Public Policy Commons^™

Predictors Of Lone Wolf Terrorism, Gwendolyn Shands

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lone wolf terrorism is political violence perpetrated by individuals who act alone, who do not belong to an organized terrorist group or network, and whose tactics and methods are conceived and directed by the individual without any direct outside commitments or directions. The increase of domestic lone wolf terrorism continues to impact the safety and security of the United States, yet little is known about the potential predictors of this type of behavior. Using McCauley and Moskalenko’s framework of lone wolf terrorism as the foundation, the purpose of this nonparametric study was to examine the statistical association between certain elements …

Attitudes On International Standards For Criminal Hacking In The Public And Private Sector, Melinda Shoemaker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a current gap in the literature regarding uniform and consistent standards and policies for addressing criminal hacking at the international level. The purpose of this quantitative dissertation was to explore the relationship between individuals in the public and private sectors and their attitudes toward the need for international law defining criminal hacking and the penalties associated with the act. Since the advent of information and communication technologies, there has been a need to address security holistically. The security and sustainability of evolving technologies are examined in light of the threat landscape of criminal hacking, privacy concerns, and policies …

Skin Bleaching Among Female University Students, Adegboyega Abayomi Adewoyin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, skin bleaching, a practice that can create significant health problems, represents a persistent social issue. The behavior has become widespread due to unfettered access to various brands of bleaching creams. The purpose of this study was to gather data to (a) seek an understanding of the deeper motivations underlying the decision to engage in skin bleaching or skin whitening among female tertiary students and (b) examine the awareness among such students of public policy on skin bleaching creams. The case study qualitative research design was employed to enable skin bleaching cream users to share their motivations and experiences. …

Urgent Care Centers And Workers’ Compensation Medical Cost Containment, Drema M. Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In response to healthcare payment policy reforms, billions of dollars in healthcare provider charges are challenged annually. Following the implementation of the Virginia workers’ compensation medical fee legislation, healthcare organizations experienced declining worker compensation medical fee schedule reimbursements and lack of profitability. Grounded in the adaptive cycle model, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies 2 urgent care center (UCC) leaders in Virginia used to increase profits after implementing the Virginia workers’ compensation medical fee legislation. Data were collected via in-depth interviews and a review of company documents. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. …

Countering Violent Extremism: U.S. Foreign Policy And The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, Jason S. Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For over two decades, preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) has proven a daunting challenge for foreign assistance policy makers and implementers. The challenges are rooted in its rapid emergence, continuous and uneven development, and lingering skepticism about its future and effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to provide policy makers and practitioners with a deeper understanding of how certain factors have driven the development of P/CVE policy. The research questions focused on the nature of policy alignment at all policy levels and the identification and nature of the factors that have driven rapid P/CVE policy change. The theoretical …

Key Inhibitors To Ex-Offenders Obtaining Permanent Housing, Jennifer Bernard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a problem with the availability of permanent housing for ex-offenders, which increases the number of homeless ex-offenders, increasing the potential for recidivism that leads to inflated federal, state, and local incarceration budgets and higher taxpayer burdens. However, not much is known regarding the barriers ex-offenders face when seeking permanent housing in Anchorage, Alaska. Narrowing this knowledge gap was the purpose of this study, which was guided by Schneider and Ingram's social construction framework theory. The research goal of this study was to examine how the perception of ex-offenders and the external environment affect the ex-offender's ability of obtaining …

Impact Of Progress Toward Degree On Major Selection For Division I Historically'€¯Black'€¯College'€¯And University Student-Athletes, April Alicia Chestnut

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I student-athletes select or may change their majors to maintain participation eligibility in sports rather than focus on their specific academic interests. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the impact of progress towards degree (PTD) on the degree choices and perceived academic value of the degree received by student-athletes attending HBCUs. The study used Sabatier's and Jenkins-Smith's advocacy coalition framework. The research questions focused on the perceptions and lived experiences of student-athletes, athletic advisors, and athletic administrators on the impact of PTD on major selection. A researcher-developed interview …

Exploring A Pathway Out Of Poverty Using The Welfare System, Cadarrall A. Eddings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals dependent on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) encounter

multiple contributors that impede economic empowerment and a pathway out of poverty

that leads to self '€“ sufficiency. Previous research has not been fully clarified as to why

TANF has not been successful in moving recipients out of dependency and into lasting

economic success. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to

conduct a comparative analysis between two administrations, namely the Obama and

Trump administrations, concerning welfare policies. The human capital theory provided

the theoretical framework for the study. This study explored the lived experiences of

TANF recipients related …

The Nature And Effectiveness Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Fraud Detection Strategies In Baltimore County, Keena Esemuede

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The frequent occurrences of fraud over the life of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have indicated a need for robust fraud detection strategies. This qualitative study explores the nature and effectiveness of current fraud detection strategies for the SNAP in Baltimore County during 2008-2018 to understand what strategies can possibly reduce fraud within the program. The primary methods of fraud (conceptual framework) and social disorganization theory (theoretical framework) were used to collect the data for this study. The data included interviews with 1 administrator and 3 store managers who oversee the SNAP in Baltimore County, as well as 5 …

Stress And Wellness Among Municipal Law Enforcement Officers In Southeastern Virginia, Russell Morgan Granderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Municipal law enforcement officers contend with unique occupational stressors. They must overcome stress from their employing agency and the pressures that arise from performing their basic enforcement duties. This study was designed to examine how municipal law enforcement officers in southeastern Virginia perceived their agency's wellness policy and to determine what recommendations they had to improve the effectiveness of the current wellness policy. Lazarus and Folkman's theory of cognitive appraisal and coping served as the theoretical framework for the study. Qualitative inquiry was used to examine the perceptions of 15 purposively sampled law enforcement officer participants. The data were then …

Oligarchic Cartelization In Post-Suharto Indonesia, Bonifasius -. Hargens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A few ruling individuals from party organizations overpowered Indonesia's post-authoritarian, representative democracy. The legislative process of the 2017 Election Act was the case study employed to examine this assumption. The underlying thinking was that there was a contest between “wealth power” (oligarchy) and “participation power” (democracy). The power of wealth controls the party and government institutions. Notwithstanding the presence of participation power, there was, however, no balance between wealth power and participation power, because the formal control of politics was in the hands of party oligarchs. The study purpose was to bridge the gap in knowledge by exploring how the …

A Qualitative Study Of Peer Reporting Of Attorney Ethical Misconduct, Jason Alan Helm

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attorney misconduct affects the victims, the justice system, and the reputation of the entire legal profession. The legal profession suffers from a negative public perception because of a perceived lapse of ethical conduct. This study was designed as a general qualitative study and its purpose was to understand the processes attorneys experience regarding peer reporting of attorney ethical misconduct. The questions examined in this study was whether attorneys were willing to report their peer's ethical misconduct and why those attorneys decided to report or not report their peer's ethical misconduct. Twenty open-ended questionnaires were collected from a sampling of active, …

Engaging External Stakeholders To Improve Public-Private Partnership Water Project Completion Rates, John Paul Kolman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public-private partnership (PPP) water projects may have competing external stakeholders, resulting in a disproportionately high project failure rate when compared to other types of infrastructure projects. Private companies and local governments use PPP projects as a means to bridge deficiencies in local government funding and knowledge to assist in bringing improved water to their communities. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to examine strategies leaders use to engage their external stakeholders in improving their PPP project completion rates. The study was grounded in Freeman's stakeholder theory. The participants consisted of 3 leaders who recently completed stakeholder activities …

From The Legal Literature: Automating Police, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

From The Legal Literature: Disentangling Prison And Punishment, Francesca Laguardia

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Bioterrorism: Exploring Factors For Improving Nurse Preparedness, Policies, And Practices, Leone Okey Tom-James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ebola virus release/attack in New Jersey could go unnoticed but have immediate and long-lasting effects on the broader population and security. The risk underscores the need to prepare and enhance the state’s efforts to deal with a release and treat the confirmed cases. This descriptive single case research explored factors for improving nurses’ preparedness, policies, and practices for a bioterrorism release/attack. The epidemiological triangle conceptual framework was used descriptively in exploring, and developing a knowledge base of Ebola virus pathogenicity, characteristics, routes of transmission, and infection. The unit of analysis was Summit Ridge Genesis Healthcare Center. The theory of robust …

Gender Quota Policy Plans And Female Members Of The Board Of Directors, Saidah Muhammad Traish

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The present study explored how gender quota policy plans hindered and supported the access of female board members serving on the board of directors of their nonprofit organizations. The gender organizational theory guided the theoretical framework of this study by exploring how gendering organizational processes replicated, challenged, and reproduced gender perceptions of women in caregiving roles rather than leadership roles. The qualitative phenomenological approach explored the lived experiences of 6 female board members from 6 different nonprofit organizations on gender quota policy plans. The results of the analysis revealed succession planning, the inclusiveness of the mission and vision statements, and …

Oligarchic Cartelization In Post-Suharto Indonesia, Bonifasius -. Hargens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A few ruling individuals from party organizations overpowered Indonesia‘s post-authoritarian, representative democracy. The legislative process of the 2017 Election Act was the case study employed to examine this assumption. The underlying thinking was that there was a contest between ―wealth power‖ (oligarchy) and ―participation power‖ (democracy). The power of wealth controls the party and government institutions. Notwithstanding the presence of participation power, there was, however, no balance between wealth power and participation power, because the formal control of politics was in the hands of party oligarchs. The study purpose was to bridge the gap in knowledge by exploring how the …

Nonprofits’ Financial Health And Healthy People 2020 California Program Outcomes, Tammie Vanessa Johnson-Lozolla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are essential for implementing U.S. health promotion policies such as the Healthy People 2020 Nutrition and Weight Status 9, 10.4, and 15.1 program goals. Obtaining and sustaining NPO funding are pervasive problems. Prior research has focused primarily on NPO financial measures without taking into consideration a conjoint assessment of program outcomes connected to their primary mission. This study examined the influence of financial, accountability, and transparency measures on a selection of California NPOs whose program goals focused on Healthy People 2020 nutritional outcomes. Using Mohr’s program theory lens, this quantitative study examined financial strategies and administrative components …

Disinterest In Pursuing A Law Enforcement Career Among Minorities, Howard E. Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the United States, women and racial minorities are underrepresented in the law enforcement profession. Ideally, law enforcement agencies should reflect the racial makeup of the communities they serve; which has been a challenge for departments. The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect media reporting of unarmed Black men killed by police has had on women and racial minorities’ decisions to apply for police jobs. Another issue investigated was whether family attitudes influence women’s and racial minorities’ decision making about becoming police officers. The theoretical frameworks applied for this study were the critical race theory and punctuated …