Public Policy Commons^™

A Culture Of Institutional Racism: Housing Policies During The New Deal, Breyonna J. Bowen

Capstone Showcase

There currently exists a distressed relationship between African Americans and housing due to previously enacted policies. In looking at this issue, I aim to use the theory of institutional racism to explain how past housing policies that enforce and perpetuate discrimination have impacted this current relationship. Through the method of policy analysis, I attempt to pinpoint where past housing policies have failed to provide housing to many African Americans. I find that there are several policies that were enacted during 1930s and 40s, specifically the New Deal Era, that inflicted discriminatory housing policies on African Americans. The findings indicate that …

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 …

The Political Implications Of The Evangelical Right’S Anti-Critical Race Theory Rhetoric, Elizabeth Howell-Egan

Scripps Senior Theses

Critical Race Theory (CRT), once an abstract principle used in academic circles, has exploded onto the national stage as parents fight against their children supposedly being taught its tenets. Through an analysis of key political and religious leaders, I discuss the right’s obsession with CRT in schools, where it came from, and its political implications.

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.

African American Women And Tenant Management Of Public Housing: A Case Study Of Stella Wright, Ari Ahmad Mccaskill

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis explores the theories and praxis of struggles for community-control of public housing in the era of Black Power through a case study of the Stella Wright Rent Strike. From 1970 to 1974, tenants of the Stella Windsor Wright Homes in Newark, NJ, waged the longest rent strike in the history of public housing in the United States. Following in the wake of the 1967 Rebellion and the election of Kenneth A. Gibson as the city’s first Black mayor in 1970, Newark’s poor and working-class Black tenants blended grassroots militancy with political savvy as they successfully fought for community …

Governance Of Risk Management Programs: Learning From Quebec's Farm Income Stabilization Insurance Program, Frederick Clerson

Public Policy Faculty & Graduate Student Publications and Presentations

Involving stakeholders in program decision-making can support existing programs and reduce tensions against the state. However, to be involved, stake­holders may request specific mechanisms to influ­ence program design or outcomes. This paper ana­lyzes the design of four consultation mechanisms and the resultant stakeholder experiences in a pro­vincial Canadian program called Farm Income Stabilization Insurance (FISI). The program offers a protection against low prices. The findings of this paper are based on 18 semi-structured interviews conducted with current and former participants familiar with the mechanisms. An analysis is accomplished through Arnstein’s ladder of citizen participation and Glasser’s choice theory. Results show …

The Impact Of Food Justice Advocates In Creating And Influencing Public Policy, Michael Joseph Chadukiewicz

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This case study explored the impact that food justice advocates had on creating and implementing public policy to provide access to adequate, healthy, and culturally appropriate food for the residents of New Haven, Connecticut. The problem the case study explored is in 2020 food insecurity affected 22% of the residents of New Haven, more than twice the national average. This qualitative case study used grounded theory to analyze the experiences of 31 food justice advocates that were members of a coalition of researchers, food service providers, non-profit agencies, grassroot organizations, and residents tasked with improving the city’s emergency food system. …

Examining The Relationship Between Local Governmental Performance In Public Safety And The Growth In Population, Employment, And Per Capita Income For Valley Cities In Arizona, Xin Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the impact of city performance in public safety on a city’s growth in population, employment, and per capita income. The effectiveness of performance management affects the willingness of governmental agencies to continue using performance management as a tool for day-to-day operations and the improvement of governmental services. The research goal of the study is to discover the relationship between city performance in public safety and the growth of a locality in population, employment, and per capita income. The purpose of the study is to determine if there is a relationship between city performance in public safety …

Vulnerable Populations And Flooding: A Bay Area County Public Alert And Warning Case Study, Victoria Castro

Master's Projects

Public alert and warning systems are crucial tools that save lives and protect property in times of emergencies. In the past several decades, natural disasters have struck the nation, and effective public alerts and warnings were not disseminated to all impacted populations, calling into question the effectiveness of emergency communication systems (Wimberley, 2012).

As an example, in 2012, when Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, public alert and warning systems reached those who had access to technological devices. However, emergency managers and alerting authorities faced the challenge of alerting all groups, including the homeless and individuals with access and functional …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Air Force’S Open Topic Sbir And Sttr Process To Engage Small Business To Work On Defense, Bevan Hart

Master's Projects

Has the Air Force’s (AF) use of the “Open Topic” solicitation in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs increased engagement with non-traditional defense contractors, and is it effective in getting companies on contract that would not otherwise have been likely to contract with the Air Force?

Preferences For Paid Paternity Leave Availability, Lengths Of Leave Offerings, And Government Funding Of Paternity Leaves In The United States, Chris Knoester, Qi Li

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study analyzes 2012 General Social Survey data (N = 1,089) about preferences for paid paternity leave availability, lengths of leave offerings, and government funding of leaves. It highlights gender and gendered parenting role attitudes as predictors of leave preferences. Descriptive results revealed sizable (i.e., 53 percent) support for leave availability and moderate (i.e., 33 percent) support for some government funding; still, only modest (i.e., five weeks) lengths of leave offerings were desired. Regression results indicated that women were typically more likely than men to support more generous leave offerings. Consistently, dual-earner expectations were positively associated with preferences for more …

Juntos Luchamos: A Postcritical Ethnographic And Photovoice Study On Latinx Student Civic Engagement Practices At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Liliana Diaz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Situated at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), this postcritical ethnographic and photovoice study sought to explore how Latinx students define and practice civic engagement. Theoretically framed by Latino Cultural Citizenship (LCC), the study explored how current Latinx student civic engagement practices inform a Hispanic-Serving Institutions’ civic engagement efforts. Data collection took place over the 2021-2022 academic year and an exhibition of the study’s findings was made publicly available at the culmination of the study. Findings from the study indicate that Latinx postsecondary students define civic engagement as knowledge and resource sharing (KRS) and achieving success. Findings for how Latinx postsecondary students …

Effects Of Intervention And Prevention Programs On Youth Risk-Taking Behavior In Monroe County, Audrey D. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Crime committed by adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 is a recurring issue in the United States. Research showed a number of contributing factors associated with youth risk-taking behaviors and juvenile delinquency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to improve the understanding of the relationship between intervention and prevention programs and curbing risk-taking and delinquency among adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 in Monroe County, New York. This study addressed the connection between modern theories of deviance and programs of juvenile delinquency intervention as conceptualized by Chapman as the theoretical framework. Using intrinsic case …

The Nutrition Labeling Act And The Weight Loss Experiences Of African American Women, Richardeanea Theodore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States with four out of five African American women, aged 20 and older, being overweight or obese, resulting in excessive morbidity and mortality. Policy interventions have been developed to address the issue, but without much success in this population. The purpose of this Husserl-inspired phenomenological study was to better understand how nutrition labeling influences eating behaviors of overweight and obese African American women in their weight loss efforts. The Socio-Ecological Model for Food and Physical Activity Decisions (SEMFPAD) was the theoretical framework for this study. Purposeful sampling and snowballing were used to …

Barriers That Prevent Officers From Seeking Mental Health Support, Jessica Jude Ziegler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLaw enforcement officers have hidden their inability to cope with the exposure to trauma and occupational stress endemic to the profession. This particular community continues to suffer because of the stigma associated with seeking mental health and stress management. The problem this study addressed are factors embedded within police culture that deter officers working in the Tampa Bay region from help-seeking behaviors. There is a critical need to evaluate officers’ perceptions in order to provide lifesaving tools that can ultimately mitigate police suicide. Participants were ten police officers from six different agencies located within the Tampa Bay region. Data were …

Influence Of The Dream Act And The Daca Program On Undocumented And Documented Immigrants During The Census Process, Rhefinette Jones-Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA collective group of scholars have researched the flaws of the immigration system and possible benefits to be gained from reformation with the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The purpose of the quantitative study was to statistically determine if the temporary resolutions to the immigration system problems influenced the participation of the immigrant communities in the U.S. Census. The theoretical focus selected for this study was the assimilation and accommodation theories with the causal decision theory as a conceptional foundation. The research questions concentrated on the …

Implementing The Sponge City Concept On North Carolina’S Federal Emergency Management Agency’S Acquired Properties, Artriel Askew Kirchner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In North Carolina, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a grant program to assist communities with purchasing flood–prone, private properties to decrease the effects of flooding within flood–prone communities. In flood management, incorporating the Sponge City concept within federally acquired properties is not widely considered by flood management professionals as an effective means to manage floods. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the feasibility of incorporating the Sponge City concept on federally–acquired properties to reduce significant flooding within designated flood–prone communities. The concept of disaster recovery, which focuses on the process of restoring, …

Early Hearing Screening Policy And Deaf Children’S Language Acquisition, Marla Hatrak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The federal Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act (EHDI) guarantees medical and communication interventions for deaf children and audiological, medical, and language intervention data collection. However, the policy and its implementation have not been analyzed in regard to policy goal attainment of deaf children’s language acquisition. A qualitative case study was conducted to analyze seven federal- and state-level early hearing screening policy websites and implementation and intermediary documents to assess the federal and state policy formation and implementation of EHDI. In addition to the document assessment, data were collected from interviews to obtain the perspectives of two early childhood educational …

The Impact Of Canada–U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement On African Asylum Seekers In Canada, John Elijah Mccarthy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAs the world becomes more globalized, migration is emerging as a major policy issue to contemporary governments. Thus, states have adopted immigration policies that extend beyond their jurisdiction, making the review of state actions a challenge. One such policy is the Canada–U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA). This policy has generated a range of social issues. However, no study has been conducted to understand the impact of the STCA on African asylum seekers in Canada. This qualitative study was based on the social construction and policy design theory. The central research question sought to understand the impact of the STCA …

Education Policy Reform In Ghana And The Role Of Avatime Traditional Leaders, Hubert Kwami Akrong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWith declining academic standards in Ghana, public attention has been focused on education policies. In 1992, the amended constitution excluded traditional village leaders from being involved in formulating education policies in Ghana. The exclusion of grassroots leaders from education policy reform resulted in low expectations and poor student outcomes in the towns and villages of Ghana’s Avatime Traditional Area. This case study was an investigation into how traditional chiefs in the Avatime Traditional Area participate in democratic governance to improve education in the region. Joshee and Goldberg’s social justice theory in policy making was used to ground the study. Data …