Public Policy Commons^™

Encouraging Naturalization: The Broader Effects Of Daca On U.S. Immigration, Emily Battaglia, Thomas Pearson

Center for Policy Research

This paper examines how protection from deportation and work authorization affect immigration outcomes, focusing on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Using a difference-in-differences design exploiting geographic variation in exposure to DACA-eligible immigrants, we find that DACA significantly increased the number of naturalized citizens without increasing the number of noncitizens. This increase is driven by higher naturalization among prior noncitizens, most of whom are likely not DACA beneficiaries. We provide evidence consistent with DACA increasing incentives for, and reducing barriers to, naturalization by protecting undocumented DACA-eligible contacts, suggesting temporary protections can encourage longer-term commitments and permanent residence among existing immigrants.

The Rise Of The Global Middle Class, Homi Kharas

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled, "The Rise of the Global Middle Class" by Brookings senior fellow in global economy and development, Homi Kharas.

For the last two hundred years, ever since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the most successful economies in the world have developed large, stable middle classes. With globalization, the expansion of the middle class has accelerated to a historically unprecedented speed. But global consumerism is scaling faster than the adaptation of institutions, ecosystems, and social norms. Brookings senior fellow Homi Kharas discusses his most recent book, …

Toward Transformative Social Protection: Integrating Economic Empowerment And Addressing Graduation Challenges In Egypt’S Takaful And Karama Program, Mennatalla Ahmed Zayed

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how Egypt's Takaful and Karama Program (TKP) can enhance long-term poverty reduction and program sustainability through the inclusion of economicempowerment interventions. Based on the frameworks of Social Risk Management 2.0 and Transformative Social Protection, the study places Egypt's experience in the context of international discussions about conditional cash transfers, multidimensional poverty, and graduation models. The study uses a qualitative methodology, conducting semi-structured interviews with academics, civil society experts, and policymakers. The interviews' findings are supported by content analysis of policy documents and impact evaluations on TKP and Forsa. According to the research analysis, cash transfers help alleviate …

Impact Of Incentive Policies On Mathematics And Science Teachers’ Retention In Guyana’S Rural Secondary Schools, Verna Adrian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on teacher retention in rural areas highlights persistent challenges, including geographic isolation, limited resources, and inadequate support. Studies have shown that financial incentives are critical for sustaining teacher retention, but a gap in the literature exists as to what specific non-financial challenges may also be important in influencing teachers’ long-term commitment. To address the social problem of teacher retention in rural secondary schools in Guyana, this study assessed the effectiveness of incentive policies in retaining teachers across four selected regions facing unique challenges. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The purpose of this …

Abortions In The Mountain West, 2022-2025, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet presents data on the number of abortions provided annually in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah between July 2022 and June 2025. The data are retrieved from the Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount report,  which includes data on abortion volume across all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. This fact sheet focuses on the administration of both in-person and telehealth abortions in the Mountain West.

The Stories Of African American Mothers Working Part-Time Without Mandated Job Protections, Chantelle Sharese Yancy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides unpaid, job‑protected leave only for eligible workers, and rules tied to hours, tenure, and employer size often exclude mothers working part-time. Research on U.S. family and medical leave has documented inequities in access to job protections. The lived experiences of African American/Black mothers navigating this gap remain underrepresented. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of African American/Black mothers who worked part-time without mandated job protections, with specific attention to FMLA. General systems theory provided the theoretical framework, and an Afrocentric paradigm centered African/African American/Black voice …

Leading Where You Live: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study Of Public High School Principals Who Reside In Their School Communities, Joseph Held

Doctorate in Education

Despite extensive scholarship on relational trust, social capital, place-based leadership, and culturally responsive practice, little is known about how a principal’s residency within the school community shapes leadership demands. This qualitative, multi-case study employed semi-structured interviews, reflexive memoing, and cross-case thematic analysis to examine how nine Minnesota high school principals who lived in the urban, suburban, and rural communities they served experienced leadership practice, equity work, and emotional labor. Findings revealed that residency functions as a consequential leadership condition that reorganizes how principals build trust, exercise judgment, engage families, navigate boundaries, and interpret equity-related tensions. Six themes illuminated residency as: …

What Is Happening In The World Today And Why: Humanity’S Evolving Consciousness And The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

What is happening in the world today and why? Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels. Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say. However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born--to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be. That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an …

On The Legal-Theoretical Foundations Of Property Taxation Under State Ownership Of Land, Tianke Ban, Yilin Hou, Ping Zhang

Center for Policy Research

The general public and even some scholars challenge the legitimacy of levying the property tax under conditions where land is state-owned and multi-year land-use fees have already been collected at the time of house sales. This challenge points to the legal- theoretical foundations of property taxation: the core issue is whether the rights and economic utility of China's construction land-use-rights (CLUR) are sufficient to be treated as the object of property tax levy. China's Civil Law stipulates that CLUR holders have the rights to possess, use, and profit from the land during their use period, as well as the right …

Towards Enabling Environmental Social Enterprises: Two Case Studies From Egypt, Rana Emad Kamaly

Theses and Dissertations

Social enterprises (SEs) and environmental social enterprises (ESEs) are emerging as promising potential players in addressing global and Egyptian social and environmental challenges. Operating as a hybrid model of financial sustainability and environmental and social impact, ESEs operate through innovative business models to address community issues, waste management, and resource scarcity through financial sustainability. However, there is a lack of research on ESEs operations, challenges, and the enabling factors that can support their growth and impact. This study explores the enabling factors and challenges affecting ESEs in Egypt through qualitative research, analyzing two case studies from Egypt by conducting semi-structured …

February 2026 Nh Ece Research Consortium Newsletter, Evan England, Jess Carson, Harshita Sarup

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

The February 2026 NH ECE Research Consortium Newsletter features a spotlight on the NH Child Care Scholarship Program. Also find the latest data, research publications, Consortium resources, upcoming events, opportunities, and more.

Stakeholder Views Of Real Estate Registration In Egypt And The Reform Of 2022, Karim Alsisi

Theses and Dissertations

Real estate registration in Egypt has historically remained low despite the enactment of a deeds registration law in the 1940s and a title registration law in the 1960s. The 2022 reform (Law No. 9 of 2022) warranted an assessment of its effectiveness through a Public Policy and Administration lens. This thesis has two main objectives: first, to examine stakeholders’ views of the reform; and second, to explore stakeholder perspectives on formal registration and the factors driving registration avoidance by employing a qualitative design, using in-depth interviews with four stakeholder groups encompassing both system users and service providers. The findings revealed …

Keeping It Together: Assessing The Wellbeing Of Project-Based Development Practitioners In Egypt, Amira Ahmed Abdallah Fekry Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the wellbeing of project-based development practitioners in Egypt, revealing how systemic pressures—bureaucracy, job insecurity, and fragmented workloads—undermine both wellbeing and productivity. The study employed a mixed-approach, combining 10 in-depth interviews with subject matter experts and practitioners and 75 surveys with development practitioners in Egypt. Data revealed that while many practitioners are driven by purpose, structural challenges erode resilience and motivation over time. Social support networks and personal coping strategies help but cannot replace institutional protections. The study argues that wellbeing must shift from being treated as an individual concern to a structural responsibility. Reframing organizational models around …

Advancing Climate Transition Through Fiscal Tools: The Role Of Carbon Taxation And Fuel Subsidy Reform, Farah Amgad Zayed

Theses and Dissertations

This study highlights how fiscal policy tools can accelerate Egypt's climate transition, with emphasis on carbon taxes and fossil fuel subsidies reforms. It investigates how fiscal tools can reduce carbon emissions and promote economic development by primarily relying on qualitative interviews with policymakers, consultants, representatives of the private sector, and civil society actors, paralleled with some descriptive and comparative analysis. The results show that even though Egypt has made significant strides in advancing green transition, including updating the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), introducing the first African Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), as well as phasing out fossil fuel subsidies gradually, institutional …

Pandemic Mask Mandates And Closures Were Linked To Increased Gun Violence, Douglas A. Wolf, Emily W. Wiemers, Iliya Gutin, Jennifer Karas Montez, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

Gun violence worsened substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief summarizes findings from a study using weekly gun violence casualty data from 2016-2021 for 304 U.S. counties from the Gun Violence Archive and COVID-19 policy data from county-level measures of activity restrictions and masking requirements. The authors find that policies requiring masking and activity restrictions were associated with significant increases in gun violence. Indoor masking requirements were linked to a 28% increase in gun violence, while activity restrictions were associated with a 4.2% increase.

Public Education Rankings In The Mountain West, 2025, Anthony Arroyo, Yiselle Olivas Ruiz, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet reports 2025 public education rankings for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The Consumer Affairs report, “Best States for Public Education 2025,” ranks all 50 U.S. states across four categories: K-12 performance, school funding and resources, higher education quality, and school safety. This fact sheet also highlights the change in each Mountain West state’s overall ranking between 2024 and 2025.

Challenges In Alaskan Rural Pharmaceutical Delivery, Faith Ozer Green, Michael S. Jones

CAEPR Presentations

In remote Alaska, aviation supply chains are critical to maintaining timely flow of food and medicines to communities. We map these supply chains, and present preliminary findings from a pharmaceutical shipment data partnership with a state Tribal Health Organization. Mean and distributional shipment time are presented for communities on versus off the road system, and a multiyear regional map is presented outlining propensity for shipment times over one week. Ongoing work will incorporate multiple additional Tribal Health Organization datasets in a comprehensive econometric framework.

Student Disruptions And Teacher Turnover, Kyuhan Choi, Ying Shi, Maria Zhu

Center for Policy Research

This paper examines how exposure to disruptive students affects teacher retention using linked teacher–student administrative records from North Carolina. To address non-random classroom assignment, we instrument for classroom exposure using the school-by-grade share of disruptive students based on prior-year disciplinary infractions. A 10 percentage point increase in the share of disruptive students raises the probability of an early-career teacher leaving the school in the following year by 1.0 percentage points. Notably, working in a school environment with supportive leadership and greater teacher autonomy, particularly around student conduct policies, mitigates the impact of student disruptions.

Urban Sprawl And Residential Carbon Emissions: Evidence From Indonesia And The Philippines, Yi Jiang, Taylor Lathrop, Alexander D. Rothenberg, Yao Wang

Center for Policy Research

This paper studies how neighborhood density affects residential carbon emissions, using detailed data from Indonesia and the Philippines. To address simultaneity, we instrument density with soil characteristics, and to address sorting, we control for community averages of observed characteristics. Unlike cities in developed countries, we find that density is positively correlated with residential energy use. After controlling for sorting, we find a precise null relationship between density and residential carbon emissions. Our results suggest that policies to control urban sprawl may not be successful in reducing residential carbon emissions in developing country cities.

A Qualitative Study Of Medical Cannabis Policy For Multiple Sclerosis In Kansas And Colorado, Haydn Primrose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical cannabis may alleviate symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet access to cannabis-based treatment (CBT) remains inconsistent across U.S. states. The research problem was that state policy variation and administrative implementation produce inequitable access and clinical uncertainty for individuals with MS and for clinicians and policymakers responsible for compliant care decisions. Existing literature on cannabis for MS primarily addresses symptom relief, including spasticity reduction, pain relief, and improved sleep quality; however, access policies vary by state. The purpose of this qualitative systematic review was to synthesize evidence on policy and administrative barriers shaping access to medical cannabis for MS …