll builds on this foundation by including survey responses from the seven Nebraska counties that comprise the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas. Insights into the concerns faced by local residents are valuable for leaders and decision-makers seeking to understand the priorities and the views of the public.

Sometimes We Do Reinvent The Wheel: Commentary On Macdonald (1912), Mario Scalora

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

As a researcher of targeted violence, I found Arthur MacDonald’s work “Assassins of Rulers” (MacDonald, 1912) very provocative. Although different norms for behavioral and criminological research early the past century may have limited the current applicability of Mac- Donald’s findings, this work highlighted certain paradigmatic issues that have later emerged within the targeted violence literature. Before addressing commonalities with recent research, discussion of methodological issues is warranted. First, one is impressed with how detailed MacDonald’s presentation is across the range of cases of political assassination and regicide. One wonders how more descriptive MacDonald’s work would have been if he had …

Transit Justice For Youth In Multnomah County, Oregon: A For Youth By Youth Report, Lisa K. Bates

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In May 2014, the MYC hosted young people at our first Youth Summit for Transit Justice. In this youth-led process, we brought together youth from across the county and adult policy-makers to address our region’s transit issues. It was an important step for building youth-adult partnership to improve transit access for young people in Multnomah County. In this report, we report on the Transit Justice Summit and the youth perspective on transit fares, access, and the importance of transit justice for the success of all youth in Portland and Multnomah County. This report was created from research we conducted to …

What If Hewlett And Packard Had Started A Band Instead?... Denton Texas' Music Scene As Economic Cluster And Its Broader Implications For The City's Economy, Michael Seman

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

A growing body of research examines the production processes, economic activity, and symbolic value of the arts in the urban economy. This research often broadly considers all arts disciplines together, masking structural and operational differences amongst them. Research detailing popular music and its relationship with the urban economy is minimal. Prior research tangentially acknowledges that local music scenes function as economic clusters, but little detailing of their dynamics as such exists. The bulk of attention is paid to how these clusters operate in the framework of the broader music industry and not how they develop or impact their surrounding urban …

Individual Motivational Factors Impacting United States Air Force Reserve Recruiting, Brian E. Wish

Public Affairs Dissertations - Archive

This research seeks to discern the latent motivational factors that prompt individuals to join the Air Force Reserve. It is hypothesized that the decision to affiliate has a large non-economic component; this study also seeks to determine whether enlistment motivations have been stable over the last decades or whether motivations have recently evolved in light of over a decade of constant armed conflict.The project utilizes a questionnaire given at selected reserve units to members who are in their first few months of service. These surveys consisted of both motivational and discouragement panels of questions; returned questionnaires were analyzed using factor …

Perceptions Of Crime And Personal Safety In Metropolitan Nebraska 2014 Nebraska Metro Poll Results, Abby Heitoff

Past Publications

The 2014 Nebraska Metro Poll represents a critical effort to understand the perceptions and concerns of metropolitan Nebraskans. This survey expanded the work of the Omaha Conditions Survey, conducted by the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) periodically since 1990. The Metro Poll builds on this foundation by including survey responses from the seven Nebraska counties that comprise the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas. Insights into the concerns faced by local residents are valuable for leaders and decision-makers seeking to understand the priorities and the views of the public.

Nebraska Metro And Rural Residents’ Views Of The Problems That Metro And Rural Areas Should Be Trying To Address, Abby Heitoff

Past Publications

Researchers and policymakers across the state of Nebraska have often discussed the need for a statewide poll to understand residents’ perceptions of their communities, personal well‐being and community issues. Separate initiatives have periodically surveyed metropolitan and rural Nebraskans on these issues. However, to date, no single effort has obtained statewide coverage at the level necessary to report attitudinal differences across metropolitan and rural Nebraska. The Nebraska Metro and Nebraska Rural Polls represent a unique effort in the state of Nebraska to obtain directly comparable data on statewide residents. This report provides a detailed analysis of a subset of responses to …

Perceptions Of Personal And Community Satisfaction, With Views On What Makes Communities Successful 2014 Nebraska Metro Poll Results, David Drozd

Past Publications

The 2014 Nebraska Metro Poll continues an on-going effort to understand the perceptions and concerns of urban residents. The Metro Poll expands upon the efforts of the Omaha Conditions Survey conducted by the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) periodically since 1990 to now include survey responses from the seven counties that comprise both the Omaha and Lincoln metro areas. With the knowledge and insights gained from surveying local residents, leaders and decision-makers can be better informed on the views and priorities that the public shares.

State Fertility Rates By Race/Ethnicity: 2011‐2013 Averages, United States Census Bureau

Past Publications

Sources: Table 11, Births: Final Data for 2011, CDC (and 2012 and 2013); 2013 Vintage Population Estimates by Age, Gender, and Race (AFF table PEPASR6H)

Nebraska Rural Poll And Metro Poll Research Brief: Well-Being Among Metropolitan And Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans, Rebecca Vogt, David J. Drozd, Randolph Cantrell, Jerry Deichert, Brad Lubben, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Lj Mcelravy

Past Publications

Better or Worse Off Compared to Five Years Ago and Ten Years From Now.

Both the Nebraska Metro and Rural Polls asked residents if they are better or worse off than they were five years ago and if they expect to be better or worse off ten years from now.

Cpar Research Brief: Comparing Results Of The 2014 Nebraska Metro And Rural Polls On Resident Views Of Community Change And Outlook, Abby Heithoff, David J. Drozd

Past Publications

Nebraskans’ views of their community’s future in the next 10 years: How viewpoints differ by personal and community factors.

Nebraska Rural Poll And Metro Poll Research Brief: Attributes Of Successful Communities For Metropolitan And Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans, Rebecca Vogt, David J. Drozd, Randolph Cantrell, Jerry Deichert, Brad Lubben, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Lj Mcelravy

Past Publications

Both the Nebraska Metro and Rural Polls asked residents how essential or necessary various characteristics are in order for them to have a high quality of life.

Nebraska Metro And Rural Residents’ Views Of The Problems That Metro And Rural Areas Should Be Trying To Address: An Analysis Of Open‐Ended Survey Questions In The 2014 Nebraska Metro And Rural Polls, Abby Heithoff, David J. Drozd, Jerry Deichert

Past Publications

Researchers and policymakers across the state of Nebraska have often discussed the need for a statewide poll to understand residents’ perceptions of their communities, personal well‐being and community issues. Separate initiatives have periodically surveyed metropolitan and rural Nebraskans on these issues. However, to date, no single effort has obtained statewide coverage at the level necessary to report attitudinal differences across metropolitan and rural Nebraska. The Nebraska Metro and Nebraska Rural Polls represent a unique effort in the state of Nebraska to obtain directly comparable data on statewide residents. This report provides a detailed analysis of a subset of responses to …

Increasing Food Accessibility Among Urban Poor: Providing An Alternative Solution Through A City-Wide Community Garden Plan, Nabila Nur

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

Community Gardens have been entitled as an emerging solution to food security and injustice issues especially among socially disempowered communities. US Department of Agriculture has designated more than half of the census tracts in City of Dallas as food deserts, representing inadequate access to fresh food in these areas. As an alternative solution, this study proposes a methodology to identify suitable locations for community gardens to increase access to fresh food for disadvantaged population. The suitability analysis was used by primarily taking the relevant socio-economic factors into consideration. The reclassification and weightings are derived through a combination of qualitative and …