Increasingly, the state of California has taken to forming task forces in order to tackle new, wide reaching problems such as climate change. These problems often cut across many different agency jurisdictions; and as no one agency is big enough to ad . . .

This Project was prepared to recount and analyze my personal experience in acquiring, rehabilitating, leasing and disposing of a small income producing asset. The asset is a Victorian Italianate residential duplex, constructed in 1880 and located in m . . .

AB 2404, the Gender Equity for Community Youth Athletics Bill, dictates that California local governments and special districts comply with the mandated gender equity policy or else be subject to civil action for non-compliance. Currently, the City of . . .

Welfare reform and the subsequent reauthorization made a number of changes to the federalp rogram, emphasized work participationfo r recipients and establisheda minimum state participation requirement. The California Department of Social Services must . . .

Higher education institutions in the United States face a national imperative to boost student persistence and overall educational attainment amidst vacillating fiscal resources and growth in the non-traditional student body. According to Cominole, Ra . . .

This thesis explores the balance between equity and efficiency in government granting, particularly in regards to government grants to remediate environmental pollution. Through statistical analysis, I analyze California cities to see whether there is . . .

In recent years, gun control policy has dominated the American political agenda. Today, political pundits on both sides of the aisle regularly cite gun statistics supporting either a pro or anti-gun control stance. While billions of dollars are spent . . .

In 2008, the California Legislature passed SB 375, which required the state’s metropolitan planning organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through better land use and transportation planning. Their first milestone to reduce emissions was 202 . . .

California’s executive agencies continue to experience a growing number of older employees. The threat of these employees retiring and agencies experiencing the loss of their most trained and experienced staff presents a high risk for departments to i . . .

California is the most populous and one of the most racially diverse states in the country. To avert the potential problem of not covering enough medical services for the entire population, California integrated the services of Medi-Cal and Medicare a . . .

More individuals have health care coverage after the passage of the monumental federal health care reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the promise of the ACA cannot be fulfilled if there are not enough physicians . . .

Electoral systems have a direct impact on elections and their outcomes. Traditionally, local elections in California have used “first past the post” electoral systems. Beginning in 2002, a few cities began to explore other electoral options. San Franc . . .

Abstract of "School Finance Decisions and Academic Performance: An Analysis of the Impacts of School Expenditures on Student Performance" by Andrew Edward Carhart. In 2013, California enacted the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and set the most s . . .

California has utilized the initiative system since 1911. During this time, the initiative system in California has evolved into the ‘fourth’ branch of government. Initiatives play an important role in government by providing the voting public with a . . .

For the past 20 years, a major debate has unfolded between academics, economists, and legislators regarding the effects of raising the minimum wage. The main point of contention is if increasing the minimum wage will cause higher rates of unemployment . . .

Today, in an increasingly competitive job market, a growing number of employers require applicants to possess a bachelor’s degree as a minimum education standard of employment eligibility. This suggests that an individual with a higher education backg . . .

There is a growing body of evidence that front-of-package (FOP) labeling on pre- packaged foods and sugar-sweetened beverages may be an effective method of helping consumers make healthier dietary choices. On the other hand, there is also growing evid . . .

In 2011, the California Legislature and the Governor signed AB 109, which required state prisons to transfer certain low-level felons sentenced from state prison to county jails. The intent was to comply with a recent federal court mandate to reduce o . . .

The California Legislature has set ambitious goals to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). One way the state intends to reduce GHG emissions associated with transportation is to accelerate the transition to “clean vehicles” that require le . . .

Academic achievement in the United States is low, with students graduating high school unprepared for college and the workforce. To remedy this issue, 42 states fully adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The CCSS outlines what students shou . . .

States now place a heavier burden on institutions of higher education to play a role in the evolution of the workforce into a new knowledge economy demanding higher levels of training and different skills than was required in the twentieth century wor . . .

A Homeowners Association (HOA) is a private organization that governs a community or neighborhood subdivision. The number of HOAs has increased significantly over the last few decades, and today nearly one in four Californians resides in a neighborhoo . . .

One in five American adults experiences a mental illness in a given year, yet over 50% never receive treatment (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Further, 35% with a serious mental illness never receive treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health . . .

Property tax tends to survey as one of the most disliked forms of taxation. This frustration towards the tax has led to tax revolts throughout the United States. In 1978 California, voters had Proposition 13 on the ballot that set a limit to rising pr . . .

By 2025, California must achieve a 75 percent organics recycling target. To achieve this target, local governments will soon be tasked with implementing organic waste recycling programs to divert food waste. This thesis attempts to determine the most . . .

Charter schools are a national controversy, and have been since they were first adopted in the early 1990s. Yet in nearly thirty years in operation, only half of the country knows what a charter school is, and perhaps more important, if they are effec . . .

The purpose of this research is to advance the body of knowledge on information technology (IT) implementation projects and the mitigating effects that bureaucratic environments have upon governmental IT projects. Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey dat . . .

Higher education students in the United States are leaving college without the necessary skills to succeed in the 21st century's digital and social economy. Although social media technology is ubiquitous in the lives of most students, they often lack . . .

Adoption of the Common Core State Standards in California and across the nation marks an ambitious plan to overhaul the country’s educational standards in favor of new more rigorous standards, which has changed the way teachers approach both curriculu . . .

AmeriCorps has been called a political “Swiss army knife,” meeting many policy goals at once. Among these goals is to strengthen the civic engagement of those who participate in AmeriCorps programs. Building off the argument of Shirley Sagawa in her 2 . . .

For this thesis, I seek to determine if there is a relationship between the normative theory and practical implementation of strategic planning among public sector organizations in California. There is little empirical evidence testing a set of criter . . .

Unwanted pregnancies are a burden on women, their families, and government programs. Contraceptives reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancies and abortions. Among the various methods of contraception, prescription contraceptives are the most effect . . .

When housing affordability becomes a problem, it can have complex effects on society. First, it can damage local and regional consumer economies if moderate- or higher-income households refrain on spending because they devote more of their disposable . . .

Marijuana has been a subject of policy debate throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Recently, with Colorado and Washington legalizing recreational marijuana, focus has shifted from effective prohibition to effective regulation. As a result of the sh . . .

Too many students are not completing their Bachelor’s degrees in California and nationwide, threatening not only the global competitiveness of our workforce, but also the economic and civic vitality produced by an educated society. At California State . . .

Driver inattention has long been an issue for traffic safety advocates. Drivers may only briefly look away to change the radio station, answer a phone call, send a text message, or speak to a passenger; however, taking their eyes off the road decrease . . .

Abstract of TAHOE REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY RESIDENTIAL ALLOCATION SYSTEM UPDATE: A STUDY OF COLLABORATION by Tiffany Jeneé Good The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is updating a component of its growth management program, the residential allocat . . .

People exposed to alcohol in the womb can experience lifelong physical and developmental problems known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). The resulting short- and long-term health outcomes of individuals with FASD-related problems, includin . . .

Although researchers know a great deal about conducting fieldwork in the free world, we know far less about effective survey and interview administration practices inside a prison environment. Through the examination of the Assessing Prison Volunteer . . .

As California's financial commitment to higher education continues to waver amidst fiscal crises and competing policy priorities, it is important that public institutions explore other strategies to cope with budget shortfalls (Public Policy Institute . . .

This thesis is intended to explore public policies to address employment conditions for workers in the “sharing economy.” This is a segment of the economy that has risen rapidly over the past ten years, and includes companies such as Uber, Lyft, Airbn . . .

Access to healthcare is critical for children’s development. In the United States, children with access to healthcare are more likely to have better health outcomes, live healthier lives, and do better in school. Although many children now have access . . .

Global climate change has caught the attention of climate scientists, the general public, and public officials over the past forty years. A relatively new policy instrument used to combat climate change and its negative effects is cap-and-trade. In 20 . . .

Due to the popularity of social media among the general populous, there is potential for it to be a useful tool for local government agencies. This thesis provides local government officials with a concise stand-alone social media implementation guide . . .

There is a new civic engagement tool emerging that is changing the way governments connect with citizens. Through interactive websites, this new tool, called citizensourcing, is uploading the traditional town hall online where citizens can engage with . . .

Can the San Francisco Police Department use the Police Activities League cadet program as a recruiting tool? The San Francisco Police Department has had difficulty in recruiting qualified police officer candidates with a hiring success rate of four to . . .

A large proportion of high school graduates are not prepared for college-level coursework and require remediation courses once they start college. With the passage of Senate Bill 1458, California has the opportunity to incorporate new college readines . . .

Turnkey solutions to measuring and evaluating the financial condition of local government do not exist. The contextual diversity between local jurisdictions precludes a one-size-fits-all approach; however, there are more similarities than differences. . . .

Redevelopment and Tax Increment Financing were long determined to be the best and most cost effective way of improving blighted and economically and socially challenged neighborhoods. However, even as the California State Legislature discussed termina . . .

The rise of chronic health conditions in the San Joaquin Valley has increased the focus on general plans as a tool to improve public health. General plans are the blueprints for cities and counties as they guide the development of the physical environ . . .