Department: Public Administration ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
14 matches in the database.
These are records: 1 - 14.
1.
Brockway, Elizabeth Marie.
THE PORTRAYAL OF THE MIDDLE EAST IN SECONDARY SCHOOL U.S TEXTBOOKS.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis has provided the analytical framework to answer the question: Do…
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▼ This thesis has provided the analytical framework to answer the question: Do American junior and high school World History textbooks present a biased perception of the Middle East? Through both quantitative and qualitative research, this study has found that the ten World History textbooks analyzed presented a biased perspective of the Middle East through word use, omission of data and the presentation of inaccurate information. The thesis is divided into five chapters, summarized as follows: Chapter One discusses current textbook content standards, explains the process of textbook adoption, and presents the purpose of the study. Chapter Two discusses political socialization and its role in this study, followed by theories on where the pre-existing bias against the Middle East comes from, and concludes with a review of the findings from previous studies. Chapter Three then explains and justifies the methodology used, including the quantitative ECO analysis created by Pratt (1972) and the development and use of the qualitative rubric. The results of a preliminary study are presented followed by the evaluation of alternative research designs and the discussion of the study’s strengths and weaknesses. Chapter Four presents the results of both analyses with tables and examples to heighten understanding and finally, Chapter Five explains the conclusions of the study including implications for socialization theories, previous research, and policy, and concludes with recommendations for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Simon, Marc.
Keywords: Middle East; Education; Textbooks; Analysis; Content Analysis; Connotation; Muslims; Islam; Arab; ECO Analysis; Socialization; Koran; Qur'an; Textbook adoption; Measuring bias; Misrepresentation
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2.
Ferry, Tiffany Marie.
Promoting the Consumption of Locally Grown Food.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2008, Bowling Green State University
► The provisioning of food in America has become a commodity which has…
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▼ The provisioning of food in America has become a commodity which has been supported by large-scale, industrial agriculture. However, research has shown that industrial agriculture is not sustainable because of its detriments to society, the economy, and the environment. This thesis presents locally grown food as a sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture and explains that the consumer is an integral part of the success of the movement. It examines consumer behavior from several different points of view and hypothesizes that local food consumers are middle-aged, highly educated, and liberal. Through surveys at farmers’ markets,this thesis develops answers as to why people are buying local food, what discourages them from buying local food, and who they are. It finds that local food consumers are presumably middle-aged,highly educated, and liberal. It also finds that people buy local food for its freshness and the chance to support local farmers. Finally, it analyzes how different demographic groups value different benefits of local food. This data is used to make several marketing implications for promoting farmers’ markets and the consumption of local food.
Advisors/Committee Members: Orr, Shannon.
Keywords: local food; farmers' market; consumers
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3.
Freeman, Shauna Marie.
States That End Nuclear Weapons Programs: Implications For Iran.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis seeks to identify factors that cause countries to discontinue their…
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▼ This thesis seeks to identify factors that cause countries to discontinue their nuclear weapons program using the qualitative case study method. Regime change, regional threats and/or tensions, economic sanctions, and US influence were found to be the most significant factors in states’ decision to discontinue their nuclear weapons program. Chapter One provides an overview of the study. Chapter Two discusses regime theory, the nonproliferation regime, and the current threats to the nonproliferation regime. Chapter Three provides case studies in which states sought nuclear weapon programs but later decided to discontinue its nuclear weapon programs. Countries included in the case studies are Argentina, Brazil, Libya, North Korea, South Africa, and South Korea. Factors that contributed to each country’s decision to end their nuclear weapons program are identified. Chapter Four provides an analysis of the factors identified in Chapter Three. Chapter Five discusses Iran’s nuclear weapon program, and then consider whether any of factors and identified in Chapter Four can help us find solutions to an ongoing proliferation case. This thesis is concluded with recommendations for the nonproliferation regime and suggestions for further research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Simon, Marc.
Keywords: Nuclear Proliferation; Non-Proliferation Treaty; Nonproliferation Regime; Nuclear Weapon Policy; Argentina; Brazil; Iran; Libya; North Korea; South Africa; South Korea
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4.
Grant, Patrick J.
All Politics is Local: Examining Afghanistan's Central Government's Role in State-Building at the Provincial Level.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2012, Bowling Green State University
► State-building literature in relation to Afghanistan has tended to focus on how…
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▼ State-building literature in relation to Afghanistan has tended to focus on how to combat the insurgency in order to promote internal state stability. However, there has been little analysis of the role the Afghan central government appointees in state-building at the provincial level. This thesis will help correct for the deficiency by focusing on the central government’s appointment of provincial governors and its impact on insurgent penetration in the provinces. With many governors using their positions to create elaborate patronage networks as well as using their position to eliminate their opponents, these tactics can create a breeding ground of domestic insurgency by recruiting from disaffected tribes/ethnicities. Using original data on the governors of each of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, from 2002 to present day, as well as data on insurgent attacks this thesis will test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the central government’s appointment of provincial governors and the number of insurgent attacks in each of the providences. To conduct this empirical analysis I will use bivariate statistical tests to help determine if there is any potential relationship between the appointment of provincial governors and insurgent attacks.
Advisors/Committee Members: Englehart, Neil.
Subjects: Public Administration
Keywords: Afghanistan; State-Building; Provincial Government
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5.
Ingles, Mark Thomas.
Questioning Justices: An Examination of Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings From 1955-2005.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2010, Bowling Green State University
► The United States Supreme Court is the final constitutional authority in the…
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▼ The United States Supreme Court is the final constitutional authority in the United States, whose decisions have wide ranging implications for the entire nation. The Justices who sit on the Supreme Court are appointed to their posts for life, and outside of Congressional limits on jurisdiction and impeachment, the Supreme Court exists largely on the outside of the system of Checks and Balances set up by the Constitution. One check on the Supreme Court that is available to the other two branches of government, and the American people, is the confirmation process. This process includes public hearings that have the nominees face questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on their qualifications and views. The purpose of this study is to analyze the questions senators ask of the nominees to the Supreme Court during the public hearing portion of their confirmation hearings. To do this the transcripts for all confirmation hearings starting with John Marshall Harlan II's hearing in 1955 up to Samuel Alito's hearing in 2005 is coded by exchanges between the senator and the nominee. These exchanges were coded as either a question on views or question on facts. The results show that certain factors, especially party polarization, greatly affect the number of questions of views a nominee is likely to face. With party polarization increasing over the past three decades, future nominees to the Supreme Court can expect to face a barrage of questions on their views compared to their predecessors.
Advisors/Committee Members: Peake, Dr. Jeffrey.
Subjects: Political science
Keywords: Supreme Court; Confirmation hearings
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6.
Johnson, Rachel Sarah.
What Factors Impact Support for School Levies in Ohio?.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2012, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis is an empirical examination of the factors that impact support…
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▼ This thesis is an empirical examination of the factors that impact support for school levies in Ohio. This research supports revenue allocation decision-making during levy campaigns to create an environment where passage is most likely. Intricacies of political campaign marketing, problem definition, the conventional wisdom of levy campaigns, the legal and political contexts of school funding in Ohio and specific information on which campaign elements are most likely to influence a district's levy passage rate are all examined. Data regarding school districts that were on the ballot in 2010 for new or replacement levies was collected from the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio School Boards Association. In addition, an online survey was sent to all 185 of these districts to obtain specific information about their 2010 campaigns. The response rate was 27 percent. Using linear regression, the researcher analyzed the data to determine which factors had a statistically significant impact on levy support. Factors found to predict increased levy support for Ohio school districts included: lower ratio of administrators to pupils in the district, the ballot language board-approved more time before Election Day, the campaign utilized yard signs, the district salaries made up a higher proportion of operating expenditures and the use of a "Fiscal Responsibility" primary campaign message rather than a "For the Kids" message. Higher financial support from the state was associated with decreased levy support in Ohio school districts.
Advisors/Committee Members: Orr, Shannon.
Subjects: Education; Political Science; Public Administration; Public Policy
Keywords: Ohio; School; Levy; Campaign; Factors; Support; Rachel Sarah Johnson
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7.
Koch, Luther Allen.
As the World Turns Out: Economic Growth and Voter Turnout From a Global Perspective.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► Low voter turnout has been a characteristic of several recent national-level elections…
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▼ Low voter turnout has been a characteristic of several recent national-level elections and referenda throughout the world. Scholarly literature has also documented declining turnout as a continuing trend in wealthy, advanced industrial democracies such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Yet, scholarly research using individual-level data has shown that wealthy, better educated people are more likely to vote than those with low income and/or low educational attainment. This study attempts to answer the question: Does economic growth lead to decreased voter turnout? This work uses aggregate-level data for 86 countries to explain voter turnout in lower house elections and employs a hot-deck imputation technique to fill in missing observations. Regression analysis of data from the World Bank, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the Polity IV project reveals little evidence to support the claim that economic growth affects voter turnout. Only one multiple regression model of countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region gives evidence supporting the principal hypothesis of this study that economic growth produces a decline in voter turnout. The literature review and null findings of this research establish that quantitative, scholarly research on voter turnout is more concerned with explaining voter turnout in industrial democracies than in developing countries. In the current context of globalization, future research must be grounded in a more encompassing theory if voter turnout is to be treated as a universal characteristic of all democratic elections.
Advisors/Committee Members: Miller, Melissa.
Keywords: voter turnout; economic growth; data imputation; global perspective; machine politics; international political economy; democracy; declining voter turnout; hot deck data imputation; economic development; public spending on health
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8.
Mbungu, Grace Kageni.
Good Intentions, Little Effect: International Norms and the Use of Child Soldiers.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► The continued use of child soldiers is testimony that the presence of…
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▼ The continued use of child soldiers is testimony that the presence of international norms alone is ineffective in protecting children because conditions within sovereign states to enlist often supersede international norms. In a period of fewer than fifteen years, two international treaties specifically designed to protect children were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly: the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and its Optional Protocol on theinvolvement of children in armed conflict (2002). Despite these actions, the recruitment and use of child soldiers in wars and conflicts continues to take place globally in many countries and territories. This work examines the challenges to the development, implementation, and enforcement of the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict. The Optional Protocol drafting process reflects states' self interests, which causes its outcomes to fall short of protecting all children against recruitment and use in hostilities. In this thesis, extensive research based on a multi-method study of statistical analysis and case studies reveals that it is not only the insufficiency in the Optional Protocol's provisions that perpetuate the use of child soldiers but also underlying conditions within sovereign states negatively affect the enforcement and implementation of international norms.
Advisors/Committee Members: Englehart, Neil.
Subjects: International law
Keywords: INTERNATIONAL NORMS; CHILD SOLDIERS
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9.
Ruff, Kristen Michele.
Judicial Discretion on Drunk Driving in Ohio.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2008, Bowling Green State University
► With an arrest rate of 1 for every 135 licensed drivers in…
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▼ With an arrest rate of 1 for every 135 licensed drivers in the United States, it is clear that drunk driving remains a major national problem. Fortunately, from a research perspective, the growth of judicial discretion in sentencing methods makes it easier to determine which methods work best. This thesis provides the analytical framework to answer the questions: To what extent is judicial discretion used? And, are there connections between specific sentencing techniques and their effectiveness? Specifically, I assess different sentencing practices in three Ohio courts, and make some preliminary conclusions about which approaches are most effective at reducing recidivism rates. The literature review and findings of this research indicate that judges, although practicing under the same law, can offer very different sentences on drunk driving cases. Moreover, it appears that prior sentences do correlate with future recidivism rates, at least when it came to incarceration.
Advisors/Committee Members: Farganis, Richard Dion.
Keywords: Judicial Discretion; Drunk Driving; Judicial Decision Making; Ohio Courts; Sentencing; Ohio Drunk Driving Sentencing Laws
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10.
Sarvo, Joseph Evan.
A New Approach for Dealing with the Hermit Kingdom: Analysis of United States Foreign Policy with North Korea.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► The objective of this paper is to determine a new strategy…
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▼ The objective of this paper is to determine a new strategy in the United States’ foreign policy approach to dealing with North Korea. Past administrations employed strategies that fell short of accomplishing the goal of de-nuclearization on the Korean peninsula. In order to design a new approach I researched the two previous U.S. administrations attempts at dealing with North Korea. First, I examined the Bill Clinton administrations Agreed Framework, which took an approach of engagement with North Korea. The agreement was based on a theory of positive sanctions and rewards for dealing with an “enemy” government. Next, I analyzed the transition from the Clinton administration into the Bush administration, and how U.S. foreign policy took a drastic turn into a neo-conservative strategy. I then analyze the Bush administrations attempts to deal with North Korea, and the overall lack of strategy that was used in doing so. Finally, I analyze the best way to move forward, and provide an outline of the proper method that should be used to conduct the 6-Party Talks. The method I selected was interest-based bargaining, and it relies on cooperation of all parties involved in the negotiations to reach an outcome based on equity. The goal is to satisfy all parties’ interests, not just your own. The results of my research have led me to rely on a strategy based on the Liberalism theories of International Relations, which focuses on cooperation with an enemy, and equal gains for all. I used this approach to design a negotiation scenario where all sides are able to contribute to supplying aid to North Korea, while in return receiving the security of knowing North Korea is disabling their nuclear capabilities. Lastly, I evaluate the plan that I researched, and assess the viability of the plan’s actual ability to be implemented.
Advisors/Committee Members: Simon, Marc.
Subjects: International relations; Political science; Public administration
Keywords: North Korea; Denuclearization; U.S. Foreign Policy; Six-Party Talks
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11.
Srivastava, Tripti.
Microfinance: A Comparative Analysis of Varying Contexts, Current Needs, and Future Prospects between Developing and Developed Countries.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2010, Bowling Green State University
► The concept of microfinance has been widely applauded and implemented around the…
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▼ The concept of microfinance has been widely applauded and implemented around the world, and is being seen as a panacea for many social ills rooted in poverty. This thesis examines microfinance as the most recent and extremely popular development tool in the international development sector that has believed in standardized solutions towards world poverty since a long time. In less than three and a half decades, microfinance has made its way across most continents with slight variation in models as per the local needs and milieu. The argument of this thesis is that every country has a unique socio-economic-political-legal context, a unique culture, a dominant ideology, a set of values and governance structure; that poverty in the poor countries and poverty in the rich countries face completely different sets of challenges and threats. The need for financial services and the reasons to administer them may be starkly different in different contexts and therefore the same standard solution, in this case microfinance, may not work everywhere or may even backfire in some cases. Using three case studies, secondary data, and meta-analysis approach this thesis explores, juxtaposes, compares and contrasts, the main differences in the practice of microfinance and microcredit in developed and developing countries such as India, Bangladesh and United States of America. Based on the arguments presented, this thesis concludes that microfinance is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution to worldwide underdevelopment and poverty; and measures that may work in certain developing countries, may not work the same way in developed countries owing to socio-economic-political-legal differences.
Advisors/Committee Members: Orr, Shannon K.
Subjects: Political science; Public administration
Keywords: microfinance, case study on microfinance institutions, comparative analysis, inclusive finance, grameen bank, microfinance in India, microfinance in the USA, microfinance criticism, sustainability of microfinance, commercialization of microfinance
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12.
Weis, Rebecca L.
Historical Progression of Problem Definition for the Practices of Polygamy and Prostitution in the United States.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis was concerned with determining what factors contribute to situations, specifically…
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▼ This thesis was concerned with determining what factors contribute to situations, specifically the practices of polygamy and prostitution, becoming defined as public problems. The main hypothesis of this thesis was that shifts in problem definition occur in response to focusing events. To address the central question of this thesis dual methodologies were employed. The first method employed was qualitative historical case study analysis. Historical case studies were prepared for both the practices of polygamy and prostitution, both spanning from around the 1600’s until 2005. These historical case studies determined the following: why the issue has failed to be sufficiently enforced; why the practice has a seemingly changing problem definition; what major focusing events transpired influencing the policies surrounding the practice, and the extent of media attention to the practice throughout history. The second method used was content analysis of media coverage for both polygamy and prostitution. Three hundred and three periodical articles from the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature from 1890 through 2005 were analyzed for media content and qualitatively coded for their problem definitions of both polygamy and prostitution. This method also identified problem definition shifts, media attention, and focusing events for the practice of polygamy. Six major results were obtained through this research. First, problem definitions are not fixed designations they transform over time and do arise predictably in response to focusing events. Second, the majority of focusing events result in an increase of media coverage for related specific issues. Third, the content of media coverage after focusing events relates to specific issues connected to the focusing event’s subject matter. Fourth, counter to the research’s expectations focusing events do not result in narrower problem definitions. Fifth, this research also uncovered new criteria for identifying focusing events, resulting in anomalies in media attention after focusing events. Lastly, the research identified new types of focusing events previously not included in the typology of focusing events. These various findings supported the main hypothesis of this thesis that shifts in problem definition occur as the result of focusing events.
Advisors/Committee Members: Orr, Shannon.
Keywords: problem definition; focusing events; polygamy; prostitution
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13.
Wittig, Caroline Elisabeth.
Ideological Values and their Impact on the Voting Behavior of Justices of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► Decisions of highest courts have a substantial impact on their respective societies.…
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▼ Decisions of highest courts have a substantial impact on their respective societies. This thesis evaluates factors that influence a court's decision and provides a novel approach to analyzing decision making processes at the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany. It poses the question whether observations made by American political scientists for the U.S. Supreme Court also apply to the German Constitutional Court. In the United States the attitudinal model has been developed as an explanation for the voting behavior of Supreme Court justices. It proposes that justices make their decisions according to their ideological values. In Germany, however, the prevalent perception is still that of the legal model, i.e. the theory that judges decide on the grounds of a defined canon of interpretive methods. In order to determine whether the courts employ the legal or rather the attitudinal model, one decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court and one by the German Federal Constitutional Court are compared. They both deal with the widely recognized issue of abortion and thus provide an ideal basis for a comparative evaluation of decision making processes. First, the decisions are tested for the use of interpretive methods. Next, the study asks whether the attitudinal model would also work in Germany. For this purpose, ideological values of individual German justices are measured and compared for the first time with their voting behavior. The findings are unambiguous. In both cases the legal model broke down. On the contrary, like the Supreme Court justices, the justices of the Constitutional Court voted in accordance with their ideological values. Therefore, this study demonstrates that there is a high probability that the attitudinal model can not only explain voting behavior at the U.S. Supreme Court but also decision making at the German Federal Constitutional Court.
Advisors/Committee Members: Farganis, Dr. Richard Dion.
Subjects: Political science; Public administration
Keywords: attitudinal model; ideological values; German Federal Constitutional Court
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14.
Zhao, Yongfei.
THE ESSENCE OF GOVERNANCE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN CHINA.
Degree: MPA, Public Administration, 2005, Bowling Green State University
► The government of China has made concerted efforts to modernize the society…
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▼ The government of China has made concerted efforts to modernize the society by undertaking major administrative reforms and by professionalizing public service education since 1999. In addition to various administrative reform programs initiated by Deng Xiaoping and implemented by Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, the inauguration of Master of Public Administration degree programs has provided the real meaning to those administrative reforms in enhancing the management capacity of government employees. All these efforts are directed toward establishing public administration as a discipline. This study provides (1) the historic overview of the development of public administration in China; (2) examines the administrative structures and reforms undertaken by the Chinese government to modernize administrative systems; (3) analyzes the establishment of MPA degree programs to develop professional public service; and (4) assesses the impact of globalization on political, administrative, and economic institutions in Chinese society. Throughout the study, a special attention has been paid to the examination of the impact of Chinese culture, values, tradition, and socialist ideology on the governance process.
Advisors/Committee Members: Chauhan, D. S.
Keywords: Public Administration, China, MPA Education, Chinese Government
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