http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/public-policy Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Mon, 04 May 2026 20:09:07 -0400 Mon, 04 May 2026 20:09:07 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1960/against-eco-camp-analyzing-the-flaws-of-the-modern-climate-movement By Matthew Quintos - This interdisciplinary paper investigates the shortfalls and obstacles to success currently facing the climate movement, examining issues represented by the disconnect between policy and electoral politics, the hypocrisy and blatant indifference of nations and leaders, and the repeated exclusion of indigenous communities. These challenges are explored through the lens of camp, as defined by Susan Sontag in her seminal essay “Notes on Camp.” Susan Sontag’s descriptions in her essay were designed to more clearly articulate the behaviors, practices, ideas, and sentiments associated... Mon, 19 Sep 2022 03:11 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1960/against-eco-camp-analyzing-the-flaws-of-the-modern-climate-movement http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1954/guns-and-suicidal-thoughts-in-adolescence-an-understudied-relationship By Max Gonzalez Saez-Diez - The prevalent school of thought states that suicidal ideation and suicide planning are not associated with living in households with firearms. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) in the years 1994 and 1995, I use multiple logistic regression models to estimate the effect of the availability of guns on the odds of adolescents in those households experiencing suicidal thoughts. By matching across several key demographic and psychosocial variables, I approximate a randomized treatment assignment. I find evidence that contradicts the prevalent... Fri, 06 May 2022 10:23 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1954/guns-and-suicidal-thoughts-in-adolescence-an-understudied-relationship http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1947/architectural-beauty-as-a-public-good-through-the-lens-of-ritzer-and-kohn By Olivia Sun - After World War II, America’s baby boom and rapid migration into cities sparked a damaging housing crisis. This marked a turning point in architectural style: the rise of modernism. Modernism prioritizes function above all else and believes in the existence of a most efficient, most cost-effective housing blueprint. Hence, America rolled out planned housing developments by the masses with each community constructed in a near-identical fashion. This essay points to the consequential neglect of architectural beauty which is defined as a perfect reflection of the identity of a shared imaginative... Fri, 25 Mar 2022 02:16 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1947/architectural-beauty-as-a-public-good-through-the-lens-of-ritzer-and-kohn http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1939/funding-for-creative-education-and-its-socioeconomic-benefits-a-literature-review By Grady Klein - The United States spends more on public education per student than all but three countries in the world based on 2016 findings from the National Center for Education Statistics, and yet a similar study by the same agency three years later demonstrates that, by comparison, the literacy of those students is faring much worse than countries of lesser FTE (Full-time equivalent) funding - where approximately twenty-one percent of adults read under a 12th-grade reading level. Empirical data suggests that an increase in creative arts involvement among students leads to an increase in overall student... Fri, 11 Feb 2022 09:55 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1939/funding-for-creative-education-and-its-socioeconomic-benefits-a-literature-review http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1931/federalism-and-the-value-of-institutional-experience-during-a-national-disaster-identifying-determinants-of-rapid-emergency-medicaid-waiver-adoption-during-the-covid-19-pandemic By Jason Semprini - Section 1135 emergency waivers were designed as tools for policy-makers to rapidly increase health system capacity during a disaster. Granting regulatory, administrative, or payment-model flexibilities during the covid-19 pandemic, states may be better equipped for an influx of hospitalizations. One month passed before every state adopted a covid-19 waiver and no research investigated why states adopted waivers sooner than others. This study utilizes a Parametric (Gamma) Time-to-Event design to construct a Contextual, Institutional, Political, External, and a combined Integrated model to identify... Thu, 06 Jan 2022 01:24 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1931/federalism-and-the-value-of-institutional-experience-during-a-national-disaster-identifying-determinants-of-rapid-emergency-medicaid-waiver-adoption-during-the-covid-19-pandemic http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1889/single-payer-reform-and-rural-health-in-the-united-states-lessons-from-our-northern-neighbor By Jared M. Hirschfield - Single-payer health reform has secured its place in the mainstream American health policy debate, yet its implications for particular subpopulations or sectors of care remain understudied. Amidst many unanswered questions from policymakers and political pundits, rural health has emerged as one such area. This article explores rural Canada’s five-decade-long experience with a national publicly funded health insurance program as a valuable opportunity for cross-national learning. During March 2020, I conducted 13 semi-structured, elite stakeholder interviews with government officials, academic... Mon, 15 Mar 2021 02:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1889/single-payer-reform-and-rural-health-in-the-united-states-lessons-from-our-northern-neighbor http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1777/why-are-south-asian-immigrant-women-vulnerable-to-domestic-violence By Humza Husain - South Asian women in particular are not only vulnerable to domestic violence, but exceptionally vulnerable to underreporting of domestic violence. The problem compounds itself by making it difficult not only to quantify the issue, but also harder to understand its roots. This paper studies this phenomenon by analyzing the potential causes for both domestic violence as well as underreporting, through understanding what systemic, legislative, and cultural issues specifically plague South Asian women in the United States. Stark cultural differences between eastern and western values and culture,... Fri, 20 Dec 2019 09:25 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1777/why-are-south-asian-immigrant-women-vulnerable-to-domestic-violence http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1743/can-the-value-proposition-work-in-health-care By Frederick J. White - The value proposition in the commercial setting is the functional relationship of quality and price. It is held to be a utility maximizing function of the relationship between buyer and seller. Its proponents assert that translation of the value proposition into the health care system of the United States is a necessary and perhaps indispensable solution to the current structural difficulties of health services delivery in our nation. But the application of the value proposition to health care delivery in the United States will meet with difficulty for a myriad of reasons. Some of these are inherent... Wed, 24 Oct 2018 08:24 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1743/can-the-value-proposition-work-in-health-care http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1738/wind-energy-legislation-strategies-for-the-lone-star-state By Elizabeth A. Weis - Texas introduced Senate Bill 277 as its first wind energy siting law during the 2017 Legislature. The bill combats radar interference between wind and military equipment by exempting any wind farm within thirty nautical miles of a military base from tax deductions. This rule does not make sense for several reasons: it defies the economic logic grounding Texas’ decision to pursue wind energy, it addresses an issue traditionally handled by the federal government, and employs inefficient tactics the Department of Defense no longer uses. The inadequacies of this legislation point out that lawmakers... Fri, 11 May 2018 09:31 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1738/wind-energy-legislation-strategies-for-the-lone-star-state http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1654/the-evolution-and-devolution-of-mental-health-services-in-australia By Lila P. Vrklevski - This article provides a brief historical overview of the development of mental health services in Australia. It commences with the establishment of the first public asylum, Bethlem Royal Hospital, London, in 1247, the arrival of the First Fleet on 24 January 1788 at Botany Bay, New South Wales and the establishment and growth of asylums in Australia. The article identifies some of the major social, historical, medical and political developments that have influenced our understanding and treatment of mental illness and the mentally ill. The article then traces the evolution and development of the... Tue, 17 Oct 2017 08:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1654/the-evolution-and-devolution-of-mental-health-services-in-australia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1645/nationalism-identity-and-public-policy-in-sweden-pursuing-an-elusive-national-identity By Gustaf Forsell - Similarly to many European countries, the Swedish population often perceive their history as an epoch of homogeneity: a time when every Swedish citizen was believed to have had the same ethnic phenotype, spoken the same language, believed in the same God, and shared the same basic values (Gardell, 2011, p. 23). It is embedded in the Swedish national identity, as if it is possible to explain lex naturalis. The notion is expressed on the well-recognised Swedish website Nationalencyklopedin (National Encyclopaedia of Sweden) which argues that Sweden has been ‘an immigration country’ (&... Thu, 01 Jun 2017 10:38 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1645/nationalism-identity-and-public-policy-in-sweden-pursuing-an-elusive-national-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1650/alienating-ethnic-kin-assessing-immigration-integration-policies-for-the-brazilian-nikkeijin-in-japan-and-joseonjok-marriage-migrants-in-south-korea By Kenneth Lee - In recent decades, Japan and South Korea have become hosts to ethnic return migrants who have returned to their ancestral homeland after once emigrating overseas. Since the 1980s, the Brazilian nikkeijin, or members of the Japanese diaspora, have returned to Japan as labor migrants. From 1992, joseonjok, or ethnic Korean Chinese, migrant women traveled to South Korea to marry Korean men. Japan and South Korea have targeted these groups for their ethnic affinities – the attraction and kinship between the homeland population and returning migrants – on the presumption that they would... Mon, 22 May 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1650/alienating-ethnic-kin-assessing-immigration-integration-policies-for-the-brazilian-nikkeijin-in-japan-and-joseonjok-marriage-migrants-in-south-korea http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1602/obama-and-the-economic-recovery-keynesian-policies-gridlock-and-the-new-global-economy By Ayodele Aruleba - The Obama presidency will largely be defined by the administration’s ability to respond to the unique and historic challenge facing the country at the time of his inauguration: the Great Recession. This paper evaluates the president’s success throughout both of his terms in enacting an economic policy, which was largely defined by an embrace of Keynesian economics and more stringent regulations on the financial services industry, but simultaneously highlights the institutional limitations facing the president on influencing the economy. By assessing the administration’s efforts... Fri, 31 Mar 2017 11:01 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1602/obama-and-the-economic-recovery-keynesian-policies-gridlock-and-the-new-global-economy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1526/the-effect-of-dodd-frank-on-the-profitability-of-community-banks-an-econometric-model By Alexandra R. Larch - This study examines the effects of the Dodd-Frank Act on community banks in the Northeastern region of the United States. Using annual financial data from years 2010 to 2014 gathered on 82 banks, a regression equation is estimated using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique described by Arellano and Bover (1995). The dependent variables are return on equity, return on assets, and net interest margin. The independent variables can be placed into the three categories: regulation determinants, profitability variables, and macroeconomic indicators. The results indicate regulations have... Fri, 03 Feb 2017 10:29 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1526/the-effect-of-dodd-frank-on-the-profitability-of-community-banks-an-econometric-model http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1575/neighborhood-violence-and-crime-do-public-institutions-reduce-crime-in-neighborhoods By Monica Floyd - This paper explores the role of public institutions in reducing or fostering neighborhood violence and crime. Understanding institutional density as a neighborhood effect, this paper examines how ten public institutions and structures influence crime rates in Chicago. Using multivariate regression analysis and geo-coded spatial models, the relationship between the institutions and four different crime statistics (homicide, assault, robbery, and burglary) are analyzed. The findings show that the public institutions have very little impact on crime. Publicly owned vacant lots, however, exhibit a... Tue, 31 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1575/neighborhood-violence-and-crime-do-public-institutions-reduce-crime-in-neighborhoods http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1350/revisiting-crime-rates-as-a-measure-of-crime-prevention-effectiveness-does-the-crime-drop-reveal-a-policy-effectiveness-outcomes-gap By Ronald F. Pol - A companion article (Has New Zealand Identified the Causes of Crime?) explored the development of five factors described as "the underlying causes of offending and victimisation" in the context of meeting crime rate reduction targets and transforming the business of policing from a responsive to a preventive model. Using crime rate targets from New Zealand’s Addressing the Drivers of Crime program as a starting point, this article constructively critiques crime rates as a policy effectiveness measure. It contends that crime rates retain legitimacy as an ‘output’ measure because... Thu, 04 Feb 2016 05:41 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1350/revisiting-crime-rates-as-a-measure-of-crime-prevention-effectiveness-does-the-crime-drop-reveal-a-policy-effectiveness-outcomes-gap http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1349/has-new-zealand-identified-the-causes-of-crime By Ronald F. Pol - This article explores the genesis and development of The 5 Drivers of Crime (described as "the underlying causes of offending and victimisation") and examines its impact in the context of policy effectiveness and outcomes. The ‘drivers of crime’ was introduced into New Zealand policing to help meet crime rate reduction targets and transform the business of policing from traditional responsive policing to a preventive model. Recent crime prevention policies elsewhere have identified similar factors, such as England’s “six key drivers of crime,” and South Africa&rsquo... Thu, 04 Feb 2016 05:40 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1349/has-new-zealand-identified-the-causes-of-crime http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1050/reassessing-the-effectiveness-of-all-hazards-planning-in-emergency-management By Peter A. Gregory - The field of emergency management in the United States has grown and changed significantly in the past several decades. In the 1940s, for example, with the onset of the United States' involvement in World War II and all throughout the Cold War years of the 1960s, emergency managers acted primarily under a “civil-defense” mindset and were seen essentially as “air raid wardens and civil defense directors” (Waugh & Streib, 2006, p. 131). Since then, “the field has evolved quite extensively from its Cold War-civil defense origins” (Wilson & Oyola-Yernaiel... Thu, 18 Jun 2015 05:12 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1050/reassessing-the-effectiveness-of-all-hazards-planning-in-emergency-management http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1027/statutory-rape-and-teen-sexting-laws-the-consequences-of-poorly-crafted-legislation By Sarah L. Rankin - Child pornography laws are primarily drawn from the "Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act" of 1977. This act targets persons who “transport, ship, receive, distribute, or reproduce child pornography” but precludes minors because they are the subjects of the pornography (Cornwell, 2013). Technology has certainly changed in the 40 years since the penning of this legislation. Many adolescents now have access to smartphones that, among other things, enable them to privately take and send sexually suggestive pictures and messages, or ‘sexts.’ Technically, this... Mon, 13 Apr 2015 04:32 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1027/statutory-rape-and-teen-sexting-laws-the-consequences-of-poorly-crafted-legislation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/993/the-urban-president-assessing-obamas-community-redevelopment-policies By Sean P. Cuff - On February 27, 2014, while surrounded by nearly two dozen African-American young men in the East Room of the White House, President Barack Obama passionately introducing his My Brother’s Keeper initiative. After briefly joking with the young students about taking the day off from school to join him, President Obama shifted to a much more serious tone to address the press and televised audience. He delved into his own troubled youth and his shared experiences with the young men behind him. However, the President began to make an important distinction between his past and the struggles of... Sat, 07 Feb 2015 11:08 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/993/the-urban-president-assessing-obamas-community-redevelopment-policies http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/992/womens-issues-in-the-obama-era-expanding-equality-and-social-opportunity-under-the-obama-administration By Caitlin Morelli - In 1972, The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced to Congress to protect an individual’s irrefutable equality of rights under the law regardless of sex. Although it passed both houses and failed to secure the necessary votes for state ratification, it is still a monumental achievement in the feminist movement for the momentum it created around equal rights. Four decades have passed since the ERA was proposed, yet the social and economic balance between men and women is still grossly skewed. This is first and foremost a matter of basic human rights, however this gap can have drastic... Sat, 07 Feb 2015 10:16 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/992/womens-issues-in-the-obama-era-expanding-equality-and-social-opportunity-under-the-obama-administration http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/991/inaction-on-gun-control-reform-during-the-obama-administration By Jordan A. Lieberman - Gun control and federal reform of firearm legislation have recently become popular and contentious topics in Washington D.C. and around the country. Yet despite vast public support, none of the legislation proposed by the Obama administration has been enacted. The Obama administration and the several Congresses that have served during his time in office have failed to produce meaningful change in the area of gun control. In many cases, regulations have actually become less restrictive, allowing for easier access to guns and limiting rules governing their use. Several interrelated phenomena help... Sat, 07 Feb 2015 09:38 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/991/inaction-on-gun-control-reform-during-the-obama-administration http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/943/environmental-problems-and-american-politics-why-is-protecting-the-environment-so-difficult By Dustin R. Turin - This paper therefore approaches the politics of the environment in the U.S. from three perspectives: first, the environment is described as a problem of collective action writ large, wherein such paradoxes as the ‘tragedy of the commons’ belie rational individual behavior and make cooperation essential but difficult; second, the contemporary debate over the environment is described in terms of problem definition, revealing the subtle manner in which the political redefinition of environmental questions has shifted the debate into the polarized arena in which it today resides; and third... Sun, 23 Nov 2014 05:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/943/environmental-problems-and-american-politics-why-is-protecting-the-environment-so-difficult http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/908/regulating-gmos-in-the-united-states-and-europe-the-political-and-economic-drivers-behind-monsantos-agricultural-biotechnology-business By David C. Shishido - Scholars, the media, and activist groups often attribute the difference in regulatory approaches to cultural "soft" factors, characterized by a precautionary approach and cultural aversion to genetically modified (GM) agriculture in the EU, and general ignorance of agricultural bioengineering in America. While relevant, these cultural factors focus more on the impact, rather than the cause, of Monsanto's dichotomized fiscal success on opposite sides of the Atlantic. They also discredit a U.S. history replete with both strong public interest advocacy and risk-averse health legislation that has... Sun, 17 Aug 2014 09:13 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/908/regulating-gmos-in-the-united-states-and-europe-the-political-and-economic-drivers-behind-monsantos-agricultural-biotechnology-business http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/870/water-pollution-control-policy-addressing-non-point-source-pollution By Adib J. Rahman - Non-point source (NPS) pollution occurs when pollutants from many different and often difficult to track sources have a negative impact on air or water quality. Even though this type of pollution accounts for a substantial amount of water pollution in Canada, the problem has not been addressed as vigorously as point-source emissions (pollution from a single identifiable source). Traditional approaches such as emission standards are problematic because NPS emissions are difficult to control due to non-concentrated diffusion. They are also difficult to monitor because of weather-related issues.... Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:39 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/870/water-pollution-control-policy-addressing-non-point-source-pollution http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/844/south-koreas-sustainable-urban-planning-and-environmental-technology By Lorna Kang - In the process of rapid urbanization spurred on by an increasingly globalizing world, the inhabitants of mega-cities make an important tradeoff between improved quality of life and the systematic destruction of the natural organization of land and the environment. In the developing nations of East Asia, rapid urbanization and economic growth are visibly apparent, but so are urban environmental problems in overcrowded cities. The complexity of the issue is ever-growing because slowing economic growth is not a favorable solution, but sustainable urban development is still a viable possibility. In... Sat, 21 Dec 2013 02:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/844/south-koreas-sustainable-urban-planning-and-environmental-technology http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/754/assessing-the-eus-lisbon-strategy-failures-and-successes By Jiri Krcek - The quest for economic supremacy has been at the heart of the European integration process since its very inception. Tracing the historical origins of the economic progress agenda, Europe’s ambition to bolster its economy vis-à-vis its main competitors has traditionally rested on major projects, namely the foundation of the common market in the 1950s and 1960s, the Werner Plan in the 1970s, the Single European Market in the 1980s, and the Economic and Monetary Union in the 1990s (James 2012: 10). In March 2000, the European Council Summit in Lisbon marked yet another significant step... Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:15 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/754/assessing-the-eus-lisbon-strategy-failures-and-successes http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/746/societal-and-legislative-attitudes-toward-social-housing-tenants-in-ireland-critical-evaluation-of-housing-law-and-policies-statistics-case-law-and-literature By Tatiana V. Kelly - One area in which the division among Irish citizens remains apparent is in the realm of social housing. Housing represents the largest expense as well as the largest investment for most households: home ownership strongly continues to symbolize wealth of an individual in the eyes of society and provides a basis for social inclusion of all citizens. And when housing is unaffordable, not accessible, or simply unsuitable for a particular family unit, it can result in emotional as well as financial distress and social exclusion. The provision of shelter is a prerequisite of human existence, typically... Fri, 16 Aug 2013 04:35 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/746/societal-and-legislative-attitudes-toward-social-housing-tenants-in-ireland-critical-evaluation-of-housing-law-and-policies-statistics-case-law-and-literature http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/741/from-physician-to-patient-the-effects-of-the-patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-ppaca By Sujay Kulshrestha - During the 2008 Presidential Election, voters designated health insurance reform as a key issue for their future president to work on. With 46.3 million Americans uninsured in 2008, voters demanded change, and upon his election, President Barack Obama set in motion the process of drastically overhauling the entire healthcare system in the United States (Census Bureau 20). Speaking to a joint session of Congress in September 2009, Obama declared that he was “determined to be the last” president to advocate for healthcare reform (Obama). After his efforts throughout the first fifteen... Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:39 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/741/from-physician-to-patient-the-effects-of-the-patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-ppaca http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/739/the-gender-wage-gap-in-the-united-states-current-policy-and-an-improved-approach-for-closing-the-gap By Sareen Armani - In 21st century America, newborn Americans are in fact not magically granted equality upon birth. Rather, these children enter a world where society is, even now, infatuated with unequal and simplistic categorizations that hierarchize people based on the genetically determined color pigmentation of their skin, the genitalia underneath their clothes, or the monetary amount attributed to their clothes. The intersectionality that is race, sex, and social class continues to define human beings in America, inhibiting equal advancement in our society. When confronting the elephant in the room and mentioning... Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/739/the-gender-wage-gap-in-the-united-states-current-policy-and-an-improved-approach-for-closing-the-gap