Public Policy Commons^™

Upholding Liberty And Justice Through The Virtue Of Citizen Volunteerism, David W. Bolton

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

Alexis de Tocqueville observed that colonial Americans were preoccupied with civic duty, and he spoke to the beneficial power of early American volunteer associations which did not rely on government solutions. Colonial Americans resolved immediate communal needs through volunteerism and charity via civic and religious organizations. From de Tocqueville’s perspective, an essential element of being a good citizen was contributing to your community through volunteerism and charity. State and federal government overreach could be avoided by resolving local issues locally. The true nature of citizenship was to ensure liberty and justice through voluntary, philanthropic efforts and avoiding the mandated funding …

City On A Hill: A Reflection On Christian Ethic And Human Morality, Mayce Combs

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

In John Winthrop’s sermon A Model of Christian Charity (1630), he spoke to his congregation of the mission God had called them to. With the creation of a new blended nation, the only way to be exceptional was to reflect the gospel in policy, action, and foremost thought. Philosophers from ancient times to today acknowledge that an individual is made up of the soul and their body. From the soul, comes thought, reason, empathy, and a connection to a divine being who deciphers what is morally unjust. The body is a sinful, self-seeking vessel that does not have the ability …

Invent2prevent (I2p) Program Evaluation: Process & Preliminary Outcomes Evaluation Report, Denise Bulling, Stacey Hoffman, Kurt T. Mantonya, Aiden Quinn

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

The “Invent2Prevent” (I2P) program is a student led competition to design, implement, and test innovative peer-to-peer initiatives focused on prevention of terrorism, targeted violence or hate. The collegiate competition was the focus of a program evaluation funded by the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate and carried out by the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, an affiliate of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE), a US Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence housed at the University of Nebraska Omaha. This report provides results of the first phase of the evaluation, documenting preliminary student …

Institutional Logics Influencing Human Services Nonprofit Board Members Adoption Or Nonadoption Of Good Ethical Governance, Cynthia Felici Jewell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Board members of human service nonprofit organizations (HSNPOs) perform within the self-governing nonprofit sector influenced by complex logics (reasoning) from institutions. Unknown are the origin, identity, role, or purpose of institutional logics or their influence on HSNPO board members to adopt or not adopt existing good ethical governance. This generic qualitative inquiry study explored HSNPO governance and ethics as experienced, described, and narrated by HSNPO board members. This study utilized the theoretical frameworks of institution theory, complexity theory, institutional complexity theory, and institutional logics metatheory. The concepts within these selected theories are interconnected in contextualizing institutional logics (reasoning of institutions) …

The Changing Nature Of Education In Youth Justice Centres In New South Wales (Australia), Laura Metcalfe, Cathy Little Dr, Garner Clancey Dr, David Evans Dr

Journal of Prison Education Research

Education is an important protective factor in preventing involvement in crime. For those young people that enter the youth justice system, and especially youth justice centres, education is a critical, but infrequently explored part of their time in custody following generally disrupted schooling experiences. There are currently six youth justice centres in New South Wales, Australia. Each of these centres have an Education and Training Unit which are schools funded by and staffed with Department of Education personnel. There is evidence that young people accessing these schools regard them very positively. However, this article, drawing on publicly available information, raises …

How Do Differences In Sex Education Alter Perception Of Consent?, Hannah G. Stone

ATU Scholars Symposium

The following research was conducted to answer the question: how do differences in sex education alter perception of consent? As of 2021, only 7 states and the District of Columbia mandate comprehensive sex education policies that include consent education, and in contrast, 17 states do not mandate comprehensive or non-comprehensive sex education (“Sex and HIV Education” 2021). Because sex education in schools is where a large proportion of young adults receive all of their instruction on sexual topics, it can be inferred that the lack of sex education would constitute a lack of consent education as well (Deluna 2019; “Section …

Family Medicine’S Role In Addressing The Intersections Of Redlining And Climate Change, Daryl O. Traylor, Eboni E. Anderson, Brianna Clark, Alex M. Smith, Cooper K. Allenbrand

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Redlining, the practice of discriminating against specific neighborhoods based on race and socioeconomic status, leads to persistent environmental hazards and socioeconomic inequalities that have lasting adverse health effects on their populations. Health disparities are further exacerbated through the concentration of environmental hazards, as well as the escalating impact of climate change, which poses an increased risk of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, heat-related illness, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and socioeconomic difficulties in redline neighborhoods.

This paper examines the interplay of redlining, climate change, and health disparities, with an emphasis on the enduring consequences for these marginalized communities. Through …

The State Of The Carbon Capture And Sequestration Industry In California In 2024: Challenges And Policy Solutions, Noah Jackson

School of Public Policy Capstones

Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) is the process of capturing CO₂ from an above ground carbon source, transporting it to a sequestration well, and permanently sinking it deep underground. Despite the state of California depending on CCS to reach carbon neutrality, not one CCS project is operational yet in the state. Due to the recent creation and expansion of state low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credits and the federal 45Q credits, CCS projects are beginning to be developed. Between 2021 and 2023 twelve Class VI applications were submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in California.

This paper …

How Social Movements Have Influenced Child Custody Standards Over Time, Victoria Miller

Honors Theses

Child custody standards have evolved over time due to societal attitude shifts regarding gender roles. The stereotypes present within the decision-making process of child custody laws have been challenged repeatedly in order to attack sexism within the laws. Child custody decisions are important for the child and family in question, because whichever parental guardian has custody over the child has the legal authority to make life changing choices for the child. These choices can include education, religion, and the environment the child grows and develops in. Parental choices can affect a child's mental and physical well-being, which makes it crucial …

Terrorism In Africa: An Analysis Of The Efficacy Of U.S. Counterterrorism, Max Yong

Global Tides

This paper seeks to identify whether United States aid to Africa has impacted violent terrorist activity on the continent. The existing literature has produced a range of critiques. Many have voiced concern about foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) growing and blame ineffective efforts by the U.S. for this reality. Instances of African nations, in the face of persisting security challenges from FTOs, turning to political adversaries of the U.S. for assistance is evidence of this sentiment. Furthermore, terror attacks since the onset of the U.S. Global War on Terror (GWOT) have only remained higher than in the previous era. Others have …

Evaluating Macro-Policy Attitudes About Abortion In The United States, Christopher Olds, Miriam Guadalupe Benavides-Ortega, Madison May Albers, Rocio Figueroa-Castro

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Prior research on public opinion demonstrates attitudes about major issues often shift/move together. In other words, public support for government involvement in domestic affairs across multiple policy areas can be indicative of the general policy sentiment or public mood at any given point in time. In exploring specific issue areas in isolation, researchers can assess whether change in opinion on an issue area is significantly linked to fluctuations in views about macroeconomic conditions. The current research project will contrast quarterly public support for government involvement in the issue area of abortion through vector autoregression time series techniques examining whether prior …

Adopting The Standard Medical Deduction Increased State Snap Enrollment And Benefits, Yuwei Zhang, Jun Li, Dongmei Zhu, Colleen Heflin

Population Health Research Brief Series

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a critical safety net program that helps reduce food insecurity among low-income households in the United States. However, many eligible households do not participate in SNAP due to burdensome administrative requirements. To make it easier for more older adults and people with disabilities to participate in SNAP, many states have adopted the Standard Medical Deduction (SMD) to simplify administrative requirements. This brief summarizes findings from a study that examined the associations between state SMD adoption and SNAP participation and benefits from 2004 to 2019.

Making College Worth It: Inequalities In Higher Education And How To Solve Them, Katharine Meyer

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

Most students who graduate from college go on to earn higher wages, have more employment stability, and enjoy better health. While posted tuitions are high, a “high price, high aid” approach to college pricing means that the average cost of college has actually declined in recent years. Yet, public confidence in higher education is at an all-time low. What explains this tension? Who gains from going to college and who does not? What can colleges do to change perceptions about the value of a college education? This lecture by Brookings Institution scholar Katharine Meyer highlights trends in college enrollment and …

Apprenticeships In The Mountain West, Fy2023, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines data on apprenticeships for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The original dataset from the U.S. Department of Labor includes data on all 50 states as well as U.S. territories. This fact sheet examines the number of apprenticeships, the average and median hourly wages, the education level of those in apprenticeships, the union status, and the industries that support apprenticeships in each Mountain West state.

How Much Does It Cost To Operate Tiny Home Villages For People Experiencing Homelessness, Celeste Benitez, Cooper Conway, Declan Maddern

School of Public Policy Capstones

Los Angeles is in a homelessness crisis. Millions of dollars are poured into preventing its causes and curtailing the increased medical costs and crime rates that stem from it. The solutions vary, but one new solution in the form of tiny home villages hopes to provide a cheap and effective way to get people experiencing homelessness off the streets.

In 2021, Los Angeles began opening tiny home villages, also referred to as cabin communities, for unhoused people during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are currently 11 tiny home villages in Los Angeles, operated in a joint effort between the government and …

Impact Of Official State Messaging On Covid-19 Infection And Death Rates In Five U.S. States, Barclay Randall Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Kondisi Rumah Tidak Layak Huni (Rtlh) Di Indonesia, Putri I. Lumban Tobing, I Dewa Gede Karma Wisana

Jurnal Kebijakan Ekonomi

Urbanization in Indonesia is increasing population growth and demand for habitable housing, presenting challenges. This study assesses uninhabitable houses (RTLH) across regions and provinces, examining their relationship with drinking water, sanitation access, and regional and macroeconomic factors. Despite progress, significant gaps in access to improved water and sanitation persist. Using data from the Central Statistics Agency, findings show a slowed decline in RTLH from 2019 to 2021, with an increase in 2022, highlighting uneven development. The study also finds that higher education levels correlate with lower RTLH rates, while a larger informal labor force is linked to higher RTLH.

Community Conversations, John S. Watson Institute For Urban Policy And Research, Barbara George Johnson, Karl Weiskopf

Center for Urban Policy Research

In the winter and spring of 2023, the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University, in partnership with New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, under the leadership of the Honorable Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter, hosted a series of community conversations to bolster the statewide urban policy agenda on collaborative, evidence-informed solutions to prevent and reduce violence in urban centers and for all New Jerseyans.

These conversations were held at Kean University in Union Township and in four member cities of the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association (NJUMA): Atlantic City, Bridgeton, Camden, and Trenton. Additionally, we facilitated …

Voices, Stories And Experiences Of Black Women Phase Ii: Community Engagement Activity Report Informing The Establishment Of A Trenton-Based Maternal & Infant Health Innovation Center, John S. Watson Institute For Urban Policy And Research, Tirzah Spencer, Phd, Mph, Barbara George Johnson

Center for Urban Policy Research

As an extension of our 2022 study Voices, Stories and Experiences of Black Women (Phase 1), the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University’s Maternal and Child Health Equity Team was asked to share information about the planned Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center (MIHIC) with Trenton residents as a part of Nurture NJ’s community engagement efforts. The Team implemented the following community engagement activities: Communication: Community engagement through social media outreach and in-person outreach were used as approaches to inform Trenton residents about the MIHIC. Dissemination of Findings: Community cafés were designed to share …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 23rd Edition (Fy2023), Cisr Jmu

Global CWD Repository

In this year’s edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, we highlight the many ways that U.S. conventional weapons destruction assistance promotes post-conflict recovery. For example, our humanitarian demining funding enhances food security by helping to revitalize agricultural fields in countries like Sri Lanka and Vietnam. This funding is especially critical in Sri Lanka where more than 6 million people—nearly 30 percent of the population—are currently food-insecure. In Vietnam, our commitment to promoting agricultural security is a key component to successful post-conflict recovery, even decades after war ended.

The United States is the world’s top supporter of conventional …