The topic of municipal incorporation is increasingly reemerging as a topic dissevering of our attention. Metropolitan regions continue to grow and residents maintain a desire to live beyond the cities' borders. As these processes continue, we must recognize that individuals will seek to create new municipal governments that fulfill the wishes they hold for the new communities. Theories of incorporation rests on a great deal of theorizing, but have not been the subject of numerous attempts to empirically test these theories. One treatment, however, that involved extensive testing of theories of incorporation was provided by Burns (1994). While Burns' work has received a great deal of recognition, the work displays significant flaws which limit the conclusions that can be drawn from the findings presented by Burns. These shortcomings are taken as an opportunity to recast the research approach taken when investigating this topic. I argue that qualitative research methods offer the best mechanism to uncover the true meaning of incorporation. I use these methods to conduct several interviews with participants of an on-going incorporation effort. These interviews highlight two facts. First, people behave based on value rationality, rather than instrumental rationality. Second, people will support incorporation when they spend less time outside the community. The implications of these findings for the literature are discussed. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Ruebin O'D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2008. / June 9, 2008. / Municipal Government, Unincorporated Communities, Incorporation / Includes bibliographical references. / Lance deHaven-Smith, Professor Directing Dissertation; Charles Connerly, Outside Committee Member; Richard Feiock, Committee Member; Ralph Brower, Committee Member.

This project focuses on the intergovernmental relationship between states and their local communities in environmental policy in the United States. The dissertation examines both state and local policy tool choices using a single theoretical framework recently developed by Avinash Dixit – a neoinstitutional transaction cost politics framework. Transaction cost politics (TCP) is a positive analytic approach to the study of public policy that combines elements of organizational economics and public choice. The theoretical framework argues that state-local relations can be thought as contracts between a principal (the state legislature) and a series of agents (local governments). This agency relationship is characterized by information asymmetry and different preferences between the principal and the agents. As a result, I argue that each state legislature will tailor the legislation to the specific characteristics of the state, including local institutions and sociodemographic characteristics. The match between the features of the approved legislation and state characteristics assures the minimization of economic and political transaction costs by state legislators. In other words, the legislation approved depends on a series of economic and political efficiency variables which, ultimately, determine the content and features of the law. With this in mind, the dissertation addresses two subjects within the environmental policy area: solid waste management and growth management. The first question I attempt to answer is: "To what extent do transaction costs of intergovernmental relations determine the degree to which states attempt to constrain and direct the behavior of local governments in environmental policy making?" The results of the empirical analysis indicate that state legislators share the risks of policy choices and decisions with local level officials and consider past and present local government practices when adopting specific legislation. In addition, the degree of professionalism of state legislatures seems to be an important factor in the approval of state environmental policy. Finally, the political transaction costs arguments are confirmed by the results regarding the influence of local institutions in state level policy making. The empirical findings indicate that, when one considers the effect of local institutions in the aggregate, the impact on state environmental policy is important, affecting the expectations and monitoring costs of state legislators. The second major question this project attempts to answer is: "To what extent do transaction costs of local politics affect environmental policy instrument choices made by local governments?" I employ the concept of policy instrument/policy tool to convey the idea that local government officials have goals that are pursued by using certain means ("tools"). The policy instruments enacted by local governments are specific of each policy area. Accordingly, the dissertation discusses the use of a group of solid waste management instruments (recycling, incineration, landfilling, and source reduction) and a group of growth ontrol/management tools (population/building caps, large lot zoning, urban service boundaries, impact fees, transfer of development rights, and incentive zoning). The preferences of local officials for one or several instruments depends on a series of factors. First, the choice can be motivated by economic efficiency reasons. In this case, the adoption of specific policy instruments helps local governments to deal with local market failures. Second, local officials choose the instrument or combination of instruments that allows them to minimize political transaction costs. In other words, local officials aiming at reelection choose the tool(s) that closely mirror the sociodemographic composition of each community. Finally, policy instrument choice is influenced or constrained by local institutions (form of government, system of election, and home rule status) and state level constrains (state grants to local governments). The empirical findings reveal that none of these factors can be ignored in explaining local environmental policy options. In both local level analyses, it is possible to verify a pattern in terms of community characteristics which favors both recycling and growth management programs. In general, wealthier, more educated and racially homogeneous communities are more likely to engage in environmental policy programs, perhaps because the concern of local officials is to maintain a high quality of living for their constituents and this can be best accomplished using specific policy tools. For the first time, this project applies the policy instruments approach to local policy choices. From this perspective, I was able to show the vast number of tools at the disposal of local officials to address each jurisdiction's specific problems while reaching their political goals in the process. There is also potential for future work to extend this research to a larger set of policy instruments that communities employ in their efforts to control or manage development and to examine the influence of various interest groups and organizations in the community. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Reuben O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2003. / October 9, 2002. / State and Local Environmental Policy / Includes bibliographical references. / Richard Feiock, Professor Directing Dissertation; Charles Barrileaux, Outside Committee Member; Richard Chackerian, Committee Member; Lance deHaven-Smith, Committee Member.

The purpose of the study is to examine the relation between the ethnic identity status and other-group orientation of Chinese young adolescent immigrants who currently live in the U. S. and their psychological adjustment. Psychological adjustment is reflected by two indicators: self-esteem and depression. From four selected cities, twenty-three 12-15 years old Chinese immigrant youth who were born in China and currently lived in the U. S. participated in the study. The results indicate that Chinese youth immigrants with higher ethnic identity have higher self-esteem and lower depression. The results also indicate that Chinese youth immigrants' ethnic identity is more relevant to their psychological adjustment than other-group orientation. / A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2006. / August 22, 2006. / Chinese Youth, Psychological Adjustment, Ethnic Identity / Includes bibliographical references. / Christine A. Readdick, Professor Directing Thesis; Ronald L. Mullis, Committee Member; Alysia D. Roehrig, Outside Committee Member.

This exploratory study investigated the effects of principal implementation behaviors, specifically those influencing early reading programs, on student growth in oral reading fluency (ORF) of first grade students in Florida's Reading First schools. This study examined the relationship between the principal's role in the implementation of effective reading programs and student achievement in reading. Data consisted of (a) responses to the Principal Implementation Questionnaire (PIQ), and (b) student reading achievement records as measured by DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) scores. A three-level growth curve model was used to determine the amount of student-level variance that can be explained by the five dimensions measured by the PIQ. Positive, statistically significant relationships were found between selected principal implementation practices (as measured by the PIQ) and student growth in oral reading fluency. This study concluded that certain principal behaviors associated with implementing effective reading programs display a direct, linear relationship to student achievement. Further, while these relationships account for a small proportion of the total student achievement variability in reading, they are of sufficient magnitude to be of interest and additional investigation. Findings should be used to develop professional development opportunities tailored to teach effective implementation of reading interventions for struggling readers across all subgroups to principals. Future research also has the potential to discriminate between students with differing classifications of disabilities in relation to principal effects on reading. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2005. / September 12, 2005. / Student Reading Achievement, Principal Leadership, Instructional Leadership / Includes bibliographical references. / Joseph Beckham, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stephanie Dent Al Otaiba, Outside Committee Member; Carolyn Herrington, Committee Member; Michael Biance, Committee Member; Laura Hassler, Committee Member.

This dissertation describes the nature of and causes of urban economic decline and highlights government policy strategies to address this problem. It reviews the policy adoption, policy tools, and policy reinvention literature. It develops a theoretical framework that incorporates tenets of each body of literature. This research integrates the policy innovation diffusion framework with the policy tools framework in order to test explanatory factors of why urban local governments in Florida adopt enterprise zone programs. In addition, the integrated framework allows for the assessment of the explanatory factors of policy tool adoption as well as changes in program incentives across adopting governments through a period of diffusion. With this, the framework provides a means to answer the following research questions: 1) What factors influence a government's adoption of an enterprise zone program; 2) What factors influence the adoption of specific types of policy tools as part of an enterprise zone program; and 3) What factors influence enterprise zone program reinvention? This research addresses these questions using four explanatory factors including: 1) Economic Need; 2) Institutional Arrangements; 3) Political Demand; and 4) Regional Diffusion. Further, it describes methodological approaches to test explanations for why and under what conditions an enterprise zone program and its various policy tools may be adopted and reinvented by Florida's local governments. This dissertation provides empirical support for some theoretical explanations of program adoption, policy tool adoption, and program reinvention. In particular, measures of fiscal stress, conservatism, and governmental locus of development decision making were found to positively influence enterprise zone program adoption. Relative to policy tool adoption, higher percentages of black residents were associated with grant and tax expenditure adoption. In addition, the adoption of grants was positively associated with their adoption by other regional governments. Research findings also suggest that fiscally stressed unreformed governments, fiscally stressed governments that make their own development decisions, and those governments with higher levels of median family income are associated with the provision of fewer local enterprise zone incentives. Local governments that adopt enterprise zone programs late in the diffusion process are associated with the provision of more incentives. / A Dissertation submitted to the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2005. / October 20, 2005. / Enterprise Zones, Spatially-Targeted, Policy Reinvention, Urban Development, Community Revitalizations, Policy Diffusion, Innovation Diffusion, Economic Development, Economic Distress, Targeted Programs, Policy Innovation / Includes bibliographical references. / Lance deHaven-Smith, Professor Directing Dissertation; Patrice Iatarola, Outside Committee Member; Frances S. Berry, Committee Member; Richard C. Feiock, Committee Member.

This study identified characteristics and benchmarks of Athletic Training Education Programs (ATEPs) considered exemplary by a national sample of ATEP program directors. These exemplary characteristics and benchmarks can be used as models by program directors and administrators for program evaluation. The study also identified 10 ATEPs perceived as exemplary by a sample of program directors. The characteristics of those programs were compared to the characteristics identified as essential by the survey respondents. The identification of the characteristics found in an exemplary program is a critical step in the advancement of athletic training education. ATEPs are not currently ranked, and only subjective perceptions of professionals within the field have been available to identify distinctive ATEPs. The research study is descriptive by design, and examines specific characteristics of accredited entry-level ATEPs important for exemplary status. After the benchmark characteristics were identified, a comparison of the perceptions of the respondent's perceived characteristics versus the characteristics identified by the program directors of the 10 exemplary programs was evaluated. Finally, after the comparison, a model program was developed. The model program details the specific qualifications required for exemplary status. The perceptions of criteria essential for an ATEP to be classified as exemplary yielded 15 items. A majority of those 15 items were in the category of program resources (n=8), followed by evaluation (n=4), curriculum (n=2), and sponsorship (n=1). Thirty one criteria were identified as consistent (at least 7 of top 10 ATEPs met the criteria) among the top 10 ATEPs. Of the 15 items perceived to be essential for ATEP exemplary status, 14 correlated positively and were seen in a majority of the top 10 ATEPs. This indicates an agreement in perception versus reality in terms of what participants believe to be essential criteria/characteristics of an exemplary ATEP versus the actual criteria/characteristics of 10 exemplary ATEPs. Participants were asked two open-ended questions regarding other important criteria essential for ATEP exemplary status, and the important issues currently facing their ATEPs. Curriculum responses were most frequent as cited by participants among other criteria/characteristics essential for ATEP exemplary status. Didactic courses (n=18) and clinical experiences (n=18) were cited as the most frequent subcategories in curriculum. Resource responses were the most frequent category cited by participants among important issues currently facing their ATEPs. Program director responsibilities (n=21), ACI responsibilities/qualifications (n=18), and faculty to student ration in the ATEP (n=15) were the three most frequently cited subcategories in resources. Of the perceived resource, student, program evaluation, and curriculum characteristics that were deemed essential for exemplary entry-level athletic training education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, 24 criteria/characteristics correlated positively with the actual characteristics of 10 identified exemplary ATEPs. As a whole, the perceptions of the participants in this study of what constitutes an exemplary ATEP agreed with the actual characteristics of the 10 identified exemplary ATEPs. Meaning that perception of exemplary status meets the reality of the characteristics of exemplary programs in athletic training. A model for an exemplary entry-level athletic training education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education has been identified. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education.. / Fall Semester, 2009. / July 1, 2009. / Athletic Training Education, Athletic Training, Education, Standards, Program, CAATE / Includes bibliographical references. / Robert A. Schwartz, Professor Directing Dissertation; Diana Rice, Outside Committee Member; Joseph Beckham, Committee Member; Jon Dalton, Committee Member.

This research has shown that the theory underlying the responsibility for government to report on its performance with both financial and nonfinancial information goes back over 100 years. Public reporting to citizens on government's performance is supported by efficient citizenship, bureaucratic politics, and democracy theory in public administration. Prior to the establishment of the GASB in 1984, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and leading governmental accounting organizations recognized that measures other than shareholder wealth were needed for government. The measures could be financial and nonfinancial and should focus on resources provided and services rendered. To manage the ambiguities inherent in performance reporting (also referred to as Service Efforts and Accomplishment reporting), the GASB has nurtured SEA reporting by calling for experimentation and conducting issuing research on the topic for almost 25 years. In 2003, the GASB identified sixteen suggested criteria for external SEA reporting. There have been significant objections to GASB's involvement in SEA notwithstanding authority granted to the Board by the Financial Accounting Foundation. In 2008, the GASB issued new and revised Concept Statements describing the GASB's role in SEA and providing guidance for governments that voluntarily choose to externally report SEA to citizens and others. The research has shown GASB's sixteen suggested criteria for SEA reporting are attainable as demonstrated by several local governments participating in the Association of Government Accountants SEA certificate program. At the same time, SEA reporting has not received widespread acceptance and adoption by local governments. Additional research is need to identify whether the lack of widespread reporting is related to resource availability, the lack of a model reporting format, reluctance to externally report the government's performance by management and/or elected officials, or a lack of demand on the part of citizens. It could be that citizens are not aware such information exists or governments may not be aware the information could be provided with some additional guidance and effort. New and revised Concepts Statement 5 and 2 have addressed many of the objections to GASB's involvement in SEA. In addition, this research has shown that several local government SEA reports have responded and/or overcome objections put forward by leading public organizations. However, there continues to be a need for verification of reported data. Lastly, both the GASB and the Government Finance Officers Association have defined the term "accountability" differently. The GASB definition more clearly identifies with issuing SEA reports for citizen consumption. Ways need to be identified to allow "an ordinary citizen" to be able to access and easily understand their government's performance. This research has significant implications for public administration, governmental accounting, budgeting, policymaking, accountability, and citizenship. / A Dissertation submitted to the Askew School of Public Administration and Public Policy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2009. / March 24, 2009. / Performance Reporting, Local Government, Governmental Accounting Standards Board, Performance Measurement / Includes bibliographical references. / William Earle Klay, Professor Directing Dissertation; Rhoda C. Icerman, Outside Committee Member; Frances Stokes Berry, Committee Member; Robert J. Eger, III, Committee Member.

With the approach of the 2008 presidential election, there is both hopeful anticipation and trepidation over how electoral processes will fare on Election Day. Yet the conversation, to this point, has been limited. Most discussion focuses on election technology, which is ever-changing. When attention turns to poll workers, it most often relates to that technology: Will a continually-graying semi-volunteer contingent of poll workers be able to successfully administer use of touch-screen machines, Scantron ballots, or other machinery? That question is not addressed in this research. Instead, poll workers are given voice as singular entities. They are given the credit they deserve as a primary component of democracy in the U.S. Over 800,000 poll workers staffed more than 100,000 polling places during the 2004 presidential election (EAC, 2005). Even higher staffing levels and turnout are expected for 2008. Poll workers work as many as 14 consecutive hours for pay approximating minimum wage. What motivates them to do so is the subject of this research. There is very little existing research on poll workers, and none on their motivation. It is becoming more and more difficult for elections offices to staff polling precincts, given the graying of the polls and the increasingly sophisticated technology used there. This research is important because it can contribute both theoretically and practically to recruitment and staffing strategies. Several bodies of literature are drawn from for this research: social capital and democratic theory, public service and volunteer motivation, coproduction, and principal-agent theory. Prior to this research, of these theoretical frameworks, only principal-agent addressed poll workers specifically (and then, in only one study; Alvarez & Hall, 2006). These theories were synthesized to generate 18 hypotheses and to create a 35-question survey instrument that was distributed and collected on-site at poll worker training sessions in Leon County, Florida. A total of 845 completed surveys were returned. Analytic techniques included factor analysis, ordinary least squares (OLS), and bivariate correlation. Findings reveal the connections between public service motivation (PSM) and various characteristics of the polls, between PSM and principal-agent theory, and between PSM and demographic and attitudinal variables of poll workers. The result is a unique contribution to both theory and practice, with acknowledgement of poll workers as a singular hybrid of volunteer and public servant. / A Dissertation submitted to the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2009. / December 1, 2008. / Poll Workers, Public Service Motivation, Election Administration / Includes bibliographical references. / Mary E. Guy, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Lance deHaven-Smith, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Sande Milton, Outside Committee Member; Kaifeng Yang, Committee Member.

This dissertation represents a comprehensive study of human prosperity. It consists of two main components separated into two essays. The first essay provides a theoretical definition and a measurement of prosperity. The second essay contributes a review of the institutional and cultural factors identified in the first essay, and examines their influence on the economic subset of prosperity. The definitions of the concept in Essay One, and the theoretical propositions of the determinants of prosperity in Essay Two, are found to be supported through a cross-country empirical analysis. By defining human prosperity as life-satisfaction, Essay One identifies the correlates of prosperity through an analysis of cross-country measures of subjective well-being using raw data from the World Values Survey (1981–2005). The study finds robust evidence that income, freedom, health, religious beliefs, stability, security, and family life are among the factors contributing to human prosperity. The methods consist of a factor analysis of the survey questions combined with an OLS regression. A sensitivity analysis, using three large and distinct samples of the population, validates the findings and enhances the power of the model. The final section in Essay One evaluates existing measures of prosperity and develops a new index based on the findings. The descriptive statistics and the regression outcomes, as well as the index of prosperity in the first essay, demonstrate evidence that cultural factors play a relatively modest role in defining the causes of prosperity, but a more robust role in generating prosperity. The first essay, therefore, provides the background for analyzing the causes of prosperity. Because of the immensity of such a project, Essay Two concentrates on the economic aspect of prosperity. The first section in Essay Two evaluates the frameworks used in the academic literature. Reviews of the literature lead to the establishment of a social theory that suggests how the cultural factors identified in the first essay may be incorporated into a framework that analyzes economic prosperity. The final section in Essay Two reviews and proposes a model of economic prosperity that includes cultural mechanisms and tests this theoretical model. The empirical results provide strong support for the importance of cultural factors to economic prosperity. A short summary chapter concludes the dissertation. / A Dissertation submitted to the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2010. / June 25, 2010. / Prosperity, Life-Satisfaction, Institutions, Economic growth, Beliefs, Values / Includes bibliographical references. / Richard C. Feiock, Professor Directing Dissertation; Bruce Benson, University Representative; Lance de‐Haven Smith, Committee Member; James Gwartney, Committee Member; Robert Eger, Committee Member.

This research seeks to uncover why communities adopt and policies that influence growth by affecting the cost and timing of new development. It also seeks to account for variation across specific development decisions that result from differences in how land use policies are implemented. In order to provide a more integrative approach of land use policy, I advance the concept of Land-Use Regimes (LUR). LUR identifies multiple policies, ordinances and mandates chosen and implemented by local governments based on their impact on land development costs as well as their effect on uncertainty and delay in development process. I explain why different LUR configurations occur. Land Use Regimes are institutional arrangements formed by multiple individual policies, mandates and codes intended to shape individual's behavior. The understanding of the particular institutional and social environment that lead to the adoption of such policies, can help public mangers to understand the extent to which political institutions may lead to problems such as affordable housing, formation of exclusionary communities, decline of quality of life and degradation of the environment, among other urban issues associated with growth. This research shows that existing theories on land use regulation, do not explain why communities adopt a LUR that imposes high levels of delay to new developments, as well as the extent to which such delays complement or substitute other policies that encourages developers to behave in a particular form. Despite the possible inefficiency of land use policy based on delay, its adoption may be an objective for some political actors. Antigrowth groups such as some environmentalist groups or homeowners associations seeking exclusion and urban containment may prefer a high level of delay because it functions de facto as a growth control. In addition, local authorities, such as planning officials may prefer regulations that generate high levels of potential delay because they can use discretion to shorten or lengthen the timing of the review process. This research finds that by using their discretion to impose delay, local public officials can manage growth based on their own values and principles. In highly regulated regimes, planners increase their power to negotiate with developers in order to impose the values of the community or the set of values shared by their professional community. Therefore, a regulatory regime that imposes high levels of delay to new developments creates conditions for reviewers or public officials to become the "de-facto" regulators, because by defining the delay of a regime they decide what kind of projects are viable depending upon the financial costs that delays have on new developments. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2007. / December 12, 2006. / Policy Networks, Land Use Regulation, Growth Management, Permitting, Regulation, Land Development / Includes bibliographical references. / Richard C. Feiock, Professor Directing Dissertation; John T. Scholz, Outside Committee Member; Frances S. Berry, Committee Member; Ralph S. Brower, Committee Member.