Schar School of Policy and Government
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The Schar School of Policy and Government prepares undergraduate and graduate students to be leaders and managers who solve problems and advance the public good in all sectors and levels of government—in the United States and throughout the world.
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Item A Bibliometric Note on Isserman’s Panegyric Statistics(2007-10-31T14:22:10Z) Sarafoglou, NikiasAs a rule, in anniversary celebrations, papers and the related statistics are presented in a positive perspective and even mild self-critical assessment is usually minimized. The 50th anniversary of Regional Science Association International (RSAI) was not an exception to this the rule. Andy Isserman in his Paper in Regional Science (PiRS) article (2004) for the anniversary of RSAI presented panegyric statistics for the history of RSAI related publications. In this context I have reviewed the presentation of Isserman’s assessment of the impact of RSAI research as reflected in the citation data. As a first assessment this which could lead one to draw misleading conclusions about the current state and the history of RSAI publications and their impact.Item Item American Environmental Associations in the Age of Climate Change(2008-12) Peretz, Neil M.Explores public attitudes toward Global Warming.Publication Analysis of the Exoplanet Host Star Candidacy of TOI 5938.01(George Mason University, 2023-10) Harish, Harisudhan; Plavchan, PeterThis study aimed to confirm if there is an exoplanet for TOI 5938.01. This goal was accomplished by using AstroImageJ to run multi-aperture photometry to generate a light curve for the TOI and then analyzing the light curve for the results. Through the light curve generated, I was able to confirm that TOI 5938.01 has a planet. This result is important for future missions, as the list of known exoplanets will have expanded with my analysis.Item Artificial Neural Networks in Public Policy: Towards an Analytical Framework(2020-04) Lee, JoshuaInterviews created during the course of research for the dissertation "Artificial Neural Networks in Public Policy: Towards an Analytical Framework."Item Balancing 'Brick-and-Mortar' and 'Bits-And-Bytes': An Analysis of Cyber Charter School Funding in Pennsylvania(2007) Clarke, Suzie; Hurlburt, Steven; Wines, LindsayThis paper examines the controversy related to the funding and management of Pennsylvania cyber charter schools through a discussion of the important characteristics of cyber charter schools and their emergence in Pennsylvania. In particular, it looks at the sustainability and fairness of the current funding model from the perspectives of both cyber charters and local school districts.Item Best Practices for Successful Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR)(2007) Edloe, L. LenisseThis paper identifies and discusses “best practices” for successful disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants in intrastate military conflicts and civil wars, which is a vital component of achieving peace among warring factions. By extracting and examining lessons learned from United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations over the past decade where DDR has been successfully employed, a clear set of best practices with respect to each component of DDR emerges.Item Biotechnology Risk Assessment: Landscape and Options(George Mason University, 2018-03) Kirkpatrick, Jesse; Koblentz, Gregory D.; Palmer, Megan J.; Denton, Sarah W; Tiu, BruceItem Biotechnology Risk Assessment: State of the Field(George Mason University, 2017-12) Koblentz, Gregory D.; Kirkpatrick, Jesse; Palmer, Megan J.; Denton, Sarah W.; Tiu, Bruce; Kelsey, KelseyItem Black Swans, Crisis Economics, and Globalization: A Critical Appraisal(2011-06-29) Illgner, Astrid; Platt, Juhani; Taylor, BrandonThe severity of the recent global financial crisis has sparked intense debate among economists, politicians, and the public regarding the factors that led to the downturn, as well as the future of U.S. fiscal policy. Amidst the debate, general sentiment is echoed in a question from New York Times columnist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin: “could the financial crises have been avoided? That is the $1.1 trillion question3⁄4the price tag of the bailout thus far. The answer to that question is ‘perhaps’.”1 In the search for causes, we are also examining the nature of our economy, the roles financial institutions and government play within it, and hopefully an insight that can shelter us from unforeseen hazards.Item Changing Attitudes towards Minimum Wage Debate: How is the Neoclassical Economic Theory holding in the face of a New Era of Minimum Wage Studies(2007-10) Krasniqi, MikraThis paper compares the traditional neoclassical economic perspective with the recent empirical findings regarding minimum wage effect on employment. The comparison is done by reviewing and analyzing relevant literature and data that have recorded, over time, the changing attitudes toward the issue since the Great Depression era. By taking this approach, the argument is made that in the face of recent scientific findings and empirical research studies, the neoclassical argument that minimum wage laws have a negative effect on employment is gradually losing its appeal among scholars as well as practitioners. As a result, a new public debate is taking place on the issue, which in turn, has begun to have a transformative impact in the policymaking of minimum wage at the state and federal levels.Item Combating the Opium Trade in Afghanistan(2009-12) Choi, Mike; Elko, Brett; Krentel, Jeff; Lander, Natasha; Valenti, AmyOur paper will begin with an overview of the history of the drug trade in Afghanistan, and an assessment of why the illicit trade of opium is critical to US interests. We will then address the political and economic effects of the narco-trade on Afghanistan, which will identify possible impediments to successful implementation of counternarcotics plans. Next, we will discuss the Five Pillars Plan, which encompasses the five main policies of the US counternarcotics strategy in Afghanistan. Through an understanding of these issues and assessments, we will be able to analyze whether US policy strategies will be effective and whether US counternarcotics policies are addressing these issues.Item Consideration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: How this Landmark Bill Made Its Way through a Divided Congress(2009-12) Hertz, K. J.Due to the landmark-nature of the economic recovery bill, how it made its way through a divided Congress deserves examination as we look ahead to other major legislative initiatives this Congress—such as health care reform and global climate change legislation. This paper will examine the political and procedural aspects of how the economic recovery bill advanced through the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and the Obama Administration‘s role in setting priorities and parameters for the legislation. This work examines the degree to which the economic recovery bill was a leadership driven initiative and the role committees of jurisdiction played in drafting the legislation. It also looks at the procedural steps each chamber took to move the economic recovery bill and the degree to which the process varied from ―regular order‖ and House and Senate rules and norms. Finally, the paper explores the reconciliation of differences between House and Senate bills, and how the political dynamics of each chamber influenced the negotiations as a compromise agreement was brokered between party leaders and key Senate moderates.Item Constrained Optimization: The State and the Indian Entrepreneur(2007-01-29T20:43:14Z) Banerjee, PritamThe quality of entrepreneurship has been considered by many scholars as a critical factor in the economic development of a society. While some scholars have sought to explain the difference in entrepreneurial quality among societies based on cultural grounds, this paper argues that entrepreneurship is a function of the incentives derived from institutions and the historical context that entrepreneurs face. It also argues that entrepreneurs are not inert actors in the institutional and historical process, but are actively engaged in shaping the political-economic landscape which they inhabit. The paper undertakes an historical analysis of Indian entrepreneurship in the last hundred years as an illustrative example of this theory of entrepreneurial dynamics in a society.Item Corruption, Capitalists, and the Crime-State Nexus: Criminal Infiltration of the Russian Economy and Implications for the Future(2010-04) Willingham, Kelsey J. V.This paper examines the evolution of organized crime and corruption in relation to the Russian economy, focusing on examples from the banking, energy, and mineral-industrial sectors. An historical perspective of Russian organized crime's economic role during the Soviet Union is provided, followed by an examination of the factors which enabled unprecedented economic infiltration during the transition period and privatization. Next this paper provides an assessment of organized criminal influence in three crucial sectors of the Russian economy: banking, mineral-industrial, and energy. Finally, this paper examines current polices and their shortcomings, and provides a series of policy recommendations for lessening the economic influence of organized crime and ensuring the development of a properly functioning market economy in the Russian Federation and a successful integration with the global economy.Item Credit Ratings & Climate Change Resilience: A Framework for Assessing Airports, Seaports, & Toll Roads(2022-05) Brown-Neuhaus, Virginia Gale; Harloe, Christopher; Kwekam, Gilles David; Lu, George; Quenga, Joseph; Snyder, WilliamThis report provides a framework for incorporating climate change resilience in Fitch Ratings’ credit rating assessments of airports, seaports, and toll roads. We build on current transportation resilience practices and climate-related assessments, key credit rating drivers, stakeholder interviews, and analysis of nonrecourse municipal securities official statements to develop a conceptual resilience framework that may be useful in expanding into Fitch Ratings credit rating process for transportation projects. This proposed framework can help develop quantifiable information to determine a project’s resiliency by analyzing these factors: project type, asset level; asset productivity; and strategic response planning. By focusing on the vulnerabilities and portfolio exposure, the framework provides a means to assess a project’s climate-related risks and resilience that can be easily distinguished between a high, medium, and low risk-resilience metric.Item CRISPR Genome Editing: A Technical & Policy Primer(2018) Perello, EdwardItem Critique of Michael L. Ross‟ Article, “Oil, Islam, and Women”(2009-12) Al-Nasr, TofolIn his study on the relationship between “Oil, Islam, and Women,” Michael L. Ross concludes that gender inequality in Arab states is influenced by oil rather than Islam.1 This is a captivating argument to me as a female from energy-rich Qatar who is most familiar with the legal rights granted to women. Throughout this paper, I challenge Ross‟ conclusions based on components of Sharia, and argue that Islam, as a basis for “Bedouin biases” is indeed the central cause for “gendered citizenship.”2 Further, reform is taking place in some countries as a result, rather than in spite, of oil revenues.Item Decision Aiding Research Needs(2008) Brown, RexMuch descriptive and normative decision research has been carried out, but its impact on unaided decision making has been limited. It has been driven more by scientific interest than practical need. If researchers and their sponsors were to give high priority to useful decision aiding it would significantly change the mix of research projects. The balance would shift from a preponderance of definitive, discipline-oriented projects, toward interdisciplinary and seeding projects. An illustrative agenda of hitherto-neglected practice-driven projects is proposed with suggestions on how the rebalancing might be made to happen.Item Editing Biosecurity: Needs and Strategies for Governing Genome Editing(George Mason University, 2018-12) Kirkpatrick, Jesse; Koblentz, Gregory D.; Palmer, Megan J.; Perello, Edward; Relman, David A.; Denton, Sarah W