Public Policy Commons^™

Automated Vehicles Have Arrived: What's A Transit Agency To Do?, John Niles

Mineta Transportation Institute

Ongoing innovations in automated and connected road vehicles create a path of radical transformation of personal mobility, the automotive industry, trucking, public transit, the taxi industry, urban planning, transportation infrastructure, jobs, vehicle ownership, and other physical and social aspects of our built world and daily lives.

In considering automated vehicle (AV) deployments and their cost, as well as the changes in traffic volume, congestion, rights of way, and the complexities of mixed fleets with both automated and non-automated vehicles, the time frame of impacts can only be surmised.

Still, it is worth considering a framework for understanding and managing the …

Sharing Of Threat-Related Information Among Public Safety Agencies In Honolulu, Hawaii, Cortney M. Chambers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of knowledge regarding how public safety organizations communicate threat-related information at the local level. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the benefits and challenges of sharing threat-related information between public safety agencies (law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, and public health) in Honolulu, Hawaii. The conceptual framework for the study was general systems theory. The sample for this study was a subset of 13 individuals from the larger population of approximately 50 subject matter experts who worked within four public safety agencies and had extensive experience analyzing and sharing threat-related …

Access And Use Of E-Government Public Services Amongst Older Adults, Ryshell Flowers-Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of trust in technology, personal preference, and perceived inability to use online services are possible reasons for lagged adaptation to electronic government (e-government) among older adults in the United States. Although e-government policies promote, or require, that many public services be provided electronically, it is unclear whether older adults are able, or willing, to access such services. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory study was to gain insight from older adults (e.g., "individuals who are 65 years or older") about their ability and willingness to access e-government services in a mid-Atlantic County. The framework for this research was Roger's …

Public Participation In Intractable Conflict: A Case Study Of New York State’S High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Policy Development Process And Stakeholder Engagement Outcomes, Nancy M. Pattarini

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

The permitting process to determine whether high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) should be allowed in New York State has been controversial and protracted. There have been intense disputes between those who see HVHF as an economic benefit and those who assert it will jeopardize health and the environment. Using the case study research method, perceptions of directly affected stakeholders regarding the issues, benefits and limitations associated with the public participation process were explored. Purposive sampling yielded participants from the natural gas industry, municipal governments, local landowners and residents. Data collection methods involved in-depth interviews, focus groups and document analysis. Since …

The Determination Of Gender Roles And Power Dynamics Within Female Same-Sex Couples, Sydney Faith Atwood

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this project was to explore the power dynamics between monogamous female same-sex couples, where traditional gender roles in relationships were not in play. In this study, I conducted a focus group of women who had been in lesbian relationships in the past or at the time of the study, and gathered insight into the dynamics of their relationships. I determined that same-sex couples do experience intimate partner violence, or IPV, but that their levels of masculinity and femininity were unrelated to the extent of power that they had. With this project, I hope to fill in some …

Business Improvement Districts And Enhanced Service Districts, Kaitlyn Dey

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

In an Enhanced Service District (ESD) property managers are required to pay a license fee, and the money from that license fee is used to fund extra security, marketing, and cleaning programs. ESDs patrol a huge chunk of Portland’s public space.

Despite their significant role in managing public spaces, oversight for ESDs is very limited. The city government collects the assessed fees and gives it to the overseeing organizations to spend. There are no oversight measures for these organizations mandated by law.

Collaborative Planning And Equity, Sarah Mercurio

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

Our research on collaborative planning and equity attempts to understand how collaborative planning and policy decisions are made, and to pinpoint where an equity lens might transform normative procedures into a practice of anti-oppression, agonism, and advocacy.

Collaborative planning is a dominant theory in planning in which multiple stakeholders come together to deliberate on common concerns and apply consensus building and public participation methods to make policy decisions. The approach seeks to balance power among participants and increase public engagement.

Patient Satisfaction With Nursing Care Related To Hospital Magnet Designation, Sharon Haylett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many U.S. hospitals have historically failed to recognize nursing as essential to quality of care. Given the relationship between the patients' experiences, measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), and government reimbursement, stakeholders now value the role of nurses in the care experience. Some hospitals have pursued Magnet designation, which is a rigorous and costly process, in order to promote patient satisfaction through nurse autonomy and retention. The purpose of this study was to understand whether non-Magnet hospitals received similar HCAHPS scores. Expectancy disconfirmation theory provides a framework to understand the components of patient satisfaction …

Use Of Force: Perception Of Racial Minorities And Police Officers In Southeastern United States, William Henry Riter, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The amount of force used by law enforcement officers has become a highly-charged topic, especially among racial minority citizens and the law enforcement community. While the use of force by police officers is permitted by law enforcement agencies and expected by citizens, the amount and type of force used can trigger or cause problems, such as distrust or loss of confidence for the police agency, if the public perceives the force to be unjustified. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the use of force by police officers and how to improve the relationship between racial minority citizens …

Social Construction, Policy Design, And Program Efficacy In The U.S. Navy's Family Readiness Group Program, Linda Tsubaki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It was unclear what the actual role of the Family Readiness Group (FRG) was in helping the spouses of U.S. Navy submariners (SMSs) in learning to live the submariner-family lifestyle. Submarines deploy in regular cycles regardless of world conflict. Submariners and their spouses are isolated from each other during deployments, communities of submariner spouses are smaller than other Navy communities, and spouses must acquire unique social capital to manage unique challenges. The purpose of this study was to explore how SMSs experience or perceive the FRG role in their social construction and adaptation to the SMS lifestyle. The examination was …

Examining The Experience Of Nepotism In A Protestant Church, Monica L. Austin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research literature reveals a number of studies conducted on unethical behavior, including nepotism, within the broader nonprofit sector. However, the effect of faith community leadership nepotism on parishioners has not been studied. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to fill a gap in the literature by exploring parishioner perceptions of leadership nepotism through the lens of servant leadership. Specific to this study, it was unknown whether parishioners of a Protestant church view nepotism as having a positive, negative, or neutral impact related to leadership performance. Specifically, the study explored parishioner impacts related to 5 elements of servant leadership: …

Medical Marijuana Policy Conflicts Within The District Of Columbia Private Workplace, Robert B. Kennedy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The District of Colombia poses a unique challenge to private employers because the passage of a local medical marijuana policy was instituted in a federalized district that is obligated to abide by federal Schedule 1 narcotic laws. Using punctuated equilibrium as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this case study was to understand how managers maintain compliance and address the conflict between different levels of government. Data were collected from interviews with 8 private industry hiring personnel who operate within the District of Columbia. These interviews were transcribed, inductively coded using a 2 cycle coding procedure, and then subjected to …

Leadership Issues And Organizational Dynamics That Shaped The 2016 Republican Primaries, Favour Chidex Awuzu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Importance of leadership in fostering cohesion within organizations has received increased scholarly attention. Researchers have shown that leadership can lose its legitimacy by pursuing unpopular policies or negating the common interest of the group. However, researchers have not yet been able to establish the leadership issues that shaped the 2016 Republican primaries as President Trump's victory (despite not having the support of any living past United States president both Republican and Democrat), was indicative of masses' frustration with the political establishment, and desire for change. Using complex leadership theory as a focal lens, the purpose of this phenomenological study was …

Market-Base Solutions To Manage The Guarani Aquifer: Pigouvian Fee And Cap-And-Trade, Julia Hayes Vieira

Master's Theses and Capstones

The objective of this case-study is to analyze the effects and the perception of different groups in possibly implementing market-based approaches of Pigouvian tax and Cap-and-Trade to manage the Guarani Aquifer, Brazil. The Pigouvian Tax is a corrective taxation that assigns a price for the negative impacts water consumption creates to aquifers, as a way to influence a more sustainable level of water consumption. Cap-and-Trade sets a maximum quantity of water allowed to be used from aquifers, and allow economic agents to trade quantities of water they have the right to use, as a way to adapt to the cap. …

Effect Of Hot Spot Policing On Reducing Officer Stress, Alfred Henry Hollie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers endure various threats ranging from verbal abuse to physical attacks, which can escalate and lead to police officer stress. Despite the abundant research exploring the relationship between high-stress occupations and environmental health, adequate exploration of the relationship between officer stress and hot spot policing (HSP; area with an above-average level of crime) has yet to occur. The purpose of this correlational study was to use Cohen and McKay's conceptualization of the stress-buffering hypothesis to explore whether HSP mitigates the negative impact of job stress, leading to improved officer performance and ultimately improved relationships between the police and communities …

Three Essays On Welfare Policies In American States: Explaining American Welfare States In The Post-Welfare Reform Era, Hyokyung Kwak

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation consists of three empirical studies that address questions regarding state welfare policy making in the post-welfare reform era. The first empirical study pays close attention to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as a federal block grant program, which is a big departure from most previous TANF studies, to ask why American states differ in their decisions to allocate federal block grants across specific programs. Drawing on research on fiscal federalism and state and cross-national welfare politics, the study uses cross-sectional time-series data covering 50 states over the fiscal years 2004-2016 to examine factors that have an …

Understanding The Adoption And Implementation Of Body Worn Camera Policies In State And Local Governments And Their Effects On Police Behavior, Sunyoung Pyo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The body worn camera (BWC) policy in the United States was introduced as a response to public demand for governmental action to decrease police use of deadly force after several highly-visible police shooting incidents involving Black residents occurred. Given the recent introduction of BWC technology, past studies on BWCs have primarily focused on examining whether BWC implementation influences the desired outcomes including a decrease in police use of force and citizen complaints. However, a deeper analysis of why BWCs were adopted and implemented and how their implementation influences everyday police work activity can provide a more comprehensive understanding on the …

Human Error In Police Involved Shootings, Paul L. Taylor

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Police use of deadly force has become one of the most contentious and controversial aspects of the U.S. criminal justice system. Yet, the vast majority of police shootings never rise to the level of public consciousness (Zimring, 2017). Instead, the public discourse and controversy tends to center on a handful of cases that appear excessive and/or are difficult to understand (Pickering & Klinger, 2016). As a result, these cases have a disproportionate impact on the public’s perception of police legitimacy and competence, particularly when it comes to their use of deadly force (Gua, 2014). The outcomes of many of these …

Winners And Losers In The Remaking Of American Healthcare Payment Systems Following The Aca : A Theory Of Private-Actor Policymaking And Implications For Democratic Decision Making, Heather G. Bennett

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law, thereby ushering in the most sweeping, expansive changes to the American healthcare system since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Supporters, including healthcare advocates, celebrated the passage of the ACA as a defining moment in healthcare history. As broad policy reform influenced practice on the ground in the months and years after passage, physicians working in private practices and hospitals changed some things about the way that they treat patients. Yet, following interviews with doctors and medical office practice managers to talk …

Assessing The Sustainability Of Collaborations Between Local Health Departments And Nonprofit Hospitals For Population Health, Christopher Mierow Maylahn

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In 2008, New York’s health commissioner asked LHDs and nonprofit hospitals to collaborate with community partners to conduct community health needs assessments, identify two or three health priorities to focus on, and implement evidence-based strategies to address them. The actions taken as part of the New York State Prevention Agenda mirrored the IRS rules and PHAB recommendations that followed. The dearth of published studies on public health-hospital collaborations and the momentum to understand how communities in New York have responded to the IRS rules and PHAB standards are the impetus for this research.