published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Thesis advisor: Marc Landy / By examining the interactions between the presidency and the other branches of government, research illuminates the causes and mechanisms by which the presidency, and its power, ebbs and flows. Due to the nature of the powers directly granted to the president within the Constitution, much consideration has been given to presidential power through the prisms of national security, international affairs, and times of national emergency. Yet the presidency consists of more than the roles of commander- and diplomat-in-chief. By looking beyond the more obvious considerations of presidential power, the complexity of the institution’s development is not only revealed, but more fully explained. Consequently, this dissertation analyzes the development of presidential power by looking at the less obvious. It considers the use of formal executive tools to implement congressionally delegated and supported authority in an area of domestic policy: the creation of federally protected public lands. Instead of seeking to understand how the use of presidential power impacted an area of public policy, this research flips that perennial question on its head by asking: how has public land policy contributed to the development of presidential power? The research presented here shows, through the analysis of five public land categories, that the consistent application of executive power within this policy realm, combined with Congressional acceptance of this application, enhanced the overall power of the American presidency. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Political Science.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 334-348). Also available on microfiche.

A public-private partnership (PPP) is defined as a joint effort by government and the private sector for the management, operation, and funding of a venture or service. Increasingly, government has looked to the private sector for financial support and the streamlining of processes as concerns about the public debt have risen and priorities for spending have narrowed. The users and “customers” of a public good often have a stake in the way it is managed, especially in the case of parkland, which has the ability to dramatically affect the property values surrounding it, either positively or negatively. Therefore a PPP may have many purposes: as a fundraising mechanism, as an advocate for stakeholders, and as a promoter for programming for the attainment of educational and recreational goals. Ultimately, the role of the PPP is to be a liaison, knitting together the resources bestowed upon the public by the government entity with those of the less regulated private world. This study investigates both the challenges of forming a partnership that protects the public interest as well as the factors that are critical to forming a “successful” partnership. An examination of what led to the rise of public/private partnerships historically is included as well as the business models and mission statements of contemporary lead organizations at both the national and local level. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of the complexities of these partnerships, I individually interviewed professionals from both the public and private sides who have had careers in public land acquisition and management. Their viewpoints provide enriching details and reveal several common themes. Subjects were asked about the benefits of creating PPPs and how those benefits have been distributed, and what factors have contributed to successful PPPs. Furthermore, they reflected on tensions that have arisen within these partnerships. And finally they were asked about their overarching philosophies regarding government’s responsibility to its constituency versus the interests of the private sector. The report reveals that there is no set formula to be followed step by step in the creation and subsequent evolution of a public/private partnership, though certain principles emerge as essential components of a strong and effective organization. These are: having a clear understanding of the partnership’s misson and goals, being flexible and getting creative, making friends with everyone, and courting the local population who live around the parkland. Because there are several of these partnerships being formed to support parks in San Antonio, Texas at the time of this report, I placed emphasis on local statistics and anecdotes while compiling the opinions of area experts who have a long history of activism in this region. It is my intent that the findings reported herein provide some guidance for the future leadership of these local organizations in the context of local issues. / text

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With America’s recent needs for creating jobs, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and becoming "energy independent" from foreign nations, the large-scale deployment of solar energy projects has been proclaimed a solution for rapidly generating "clean" energy. Federal agencies have been mandated by law to expedite the siting of utility-scale solar energy projects (USSEPs) on public lands. In particular, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has focused on USSEP development by creating a national solar energy program as well as state-specific programs for encouraging USSEP development, and has thus far approved two USSEPs in Arizona. Although operational USSEPs do not emit greenhouse gases, they are not completely benign to the environment. USSEPs incur negative impacts on soils, vegetation, air quality, and other natural and cultural resources. Because USSEPs have the potential to mitigate climate change, yet incur other negative environmental impacts, the reaction of citizen stakeholders such as environmental advocates to public lands USSEP development has been mixed. Environmental advocate groups have both encouraged BLM to build USSEPs, and filed lawsuits discouraging project development. In light of the ability of environmental advocates to influence USSEP development, this study explored the complex opinions of members of environmental organizations, conservation groups, watershed initiatives, and solar industry professionals regarding USSEP development on Arizona public lands. Through a review of relevant literature, a content analysis of BLM environmental review documents, and the distribution and statistical analysis of an opinion survey, the study provides insight into the implications of the current BLM Arizona siting process and specific, up-to-date stakeholder perspectives. The results indicate that while BLM Arizona siting policies do attempt to address environmental concerns, significant concerns about the current USSEP siting process remain, and that environmental advocates' support for public lands USSEPs is lower than their support for renewable energy development in general. Stakeholders reported having low levels of three items: knowledge of current solar technologies, understanding of the current federal USSEP siting process, and confidence that the government will appropriately site solar energy projects. Addressing those items may alleviate tensions between stakeholders and public lands decision-makers, resulting in faster and more environmentally responsible USSEP siting.

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Thesis (Ph. D. - Political Science)--University of Arizona, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 313-330).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University, 2007. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 440-477).

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Community Agriculture Recreation Resource Studies, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 5, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-70). Also issued in print.