http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/reform 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, 07 Sep 2026 09:34:52 -0400 Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:34:52 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1722/old-history-in-the-new-cuba-exploring-the-legacy-of-race-and-economic-inequality-on-the-island-today By Elizabeth L. Drake - After the fall of the USSR, the Cuban government implemented temporary economic liberalization policy reforms that remain today.3 Under Raúl Castro's leadership the economy continues to expand.4 However, as the economy broadens by moving towards a free-market model, there is an increase in both economic and social exclusivity stemming from the racist history of slavery on the island. Thus, Afro-Cubans lack the ability to participate in the free market aspect of the Cuban economy, placing them at an economic disadvantage. While current literature discusses Cuba in terms of either economic... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1722/old-history-in-the-new-cuba-exploring-the-legacy-of-race-and-economic-inequality-on-the-island-today http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1653/commercialization-and-discontent-on-the-american-farm-the-farmers-movements-of-the-late-19th-and-early-20th-centuries By Zachary D. Blizard - Nevertheless, the Agrarian Revolt puzzles economic historians because several of the supposed primary causes fail to align with the historical facts. This has prompted some economic historians to delve deeper into the fundamental source of the farmers’ unhappiness, which has resulted in findings that suggest the influence of commercialization was at the heart of the real issue (Mayhew, 1972, pp. 469-475). The causes of the farmers’ despondency in the 1920s undoubtedly differs and yet resembles the Agrarian Revolt in various superficial details; nonetheless, the ultimate cause of the... Tue, 10 Oct 2017 08:42 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1653/commercialization-and-discontent-on-the-american-farm-the-farmers-movements-of-the-late-19th-and-early-20th-centuries http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1556/applying-the-centrifugal-organizational-model-for-pastoralists-and-other-competing-communities-on-the-ethiopian-landscape-and-the-shift-to-agriculture-after-1975 By EliSabeth Noe - For the past four decades, pastoralist activities have been pushed to marginal areas in several regions of Ethiopia. This change was initiated by the Agrarian Land Reform Proclamation of 1974. Pastoralist activities prior to the agrarian reforms were strongly connected to the Earth and developed symbiotically. A connection to the Earth through symbiotic relationships has been shown to foster sustainability. This paper applies the centrifugal organizational model, originally synthesized in the field of plant community ecology, to the changing environment and pastoralism in Ethiopia, demonstrates... Sun, 30 Oct 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1556/applying-the-centrifugal-organizational-model-for-pastoralists-and-other-competing-communities-on-the-ethiopian-landscape-and-the-shift-to-agriculture-after-1975 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1580/divided-society-divided-schools-divided-lives-the-role-of-education-in-creating-social-cohesion-in-northern-ireland By Kara Schiaparelli - The Troubles, a period of conflict between mostly Protestant Unionists and mostly Catholic Nationalists in Northern Ireland, ended in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement. The division of society, however, continues in its segregated education system. In Northern Ireland today, 93% of children attend either a Protestant or a Catholic school (Conflict Archive on the Internet). Despite widespread agreement on the need for change, and the transformation of other institutions in society such as the parliament, civil service and police, little progress has been made in reforming... Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1580/divided-society-divided-schools-divided-lives-the-role-of-education-in-creating-social-cohesion-in-northern-ireland http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1023/higher-education-reform-in-florida-considering-senate-bill-1720-remedial-education-and-college-readiness By Pascal Roubides - Senate Bill 1720 took effect in the state of Florida in 2014. This new education policy makes college placement tests and remedial courses voluntary for many students preparing to enter college, with the aim of providing better access to college for a large number of students in the state. The bill also attempts to alleviate budgetary concerns and enable quicker access to college-level work for students. However, the law fails to address the preparation gap that exists between secondary and post-secondary levels of education in the state and, as a result, it may have little or no effect on its... Wed, 08 Apr 2015 07:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1023/higher-education-reform-in-florida-considering-senate-bill-1720-remedial-education-and-college-readiness http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/979/comparing-health-systems-and-challenges-in-costa-rica-and-the-united-states By Sarah E. Rudasill - Rising rates of chronic diseases, aging populations, and mounting medical costs threaten the financial solvency of the health care systems of the United States and Costa Rica. Despite ranking 1st in health expenditures, the United States achieves the same health outcomes as Costa Rica, a country that ranks 50th in expenditures. As a result, the United States is transitioning to Costa Rica’s model of government-sponsored care in an effort to reduce costs just as Costa Rica begins shifting away from centralization of medical care in an effort to improve quality. However, many of the fiscal... Sun, 01 Feb 2015 02:30 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/979/comparing-health-systems-and-challenges-in-costa-rica-and-the-united-states http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/939/the-gender-binary-working-towards-uniqueness-in-american-education By Kenneth J. Macri - Many individuals grow up with gender-biased tendencies and don’t even realize it. They grow up with an unwarranted perception of what gender is supposed to be, and they conform to conventional gender roles inside the classroom, resulting in those roles being mimicked outside of the classroom. Mary and David Sadker argue that “boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher.” They also go on to argue that “teachers give boys greater opportunity... Tue, 11 Nov 2014 11:11 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/939/the-gender-binary-working-towards-uniqueness-in-american-education http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1672/the-spanish-financial-crisis-economic-reforms-and-the-export-led-recovery By David C. Wagner - Today, Spanish culture is first and foremost distinguished by its seventeen autonomous regions. During the evolution of civilization in the Iberian Peninsula, cities sprang up along the coastlines with little interaction. The Pyrenees mountain range isolated Spain from France to the north, other mountain ranges made for a natural border in the interior of Spain, and the sea served as a border from the exterior. Distinct cultures arose based on the various climates and inhabitants of the different cities, including a Catalán culture surrounding Barcelona in the northeast, a Gallego culture... Wed, 01 Oct 2014 12:13 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1672/the-spanish-financial-crisis-economic-reforms-and-the-export-led-recovery 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/734/corruption-driven-reform-chinas-economic-reforms-in-the-post-mao-period By Duy D. Trinh - Corruption is damaging in almost every economic aspect, but it can play a crucial role in the dynamics of political changes and reforms. Examination of corruption’s effect in the economic reforms of China during the 1980s reveals that corruption helped counterbalance the local provinces’ resistance to reforms. Specifically, corruption motives, rather than political motives, were the driver behind the local leaders’ decision to support the reforms despite their loss in status and privilege. Corruption could act as a vehicle of exit; it could also provide financial compensation... Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:48 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/734/corruption-driven-reform-chinas-economic-reforms-in-the-post-mao-period http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/728/peron-and-the-people-democracy-and-authoritarianism-in-juan-perons-argentina By Katherine J. Wolfenden - Although the ‘Perónist Years’ amounted to a little less than a decade, Juan Perón’s presidency had long-lasting effects. As historians Matthew B. Karush and Oscar Carosa write, “Perón transformed Argentina’s economy, its social structure, and its political culture in ways that continue to shape Argentine reality.”[1] Perón’s political actions and his legacy, however, cannot be easily characterized; Perón was a populist politician who provided for and was supported by the masses, yet his regime was in many ways authoritarian... Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:43 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/728/peron-and-the-people-democracy-and-authoritarianism-in-juan-perons-argentina http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/623/before-the-fall-calls-for-reform-prior-to-the-french-revolution By Melissa S. McHugh - Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot wrote, “Because it takes a long time before we are convinced of their inutility, foundations have sometimes become positively harmful before they have even been suspected of being useless.”[1] One could apply this reasoning to the French monarchy in the late 18th century, particularly in the reigns of Louis XV and his grandson, Louis XVI, neither of whom possessed the sheer intimidating will of Louis XIV. They still retained the traditional powers of the French monarch, but not the literal authority required to rule. They nettled with their Parlements and... Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:16 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/623/before-the-fall-calls-for-reform-prior-to-the-french-revolution http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/522/is-paul-a-liar-the-pauline-corinthian-conflict-and-the-need-for-reform-in-the-american-church By Jonathan D. Brackens - The corpus of literature regarding Pauline Criticism is largely qualitative and polarized. Close examination of the Pauline-Corinthian conflict holds that in order to maintain legitimacy in the Corinthian Church, Paul miscontextualized Septuagintal scriptures. This research (a) details the dichotomous arguments, (b) highlights First Century Church limitations, and (c) presents quantitative research to support the assertion that Paul miscontextualized. Miscontextualization is measured by how accurately Paul quotes the Septuagint in his letters (i.e., (a) the number of words quoted from the referenced... Mon, 02 May 2011 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/522/is-paul-a-liar-the-pauline-corinthian-conflict-and-the-need-for-reform-in-the-american-church http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/375/the-reauthorization-of-no-child-left-behind-and-avenues-for-improvement By Alina Saminsky - President Obama has an immense task before him. In this upcoming year, he will be responsible for the long overdue reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. This act is based on the standards-based reform model which is comprised of three main principles: state-level content standards in core areas, corresponding tests, and accountability for results (Smith & O’Day, 1990). The act sets a definition of adequate yearly progress (AYP) that schools must meet. AYP is measured by student achievement on state-specific standardized tests. States and districts are held accountable... Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:05 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/375/the-reauthorization-of-no-child-left-behind-and-avenues-for-improvement http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/160/health-care-reform-reducing-waste-and-improving-efficiency-in-todays-medicaid By Alina Saminsky - As the nation’s largest health insurance program, Medicaid plays a huge role in the current health care reform debate. The program serves over 50 million people and has total outlays equaling over $280 billion[i]. Medicaid is much more than simply a program for the poor. It may also serve those who qualify for Supplemental Security Income (the elderly, blind and disabled), working parents, the medically needy, and mandatory groups with incomes above the poverty line. The program operates jointly within the federal government and the states, but the states have the main responsibility for... Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:54 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/160/health-care-reform-reducing-waste-and-improving-efficiency-in-todays-medicaid http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1286/fragile-foundations-and-infant-institutions-the-case-of-non-reform-in-haiti By Katie Engelhart - Despite the rapid series of regime changes that have occurred in Haiti over the past twenty five years, fundamental shifts in the nature of the state have not materialized. Haiti is essentially a case of economic non-reform; it has failed to undergo neoliberal reforms and become integrated in the global market. As the country moves away from dictatorship and through a series of democratically elected governments, it becomes increasingly evident that the nature of the country’s economic program is not dependent on ideology. Neither dictator nor elected president has been able to modernize... Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1286/fragile-foundations-and-infant-institutions-the-case-of-non-reform-in-haiti