New Visions for Public Affairs Volume 7
Articles
- Special Profile – NVPA at the National Journal Conference for Schools of Public Policy & Affairs / Authors: Jessica Mitchell and Gemma Tierney
- Special Profile – Enemies to Allies: The First Twenty Years of Public Allies Delaware / Author: S. Elizabeth Lockman
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Abstract
Under the slogan, “Everyone leads,” the Public Allies program enables individuals from diverse backgrounds to serve the community. Through apprenticeship, training, and a
Team Service Project, Public Allies are immersed in community development work and
understand the potential challenges and rewards of a life in public service. The partnership
between Public Allies Delaware and the University of Delaware serves as an example to national
Public Allies programs. In this retrospective, S. Elizabeth Lockman interviewed personnel of
Public Allies Delaware and outlined the history of its development in Delaware.
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- Highway to Inequity: The Disparate Impact of the Interstate Highway System on Poor and Minority Communities in American Cities/ Author: David Karas
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Abstract
The Interstate Highway System constitutes one of the most substantial federal investments
in the nation’s infrastructure and has provided innumerable benefits in transportation
infrastructure. The positive impacts of the road building campaign sparked by President
Dwight Eisenhower in the mid-1950s, however, are not without their negative counterparts.
Construction of the expressway network had a profound impact on American cities, often
cutting through developed neighborhoods and forever changing the social and physical
characteristics of urban landscapes. In discussions of the oft-devastating effects of the Interstate
Highway System on urban communities, it is impossible to ignore the impact that the system has
had on poor and minority communities. A growing body of research has addressed the racial
effects of the landmark federal initiative, with many academics alleging that the system’s
construction constituted, at least in some cities, a civil rights violation that served to formalize
Jim Crow-era discriminatory patterns and some of the original racial boundaries imposed in
some urban spaces. In the present context, the still-evolving expressway teardown movement
points to the reevaluation of the highway system on the part of policy scholars and public
officials, many of whom have addressed the disparate outcomes of the network and have sought
to remedy the harm it imposed on urban America.
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- Harnessing Entrepreneurial Potential in Soweto as a Catalyst for Inclusive Growth / Author: Alexandra Davis
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Abstract
Over the course of the past several decades, momentum has grown across developing nations in favor of the advancement of policies rooted in the linkage between entrepreneurial activity and economic growth. In line with this momentum, South Africa – a nation experiencing depressed entrepreneurial activity, sluggish growth rates, and unemployment rates just under thirty percent – has adopted the development of the small, medium, and micro enterprise (SMME) sector as a national priority. This analysis sought to assess the accessibility of public supports in place to facilitate the startup and development of SMMEs in historically underrepresented communities of the country, particularly in urban settlements colloquially referred to as “townships,” where tens of millions of South Africans live. This study was conducted as a case study of the communities of South Africa’s largest and oldest township, Soweto. This research supports that there is a severe lack of access to SMME supports in Soweto, as well as various institutional barriers, many due to legacies of the apartheid structure, and an inability of top-down governmental policy to filter to Sowetan communities.
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- Guidelines for Developing an Open Geospatial Response to Emergencies / Author: Benjamin Wallace
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Abstract
Disaster response typically requires high levels of coordination, necessitating effective communication and information management. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are useful tools that are constantly being developed and used in many fields, including emergency and disaster management. They are useful in all four stages of the disaster management cycle (mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery) and they have the potential to become even more important to disaster response. This paper considers how GIS is used in emergency management, then suggests guidelines for developing a GIS-based, networked disaster response platform that includes public participation. This could allow visualization and management of the response to events (resources, personnel, hazards, incidents, evacuation routes, shelters). Additionally, it could facilitate communication between officials, members of the public, and other responders. The conclusion of this paper discusses factors relevant to development of this system, including information infrastructure, social media, and crowdsourcing, and considers basic guidelines for developing an Open Geospatial Response to Emergency (OGRE).
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- Impact of the Drug Regulatory Authority in Pakistan: An Evaluation / Author: Hira Rashid
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Abstract
Drug regulation has been identified as a crucial impediment to the progress of Pakistan’s health sector, particularly in the wake of the ‘Fake Drug Crisis’ of 2012. In 2010, control of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRA), shifted from the federal government to provincial governments. However, after two years, the Drug Act of 2012 reestablished direct federal jurisdiction over the DRA. Since its formation, the media and the international community have criticized the DRA. However, to date there have been no official or academic performance evaluations of the DRA. This paper aims to add to the limited body of literature analyzing DRA’s effectiveness in the following areas: regulating the pharmaceutical industry, encouraging its development and, managing the supply of therapeutic products in the country. This research supports that there are significant policy shortfalls in the DRA’s operational functions, organizational and financial structure, that limits the impact of the organization and its constituent units in regulating the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan. Finally, crucial policy recommendations are highlighted that focus on maximizing the efficacy of the DRA while taking into account the contextual political, social, and economic factors in which it operates.
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- Fundraising Challenges for Land Trust Organizations / Authors: Meredith Barnes, Shannon K. Orr, Tara Schuler, Tao Tang, Sarah Tekle, Christopher Van Newhouse
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Abstract
The ongoing challenges associated with the economic downturn in the United States are significant for nonprofit organizations facing declines in government grants and foundation support, as well as challenges in attracting and retaining individual donors. Fundraising may mean the difference between fulfilling a mission and closing operations. The purpose of this study is to identify best practices for fundraising and donor recruitment/retention based on a national web survey of land trust organizations in the United States. This research has implications for other small nonprofit organizations without professional fundraising staff that are looking to expand or improve their fundraising practices since the global economic downturn. This research not only contributes to the academic literature on nonprofit management in difficult economic times and fundraising/donor best practices, but will also be of use to land trust practitioners looking to improve their current practices.
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