Browsing by Author "Barnes, Carolyn Yvette"

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    Climbing the Cliff: How Montana DPHHS Can Help Clients Understand and Navigate Benefits Cliffs
    (2022-04-30) Ninan, Rhea
    Benefits cliffs have negative repercussions for public assistance recipients, employers, taxpayers, and the government. For public assistance recipients, benefits cliffs can prevent self-sufficiency and threaten long-term stability. Assistance recipients are confronted with worse short- and medium-term outcomes when faced with a benefits cliff, which may be a disincentive to seeking out higher-paying work opportunities. The disincentives created by benefits cliffs mean that employers also struggle to recruit and retain employees, and that taxpayers and the government must spend more money to fund a higher number of assistance program participants. One of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services’ (DPHHS) goals is “for all Montanans [to] have the tools and support to be as self-sufficient as possible,” but benefits cliffs prevent the full realization of that goal. Therefore, DPHHS has a responsibility to investigate how it can help public assistance recipients understand and navigate benefits cliffs. This report begins with background on benefits cliffs, followed by findings from interviews with five Montana Office of Public Assistance (OPA) staff, three Human Resources Development Council (HRDC) staff, and five Montana public assistance recipients; and findings from a literature review of benefits cliff-mitigating policies. The report ends by proposing recommendations for DPHHS to help its clients understand and navigate benefits cliffs, based on the interview and literature review findings. The 13 interviews with OPA staff, HRDC staff, and public assistance recipients revealed that it is difficult or nearly impossible for assistance recipients to anticipate when they might face an income-induced benefits cliff and how it will impact their net income, because there are too many factors involved in calculating benefits levels. Further, when assistance recipients experience a benefits cliff due to increased income, they tend to seek out non-OPA resources for support. Even if they are not seeking benefits cliffs-related support from OPA staff, all interviewed assistance recipients said that they always think about how a job will impact their benefits and ability to afford necessities. Assistance recipients reported that they assess the extent of the negative impact of the benefits cliff when deciding whether to take a new employment opportunity.
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    Exploratory Study on Entrepreneurship Interest, Student Debt and Mental Health Among HBCU Entrepreneurs
    (2020-04) Oreen, Afsana
    Policy Question: How do student loans affect Black and Latinx borrowers’ psychological well-being and thus their propensity to become entrepreneurs? Introduction: Entrepreneurship is declining nationwide among younger people. Studies show that student debt reduces the likelihood of starting businesses because investors and banks generally require entrepreneurs to use their own wealth as collateral to qualify for business loans. Thus, historical patterns of racial discrimination in wealth accumulation and access to capital, and the student debt crisis exacerbates barriers to entry for aspiring Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. Given the prevalence of student loans among Black and Latinx borrowers, they tend to be underrepresented in entrepreneurship. A small body of research also suggests that student debt has severe consequences for mental health. Because entrepreneurs report high levels of life and job satisfaction, this study explores the relationship among entrepreneurship interest, mental health, and student debt in Black and Latinx borrowers from a historically black college and university (HBCU). Data Collection: Qualitative methods helped gather the stories of aspiring student and alumni entrepreneurs, carrying student debt, from North Carolina Central University (NCCU). NCCU is a co-ed public HBCU. Phone and in-person interviews were conducted with 5 Black alumni, and an additional 23 Black and Latinx current student entrepreneurs completed an open-ended survey questionnaire. Participants responded to questions about their interest in entrepreneurship, their encountered and perceived challenges with entrepreneurship, and the influence of student debt on career goals and mental health indicators. Results: Several key findings emerged from analyzing the data. 1. Fear of failure is the most salient concern for aspiring and established entrepreneurs. 2. Some Black and Latinx aspiring entrepreneurs envision student debt will hinder them from pursuing entrepreneurship. 3. Managing student debt triggers stress for aspiring and established entrepreneurs. Recommendations: Based on the results, this paper recommends several strategies to motivate young Black and Latinx aspiring entrepreneurs to regard entrepreneurship as a viable profession. 1. Enhance student loan counseling options at higher education institutions. 2. Provide resources about short-term working capital options. 3. Encourage student entrepreneurs to identify mentors and workshop business ideas. 4. Offer mental health resources targeting student debt and mental well-being.
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    Guaranteed Income in Durham, NC: Political Feasibility Prospective
    (2023-04-28) Stamper, Zach
    Child economic insecurity continues to be a prevalent issue in the United States, and in Durham, NC. Grown in Durham (GiD), the childcare initiative spawned from Durham County’s Early Childhood Action Plan, seeks to address this issue. GiD used a community-based approach to determine its priorities by including local parents and childcare experts in the planning process. One of the top priorities identified was a guaranteed income pilot program to provide supplemental cash assistance to Durham families facing economic insecurity. This policy solution was chosen because of the versatility of cash benefits and positive outcomes from other guaranteed income pilots across the country, including one already conducted in Durham. Given these pilot program successes, GiD anticipates their own guaranteed income pilot would have similarly positive outcomes. Thinking ahead of pilot success, this descriptive study seeks to understand the future of guaranteed income efforts in Durham. GiD asks “what is the political feasibility of a city or county-wide guaranteed income program serving families with children facing economic insecurity in Durham, NC?” Literature review of large-scale guaranteed income efforts, interviews with local elected officials and subject matter experts, and stakeholder analysis of local municipal government systems provide insights for this policy question. The multiple streams framework is employed to determine political feasibility as a function of cohesion in understanding of the problem of child economic insecurity and the policy of guaranteed income as a solution in the context of Durham politics. Review of relevant literature illuminated guaranteed income pilot program success in generating positive outcomes for participants facing economic insecurity and analyzed examples of similar policies that have been implemented at the state and national level. Regardless of overwhelmingly positive outcomes, individual support for guaranteed income and other social service provisions is ultimately dependent on one’s values, particularly the role of work in determining deservingness of support, and acknowledgment of systemic factors. These values do not exclusively fall along partisan lines, affording a more nuanced analysis of guaranteed income support. Policies closely resembling guaranteed income employed by Alaska, a traditionally conservative state, and at the national level demonstrate this nuance. Local elected officials and guaranteed income subject matter experts were interviewed to gauge the political feasibility of a scaled guaranteed income program in Durham. Elected officials included city council members and county commissioners, and subject matter experts included administrators of guaranteed income pilot (and related) policies in Durham. An interview guide was developed to gather data in the multiple streams framework and facilitate further conversation about anything that may dictate guaranteed income’s political feasibility in Durham. Interviews revealed the perception of a high amount of guaranteed income support from both Durham’s elected officials and general public. Interviews indicated a general consensus around the understanding of the problem of child economic insecurity, guaranteed income as a policy solution, and elected official and public support of such a policy. This stream alignment is encouraging for political feasibility. Funding was identified as the main logistical roadblock in implementing a city or county-wide guaranteed income for families with children experiencing economic insecurity. Municipal funding restrictions would need to be addressed to utilize this funding source at this crucial stage between pilot success and scaling beyond the municipal level by utilizing state or federal funding. A local stakeholder analysis provides political system context through which a municipally funded guaranteed income policy would have to pass. Interview respondents also corroborated the significance of personal values in dictating guaranteed income support. Interview and literature review insights prompted the following recommendations for GiD to implement to sustain guaranteed income’s political feasibility into the future: • Advocating for the resolution of municipal funding restrictions. • Developing clear and inclusive communication about what guaranteed income is, how it addresses economic insecurity, who it benefits, and destigmatizing welfare recipients. • Intentionally maintaining momentum around guaranteed income as a policy solution (e.g., strengthening a local advocate network, periodic communications, and informational programming). The future of guaranteed income in Durham is bright, and GiD can hold the light to lead the way.
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    LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE 2022 US BABY FORMULA SHORTAGE
    (2023-04-20) Butler, Antonio
    The baby formula shortage was a challenging experience for everyone in the U.S., yet low-income mothers experienced the worst effects of the baby formula shortage. Through conducting virtual interviews of mothers, I built a theory that uncovered three themes and multiple sub-themes that emerged on how low-income mothers coped with the baby formula shortage. These three themes were: (1) Access to and availability of baby formula during the shortage was difficult. (2) Community support in obtaining baby formula played a prominent role in mother's lives. (3) Social services and the healthcare system, specifically doctors, played a significant role in alleviating the baby formula shortage for mothers. Alongside these interviews, a background analysis of the policy and cultural situations was reviewed to provide context on how a baby formula shortage came to be. The background information provided along with the interviews resulted in the creation of policy implications and recommendations ranging from policymakers changing requirements around WIC to social service officers partnering more with community organizations. These two pieces of information undergird this master's project (MP), which is meant to help guide policymakers and social service officers on how to best support low-income mothers and mothers writ large during their potential baby formula purchasing experience. By learning from their experiences and implementing recommendations that tackle the breadth and depth of the issues that caused the baby formula shortage, we can ensure we are effectively supporting two populations that are extremely important to the current and future success of our communities and the U.S., mothers, and infants.
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    The Political Power of Dance: To Preserve or Not To Preserve?
    (2017-04-16) FariasEisner, Nicolena
    Since the second half of the twentieth century, the performing arts community has struggled with a lack of resources, due to dwindling governmental funding. Recently, the 2008 financial recession proved the worse economic downturn for the arts. What is not well known is that the dance community suffered the most from the bust, for it is the youngest and thus most sensitive to any budget constraints, compared to theaters, symphonies or the opera.1 Moreover, because dance is not easily censored, unlike other forms of media, such as TV or the radio, dance serves as a non-verbal form of communication to express potentially powerful political thoughts. While scholars explored the idea of change in the quality of art expression due to budget constraints in terms of music, operas or theaters, they have yet to explore the topic of aligning funding cuts with the role of dance as a mechanism for conveying political messages. This thesis analyzes the impact that funding constraints due to the 2008 economic recession have had on dance’s role as a tool for expressing political messages for professional dance companies. Combining my observations from interviews and a case study with statistical financial analyses, I explore whether the potential for the political power of dance remains or if these budget cuts compromise dancers’ abilities to express themselves. Findings indicate that even though the capacity of dance as a political tool never ceases, limited funding resources jeopardize the quality of political dance expression. Nonetheless, companies remain dedicated to preserving the role of dance as a catalyst of potentially powerful political thought, by seeking alternative financial or artistic means.
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    The Socioeconomic Influence on Duke Students' Perspectives of Law Enforcement
    (2017-05-12) McMorrow, Maddie
    Past research concludes that race affects people’s perspectives of the police as defined by their perceived fairness, trust, and confidence in law enforcement in which blacks tend to have more negative perceptions of the police than whites. This study surveyed Duke University students to determine whether family income within different racial groups leads to varying opinions about their home state police, Durham police, and Duke police. The population of this study was undergraduate Duke University students. I hypothesized that as family income rises, Duke students will have more positive views of home state, Durham, and Duke police. In addition, I predicted that within the negative opinions of the police, the nature of these negative feelings will vary between white and black Duke students. For example, white students will see the police as an annoying disruption to their daily life whereas black students will see the police as a more significant threat to their safety. Findings confirm that race is the largest predictor when determining one’s perspective of the police. Within racial groups, for black Duke students, as income rises, one’s perspective becomes more positive of the police in all regards of trust, confidence, and perceived fairness. However, income appears to play less of a role in white students’ perspectives of law enforcement. Finally, the survey results showed that as one evaluated more local types of police – from home state, to Durham, to Duke police – one’s perspective became more positive. Thus, the Duke police force had the greatest satisfaction rates for all students, regardless of race. I offer recommendations to law enforcement departments based on my results.
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    What Is The Relationship Between Racial Housing Wealth Disparities and Violence In Cities?
    (2017-09-18) McDade, Zach
    Much empirical literature analyzing crime and violence omits an important theoretical “fundamental cause”: an underlying mechanism that might drive both the analysis’s proposed explanatory factors and outcome phenomena of violence. If violence and its “causes” are both driven by a third factor not addressed in research, there will be no hope of creating policy that fundamentally reduces violence. This paper proposes and quantifies racism in public policy as a fundamental cause both of violence and the many factors that have been proposed to “explain” violence. It then develops an empirical strategy to assess whether racism in policy, conceptualized as race-disparities in housing wealth, is associated with violence in cities. This paper’s dataset and strategy do not produce an observable relationship. But limitations inherent to the analysis point to promising next steps to assessing this question.