United States Federal Government Research Articles

The evolution of sustainability accounting and reporting in the United States: applications of the ecological anthropology and industrial ecology frameworks

PurposeThe primary objective of this research is to chronicle how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other United States Federal Government Agencies (USFGA) agencies have played a role in shaping the trajectory of financial reporting for sustainability, with a particular emphasis on triple bottom line (TBL). This exploration extends to other indexes reporting sustainability data encompassed within financial, social and environmental reporting.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts an illustrative methodology, utilizing data sourced from governmental, business and international organizational documents.FindingsSustainability accounting predominantly finds its place within the framework of TBL. However, it is crucial to note that sustainability reporting remains voluntary rather than mandatory. Nevertheless, accounting firms and professional accounting societies have embraced it as a supplementary facet of financial accounting reporting.Originality/valueThe research highlights the historical evolution of sustainability within the USFGA and corporate entities. Corporations’ interest in accounting for sustainability performances has significantly contributed to the emergence of voluntary sustainability accounting rules, as embodied by the TBL.

Telework and Work Flexibility in the United States Federal Government Post-Pandemic

A decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States (US) federal government was working to create flexible work environments for employees under the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act. Given this reality and the growing desire for greater flexibility of workers inspired by the “Great Resignation” during the pandemic, the US federal government appears to have recovered lost employees faster than other levels of the public sector. Still, given that federal workers skew older with less than a tenth of the workforce being under age 30 years and nearly a third reaching retirement age, a true crisis still looms in our administrative state. Using the 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Data, we analyze what factors predict turnover intention post-pandemic, focusing the analysis on teleworking and other workplace flexibility policies. We use the findings to make recommendations to help increase employee recruitment and retention within the US federal government.

A higher education approach to active shooter incidents: Evidence from 40 United States university campuses.

In a post-9/11 environment with an increased United States (US) federal government emphasis on active shooter preparedness, this study seeks to understand how higher educational institutions have adapted to this changing policy environment. Furthermore, between 2000 and 2017, there were 15 active shooter incidents at US higher education institutions. This study provides data on how public and private higher education campuses are preparing for this increased active shooter threat. Interviews were conducted with higher education employees familiar with campus security policies from 40 higher education institutions across 18 states in the US. These colleges/universities also represented a range of institution type: community colleges (5), public institutions (9), and private institutions (26). Interviews were conducted with 18 Chief/Director of Campus Safety/Security, 14 members of campus police or security, seven Chiefs of Police, and one staff member familiar with campus security policies.

Mobilizing for the Mind: Veteran Activism and the National Mental Health Act of 1946

AbstractWithin a year of World War II’s end, the United States federal government passed the National Mental Health Act of 1946. This bill was the country’s first significant foray into the realm of psychological health. Many studies have examined the act and its legacy, including the creation of the National Institute of Mental Health. Fewer studies, however, have investigated the significant roles of veterans and veterans’ organizations in the passage of this legislation. This essay delves into these various roles and argues that veterans, from various professional backgrounds, united by creating strategic arguments to lobby for this act. Their motivations ranged from the desire to destigmatize mental health issues to discovering methods for the prevention and treatment of psychiatric problems among American society. Ultimately, these veterans helped the nation revolutionize its approach to mental health policy and paved the way for future servicemembers to take a stand and become political actors.

Willow Project Socialization As An Introduction To Petroleum Engineering At Yos Sudarso Metro High School

The Willow Project is located on Alaska's north slope, within the National Petroleum Reserve, which is held by the United States federal government. Based on the topics being discussed, a strong desire was developed, particularly among Yos Sudarso Metro High School students, to learn about the causes for oil drilling, as well as the impacts and benefits of drilling from diverse perspectives. Concerning the community service that according to Willow Project theme, the lecturers as the facilitators of this community service assisted students who wanted to find a solution to the Willow Project issue, where they hoped that there would be several points regarding the impact and benefits of academia in the energy sector, particularly petroleum engineering. As a result of socialization regarding the Willow Project drilling, impacts and benefits have been imparted in the Community Service activities, which are separated into environmental impacts, climate impacts, and social impacts. Following an overview of the impact of the Willow Project drilling, the benefits of the drilling are explained, including job creation and economic benefits, energy independence, and tax revenue. The crux of the impacts and benefits given is that it is still envisaged that fossil energy would be used to increase jobs in the nearby community and globally. Aside from that, it is desired that the development of renewable energy, the reduction of drilling in conservation areas, and the preservation of environmental integrity would continue.

A Post-COVID Inflection Point and Call to Action: Theorizing a Legal Right to Youth Sport, Play, and Physical Activity in the United States

Literature links sport, play, and similar leisure endeavors to numerous physical, psychological, and social benefits critical to a young person’s development. Unlike other nations, the United States lacks a national policy to fund structures supporting youth sport, play, and the like. Instead, a for-profit youth sport industry oversees this sector using a pay-to-play model, creating significant financial and access barriers. The COVID-19 pandemic created an inflection point and call for action to meaningfully reform youth sport. Advocates often claim, without providing legal justification, that access to sport and play is a constitutional right. Therefore, the purpose of this commentary is to move beyond aspiration or hypothetical rhetoric and investigate whether a persuasive legal argument exists that places a constitutional legal responsibility upon the United States federal government to create structures, allocate funding, and provide universal access to free sport, recreation, and play opportunities for youth. While review and analysis of relevant case law found that no constitutional right likely existed under United States law, this process confirmed that that such claims will have little chance of success under current precedent. Therefore, given the improbability of substantive voluntary reforms in the private sector, a deeper exploration of innovative legal theories is required to achieve the necessary structural change.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and Equal Access to Public Spaces.

Since the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the United States federal government, states, and localities have passed laws and created policies intended to ensure that people with disabilities had full and equal access to public spaces. Nevertheless, more than three decades after the ADA, people with disabilities continue to face architectural and other barriers to community inclusion and participation. This article describes laws, policies, and initiatives that are implemented in the United States at the federal, state, and local levels to address these barriers, examines their effectiveness, and describes the views of advocates working in furtherance of the rights of people with disabilities and the inclusiveness of public spaces. We conclude by providing brief recommendations for ways federal, state, and local governments may ensure people with disabilities have full and equal access to public spaces.

Identifying leadership practices to support the uptake of reusable elastomeric half mask respirators in health delivery settings.

An increase in reusable elastomeric half mask respirators among healthcare personnel has been documented during pandemic emergencies; however, research has not detailed leadership practices to support their use. Forty-three organizations implemented EHMRs received from the United States federal government which prompted interviews with 73 individuals who managed respirator distribution and fit testing between October 2021 and November 2022. Interview data was qualitatively analyzed. Themes around organizational culture and leadership practices emerged when discussing how elastomeric half mask respirators were integrated into health delivery settings including communication and outreach methods to aid worker support. Example included on-line and hands-on training, peer support, leadership support, and a culture that supports respirator use. To support a shift to reusable respiratory protection being procured and implemented, organizational- and individual-level perspectives are needed. Employee engagement, respirator champions, and updated verbal and written communication mechanisms are important takeaways for leaders to consider during any routine or emergency scenario.

Ophthalmic implications of biological threat agents according to the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives framework.

As technology continues to evolve, the possibility for a wide range of dangers to people, organizations, and countries escalate globally. The United States federal government classifies types of threats with the capability of inflicting mass casualties and societal disruption as Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Energetics/Explosives (CBRNE). Such incidents encompass accidental and intentional events ranging from weapons of mass destruction and bioterrorism to fires or spills involving hazardous or radiologic material. All of these have the capacity to inflict death or severe physical, neurological, and/or sensorial disabilities if injuries are not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Ophthalmic injury can provide important insight into understanding and treating patients impacted by CBRNE agents; however, improper ophthalmic management can result in suboptimal patient outcomes. This review specifically addresses the biological agents the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deems to have the greatest capacity for bioterrorism. CBRNE biological agents, encompassing pathogens and organic toxins, are further subdivided into categories A, B, and C according to their national security threat level. In our compendium of these biological agents, we address their respective CDC category, systemic and ophthalmic manifestations, route of transmission and personal protective equipment considerations as well as pertinent vaccination and treatment guidelines.

Does history really repeat itself? An empirical investigation of recurring misconduct violations in public procurement

Public procurement of goods and services accounts for a significant portion of government budgets. Among contracts awarded annually by the United States federal government, a disproportionate amount of total spend is given to a relatively small number of contractor firms, many of whom have committed government contract misconduct in the past. We leverage insights from the contracting literature and organizational learning theory to understand the relationship between past contract misconduct and the likelihood of a subsequent contract misconduct violation, along with contextual factors that could influence this relationship. Using composite misconduct data captured from a longitudinal dataset of United States Department of Justice (DOJ) public procurement, a probit regression analysis reveals that firms with a history of government contract misconduct violations are increasingly likely to commit a subsequent violation, yet this relationship is not linear. Further empirical analysis reveals characteristics of contracting firms and purchasing relationships which moderate this phenomenon. Our findings contribute to the literature by providing empirical support regarding the relationship between past and future contract misconduct violations within public procurement relationships. We also offer several implications to practitioners and policymakers to support the identification and management of repeat contract misconduct violators.

Risk Assessment Framework for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Development in the United States as an Ancillary Service

Promoting the accelerated adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States (US) is one of the main strategies for reducing risk related to climate change. However, the lack of public charging stations (EVCSs) in the US has been identified as a grave obstacle to EV market penetration. The US Federal Government is providing extensive financial incentives to promote EVCSs. This allows diverse businesses to offer EV charging as an ancillary service, without the risks associated with traditional fuel facilities. Locations offering these novel services will reduce their financial operational risks, increase customer traffic and receive additional revenue. However, selecting unsuitable equipment for particular business segments and locations creates a severe risk of underuse and disrepair, leading to the potential failure of these new projects. Furthermore, these unsuccessful EVCSs exacerbate consumer reluctance to EV adoption and foster social opposition to this new technology. This study provides stakeholders with a framework for the optimal placement of EVCSs to maximize their successful deployment and incentivize continuous growth in the EV market. It identifies risk factors related to the placement and operation of EVCSs, aiding in optimal equipment selection for each location. Results from this study highlight EVCS location trends based on location and type of business, with the potential for some retrofitting projects. This framework provides relevant geospatial results for business owners, policy makers, consumers and other stakeholders in the adequacy of new charging infrastructure.

The Autonomy Gap: Response to Citro et al. and the statistical community

While the threat of biased AI has received considerable attention, another invisible threat to data democracy exists that has not received scientific or media attention. This threat is the lack of autonomy for the 13 principal United States federal statistical agencies. These agencies collect data that informs the United States federal government’s critical decisions, such as allocating resources and providing essential services. The lack of agency-specific statutory autonomy protections leaves the agencies vulnerable to political influence, which could have lasting ramifications without the public’s knowledge. Citro et al. evaluate the professional autonomy of the 13 federal statistical agencies and found that they lacked sufficient autonomy due to the absence of statutory protections (among other things). They provided three recommendations to enhance the strength of the federal statistical agency’s leadership and its autonomy to address each measure of autonomy for all 13 principal federal statistical agencies. Implementing these recommendations is an initial and crucial step toward preventing future erosion of the federal statistical system. Further, statisticians must take an active role in initiating and engaging in open dialogues with various scientific fields to protect and promote the vital work of federal statistical agencies.

Evaluating building decarbonization potential in U.S. cities under emissions based building performance standards and load flexibility requirements

In an effort to decarbonize the built environment, municipalities across the United States are joining the National Building Performance Standard Coalition. The National Building Performance Standard Coalition is an effort by the United States federal government to encourage cities to design and implement effective and equitable building performance standards. A building performance standard is an energy policy that requires buildings to meet energy use or greenhouse gas emissions targets in effort to reduce the carbon intensity of buildings. In this paper, we examine the impact of implementing various building performance standards for commercial buildings in 15 cities and one county in the United States from 2024 to 2050. We first estimate the emission reductions associated from a null case (no building performance standard). Next, we implement two building performance standards: (1) an annual greenhouse gas emissions target and (2) a peak grid load flexibility requirement. Lastly, we combine the two to assess the potential impact of an integrated energy and demand building performance standard. We find that individually a load flexibility building performance standard does not contribute to significant emissions reductions but when paired with a greenhouse gas building performance standard it leads to a combined 89% reduction (a cumulative savings of 189 MMtCO2e) across commercial buildings in the 15 cities and one county analyzed. This potential reduction represents a massive decarbonization scenario that far exceeds a 2050 80% decarbonization target and points to feasible policy pathways for meeting climate and sustainability goals.

Examining U.S. school shootings as state crimes of omission

ABSTRACT The argument presented in this paper is that the failure of the United States federal government to enact adequate gun control laws that would help prevent school shootings is a state crime by omission. Drawing on international law, as critical criminologists have recommended since the 1970s, the paper shows that the federal government is failing to act when it has a duty to protect schoolchildren. The paper concludes with recommendations for federal gun control.

The US DOD budget: Can it be predicted?

The Department of Defense (DOD) is part of the United States Federal Government which oversees the U.S. Military. This Department is one of the largest and most complex organizations in the world. The DOD mission is to protect and defend the United States (US) and provide national security. To achieve this, the DOD requires a major portion of the federal budget. Each year, the DOD portion is based on a variety of political and economic factors. The results of this study are noteworthy. A regression model was derived that explained 82.14% of the variation in the target ratio of the federal budget with a significance level of 0.05. Four variables were identified and listed in order of greatest impact, as determined, by their standardized coefficients. These variables may have a significant relationship with DOD's budget. The four variables are: (a) House Majority Political Party, (b) Doomsday Clock Value, (c) US President's Political Party Affiliation, and (d) US Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate. If corporations and other agencies that deal with the DOD were to be able to accurately predict year-by-year DOD budget levels, this would give them a unique, competitive advantage. The strong presence of political factors in the results may be a key indicator for DOD businesses to consider in ensuring the balance of an appropriate level of politically motivated drivers within their corporate strategy models. Further recommendations focused primarily on the factors and, ultimately, the variables that should be selected for future studies. Variables need to be selected to allow for a greater number of observations to increase the likelihood of producing accurate study results.

Estimating the undetected emergence of COVID-19 in the US.

As SARS-CoV-2 emerged as a global threat in early 2020, China enacted rapid and strict lockdown orders to prevent introductions and suppress transmission. In contrast, the United States federal government did not enact national orders. State and local authorities were left to make rapid decisions based on limited case data and scientific information to protect their communities. To support local decision making in early 2020, we developed a model for estimating the probability of an undetected COVID-19 epidemic (epidemic risk) in each US county based on the epidemiological characteristics of the virus and the number of confirmed and suspected cases. As a retrospective analysis we included county-specific reproduction numbers and found that counties with only a single reported case by March 16, 2020 had a mean epidemic risk of 71% (95% CI: 52-83%), implying COVID-19 was already spreading widely by the first detected case. By that date, 15% of US counties covering 63% of the population had reported at least one case and had epidemic risk greater than 50%. We find that a 10% increase in model estimated epidemic risk for March 16 yields a 0.53 (95% CI: 0.49-0.58) increase in the log odds that the county reported at least two additional cases in the following week. The original epidemic risk estimates made on March 16, 2020 that assumed all counties had an effective reproduction number of 3.0 are highly correlated with our retrospective estimates (r = 0.99; p<0.001) but are less predictive of subsequent case increases (AIC difference of 93.3 and 100% weight in favor of the retrospective risk estimates). Given the low rates of testing and reporting early in the pandemic, taking action upon the detection of just one or a few cases may be prudent.

Patient Accessibility to Eye Care in the United States

The United States (US) federal government uses health provider shortage areas (HPSAs) to define patient accessibility to primary care physicians. It is unclear whether HPSAs can be applied to eye care providers (ECPs). Our study determined the applicability of federal HPSA designations to ECP availability in the US. Cross-sectional study. US general population and ophthalmologists/optometrists in the Medicare database. The primary care HPSA score, visual impairment prevalence, and ECP location were determined for each census tract or county using data from the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Association of HPSA with vision loss and ECP density was examined. The 2-step floating catchment area approach was used to newly define eye care shortage areas (patient accessibility score [PAS], higher being worse accessibility) for every county in the US, by weighting the 2-step FCA scores by prevalence of vision loss and ECP density. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic variables associated with areas of ECP shortage. Among 72 735 census tracts included, statistically significant but weak correlations of HPSA scorewith visual impairment (VI) (r= 0.38; P < 0.0001) and ECP density per county population (r= -0.18; P < 0.0001) werefound. Only 54.0% of census tracts with < 25th percentile ECP density per county were HPSAs (P < 0.0001). Of census tracts > than 75th percentile for VI only 58.0% were HPSAs (P < 0.0001). Multivariable regression found a higher odds of ECP PAS ≥ 75th percentile (worseaccessibility) in rural counties (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.93-3.67; P< 0.001) and counties with a greater prevalence of residents with less than a high school education (aOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.19-1.25; P < 0.001), residents ≥ 65 years of age (aOR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.07-1.13; P < 0.001), and uninsured residents (aOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06; P < 0.001). Counties with a greater proportion of men (aOR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89-0.967; P < 0.001) or White residents (aOR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-0.99) had a lower odds of ECP PAS ≥ 75th percentile. Current HPSAs only weakly correlate with ECP supply. We propose a new approach to identify counties with high need but limited access to eye care. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Resiliency of a US Pacific Island Territory with a Type 1 EMT

Background/Introduction:The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 14 Pacific islands with a population of around 50,000 and a United States territory, experienced two major typhoons exceeding 150 mph/240 kmph in three years. The resiliency of the people of the CNMI is evident, and has been supplemented through support from international Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs). As a US territory, support is available from the United States federal government and international partners, but an island territory far from the US mainland, the CNMI requires strong local emergency response capacity.Objectives:To describe:How the CNMI health system conducted an environmental scan to identify and address gaps in out-patient support in disasters;How the health system improved and expanded its capacity to respond to emergencies with a significant impact on the community’s health; andHow leveraging the integration of clinical and public health capacities contributed to the development of a multidisciplinary local Type 1 EMT in the CNMI.Method/Description:The CNMI brought together key local agencies involved in emergency response. Because of multiple recent disaster response efforts, agencies had deep knowledge and experience, and gaps were easily identified.Results/Outcomes:The territory’s experience with international EMTs guided the creation of a local EMT in the CNMI, engaging local agencies, physicians, nurses, and public health and preparedness staff from the territory’s health system to establish an EMT for local and potentially for regional response.Conclusion:Building local capacity using multi-sectoral agencies and multi-disciplinary individuals improves health system resiliency in health emergency response.

Cannabis entrepreneurship: A guide to core concepts, resources, and research strategies

The cannabis industry is a complex set of industries involving consumer, medical, and industrial products and services. NAICS classification and government data usually provide limited value to North American researchers supporting cannabis entrepreneurship, particularly since the United States federal government (unlike that of Canada) does not yet recognize the legalization of cannabis. Social equity continues to be one motivation for cannabis entrepreneurship, given this historic targeting of U.S. and Canadian people of color for cannabis-­related criminal offenses. Nonprofits and provincial, state, and local governments are now providing support for people of color working in this industry. In addition to government data, proprietary databases, trade associations, consulting firms, and boutique data and analytics firms provide data and analysis to research the cannabis industry and support its entrepreneurs.

Grand Unified (Separation of Powers) Theory: Examining the United States Marshals

This Article examines a novel separation of powers issue that the Supreme Court has never directly addressed: the existence and practices of the United States Marshals. The United States Marshals serve an executive branch function—law enforcement—yet are often directly overseen and commanded by the judicial branch. In the United States federal government system—in which the executive and judicial branches are designed to act independently—the control the federal courts exercise over the marshals raises separation of powers concerns. Since no court has decided what test should apply when federal courts vicariously exercise executive power, this Article applies several separation of powers tests to the organizational command structure of the marshals. These tests derive from unitary executive theory, the nondelegation doctrine, and the non-Article III adjudication doctrine. Each of these doctrinal areas involve circumstances where one branch exercises the power of another. By applying the various Court-created tests, this Article reveals the common features and parallel results of the various tests and discusses the broader implications of those similarities. Despite the different names the Court uses, each test fundamentally comes down to balancing convenience of governance against the danger of aggrandizing one of the three branches. It behooves the Court to consolidate the numerous tests and create a unified separation of powers doctrine.