Volume 6

New Visions for Public Affairs Volume 6 

 Articles
  •  Advocating for Justice and Equality: An Interview with Ashley Biden  /  Author: M. Kristen Hefner
    • Abstract

      With her father the sitting Vice President and her brother Delaware’s Attorney General, Ashley Biden grew up in a political family. Instead of entering politics, however, she has chosen to dedicate her career to improving the lives of others. Biden earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 and previously worked for the West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington, Delaware and the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and their Families. Biden is Associate Executive Director of The Delaware Center for Justice (DCJ), a non-profit agency whose work aims to improve justice and safety for Delawareans. The activities of the DCJ include implementing programs and services, educating the public, conducting research and engaging in advocacy. Initiatives of the non-profit organization include a Truancy Reduction Program, an Adult Victim Services Program, a School Diversion Program, a Community Reentry Services Program, a Gun Violence Intervention Program, and Project Reach – which works with incarcerated women and their children. The DCJ collaborates and establishes partnerships with other agencies and organizations to address policy issues facing Delawareans. Partners include the Delaware Department of Justice, the Delaware Department of Correction, faithbased organizations, and community-based agencies. In the following interview1, Ashley Biden discusses factors that have influenced her interest in improving the lives of others and how that interest manifests itself in the current work of the Delaware Center for Justice. The editorial board of New Visions for Public Affairs would like to thank Ashley Biden for taking the time to participate in this discussion, and for providing an example of successfully combining personal passions with creating a more equitable world in which to improve the lives of others.

  •  A Half-Century of Service and Scholarship: The Disaster Research Center at UD  /  Author: Adria Buchanan
    • Abstract

      The political and cultural landscape took on dramatic color during the 1960s, and academia responded. Nationally, universities and academics developed, enhanced and sharpened their tools for investigating new phenomena. Two sociologists in particular, E.L. Quarantelli and Russell Dynes at Ohio State University, found their way into natural disasters, eventually leading to the establishment of the Disaster Research Center (DRC). The Center’s subsequent research would break existing molds for understanding human behavior and provide the basis for worldwide disaster inquiry. The Center began with a number of funded projects from the Office of Civil Defense and Air Force Office of Scientific Research to investigate human behavior during a disaster as a possible threat to national security and preparation. Despite its niche in human behavior, the DRC’s permanence at the University of Ohio was uncertain. Fortunately for the University of Delaware, the stars aligned to bring the DRC stability midway through its 50-year history. In the context of new inventions, political and social revolutions, pop culture sensations, and unfortunate tragedy, the DRC has evolved. Other centers have since emerged, yet this article depicts those characteristics that have contributed to the DRC’s longevity by chronicling its history in a global and domestic context, discussing what makes it unique in the ongoing body of disaster science, and presenting current projects with perspectives from staff and students to celebrate its 50 year anniversary.

  •  Civic Hacking: A Motivation Framework (NECoPA Special Feature)  /  Author: Tanya Stepasiuk
    • Abstract

      Civic hackers are a newly emerging community, working to bridge the gap between technology and government. They gather together to work on projects using publicly available data and technological expertise to devise apps, programs, and data presentations for the benefit of the community. I use primary data collected from ten semistructured interviews with current participants as well as observations of civic hacking events and grounded theory to answer the question, “what are the motivations of people who participate in civic hacking?” I then suggest a framework. The framework includes unique identities and motivations of this particular community. Motivations are divided into three typologies: “hackers,” volunteers, and activists. The typologies correspond to motivations that are intrinsic and extrinsic in nature. While exploratory in nature, this study takes a preliminary look at this new form of social engagement and the reasons that people participate. This newly emerging phenomenon is of interest to public administrators and scholars as it suggests ways to partner with this community to achieve the benefit of a technologically savvy community that would like to contribute to civic causes.

  •  Technopolitical Regimes and Climate Change: A Transcript of an Interview with the Carbon Cycle  /  Author: Philip Barnes
    • Abstract

      Despite the urgent response that climate change demands, debate over climate change policy goes round and round without showing signs that it can rest long enough for action to be taken. Meanwhile, the situation with the atmospheric commons continues to deteriorate. In a desperate attempt to constructively contribute to the climate change debate and break through the morass, this paper engages with Actor Network Theory which affords practitioners the freedom to dialogue with the non-human. The result is a transcription of an interview with The Carbon Cycle. Using the concept of the technopolitical regime, The Carbon Cycle identifies two broadly defined philosophies that humans use to frame climate change policy. The two technopolitical regimes, what The Carbon Cycle calls the Interventionists and the Egalitarians, are informed by conflicting values. According to The Carbon Cycle, humans will need to face the difficult challenge of negotiating a policy response to climate change that lies somewhere between the interventionist and the egalitarian strategies. Depending on the policy approach taken, the implications for society-nature relationships and democratic governance are radically different and are teased out in this conversation.

  •  Neoliberal Urbanism: Socio-Spatial Fragmentation & Exclusion  /  Author: Rachel Beatty
    • Abstract

      This paper takes a critical approach to urbanism in the United States with a focus on how the socio-political ideology of neoliberalism influences our urban spaces. I review literature that addresses the role of neoliberalism in urban development and describe the ways that neoliberal urban development, as a governance and growth project, has negative consequences on our urban communities by fragmenting space and reinforcing and normalizing socio-economic disparity through exclusionary policies and projects. I advocate for greater attention to “actually existing neoliberalism” and its implications by contemporary policy-making professionals as they work to improve our urban spaces and the lives of the people who inhabit them.

  •  Foster Youth Mentoring Program: Assisting with and Connecting the “Aging Out” Challenges in Delaware  /  Author: Leann Moore
    • Abstract

      Delaware has made great strides providing and improving services for the state’s foster youth “aging out” of the system. However, even in light of new legislation and enhanced community-based programs, Delaware youth in foster care face many challenges when aging out of the foster care system. Potential outcomes for youth aging out of the foster care system, such as higher rates of incarceration, homelessness, unemployment, and teen pregnancy, as well as lower rates of high school graduation, can cost taxpayers up to $300,000 per youth in incarceration costs, public assistance support, and lost wages. However, Delaware’s supportive services infrastructure has potential to address these problems. The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative put forth six specific policy and practice recommendations for successful transitions (deemed the Ready-By-21 campaign), and, to date, the only one of these not directly addressed is permanency. The Delaware Youth Opportunities Initiative (DYOI) is the Delaware agency working to address each recommendation. One of the best ways of achieving all of these goals is to establish a statewide and inclusive mentoring program for foster youth beginning at age 14 through age 21. There are many ways to implement this: through a resource guide, a school-based program, or by reframing the Court Appointed Special Advocate’s (CASA) role and training. When considering cost, timeline, feasibility, and the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative’s recommendations, the CASA role reframing option best fits Delaware’s current atmosphere. This option achieves permanency within a one-to-one adult relationship.

Volume 5

New Visions for Public Affairs Volume 5 

Articles

  • Special Interview – Fabian Socialists and Red Light Traffic Cameras – An Interview with Robert Warren /  Author: Philip Barnes
    • Abstract

      After a 53-year career in higher education and following 38 years of continuous academic and professional service to the School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware, Professor Robert Warren will step back from his teaching responsibilities. Dr. Warren’s urban studies courses – Governance, Planning & Management, Contemporary Issues in Urban Affairs & Public Policy, and Planning Theory & Urban Policy – have been staples of the School’s graduate curriculum for decades. His wide-ranging and deep concern for the marginalized and the oppressed is evident in his teaching and mentoring. Never one to shy away from disclosing his feelings on governmental or political matters, Dr. Warren is the embodiment of C. Wright Mills and Aaron Wildavsky’s challenge to follow the Quaker dictum, “speak truth to power.” In a wide-ranging interview with New Visions for Public Affairs, Dr. Robert Warren – who will continue to advise his Ph.D. students and work on publishing journal articles – talked about his views of the past, present and future. People familiar with Dr. Warren will readily acknowledge his capacity to articulate connections between seemingly unrelated aspects of political and social reality. In this interview, he demonstrates this intellectual ability by pointing out a hidden relationship between H.G. Wells and red light traffic cameras. More fundamentally, Dr. Warren succinctly exposes the complex dynamics between theory and practice in critical social inquiry. The editorial board of New Visions for Public Affairs would like to thank Dr. Warren for participating in this interview. We thank him for what he has done for his students, the School of Public Policy and Administration, the University of Delaware, and for his contribution to the development of a more just and equitable society.

  • Intersectional Disadvantages in the Emergence and Transformation of Legal Disputes  /  Author: M. Kristen Hefner
    • Abstract

      Intersectionality theory asserts that individuals’ social experiences differ based on the different social locations individuals occupy within society. In addition, sociolegal research suggests that individuals possess different experiences in the emergence and transformation of legal disputes but, to date, has not empirically incorporated intersectionality theory into its analysis. This paper asks, how can intersectionality theory enhance and further develop sociolegal research on legal disputing? By using Felstiner et al.’s (1980) framework for describing and analyzing the emergence and transformation of legal disputes and drawing on existing sociolegal scholarship, this paper argues for the importance of taking into account the different experiences of individuals within society when examining the emergence and transformation of legal disputes. I further argue that intersectionality theory should be incorporated in sociolegal research to elucidate the disparate ways legal disputes emerge and are transformed for different individuals and the various disadvantages that may exist for certain social groups in asserting legitimate legal claims. Public policy implications and examples are discussed.

  • Characteristics of Innovative Entrepreneurs – An Analysis at the Level of the Individual, the Firm, and the Business Environment  /  Author: Daniel P. Smith
    • Abstract

      Innovative entrepreneurship has been a subject of significant discursive research. Much of this research, however, is quite disparate and tends to scrutinize narrow aspects of entrepreneurial firms. This paper conducts a broad literature review to derive the overall conclusions in the study of entrepreneurial research. These areas include the psychological characteristics of innovative entrepreneurs, the organizational characteristics of innovative entrepreneurial firms, and the characteristics of a business environment conducive to innovative entrepreneurship. Individual entrepreneurs have high levels of need achievement and a great propensity for risk-taking. Innovative ventures tend to have an organic organizational structure, which are often spin-offs from larger companies. Finally, high spending in research and development, access to business services and a skilled labor force, and a collaborative culture foster innovative entrepreneurial economic sectors. This research enables policymakers and practitioners to determine the best ways to facilitate and cultivate entrepreneurial business environments. Future research should examine the influence of environmental factors on entrepreneurship and innovation.

  • Pay for Spray Fire Protection Policy – A Case Study of Obion County, Tennessee  /  Author: Natasha R. Nau
    • Abstract

      Obion County, Tennessee’s subscription fire protection policy, “Pay for Spray,” has created a dangerous problem in which unincorporated areas of the county do not have a mandatory universal fire protection service. This policy threatens both life and property. Two fires that occurred in September 2010 and December 2011 left residents without fire protection subscriptions homeless. Thirteen policy alternatives are presented and seven are evaluated along four criteria: political feasibility, financial feasibility, economic efficiency and quality of service. After an in-depth evaluation, it is proposed that Obion County make the purchase of fire protection service mandatory through property taxes.

Volume 4

New Visions for Public Affairs Volume 4

Table of Contents

Articles

  • Health Care System Structure and Delivery in the Republic of Korea – Considerations for Health Care Reform Implementation in the United States  /  Author: Rachel Linstead Goldsmith, MPA ’13
    Abstract

    As part of its plan for rapid economic development, South Korea achieved universal health insurance in 1988. In the ensuing years, the national government has continued to adjust health care system structure and care delivery mechanisms in response to social and political changes, culminating in a single-payer system in 2000. Further reforms have included improvements in pharmaceutical distribution, efforts to contain costs, and development of programs to care for older adults. This paper examines the underpinnings of health care system development in South Korea and offers lessons for the United States as it implements the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which addresses similar systemic issues. These include the challenges of controlling growing expenditures, administering coordinated care in a decentralized provider system, and providing care for an aging population.

  • Urbanism and Gay Identity  /  Author: Paul Ruiz, MA ’13
    Abstract

    This paper proposes that the social, economic, and political drivers of urbanism constructed contemporary notions of gay identity. Starting around the mid-tolate twentieth century, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) individuals transformed urban spaces into centers of social, cultural, and political utility. As middle-class Americans suburbanized, socially stigmatized and emboldened gays settled into vacated urban spaces where deviant lifestyles were enshrined by the safety and anonymous milieu of the city (Bailey, 1998; Castells, 1983). Amid the physical construction of communities around residential and commercial gay concentrations, the social construction of a gay identity based on sexual personhood emerged contemporaneously (Lauria & Knopp, 1985). Although some scholars have commented on the topic of sexual identity and space (Castells, 1983; D’Emilio, 1981; Jackson, 1989; Knopp, 1990b), little research has been done to specifically connect identity to the drivers of urbanism. This paper provides a framework for further interdisciplinary research in sexual identity and community development.

  • Assessing Lending Institutions’ Community Development Activities under the Community Reinvestment Act  /  Author: Jason Stoehr, MA ’12
    Abstract

    Most of the literature regarding banks’ performance under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has focused on mortgage lending, leaving other important effects of CRA on community development (CD) underexamined and overlooked. One of the reasons for this lack of research is that home lending data is more readily available. Another reason is that data on other CRA activities reported in CRA exams are vague and inconsistent. The lack of data makes it difficult to monitor and enforce CRA–regulated bank activity. To understand this gap, this paper presents a brief literature review of the history and intent of CRA, and an analysis of CRA examinations of large banks operating in Delaware released between 2008 and 2010. What CD activities are lending institutions undertaking to comply with CRA? How are activities measured and reported? Is the level of detail provided sufficient to assess the extent to which these investments are contributing to CD efforts? The findings of this inquiry reveal inconsistencies in how regulatory agencies rate lending institutions. These insights provide the basis for recommending reporting changes that can make the CRA an even more effective policy tool for helping communities access credit, and for helping community organizations provide services in underserved areas.

Volume 3

New Visions for Public Affairs Volume 3 

Table of Contents

Articles

  • Shanghai’s Commercial Building Energy Governance  /  Author: YiHsiu Michelle Kung, PhD ’11
    Abstract

    Energy use and CO2 emissions by Shanghai’s commercial sector is expected to become a key challenge, compared with other major global cities in East Asia. This paper attempts to explore and assess commercial building energy governance in Shanghai. In order to do so, it will examine the applicable policy and the regulation system, while considering those factors that facilitate or constrain the application of best practices at the global-city scale. A multi-scale governing analytical framework is employed to investigate different policy actors, stakeholder participation, and intergovernmental relationships that shape commercial building energy governance in Shanghai. The policy recommendations offered at the close of this paper include tightening building energy policies and regulations, providing more market-driven incentives, strengthening building energy audit and supervision, encouraging comprehensive and integrated urban planning, and continuing public education efforts for green mind-set transformations

  • The Challenge of Reforming American Public Education: What We Have Learned in the Last 50 Years – From Equality of Educational Opportunity to Teacher Accountability  /  Author: Jeffrey A. Raffel, Charles P. Messick Professor of Public Administration

Volume 2

New Visions for Public Affairs Volume 2 

Table of Contents

Articles

  • High Speed Rail in the United States – The Current Debates and Practices  /  Author: Claire M. Beck, MA ’11
    Abstract

    The possibility of a nationwide high speed rail system in the United States has been the topic of much excitement as well as skepticism since President Obama announced the allocation of a significant amount of federal funding for high speed rail development early in 2009. Though successful high speed rail systems have been in operation in Europe and Japan for over twenty years, it seems like the time has finally come for the development of a comprehensive high speed rail system in the U.S. Now that significant funding is being offered to initiate such a system in this country, critics and supporters alike are offering their arguments, armed with environmental data, cost projections, and political opinions. This paper addresses the various arguments for and against high speed rail in the United States and explores past, present, and future strategies towards high speed rail development.

  • The Mobility Commons – An Application of Network Neutrality to the Common Pool Resource of Mobility /  Author: Todd O’Boyle, MSW, PhD ’13
    Abstract

    This paper posits that mobility is a form of infrastructure commons – a common pool resource best managed in a manner of open accessibility that promotes significant positive externalities. Understanding of the commons has evolved over time: traditional definitions of the commons as argued by theorists such as Hardin (1968) and Rose (1986) have given rise to more recent exploration of physical infrastructure, and even the Internet, as commons. Further, striking parallels exist between the debate over the future of the Internet and Network Neutrality and the current issues with mobility in the United States. This paper considers the case example of Wilmington, Delaware, the current state of the mobility commons there and the potential implications with managing mobility in Wilmington as a common pool resource.

  • Virtual Activism in Patriarchal Societies – Educating, Engaging, and Empowering Women  /  Author: Maggie Norris, MPA
    Abstract

    This paper examines the emergence of the Internet as the primary way for women to speak freely in patriarchal societies. The foundations for female suppression in patriarchal cultures are reviewed. Then this paper reveals how women in these cultures are using the virtual world as a resource for social change.

  • Labor Unions, Corporations and Right-to-Work Laws – Impacts on the American Economy /  Author: Cara Robinson, MA, PhD ’11
    Abstract

    The labor movement of the U. S. continues to bring the issue of worker rights to the forefront of American policy debates. As the American economy again has shifted from one based on manufacturing and the production of hard goods to one reliant upon human, financial and informational services, the labor movement faces new challenges. Labor unions and business leaders continue to disagree on the proper role of collective action and the effectiveness of policies aimed at the workplace sector. Today, one of the largest debates is the continued role and expansion of Right-to-Work (RTW) legislation. The debate is often cast as one between two perspectives on the guaranteed right to freedom of association. Labor unions believe RTW limits the power of collective action and, subsequently, the collective rights of workers versus business management. Conversely, business management believes that individual choices to associate are taken away through union requirements (Hogler, 2005). This analysis will examine the history of Right-to-Work laws, their impact on state and individual economies, the issues generated from their implementation and offer a recommendation for policy reform.

  • Moving Away from Zero? The Current State of Zero Tolerance in America’s Schools /  Author: Kerrin C. Wolf, JD, PhD ’12
    Abstract

    Zero tolerance policies in American public schools, which prescribe stringent punishment such as suspension and expulsion for certain student misbehavior, rose to national prominence during the mid-1990s in response to a perceived increase in school violence. However, as zero tolerance policies spread throughout the country, critics emerged, arguing that the policies were too harsh and ineffective at reducing violence in schools. This paper provides an account of the current state of zero tolerance in American public schools. It introduces zero tolerance by discussing its origins and application in the public school context. Then, both sides of the zero tolerance debate are reviewed, including the theories and outcomes upon which proponents and opponents rely to analyze this controversial policy initiative. Lastly, this paper discusses the ongoing debate over zero tolerance in the state of Delaware where recent media attention thrust zero tolerance into the forefront of the state‟s education discourse. Delaware‟s zero tolerance debate serves as a useful illustration of where the issue presently stands in the United States.