This thesis investigates implementation of the California Case Management System (CCMS) in Sacramento County. CCMS is the information technology system used by California courts, and is funded through the Trial Court Funding Act of 1997 and the Trial . . .

This thesis explores public policies that have the potential to meet the 20% statewide edible food recovery mandates of SB 1383. This policy became law in 2016 as part of a broader effort to curb methane emissions, of which about a fifth is attributab . . .

Receiving student financial aid in the form of grants, loans, and work-study increases college access for students planning to attend a college or university. Early on, California made a commitment to make sure the University of California (UC) was ac . . .

For this thesis, I explore how Local Control Action Plans (LCAPs), under the Local Control Funding Formula, follow established administrative theory on strategic planning while also raising questions about how districts develop LCAPs. To explore these . . .

On January 31, 2018, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors (Board), during a workshop, focused its attention on retail shopping centers experiencing chronic vacancies. In 2017, another major big-box retail closure in a shopping center prone to bi . . .

Since California began decarbonizing its energy supply nearly 20 years ago, the state has become a leader in the clean energy revolution. Backed mostly by a rapid expansion of solar energy, California now generates more renewable energy than any other . . .

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often shortened to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is a federal statute that represented the most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of health coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicai . . .

The State of California’s Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishing and Thermal Insulation (BEARHFTI) is the only regulatory agency that has imposed smoldering safety standards for upholstered furniture. However, this does not address . . .

Statement of Problem: The U.S. Department of Justice started to notice an influx of youth becoming wards of the state throughout the United States. A common pattern that judges noticed for these youth included being in the child welfare system along w . . .

A major change is occurring within the American workforce. The Baby Boomers who have been employed within the general workforce force for decades are now retiring or becoming eligible to retire. The gap left within organizations from the retirement of . . .

Lack of affordable housing opportunities has categorized California as one of the most expensive places to call home in the nation. Approximately 70 percent of the people that call the Golden State their home spend more than 30 percent of their annual . . .

Proponents of sustainable development argue green buildings provide operational cost savings, resource conservation and recycling, and increased indoor air quality. Industry skeptics argue benefits associated with green buildings don’t outweigh the ad . . .

The number of people representing themselves in California’s appellate courts is significant and it is increasing. These litigants face many challenges, as it is especially difficult for a layperson to effectively present or fight against an appeal. A . . .

The use of emergency departments for non-urgent care is increasing; creating greater stress for California’s already crowed emergency departments. This thesis analyzes the relationship between an individual’s demographic, socioeconomic, and health car . . .

The nation and the state of California are facing a growing crisis: they must address the growing deterioration of existing infrastructure and related services, while providing increased services and infrastructure improvements to a constantly expandi . . .

Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority in California, making up 37% of the state's population, but they trail other ethnicities in academic achievement. Using data from the Department of Education and local law enforcement agencies, I build regress . . .

Prior to the housing market and economic crash beginning in 2007, the State of California had historically experienced higher housing costs than a majority of other states in the nation, with many of the major metropolitan areas topping the list of mo . . .

At California community colleges, books can cost more than tuition. At less than $80 a class, California charges the lowest community college tuition in the country, a testament to the state’s commitment to providing its residents with an affordable c . . .

Local governments in California currently lack the funds to maintain their local roads and transit system. Under the reasonable assumption that further state or federal aid to do this is not likely, local officials must plan for how to raise the neede . . .

Many organizations and public agencies in California invest in efforts to reduce youth smoking. Collaborations across these organizations do exist, however, there is no formal partnership that involves all relevant and powerful stakeholders, including . . .

California’s usage of a defined benefit program goes back to its creation in the 1930s. Over the years, the defined benefit system struck a natural balance between retirement liabilities and the assets available to cover these liabilities. Unfortunate . . .

California’s Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division is responsible ensuring the health and safety of up to 1.4 million vulnerable Californians. However, the agency has suffered from resource problems that have jeopardized the . . .

With more travel demand and more miles of roadway, West Sacramento has an increasing street rehabilitation responsibility. This thesis develops a sustainable, equitable, and politically and administratively feasible City of West Sacramento Street Reha . . .

The Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) is the state’s current effort to attempt to accomplish the co-equal goals of a water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration. The BDCP is a proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservati . . .

California is the only state to entitle individuals with developmental disabilities to the services and supports required to live independent and productive lives. Fulfilling the entitlement has proved challenging for the California Department of Deve . . .

I sought to discover if any student populations were disproportionally impacted by enrollment cuts put in place within the California State University to be completed within the 2010-2011 academic year. I produced this analysis using descriptive analy . . .

Is Sacramento State’s Leadership Initiative well designed? Can the program design be improved? In this thesis, I create a rubric to evaluate the Leadership Initiative program design by extracting approximately 100 program design goals from relevant li . . .

Trial by jury is an integral part of our criminal justice system and one that is well respected by citizens. However, in some parts of the nation less than half of the people summoned to jury duty respond to the summons. In response to this problem, t . . .

Voter opinion surveys help frame American debate on matters of public policy and can influence legislators’ decisions. Voter surveys generally use one of two sampling methods. Voter file sampling includes information about respondents, but may lack un . . .

Scientists and researchers argue that overconsumption of resources and continued pollution from human activities have created a variety of environmental problems including deforestation, loss of biodiversity, changes in climate, loss of open space, po . . .

On April 18, 2012, the City of Vallejo adopted a participatory budgeting process that enables the public to influence the allocation of approximately $3 million of revenue from their recently passed sales tax measure, Measure B. Vallejo is the first c . . .

Direct democracy is praised by some commentators and scholars as an effective form of government that is closer to the average citizen, increases voter awareness and as a result increases the trust placed on the government. Others cast doubt on these . . .

SB 617 (Calderon & Pavley, 2011) is an ambitious experiment to improve state regulations and increase government transparency. The statute reforms California’s regulatory review process by making the executive review of regulations more robust and . . .

In 1970, the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) outlawed cannabis in the United States. Since then, advocates have petitioned to have cannabis rescheduled in a less restrictive manner and sixteen states have decriminalized cannabis for approved m . . .

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires states to establish health insurance exchanges to facilitate the purchase of qualified health care coverage. The ACA affords states flexibility in designing these exchanges. This thesis is . . .

The national economic recession has created budget shortfalls for various levels of government. California municipal government has experienced significant declines in property and sales taxes. The City of West Sacramento is suffering this same fate. . . .

In California state government, two unique employee classifications exist, the Career Executive Assignment (CEA) and exempt. These two classifications are in the top-levels of government and are responsible for influencing policy through creation and . . .

Fundamental problems in California’s civil service processes result in increased costs and places California at risk to address future workforce needs given the increased number of retiring state employees. This study examines various reports issued o . . .

Some high schools in California have high rates of sending their graduating seniors on to college. Conversely, other high schools, especially in lower income, urban areas, have much lower rates of success. This thesis is a case study of a four-year (2 . . .

With Latinos being California’s largest ethnic group, making up approximately 38 percent of the state’s total population and 49 percent of the state’s K-12 population, it is no surprise that Latinos are projected to become the majority of California’s . . .

The debate over how to address California’s future water needs has generally split people into two main camps: those that think the state should move forward with new supply projects, including surface storage (dams) and desalination and those that be . . .

Issue and Purpose In the age of accountability and high stakes testing, school boards cannot simply be a representative body of the community; they must be functional governing bodies with effective trustees that hold the district accountable for stud . . .

Local economic development organizations use a variety of project and program types to stimulate local economic growth. Recently, many local economic developers have evaluated amateur sports tourism as a local economic stimulus. This thesis studies th . . .

United States residents all benefit from freight transit that puts foreign-made goods into stores in the United States. Ten percent of the world’s ship-container traffic either originates or ends in the United States. The Ports of Los Angeles (LA) and . . .

Improving California’s schools is a top priority of voters and policymakers alike. Evaluating students, schools, and teachers, through standardized testing, while controversial, has become central to modern state and federal education policies. Contex . . .

California’s Legislative Analyst Office recently pegged the state’s deficit at $20 billion for fiscal year 2010-2011. Amongst the revenue-raising proposals under consideration is an expansion of the sales tax base to include services. Due to a paucity . . .

My research has focused on an issue of great importance to current and future generations of residents of the Sacramento region – how do we maintain a natural resource, the American River Parkway, that people treasure in a time when public funds are s . . .

In this project I examine the processes and requirements to develop a strategic plan for a start-up, grassroots nonprofit. Ubuntu Green is a new nonprofit focused on bringing green lifestyle education, job training and policy improvements to underserv . . .

The number of infants born premature and low birth weight as a result of multiple birth via IVF is too high. Multiple gestation, including twins, poses serious health risks to both mothers and babies. They disproportionately contribute to infant and m . . .

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) Blueprint depicts a way for the Sacramento region to grow through the year 2050 by way of a “Preferred Scenario” which promotes compact, mixed-use, transit-oriented development (TOD). Senate Bill (SB) . . .

This research examined case studies of urban community gardens in seven different American states to determine whether the factors of sociability, participatory decision-making, leadership, and land tenure are likely to contribute to community garden . . .

Many counties in California face a drastic shortage of mental health professionals. This shortage is exacerbated by the high rates of attrition among qualifying degree holders who pursue either a Clinical Social Worker (CSW) or Marriage and Family The . . .

The California state parks system provides exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities and unique educational experiences while preserving California’s diverse natural environment and cultural heritage. In light of the current discussion of uncerta . . .

The Republican and Democratic Party engage the most active courtship in American politics, namely the repeated attempts to woo Latino voters. While the Latino population exhibits high levels of religiosity, presents itself as displaying more concern f . . .

Lawmakers take steps to address the subprime mortgage crisis, only to face criticism. In many cases, people focus on tax dollars going to prevent foreclosures and are not aware of the level of benefits they would retain by preventing foreclosures. The . . .

This thesis investigates implementation of the California Case Management System (CCMS) in Sacramento County. CCMS is the information technology system used by California courts, and is funded through the Trial Court Funding Act of 1997 and the Trial . . .

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers Delta is in crisis. The prevailing viewpoint is simple: the Delta will collapse politically, structurally, and environmentally unless California identifies and implements bold changes. In 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger . . .

The debate on the effectiveness of redevelopment agencies at mitigating blight and the adequacy of redevelopment accountability laws in California evokes a crucial question about redevelopment: Are the current laws that are meant to improve accountabi . . .

The aging, decrepit diversion weir at the Nimbus Hatchery places the American River’s Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout at great risk. Due to the weir’s state of disrepair, a storm or high river flows could destroy it at any time, causing thousands o . . .

California’s ability to produce an adequate supply of educated workers to meet the demand of the market is becoming a growing concern. Low baccalaureate completion rates pose a significant workforce problem and the effects are a mismatch between suppl . . .

Career and technical education offered at community colleges has taken on renewed importance as America’s economy tries to recover from the recession that began in 2007. Labor market projections show that middle skill jobs will be among the fastest gr . . .

Following the financial meltdown and the fallout of the Great Recession, California State and local governments have been forced to limit funding across the board, including consistent and timely funding to California public school districts. In 2011, . . .

According to the most recent estimates from 2006, forty-nine percent of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended (Finer & Zolna, 2011). Contraceptives can greatly reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy, especially when used consistentl . . .

The United States is losing its global dominance in the fields of science and engineering largely because of underinvestment in research and development and the shift toward more knowledge-intensive industries that have greater emphasis on intellectua . . .

In 2011, Governor Jerry Brown proposed a budget that cut redevelopment agencies (RDAs), a large provider of funds for affordable housing in California’s urban centers. Many groups opposed his proposal, but was RDA use of the Low-Moderate Income Housin . . .

The purpose of this study has been to identify how financial aid and other factors influence college graduation rates, and to make recommendations on policies that could be used to increase graduation rates at public colleges in California. I obtained . . .

In early 2006, the Sacramento Police Department changed the focus of its Vice Unit's enforcement efforts from adult street prostitutes to juvenile prostitutes and pimps. The unit soon determined that a large percentage of the girls they arrested were . . .

Youth voter turnout is typically low in US. elections. Lowering registration barriers is one method of increasing voter turnout. Many states have begun to implement voter registration requirements that allow qualified citizens to register and vote on . . .

The main objective of this study was to answer the following question: What are the factors that impact volunteer participation in California Department ofAging (CDA) programs? There are many studies on volunteerism; however, with the exception of a h . . .

Collaborative governance processes involving diverse stakeholders with conflicting beliefs are sometimes used to solve difficult environmental and natural resource policy issues. This thesis explores the factors and conditions that affect general lear . . .

Since 1988 the United States federal government has been closing military installations in the United States through the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Some communities are able to quickly redevelop their former bases into thriving new n . . .

The main objective of this study was to answer the question: What, if any, cost burden is assumed by California’s volunteer firefighters? While there are many studies on volunteerism in fire service, none directly examine the out of pocket expenses th . . .

A 1997 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guideline change allowed pharmaceutical companies to target audiences through television and print media whereas before, the FDA requirements were so extensive that advertising to consumers was unprofitable. T . . .

This thesis examines the Supplemental Educational Services (SES) component of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and focuses on the effect of this program improvement intervention on the academic performance of low-achieving students who part . . .

In February 2012, the legislature abolished the state’s redevelopment program. Local redevelopment agencies had participated in a myriad of economic development activities. Along with the dissolution of these entities, local officials lost the ability . . .

Low levels of financial literacy are prevalent in the United States, with high school students consistently performing poorly on tests that assess knowledge of financial concepts. Upon entering adulthood, many individuals are ill prepared to make impo . . .

Dynamic environments characterized by technological, economic, and political change increasingly requires organizational agility among California’s public organizations. Perhaps a primary indicator of this need is the growing inventory and increased u . . .

Funding transportation projects in California presents a difficult policy problem for the state, as the current taxation mechanisms used are insufficient. The policy question at hand for California decision makers is: What viable transportation fundin . . .

Staff-member relationships can determine the success or failure in any office and can have a profound effect on public policy within the state legislature. Existing literature has studied the effect of leaders’ management style within a business setti . . .

This thesis examines current income distribution in the U.S. An increasing number of researchers, scholars, and interested citizens find the large and growing difference between incomes at the very top of the U.S. income scale and the rest of society . . .

An important component of California’s smog check program is the policy of directing the highest polluting vehicles to specialized smog check stations for testing. The State Bureau of Automotive Repair identifies these ‘directed vehicles’ through the . . .

Economists have long been interested in understanding the relationship between economic inequality and urban form. Suburban white-flight, flight from blight, and spatial mismatch between jobs and low-income neighborhoods are believed to contribute to . . .

The market-matching program offers Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients a monetary incentive when they purchase fruits and vegetables at participating farmers’ markets. The 2014 Farm Bill contains additional funding for the prog . . .

Projections vary, but those who estimate populations agree that the number of retirees will increase dramatically as waves of Baby Boomers retire. No one can say for certain how many of the retiring Baby Boomers will require assistance to live out the . . .

Collaboration addresses the “knottiest” of problems that society faces, and collaboration addressing natural resource management issues becomes as complex as the ecosystems collaborative groups affect. While collaborative processes have received more . . .

The County Administrator’s Office of Yolo County continues to seek new opportunities to improve processes for operational improvement. In recent years, many local governments have begun to further engage the public in the budget process. Given Yolo Co . . .

A lack of healthcare coverage is of major concern. This study examines the risk factors associated with not having healthcare coverage, with special attention paid to nativity status. The population of interest consists of United States residents aged . . .

Public higher education systems in the United States are confronted with the need to change. Today’s global economy increasingly requires an educated workforce, meaning that there is a growing need for universities to not just enroll students, but to . . .

This thesis provides a qualitative examination of the costs and benefits of local inclusionary zoning (IZ) policies in California. Such policies rose in popularity in the 1970s to address the shortage of affordable housing and concentration of poverty . . .

In comparison to whites, Hispanic and African American students have the lowest standardized test scores, lowest high school graduation rates, and are less likely to go to college. This achievement gap not only hurts the African American and Hispanic . . .

This thesis examines the relationship between taxes and economic growth. Since the rise of supply side economics in the 1980’s as a doctrine for understanding macroeconomics, many claims have been made regarding a connection between the rates and amou . . .

Since its implementation in 1997, the CalWORKs program, California’s version of the federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, has served hundreds of thousands of families throughout the state. A high percentage (12.5%) of these fa . . .

This thesis examines the impact of state mandated demand- and supply-side abortion policies on the statewide abortion rate to determine which policies are most effective at lowering state abortion rates. Ordinary least squares regression was used to d . . .

In 2011, Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner John Young announced plans to utilize existing farm-to-school programs at two school districts located within the county – Davis Joint Unified School District and Winters Joint Unified School District – a . . .

The City of Davis, California has a very high median housing value when compared to its surrounding area and the statewide average. High housing values can make the area increasingly unaffordable. A key policy question is whether Davis’ urban growth b . . .

Yolo County’s Homeless and Poverty Action Coalition (HPAC) is the collaborative body that coordinates and applies for Continuum of Care Program grant funding for homeless housing and services in its region. For the past two scoring rounds, fiscal year . . .

Weight related health issues have become a focal point for health policy as two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. California lawmakers at the state and local levels of government have taken a proactive approach to reducing . . .

There are multiple challenges associated with being in the foster care system that inhibit academic success among this student population. As a result, an achievement gap has developed between foster youth and their peers in California’s K-12 system, . . .

Health policy experts recommend that adolescents engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. In California, fewer adolescents are reaching these guidelines, with declining activity levels as age increases. A higher prevalence of inacti . . .

A wide range of factors, including emerging technologies, pioneering environmental policies, relatively high electricity rates in electric investor-owned utility territories and an inefficiently operated electric system are applying pressure to Califo . . .