Contents
- Rising to Meet the Central Challenge of Our Time by Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
- 2018 Seoul Case Study Experience by Eileen Young
- Hardening Soft Targets by Daniel Henne
- Abstract: Terrorism was once a scattered, intermittent concern for the global community. It is now an everyday security problem that primarily affects large urban centers that have not been secured. Proper risk assessment, intelligence collection, public awareness, organizational collaboration, and improvements in technology are key areas and points that need to be emphasized in terrorism prevention. When it comes to implementing effective counterterrorism practices, places such as New York City have made strides. The city’s ability to prevent attacks can be contributed to their extensive use of surveillance systems, as well as their robust informationsharing and collaborative abilities. This paper assesses the major findings in counterterrorism literature and in practice, providing examples of advances that New York City has utilized in order to keep people safe from terrorist attacks.
- A Critical Review of Emergency and Disaster Management in the United Arab Emirates by Abdulhadi A. Al Ruwaithi
- Abstract: The United Arab Emirates – the UAE – a small, wealthy Gulf State country, is subject to many geographical, political, and social issues that contribute to either increased risk of disaster or ineffective disaster management. This paper discusses these issues, their causes, how they impact the country’s ability to face a disaster, and how they can be fixed from a public policy perspective. In the UAE, citizens represent only 11.6% of the total population, whereas most residents are immigrant workers who enjoy many fewer advantages in the country. Such a large demographic imbalance threatens the stability of the social system and continuity of business during and after a disaster. It also impedes community engagement in disaster planning and response. A large demographic imbalance, low public representation in public policy, and low community engagement in the planning process are highlighted as the primary community-based vulnerabilities. This paper illustrates several recommendations to alleviate the impact of these issues and urges policymakers and emergency managers to be aware of 1) the drawbacks of the exclusive planning process and 2) the social vulnerabilities that are promoted by the current public policy. More public policy research and community-based research projects aiming to p
- Civic Hackathons as Deliberative Democracy: Reflections from Participation in the 2018 Delaware Open Data Challenge by Eli Turkel, Elizabeth Suchanic, and Randy Neil
- Abstract: The “hackathon” is one of the primary events that civic technology groups organize. A civic hackathon is an event designed to improve a public service either through innovative software programming, data analysis, or graphic and web design. Hackathons are criticized for lack of productivity and sustainability. Due to such criticism, civic technology organizations have introduced reforms to the format of hackathons – stretching their length, incorporating human centered design and the influence of client direction. Open Data, Delaware’s 2018 Open Data Challenge is an example of a hackathon that experimented with these different reforms. In this paper, the authors share their reflections on participation in the Open Data Challenge. The main question explored by the paper is, what is the value of the civic hackathon and what research questions should be asked about hackathons? The paper finds that the value of civic hacking events is that they provide an opportunity to engage citizens in a civic process. From this vantage point, civic hackathons should be studied as deliberative democratic events and evaluated on their design and their ability to increase participants’ civic engagement.
- The Syrian Crisis: Failed Mediation and Implications for Conflict Resolution by Meagan Eisner
- Abstract: This paper uses well known civil war theories to analyze the most significant mediation attempts that have occurred in the Syrian Civil War and explain why they have been unsuccessful. After reviewing the failed attempts from the Arab League and the United Nations to negotiate an end to conflict in Syria, this paper concludes that the reasons attempt have failed are the large number of parties involved in the conflict, hostilities among the parties involved, and international disunity. Ultimately, scholars have found that the number of parties in a conflict, the level of hostility among the parties, and the ability for the international community to unite around a common approach for resolution correlates with the likelihood for successful mediation. These findings offer insight and guidance for future policymakers that are involved in conflict mediation in a multi-polar world. Since previous mediation attempts have failed, this paper seeks to offer a way to restructure the post-war state so that peace and stability is achieved, and war recurrence is unlikely. Power-sharing is the most effective means to restructure the post-war state in deeply divided societies such as Syria. The conflict in Syria has real implications for the future of conflict mediation. Based on the failures of previous mediation attempts, this paper offers insight into how the United Nations can capitalize on the tools at its disposal in order to enhance its effectiveness in conflict resolution
- Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Urbanization Versus Suburbanization by Brett Swan
- Abstract: Testing has begun on fully connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). Within a decade or two, fully automated vehicles will be on public roads. Just as the automobile played significant role in changing the way people lived, so too will CAVs. However, that role is still unclear. CAVs, also known as self-driving vehicles, can lead a new wave of suburbanization, urbanization, or a mixture of both. To best prepare for the intended and potentially unintended consequences of CAVs, the federal, state, and local governments must be proactive in steering CAVs towards sustainable growth.
