<p> New firm births, and their associated job creation, are widely considered an underpinning to a healthy and growing economy. U.S. state legislatures have taken notice of this phenomenon, as well as the importance of accredited Angel investors who invest in new enterprises. As such, about half the states have passed Supply-side oriented Angel tax credit legislation to address a supposed new venture funding gap, ominously referred to as the Valley of Death, in hopes allocating financial resources more efficiently than the free market. This legislations&rsquo; principal intent is most often to stimulate incrementally new technology job growth. Targeted tax credits authorized by Acts over the last 20 years, incentivizes individuals with over $1 million in net worth, known as Accredited Angels, to increase funding to early stage firms by lowering their risk and cost of investing. However, there is ostensibly no empirical program evaluation in the academic literature to determine if the billions of dollars in credits often redirected from other state programs, created incrementally new jobs. Designating OES technology jobs data at the state level as the outcome variable, dual subject repeated measures pretest-posttest with control group quasi-experimental analyses were conducted to determine if the Angel tax credit legislation passed by Wisconsin and Kansas in 2004 affected technology job growth. Multiple between subject LMM results find, and then verify, that angel tax credits have no long-term impact on incremental technology job growth (p?.80). Within subject MANOVA results appear to support a notion sig.10 that targeted Angel tax credits of about 50% could be additive to states&rsquo; fiscal auto-stabilizers arsenal designed to: (1) address liquidity and credit constraints, and (2) mitigate increased unemployment levels, both intrinsic to a recession. Conclusively, the economic development policy that ineffectually applies the visible hand of Angel credits to address a likely non-existent Valley of Death funding gap needs to meet its own demise. </p>

<p> This research examines how clean air advocates and authorities at the regional air pollution control district conceptualize and communicate about air pollution and environmental injustice in California&rsquo;s San Joaquin Valley. Philosophies of justice, framing, and social movement building strategies were analyzed through two case studies of campaigns that produced changes at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District aimed at advancing public health and environmental justice. Research methods included archival analysis, semi-structured interviews, and auto-ethnographic accounting of the researcher&rsquo;s involvement in the campaigns.</p><p> Findings demonstrate that despite varying social constructions of the San Joaquin Valley&rsquo;s air pollution problems by advocates and authorities in terms of philosophies of justice, framing, and some of the strategies promoted to create clean air, these two groups cited several examples of how these case studies have resulted in emissions reductions for impacted communities and advanced environmental justice. Both groups also critiqued the political economy of the Valley, demonstrating how deeply rooted and pervasive air pollution and environmental injustice are in the region. These shared critiques and successes reveal that although these groups and individuals have notably divergent approaches on many issues, common ground can still be found through creatively harnessed conflict and negotiation.</p>

moderated by Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press." Featuring James Carville, E.J. Dionne, Ed Gillespie, and Peggy Noonan / Conte Forum

Introduction Occupational Epidemiology (OE) has played a vital role in producing improvements in the working population’s health. Nonetheless, anecdotal evidence indicates that OE in the UK is facing many challenges and the research workforce, funding, and output in this area are declining. This study aims to: investigate the nature and evolution of these key contributors to success; identify the external social, political, economic and any other factors which frame and contextualise these challenges and the facilitators; use this contextualisation to explain and evaluate how and why the identified challenges and facilitators influenced the OE field development compared to other similar fields; and explore how far they may explain the ebb and flow of research activity in OE in comparison with other health disciplines. Methods A sequential, mixed-method approach was undertaken in four phases. These included interviews with key UK-based OE researchers; a survey of UK-based OE researchers to test out themes that emerged from the first phase; a bibliometric analysis comparing trends and characteristics of UK-based OE published studies with those in public health epidemiology (PHE); and a documentary review of annual reports of three health research funding bodies including: the Medical Research Council, the Cancer Research Campaign, and the Health and Safety Commission. Results The lack of human and financial resources was found to be of utmost concern to the OE community, which increased over time and negatively affected researchers’ abilities to conduct further and higher quality studies. The bibliometric study revealed that the number of PHE publications and researchers increased substantially while the numbers for OE remained fairly constant. Furthermore, it was found that in PHE much higher levels of collaboration and adoption of newer methods such as the use of molecular and genetic techniques were applied. Widening research collaboration and the adoption of newer methods were encouraged by funding bodies because both are perceived to contribute to research efficiency and commercialisation of research ideas. These have been adopted more widely by other fields, thus helping them to develop and improve their status, which was not the case for OE. Furthermore, fewer influential representatives from the field of OE were found within funding bodies, which had played a major role in directing resources to research within health fields and hence influencing their development. Conclusions Social, economic, and political factors such as the exclusion of occupational health (OH) from the National Health Service, deindustrialisation, and neoliberal government policies within public and higher education institutions particularly that focus on economic contribution of science, and research auditing and efficiency, most likely, have the greatest influence on funding decisions of research in OH and other health disciplines. These issues have significantly instigated obscurity of OH and hence OE within the agendas of both the government and the funding bodies. Henceforward, the development of the OE field has become adversely affected compared to other health research fields. Finally, this thesis confirms that the rise and fall of a particular health research field is heavily influenced by specific past and contemporary social, economic and political factors. Engaging in social, economic and political matters, being open to new advances in research, and optimising networking opportunities with other disciplines, key researchers, policy-makers and other pertinent stakeholders and institutions may potentially facilitate progress in OE and other health research fields.

<p> Forestlands have been identified as a valuable resource to mitigate climate change due to the biome&rsquo;s capacity to both sequester greenhouse gases and substitute for fossil fuels. Woody biomass has been proposed as a substitutable input for coal-generated electricity as economies attempt to transition to renewable power while addressing economic development goals. However, increasing the intensity of forest management for energy production has the potential to result in significant ecological, economic and social consequences at local, regional and global scales. In this context, my dissertation explores the capacity of existing policy frameworks to stimulate and support sustainable power production from forest biomaterials. In Chapter Two, I explore the interactions between shifting goals, actors and institutions in influencing incentives that shape today&rsquo;s policy mix for woody biopower production in Wisconsin. The study&rsquo;s results reveal that the state&rsquo;s shifting focus away from using renewable energy as a means to pursue climate change mitigation and energy security goals combined with an absence of supportive coalitions has resulted in the dismantling of support for the woody biopower policy framework. In Chapter Three, I use data from a household survey of Tomahawk, Wisconsin residents to evaluate support for woody biomass production for power generation. Results show that respondents in biomass producing communities are more supportive of biomass sources such as forestry residues and forestry thinnings than dedicated harvesting operations. In addition, the results indicate that using an ecosystem services approach can help explain differences in support between these respondents and provide insights into socially acceptable forms of biomass harvesting operations. Chapter Four evaluates the use of sustainable forest management certification programs as a policy instrument to source sustainable woody biomass. The study evaluated the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification programs using bioenergy sustainability criteria found in the academic literature. The analysis shows a deficiency in these programs to address key criteria pertaining to climate change mitigation and would be improved by coupling sustainable forest management programs with bioenergy sustainability schemes such as designed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials.</p><p>

<p> Given the terrifying potentialities linked to global warming, some have suggested that the only means of abating a worst-case scenario is to double down, so to speak. Geoengineering is the intentional manipulation and augmentation of the global climate system. Critics and enthusiasts have commenced a lively debate around this complex issue, and scenarios have recently emerged as a constitutive practice to confront the uncertainties permeating research, implementation, and prospective governance. Using a synthesis of critical political frames to engage with a range of geoengineered imaginaries, this dissertation employs both textual and practice-based modes of research to argue that there are more dynamic and efficacious means to engage people in thinking through the radical possibilities and postnormal potentialities inherent to geoengineering. Turning to games and deploying play as a modality for experimentation, this dissertation assembles a design for exploring the core themes of the debate and enacting an embodied politics for geoengineering. <i>GeoFutr</i> is an alternative futures-driven gaming platform designed to critique, create, and ultimately contest geoengineered imaginaries.</p><p>

<p> Floating homes in the Netherlands are presented to consumers as a new sustainable and adaptable technology to climate change. With the rainfall increasing and flood levels rising in the Netherlands, there is a chance that the country can be inhabitable. Many countries throughout the world are adapting sustainable techniques into their public policies to fight off climate change. Sustainable technologies allow for certain countries to move forward with a new market trend in order to keep up with international competition. The Dutch government specifically has a reputation of inertia throughout policy making, but now the Dutch have a new environmentally sustainable technology that has a chance to change the market. That technology is the alternative housing option called a floating home. The combination of a technology marketed as sustainable while surrounding a valued cultural symbol, such as water, is not based on the environmental agenda, but for the public policy makers to gain power over an elite target market by using a specific marketing power.</p><p> With the lack of change throughout the Dutch government and culture, there has to be a question of whether this new technology has been introduced as a chance to develop a new social construct within the targeted elite class. In order to better distinguish this answer, thematic interviews were set up to sort out key themes that would help generalize the true meaning of these floating homes. With key points developed from experts in the field, it helped understand analyzation of specific case studies. The results of both interviews and case studies were then blanketed by a theory based on culture, knowledge, and power. The basis of the conclusion is that the floating homes were not necessarily developed for sustainable use like they were advertised for, but were developed to create profits and societal change to gain governmental power that the Netherlands once lacked.</p><p>

<p> Since 2014, voters in four California cities approved ballot measures seeking to levy a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Prior to these instances of success, over 128 local and state SSB tax proposals in the U.S. failed passage since 2009. The recent success of SSB tax passage in California presented an opportunity to explore factors associated with SSB tax passage, and to explore if John Kingdon&rsquo;s Multiple Streams Approach (MSA) applied in cases where the tax passed. The study also identified how Kingdon&rsquo;s theory may be modified in cases involving local governments. </p><p> I conducted a retrospective qualitative analysis using primary and secondary data collection to compare the outcome of SSB tax proposals across California cities. I interviewed 22 individuals using semi-structured telephone interviews to learn about each city&rsquo;s SSB tax proposal and process. Successful and unsuccessful SSB tax proposals were compared to learn from both passage and failure. </p><p> Five key themes or patterns were associated with cases of success including: (1) advanced planning, (2) building support, (3) voter engagement, (4) messaging, and (5) media. Cities that failed to pass the tax did not achieve consensus about the problem, or the proposed solution. A policy that is perceived as technically unfeasible has reduced chances of survival. The MSA provided a useful framework for analyzing factors associated with SSB tax success, however it remains unclear how much independence there is between the three streams at the local policymaking level. Based on the results from this study, I proposed a modification to the <i>problem stream</i> by adding a typology of events to further analyze factors associated with why a policy alternative may rise or fall on an agenda. </p><p> The results from this project have the potential to broaden the application of the MSA theory. The findings from this study will be useful to policymakers and advocates in cities that utilize direct or representative democracy, and may lead to other local level SSB tax adoption in the future. Policy entrepreneurs play an important role in shaping the course of how a problem is perceived. Problems and solutions that resonate with voters are more likely to rise on an agenda. This project also demonstrates the value of learning from policy failures. In some cases, iterating a strategy after a failure may be the only way to innovate towards a successful outcome over time.</p><p>

<p> Voter-identification (ID) proponents claim that requiring voters to present photo-ID cards prevents fraud. Supported by a comprehensive empirical review, voter-ID opponents argue that significant voter fraud is nonexistent and that such restrictive laws suppress turnout of historically disenfranchised peoples. By analyzing testimonial letters to a state-legislature committee hearing, I show how repeating the false truth-claims can produce wide acceptance, through outright deception and cognitive biases. Focusing on the State of Kansas, my paper asks, &ldquo;How do proponents of strict voter-ID laws frame their cases for relevant legislation?&rdquo; and &ldquo;Where does the research originate that they cite in state legislative hearings to support their claims?&rdquo; From a content-analysis method of tallying critical words, phrases, and concepts, I tailored a discourse-analysis (DA) discipline. While analyzing grammatical structures, I focused more on the specific social, cultural, and political significances. Using terms and phrases such as &ldquo;Those&rdquo; &ldquo;diseased&rdquo; &ldquo;Others&rdquo; are &ldquo;stealing <i>Our</i> way of life,&rdquo; the political DA reveals that voter-ID proponents dehumanize the alleged perpetrators of voter fraud (often referenced as &ldquo;illegals&rdquo;). My five primary findings reveal how voter-ID proponents bolster their claims: arguing that their opponents willfully undermine democracy with voter fraud; fostering solidarity, dividing &ldquo;Us&rdquo; from the fraudulent voting &ldquo;Others&rdquo;; cultivating racism; manipulating legislators with urgent warnings; and buttressing their arguments with anecdotes, biased sources, and demonstrable lies. By revealing the persuasive powers of such discursive techniques, my paper provides a qualitative, critical nuance to the quantitative studies that address voter fraud.</p><p>

<p> The low HIV prevalence in Maldives coupled with low HIV comprehensive knowledge presents a challenge to the consistency of the hypothesized HIV knowledge-prevention paradigm. Researchers had not explained why HIV prevalence in Maldives is low despite the low levels of HIV knowledge. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate factors beyond HIV knowledge that contribute to the low HIV prevalence among Maldivian male youth. The research questions focused on the risk-reduction factors in the nonmarital sexual behavior of young Maldivian males that contribute to protecting them from contracting HIV and the predictors of safe and unsafe nonmarital sexual behaviors among this target group. The reasoned action approach (RAA) and the theories embedded in the RRA (i.e., the integrated behavioral model, the theory of reasoned action, and the theory of planned behavior) provided the theoretical foundation for this research. A purposeful sample of 18 male university students participated in open-ended interviews. Data were coded and analyzed to identify themes and subthemes. The results indicated that the low HIV prevalence in Maldives can be attributed to long-standing social values and norms that discourage nonmarital sexual engagement; however, these social values and norms are currently fading away, putting the low HIV prevalence status of Maldives at risk. The implications for social change include providing practitioners with specific risk factors they should address to prevent the spread of HIV that would result in the loss of lives and deterioration in the quality of life among young Maldivian men.</p><p>