<p> This dissertation examines how state policymakers develop, evaluate, and select tax policy options, based on case studies of tax policy decisions in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia from 2007 to 2010.</p><p> States have been the main locus of tax policy change in the U.S. in recent years, varying widely in their choices of which taxes to raise or cut, and whether to adjust tax rates or the tax base. Because public finance and budgeting research has focused largely on appropriations, as well as tax decisions at the federal level, the dissertation seeks to expand the knowledge base about state tax policy formulation. This is a critically important policy area because state tax systems are threatened by the growth of services, the advent of electronic commerce, capital flows that cross state and national borders, and the aging of the population.</p><p> Based on a mixed-methods research strategy involving documentary evidence as well as interviews with 10 to 15 key policy participants in each state, the dissertation found that the three states vary widely in their capacity to generate and refine tax policy options, reflecting ideological and institutional differences. Nevertheless, the states were very similar in one respect: each state made only tangential efforts to expand its tax base and curtail tax expenditures during the worst fiscal crisis in decades. This pattern suggests that it will be difficult for states to carry out the reformers' mantra to broaden tax bases and lower tax rates, a conclusion that is supported by national data.</p><p> The case study states also relied heavily on "selective parity" &ndash; aligning their tax rates and tax bases with at least some neighboring jurisdictions or comparable states &ndash; in making tax policy choices. This practice suggests that states will avoid the gridlock that has marked federal tax policy, because the widespread use of benchmarking provides a rationale for tax increases as well as cuts, while still serving as a moderating factor that pulls states toward regional or national means. States are picking spots on a spectrum of service levels and tax burdens that reflect voter preferences but are also constrained by national and regional norms.</p><p> A general hierarchy of taxes constructed from the case studies and also reflected in national data shows that narrowly-targeted levies (such as health facility taxes) and "sin" taxes (such as cigarette taxes) were the most likely to be increased, while broad-based taxes with the strongest revenue performance (such as the personal income tax) were the least likely to be increased. This pattern reinforces the conclusion that states are neglecting the long-term revenue capacity of their tax systems, a finding that is reinforced by a continuous stream of small tax cuts granted in each state, interrupted periodically by larger tax increases &ndash; a pattern of "punctuated incrementalism". </p>

<p> The growth of mobile phone use has paralleled increased reports of identity theft. Identity theft can result in financial loss and threats to a victim's personal safety. Although trends in identity theft are well-known, less is known about individual cell phone users' attitudes toward identity theft and the extent to which they connect it to cell phone use. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine how cell phone use is affected by attitudes toward privacy and identity theft. The study was based on social impact theory, according to which people's attitudes and behavior are affected by the strength and immediacy of others' attitudes and behavior. The research questions concerned the extent to which participants connected cell phone use with decreasing privacy and increasing cybercrime, how the use of biometrics affected cell phone users' attitudes and behavior, and what steps can be taken to reduce the misuse of private information associated with cell phone use. Data collection consisted of personal interviews with representatives from 3 groups: a private biometrics company, individual cell phone users who earn more than $55,000 a year, and individual cell phone users who earn less than $55,000 a year. Interviews were transcribed and coded for themes and patterns. Findings showed that interviewees were more likely to see identity theft as a problem among the public at large than in the industries in which they worked. Participants recommended a variety of measures to improve cell phone security and to reduce the likelihood of identity theft: passwords, security codes, voice or fingerprint recognition, and encryption. The implications for positive social change include informing government officials and individual users about the use and abuse of cell phones in order to decrease violations of privacy and identity theft while still promoting national security.</p>

<p> Efforts are currently underway in the US federal context to improve and strengthen evaluation practice and increase the use of evaluation results to inform policies and programs. However, these efforts remain unrealized, due partly to the lack of a comprehensive theoretical framework that views evaluation and related organizational processes and institutions as part of a larger system. Early intuitive theoretical taxonomies of evaluation policy suffer from the lack of connection to specific examples and instances, and are missing clear classification criteria that would allow practical application. To generate a grounded taxonomy of evaluation policy, this study surveyed members of the American Evaluation Association in 2009, asking them to generate examples of evaluation policy, and then to sort and rate these suggested policies. Results are analyzed using the concept mapping method of Trochim (1989), which first translates aggregate sorting decisions into conceptual &ldquo;distances&rdquo; on a two-dimensional dot map, then uses hierarchical cluster analysis to generate groupings of ideas. These groupings become the foundation for categories in a theoretical taxonomy. Findings reveal several different dimensions by which participants grouped evaluation policies, including the dimensions of &ldquo;value&rdquo; and &ldquo;policy mechanism.&rdquo; A values-by-mechanisms taxonomy and instructions for its use in an evaluation policy inventory process are proposed.</p>

<p> Prior research has established a link between SES and early-life health without providing clear theoretical or empirical evidence for using any particular conceptualization or operationalization of SES. Researchers refer to any combination of variables related to economic, educational, and occupational circumstances as SES. This abundance of operationalizations makes it difficult to determine how SES shapes early-life health. Different operationalizations may even cause inconsistent conclusions when comparing the effects of SES on child and adolescent health. Thus, by failing to consider multiple operationalizations of SES, current research is unable to provide a complete picture of how SES shapes early-life health. </p><p> To address this gap, I examined multiple operationalizations of SES derived from two conceptualizations of SES. The distinct components conceptualization views individuals' economic, educational, and occupational circumstances as components of SES and is operationalized with readily available variables related to income, wealth, education, and occupation. However, studies use different operationalizations and combinations of the economic, educational, and occupational components. The unitary conceptualization views SES as an unobservable status of individuals that falls along a single, social hierarchy and is operationalized with a single component or a composite of components. However, researchers rely on different components and different methods to construct composites. </p><p> In analyses, I considered the effects of a broad range of operationalizations related to both the distinct components and unitary conceptualizations of SES on early-life physical and mental health. I also examined the effects of these operationalizations on child compared to adolescent health. I found that different operationalizations and combinations of components could lead to different conclusions about SES and health. I found that certain operationalizations of SES could lead to inconsistent conclusions regarding differences in the effects of SES on child compared to adolescent health. Overall, I found that the distinct components conceptualization of SES provided more detailed information on the economic, educational, and occupational contexts through which SES relates to early-life health. The different operationalizations of SES within this conceptualization provided important insights about SES and health. In sum, my findings suggest that researchers should explicitly conceptualize SES in studies and consider multiple operationalizations before arriving at conclusions.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of California, Berkeley, 2005. / (UnM)AAI3186984. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-08, Section: A, page: 3012. Co-Chairs: Elisabeth Sadoulet; Alain de Janvry.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Nov. 17, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-12, Section: A, page: 4696. Advisers: Wolfgang Bielefeld; Kirsten A. Gronbjerg.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1944.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1940.

Thesis (P.H.D.)--Columbia University, 1927. Without thesis note. / Vita. "Notes": p. 585-626; Bibliography: p. 627-668.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1968. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: M. Frances Frazier. Dissertation Committee: Vivian P. Gourevitch. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-153).