Public Policy Interest Research Articles

Assessment of Road Vehicle Accident Approaches—A Review

Given the complexity of the crashes and the increasing interest in public policies related to the reduction in both accidents and fatalities from road crashes, the proposed review of the specialty literature may serve as a starting point for individuals interested in developing studies related to road vehicle accidents, reconstruction methodologies, assessment of vehicles crashworthiness, as well as evaluation of occupants’ behavior in different collision scenarios. Therefore, the present paper aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the specialty literature approaches in terms of road vehicle accidents through an analysis of the reconstruction methods used in the cases of vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-object crashes, as well as ways in which the crashworthiness of road vehicles is assessed by specialized organizations or individual experts. The addressed topics were summarized from a range of European and global strategies in the field of transportation, reports, testing protocols, as well as scientific research papers published in international databases. The main purpose of the present paper is to serve as a foundational resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to contextualize their work within a global framework.

Constraints on Public Policy Design and Formulation: A Case Study on the Conservation of Natural Resources in Local Governments of the Amazonia, Peru

The high rate of depredation of forest resources causes major climatic changes that affect the economic activities and health of populations, plunging them into poverty and social problems. The state is responsible for dealing with these problems, because it has the technical, legal, and economic power to do so. This research aims to identify the factors that limit the design and formulation of public policies for the conservation of natural resources at the level of local district and provincial governments in Peru. For this study, we used qualitative methodology and non-probabilistic sampling, as well as techniques such as unstructured interviews, focus groups, and documentary review; moreover, for data analysis, we applied the theoretical saturation design in grounded theory. The results show that the conservation of natural resources is not positioned as a priority public policy in municipal administrations; furthermore, the organic units of natural resources suffer financial restrictions, and not because of a lack of budget availability, but because of a lack of will and decision-making capacity of authorities and civil servants, as well as a lack of coordination between the different national governments. It concludes that there are conflicts of interest in public policy making, with abuse of power and corruption predominating. Furthermore, the complexity of addressing sustainability criteria and the inability to confront the environmental crisis mean that international summits and national norms are attenuated in the face of the problems of environmental degradation. Deforestation should be considered a major public priority problem because of its environmental, economic, social, and health impacts. These problems require a holistic approach that combines local, national, and international policies and fosters effective and participatory governance.

Sexualita jako riziko? Sexuální výchova v českých kurikulárních dokumentech

Formal sex education and its implementation in education have been increasingly debated in recent years. In the Czech Republic, the area came to the centre of public policy interest in early 2023, when, in response to several sexual harassment cases, former Minister of Education, Mr. Balaš, expressed the need to strengthen sex education in schools. With the ongoing revision of the national Framework Educational Programme and the awareness of the lack of research coverage in this area, we consider it appropriate to look at how sex education is framed in institutional documents in the Czech Republic today. We conduct a qualitative analysis of the Recommendation of the Ministry of Education for the Implementation of Sexuality Education in Primary Schools, selected school education programmes and minimum prevention programmes. We compare these with the principles, rationale and topics articulated in the Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe, which were developed to support the implementation of holistic sexuality education. We point out significant differences in the conceptualisation of the Czech documents, particularly the normative, biologizing and risk-oriented sex education. We see the untold potential for a quality approach to sex education, which takes into account the sexual subjectivity and uniqueness of adolescents’ experience and the interactive nature of sexuality, which the Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe emphasize, in the areas of Education for Citizenship, Ethics Education or in Social and Personal Development.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a neglected tropical disease in Latin America.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a severe and extraordinarily lethal infectious disease, has emerged as a widespread public health crisis among predominantly vulnerable populations in several countries of Latin America, particularly evident in northern Mexico. Historically, RMSF has gained less attention than many other tropical infectious diseases, resulting in insufficient allocations of resources and development of capabilities for its prevention and control in endemic regions. We argue that RMSF fulfills accepted criteria for a neglected tropical disease (NTD). The relative neglect of RMSF in most Latin American countries contributes to disparities in morbidity and mortality witnessed in this region. By recognizing RMSF as an NTD, an increased public policy interest, equitable and more appropriate allocation of resources, scientific interest, and social participation can ameliorate the impact of this potentially treatable disease, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Sourcing public policy: organisation publishing in Wikipedia

ABSTRACT Organisations across multiple sectors are prolific publishers in a range of genres including research reports, policy briefs, fact sheets, datasets and much more. Sometimes referred to as grey literature, these publications play a critical role in the circulation of research and ideas on public policy and public interest issues, yet they are often overlooked as part of the research publishing system, including on Wikipedia and Wikimedia. One of the cornerstones of Wikipedia is its reliance on citations from reliable sources, however little is known about the way in which organisation-produced and disseminated publications are understood and used as sources on Wikimedia platforms. This article reviews the literature and analyses available data on the sources used on English Wikipedia and what it can tell us about the extent to which policy reports from organisations are cited and the issues that arise with evaluating their reliability. We then provide a case study of a project underway by the Analysis & Policy Observatory (APO), a digital library of policy reports based in Australia, which aims to improve the presence of high-quality policy and research material and coverage of policy issues on Wikipedia.

Identifying key factors for successful formulation and implementation of healthcare policies on non-communicable diseases: a multinational analysis.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health concern that accounts for 74% of global deaths each year. The increasing burden of NCDs exhausts public health resources and threatens the achievement of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to thematically analyze the contributory factors in the health policy process and reforms to strengthen the prevention of NCDs across borders, as well as the milestones achieved through the process of policy-making, change, and implementation. This study informs and draws on the findings of contributory factors in the health policy process for preventing NCDs across borders: United States, England, Sweden, Bangladesh, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. Ten experts from the seven countries were recruited purposively for a semi-structured interview (e-Interview) on the NCD policy-making process in their countries, either through health ministries or the authors' network. This descriptive qualitative study design is guided by the "Three I's" framework of public policy (institutions, ideas, and interests). In addition to the information obtained from the interviewee, data were also sourced from relevant documents and homepages suggested by the interviewee, as well as health homepages of the countries. The following themes were generated: (1) environmental policies and social determinants, (2) multistakeholder involvement, (3) interministerial collaboration, (4) independent evidence and review institution, (5) integrated health data, and (6) primary care system. There was a shift from individual-targeted policies to environmental policies and social determinants. Notably, national campaigns were developed through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the primary prevention of NCDs. The shift from behavioral modification and treatment to social determinants is important. NCDs are broad and require a multisector and multilevel approach. Establishing an organization or hierarchical body to overlook NCDs could result in increased awareness, focus, and surveillance and enhance the policy process.

Rehabilitation professionals’ perspectives and experiences with the use of technologies for violence prevention: a qualitative study

BackgroundThere is growing public policy and research interest in the development and use of various technologies for managing violence in healthcare settings to protect the health and well-being of patients and workers. However, little research exists on the impact of technologies on violence prevention, and in particular in the context of rehabilitation settings. Our study addresses this gap by exploring the perceptions and experiences of rehabilitation professionals regarding how technologies are used (or not) for violence prevention, and their perceptions regarding their efficacy and impact.MethodsThis was a descriptive qualitative study with 10 diverse professionals (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreation therapy, nursing) who worked across inpatient and outpatient settings in one rehabilitation hospital. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with all participants. A conventional approach to content analysis was used to identify key themes.ResultsWe found that participants used three types of technologies for violence prevention: an electronic patient flagging system, fixed and portable emergency alarms, and cameras. All of these were perceived by participants as being largely ineffective for violence prevention due to poor design features, malfunction, limited resources, and incompatibility with the culture of care. Our analysis further suggests that professionals’ perception that these technologies would not prevent violence may be linked to their focus on individual patients, with a corresponding lack of attention to structural factors, including the culture of care and the organizational and physical environment.ConclusionsOur findings suggest an urgent need for greater consideration of structural factors in efforts to develop effective interventions for violence prevention in rehabilitation settings, including the design and implementation of new technologies.

The Role of Scientific Language Use and Achievement Level in Student Sensemaking

Many science students struggle with using scientific language and making sense of scientific phenomena. Thus, there is an increased interest in science education research and public policy with regard to understanding and promoting scientific language use and sensemaking in science classrooms. However, there is a lack of comparative studies on how upper-secondary school students of different achievement and language levels use scientific language to make sense of phenomena. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between achievement level, scientific language use, and sensemaking in chemistry for students being set a sensemaking task while constructing concept maps on the topic of chemical equilibrium. The concept maps were collected from five different upper-secondary schools in Sweden from two school systems (Swedish and International Baccalaureate). Using content analysis, these concept maps were examined for scientific language use as well as structuring of sensemaking. A majority of the students had difficulty structuring sensemaking in their concept maps, independently of achievement level. These difficulties included unstructured reasoning, symbolic representations being used as explanations, surface-level learning, and linear reasoning connected to rote learning. There appeared to be a connection between learning context and student individual structuring of sensemaking as expressed in the concept maps. The results also showed a clear relationship between scientific language use and achievement level in the student sample. The results indicate that the structuring of sensemaking and scientific language use are not always connected processes. In conclusion, teachers may need to adopt a teaching practice that includes directed and differentiated support for scientific sensemaking.

Perceived Value of Public Health and Health Policy Information Among Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study.

We used a 39-item instrument to cross-sectionally survey medical students, to assess their perceptions of the value of public health and health policy within their professional education. One hundred two students completed the survey (13% response rate). Most students reported an interest in public health (94.1%) and health policy (92.2%). Although interested, most students lacked confidence in their knowledge of public health and health policy on both state (health policy 34.3% confident; public health 43.1%) and national (health policy 41.0%; public health 44.1%) levels. Most students perceived that their institution has not sufficiently prepared them to understand health policy (34% felt prepared) and most reported insufficient information to participate in policy discussions (30.3% sufficiently informed). Medical students reported an interest in public health and health policy while also reporting a lack of confidence in their level of preparedness to understand and participate in these fields, thus demonstrating a need for increased public health and health policy education within medical school curricula.

Do refugee inflows contribute to the host countries’ entrepreneurial rates? A dynamic panel data analysis, 2000–2019

PurposeThis study aims to estimate the impact of refugee inflows on host countries’ entrepreneurial rates. The refugee crisis led to an increased scientific and public policy interest in the impact of refugee inflows on host countries. One important perspective of such an impact, which is still underexplored, is the impact of refugee inflows on host countries entrepreneurial rates. Given the high number of refugees that flow to some countries, it would be valuable to assess the extent to which such countries are likely to reap the benefits from increasing refugee inflows in terms of (native and non-native) entrepreneurial talent enhancement.Design/methodology/approachResorting to dynamic (two-step system generalized method of moments) panel data estimations, based on 186 countries over the period between 2000 and 2019, this study estimates the impact of refugee inflows on host countries’ entrepreneurial rates, measured by the total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA) rate and the self-employment rate.FindingsIn general, higher refugee inflows are associated with lower host countries’ TEA rates. However, refugee inflows significantly foster self-employment rates of “medium-high” and “high” income host countries and host countries located in Africa. These results suggest that refugee inflows tend to enhance “necessity” related new ventures and/ or new ventures (from native and non-native population) operating in low value-added, low profit sectors.Originality/valueThis study constitutes a novel empirical contribution by providing a macroeconomic, quantitative assessment of the impact of refugee from distinct nationalities on a diverse set of host countries' entrepreneurship rates in the past two decades resorting to dynamic panel data models, which enable to address the heterogeneity of the countries and deal with the endogeneity of the variables of the model.

A discussion of stronger public policies to protect and promote healthy diets: what can the U.S. learn from other countries?

The aim of this paper is to contribute to global discussion on public health policies for protecting and promoting healthy diets, as it is advancing in the U.S. This discussion assesses specific cases of successful policy making from several countries across the world, often against industry resistance. We discuss five key public policies and interventions: i) food labeling; ii) marketing restrictions and healthy school food policies; iii) fiscal policies; iv) models for classifying the (un)healthiness of a product; v) interventions to address food industry influence and conflicts of interest in public health policy. The paper also argues how the U.S can adapt or adopt some of these public policies, while also preparing for the challenges from the ultra-processed food industry that may perceive these advances as threats to its business. We conclude the discussion by postulating that the U.S. is primed to advance several of these initiatives that have already been espoused in law and evaluated to be effective in other countries. The U.S. will have unique challenges, as many of the food industry actors have deep political influence on American politics and markets, although these global lessons can enable the legislative, policy, and civil society ecosystems with additional tools and strategies to progress policy movement toward defending people’s health and wellbeing over industry’s influence and profit.

The effect of disaster insurance on community resilience: a research agenda for local policy

ABSTRACT The risk of climate disasters has spurred increased interest in public policies that help expand the number of households with disaster insurance, particularly for financially vulnerable populations. In recent years, local governments, concerned with their community’s resilience to climate disasters, have started to consider insurance programs as part of their adaptation strategies. However, we do not yet have a robust body of research that shows if, and how, expanded insurance take-up among households affects community-wide recovery after a climate disaster. Filling this disaster insurance research gap will better equip public sector leaders to assess if investments in insurance programs can further community resilience goals and when disaster insurance is an appropriate climate adaptation tool. In this article, we assess the state of empirical evidence through existing frameworks of community recovery and put forward an agenda for future research that is attuned to local policy needs. Key policy insights: There is increasing interest by policymakers in expanding the number of households with disaster insurance to provide financial protection in the face of increasing climate risks, but little evidence exists on how household-level insurance affects community-level resilience outcomes. Expanded research on this topic could support local decision-makers in designing effective and efficient policies to support community recovery from climate extremes. Future research should focus on testing more holistic disaster recovery measures and downscaling global and national research to the local scale. Emerging pilot insurance programs and experimental policies offer novel opportunities to study impacts at the local level.

УЗГОДЖЕННЯ ІНТЕРЕСІВ У ВИРОБЛЕННІ ПУБЛІЧНОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ В УКРАЇНІМЕХАНІЗМОМ КОНСОЛІДАЦІЇ СУСПІЛЬНО-ПОЛІТИЧНИХ ГРУП

Background. The article is devoted to an empirical study and substantiation of the structure and content of consolidation of political groups, the potential of consolidation as a mechanism for reconciling the interests of political groups in public policy making. The purpose of the study was to find out the socio-psychological features of the consolidation of ideological and electoral political groups, to find common ground between them in order to harmonize interests in public policy making. Methods. theoretical, empirical, methods of mathematical and statistical data processing, as well as psychodiagnostic techniques: "Political Values" (G. Eysenck), "Political Values" (A. Seleznev), "Group Identity" (J. Feitos, E. Salas), "Political Identity" (O. Sknar), political identification scales (J. Kruker, R. Lihtanen), "Study of Political Motives" (A. Krasnyakov), "Political Self-Efficacy" (I. Sariev), "Political Self-Efficacy" (I. Sariev), "Political Solidarity" (K. Newfield, D. Goucher, K. Starzuk, in the author's adaptation), "Perceptions of Consolidation and Ways to Achieve It" (S. Kravchenko), and a research questionnaire. Results. The content and structure, patterns and features of political consolidation of socio-political groups are determined. Consolidation is a systemic unity based on the principle of conjunction, the systemic factor of which is the value system of the group. It consists of: value-oriented unity, common socio-political motives and image of Ukraine's needy future, political and group identities, reflective capital (common ideas about: a) consolidation unity, b) mechanisms of its implementation, c) similarities and differences between the ideas of their group members and other groups in political interaction, d) readiness for joint actions, dialogue, development of possible productive solutions), self-efficacy of the political group. Conclusions. The socio-political consolidation functionality of a community sets the scale, direction, and coordinate system of interaction between electoral and ideological groups - from competition, cooperation, and options for productive confrontation to extreme borderline conflict, as various types of wars. The author identifies the universal and specific bases of possible coordination of interests of political groups and their consolidation.

Influence of Government Facilitation on Youth Entrepreneurial Activity in Cherangani Constituency, Trans Nzoia County-Kenya

There has been a lot of emphasis on public policy interest on youth entrepreneurship Kenya since early 2000 to date. The purpose has been to promote youths to job creators and inclusion to the main economic mainstream. This study analyzed the relationship between the youth-target policy’s promotional efforts and MSE start-up rates. The study design was a Cross-sectional Survey, guided by Motivational Theory. Using multi-stage sampling, 175youth entrepreneurs participated in the study. Data was analyzed through inferential methods of correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination. The results revealed there being direct and indirect relationships. For example, the coefficient for the first hypothesis (H01); R2=.2374, p= .025 meant that 24% change in the rate of new start-ups initiated was attributed to promotional efforts, and the coefficient of determination for the second hypothesis (H02); k2= .0766, 95% BCa CI (.0007, .0633) and b= .001, z= .7134, p= .4756); meant that 8% change in the rate of new start-ups initiated was due to the mediation of promotional efforts between the youths’ motives and their rate of starting new MSEs.

“We will take money from anywhere to support our work”: industry funding of humanitarian assistance in crises

Abstract Background Corporate funding has been described to be beneficial for humanitarian assistance in times of shrinking financial resources globally. Despite the growing global research on commercial determinants and their impact on population health, evaluations of corporate partnerships with humanitarian organizations and victims of multiple crises are rare. Conflicts of interest and corporate interference in public health policy and practice are well-documented. Health-harming industries are currently funding large scale projects for refugees in the eastern Mediterranean region which has witnessed humanitarian crises from armed conflicts. For example, food and beverage corporations and tobacco industries have funded projects to integrate migrants in their host countries, and offered educational scholarships to refugee children in Europe and beyond. Methods This research presents the experiences of humanitarian agencies in Lebanon on their funding from corporations, and the perceived influences on the populations served over a two-year period coinciding with a long-lasting refugee crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, an epic economic collapse and the devastation of a large part of Beirut from a cataclysmic explosion in its port. The study used qualitative in-depth interviews with representatives of non-governmental organizations working in Lebanon with Lebanese and refugees. Results Funding from corporations starts with a two-way communication process between the organizations and the corporations, which recently started to be initiated by the corporations themselves after the Beirut blast. Funding from the tobacco, food and beverage industries is reported to come with conditions described to enhance their visibility, yet described as necessary, helps disadvantaged communities and sustains the organizations’ operations. Other results relating to the availability of guidelines for detecting and managing COI from corporate funding are discussed.

We Are Concerned about the Future and We Are Here to Support the Change: Let's Talk and Work Together!

Scarcely explored, intergenerational dialogue may support the re-encounter between generations. Background: Focused on intergenerational sharing and on the identification of differences between generations, the project #GenerationsWithAVoice aims to identify generational inequalities, with the aim of promoting awareness of intergenerational challenges, boosting public debate and interest in public policies. Methods: Twenty focus groups were developed, and an evaluation instrument was applied. Results: (i) Young people believe that they have more knowledge, but less propensity for action, leaving this task to the following generations; (ii) the family and housing emerge as the issues with the greatest number of problems identified, but also as important resources; (iii) government and politics, community and society, and the economy are of less interest and knowledge on the part of this generation; (iv) school seems to be the ideal scenario for the implementation of strategies that lead to change. Conclusions: We highlight the role of this work in the deconstruction of beliefs regarding previous generations, the development of knowledge, and the promotion of cohesion and social support.

Proposed methods for evaluating efforts made by governments to prevent and mitigate corporate influence and conflicts of interest in public health policy.

Background: There is evidence that corporations try to delay, weaken, and avoid the adoption of measures that would protect and improve population health. This is particularly true and problematic for health harming industries, such as those producing ultra-processed foods, alcohol, and cigarettes. Financial conflicts of interest (COI) are also problematic in policy-making because they may compromise decision-makers' loyalty and independent judgment. Public opinion is in favor of preventing and mitigating that influence from corporations and COI on public health policy. A scoping review recently identified twenty-three mechanisms that could be adopted with that purpose and which principally cover: i) transparency and disclosure; ii) identification, monitoring, and education; iii) management; iv) prohibition of interactions with the industry and/or COI. There is, however, limited knowledge on the adoption of such mechanisms by governments. We therefore propose new methods for evaluating that progress at the country level. Methods and expected results: The proposed evaluation comprises five steps: 1) Gathering information about the national context; 2) Gathering evidence on the implementation of mechanisms by national governments; 3) Verification of step 2 by government officials and policy experts and local public health experts; 4) Identification and prioritization of actions in a workshop; 5) Supporting the translation of findings into policy actions. Conclusions: The evaluation of progress made by governments in their implementation of mechanisms for preventing and mitigating the influence of corporations and COI in public health policy could help countries systematize their efforts, benchmark their progress internationally, and give perspective on particular weaknesses, approaches, and investment gaps needed for change. We will implement and validate our methods in Ireland, as a first case-study.

Information pollution in an age of populist politics

The increasing influence of private interests in public policy has been facilitated by a growth in sources of “alternative” information and expertise. In education, teachers and schools are often the targets of these sources. This has been associated with a new political economy where private interests advance reform agendas largely through funding new information sources that ignore long-standing empirical evidence on factors shaping school outcomes in favor of anecdotes and misunderstandings about issues in education. This manuscript argues “information pollution” relative to U.S. politics and policy is presently at crisis levels, and that it is particularly acute relative to education policy. In this policy area, we show how special interests are using (mis)information strategies to purportedly elevate parent voices but are in effect promoting the interests of private actors and de-professionalizing both expertise and educators. We seek to understand this major issue, placing it within a broader sociopolitical context. The concluding discussion considers what might be required to move in a healthier direction that would bring U.S. education policy and practice into closer alignment with evidence and expertise.

Contested Social Impact Bonds: welfare conventions, conflicts and compromises in five European Active-Labor Market Programs

Over the past decade Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) have attracted much public policy and management research interest and debate. This article draws on the Welfare Conventions Approach to explore the diversity of five SIB-financed Active Labor Market Programs in four European countries using comparative case study methods. We identify a tension between the requirement to align civic and financial interests in SIB-financed programs alongside a drive to reform public sector procurement in a more entrepreneurial direction. We suggest that the diversity of SIBs emanates from the political struggles in implementation processes stemming from a plurality of welfare conventions that actors need to align and compromise. SIBs are built within historically grown “institutional contexts” that are themselves on the move over decades of welfare state reform, and processes of marketization – and thus far from homogenous.

Methods for evaluating efforts made by governments to prevent and mitigate corporate influence and conflicts of interest in public health policy

Background: There is evidence that corporations try to delay, weaken, and avoid the adoption of measures that would protect and improve population health. This is particularly true and problematic for health harming industries, such as those producing ultra-processed foods, alcohol, and cigarettes. Financial conflicts of interest (COI) are also problematic in policy-making because they may compromise decision-makers’ loyalty and independent judgment. Public opinion is in favor of preventing and mitigating that influence from corporations and COI on public health policy. A scoping review recently identified twenty-three mechanisms that could be adopted with that purpose and which principally cover: i) transparency and disclosure; ii) identification, monitoring, and education; iii) management; iv) prohibition. There is, however, limited knowledge on the adoption of such mechanisms by governments. We therefore propose new methods for evaluating that progress at the country level. Methods and expected results: The proposed evaluation comprises five steps: 1) Gathering information about the national context; 2) Gathering evidence on the implementation of mechanisms by national governments; 3) Verification of step 2 by government officials and policy experts and local public health experts; 4) Identification and prioritization of actions in a workshop; 5) Supporting the translation of findings into policy actions. Conclusions: The evaluation of progress made by governments in their implementation of mechanisms for preventing and mitigating the influence of corporations and COI in public health policy could help countries systematize their efforts, benchmark their progress internationally, and give perspective on particular weaknesses, approaches, and investment gaps needed for change. We will implement and validate our methods in Ireland, as a first case-study.