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e-book
This book is a broad introduction to Australian politics and public policy. This field of study is important for Australians to understand the exercise of political power, their history and the scope for change. It is also important for analysts outside Australia looking for comparative cases. Within this volume are diverse topics and perspectives, demonstrating that the study of Australian politics and policy is not ‘fixed’. Rather, it is a contested field of academic scholarship. Indeed, the volume’s editors do not all agree on the content of this introduction!
- Subjects:
- Area Studies
- Keywords:
- Politics government Australia Textbooks
- Resource Type:
- e-book
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e-book
Government agencies frequently contract with nonprofit or for-profit organizations to provide services to improve the well-being of their clients―for example, by reducing recidivism, homelessness, or drug use. Governments have traditionally paid service providers on the basis of the number of clients they treat. The past decade has seen a number of Pay for Success (PFS) or results-based finance (RBF) programs, in which service providers are paid for their outcomes or results. For example, whereas a government agency contracting with a service provider to reduce recidivism among young men released from prison would traditionally have paid the service provider for the hours spent counseling a client, a PFS contract pays the organization for success in reducing the clients’ rate of recidivism from some baseline. This handbook is written for government officials considering the adoption of Pay For Success (PFS) programs and for students in public policy and business schools interested in studying outcomes-oriented government contracts for services. Part One introduces concepts necessary to develop and operate a service delivery program and then surveys some of the issues specific to PFS. Part Two presents two detailed case studies and a number of shorter descriptions of PFS programs. Part Three focuses on the components of PFS programs; it also discusses barriers to their development and ways of overcoming them. An editable file (docx) is also available.
- Subjects:
- Sociology
- Keywords:
- United States Public welfare -- Finance Federal aid to public welfare Textbooks
- Resource Type:
- e-book
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e-book
This book, revised as the Second Edition June 2017, is designed to teach contract doctrine beginning with the most fundamental concepts and building on these until the structure of contract doctrine as coherent and cohesive regulation appears. The order of presentation is, in fact, the order in which contract doctrine developed historically, but it is also, in general, the order in which arguments are introduced in litigation. The book begins with the most basic, core concept of contract law—exchange. The book teaches exchange using simple cases drawn from the actual development of the exchange concept's most obvious manifestation—the doctrine of consideration. These cases have basic but engaging facts. They do not take long to read, but they must be read carefully. They make an excellent introduction to law study. Logically, every doctrine of contract formation is centered on whether and when a fair exchange occurred. In litigation, the plaintiff alleges a promise and consideration—an exchange (a plausible one, and therefore fair enough at that point). Defenses to formation are a response to the allegation that a fair exchange occurred. Allegations of both promise and consideration show that the defendant assented. As between assent and exchange, exchange is the more fundamental concept, but because the law talks so often about assent, assent is covered at length afterward so that the function of the assent doctrines is apparent. Other doctrines, such as remedies (just an introduction in this first volume), waiver, seals, the Statute of Frauds, definiteness, and general public policy limitations are placed where students can best grasp their import in the context of the other doctrines. Along the way, most of the doctrines in the book are repeated in the cases, questions, or in class discussion. This repetition cements understanding, builds trust, and also allows students to see how the doctrines mesh together to regulate coherently.
- Subjects:
- Law and Legislation
- Keywords:
- Contracts Textbooks
- Resource Type:
- e-book
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e-book
The purpose of this casebook is to train law students to think and act like probate attorneys. This book is meant to be used in conjunction with the author's book on the law of trusts. This book's focus is problem-solving and legal application; the book includes numerous problems, so law students can learn to apply the law they learn from reading the cases. It also contains collaborative learning exercises to encourage students to engage in group problem-solving. The book is divided into three parts to reflect the main types of issues that students will encounter if they practice probate law. The book's organization mirrors the manner in which probate law is practiced in the real world. The book starts with an examination of the intestacy system because the majority of people die without executing a will. Therefore, most of the legal issues a probate lawyer faces center around the intestacy system. Unlike the typical wills casebook, this book provides a detailed discussion of the intestacy system. A chapter on ethics is included because probate attorneys encounter ethical issues that are different from attorneys practicing in other areas of law. The second part of the book includes an exploration of the testacy system. It is arranged so professors can lead students from the client interview to the will execution. The first three chapters of this section deal with issues that directly impact the existence of the inheritance system. It analyzes a person's ability to control the disposition of his or her property after death. This serves as the students' first introduction to the power of the “dead hand”. These chapters are included to start a public policy discussion about the rights of the dead, the right of heirs, and the necessity of an inheritance system. I tell my students that, when executing a will, they must think of the ways that it can be contested. In addition, I tell them that a will can be contested on two fronts-an attack on the testator and an attack on the will. Two chapters in this part highlight the ways that the testator's ability to execute a valid will may questioned. The final chapters in this unit show the issues that can be raised to dispute the validity of the will. They also explain the different types of wills that are available. The final part of the book deals with non-probate transfers. These chapters are included to show students the other devises that people can use to distribute their property. That knowledge is important because the majority of people use these procedures to transfer their property. At the end of the semester, my students have to draft a will based upon a fact pattern that I give them. I intentionally include non-probate property in order to see if they will attempt to distribute that using the will.
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e-book
The focus of this book is on using quantitative research methods to test hypotheses and build theory in political science, public policy and public administration. It is designed for advanced undergraduate courses, or introductory and intermediate graduate-level courses. The first part of the book introduces the scientific method, then covers research design, measurement, descriptive statistics, probability, inference, and basic measures of association. The second part of the book covers bivariate and multiple linear regression using the ordinary least squares, the calculus and matrix algebra that are necessary for understanding bivariate and multiple linear regression, the assumptions that underlie these methods, and then provides a short introduction to generalized linear models.The book fully embraces the open access and open source philosophies. The book is freely available in the SHAREOK repository; it is written in R Markdown files that are available in a public GitHub repository; it uses and teaches R and RStudio for data analysis, visualization and data management; and it uses publically available survey data (from the Meso-Scale Integrated Socio-geographic Network) to illustrate important concepts and methods. We encourage students to download the data, replicate the examples, and explore further! We also encourage instructors to download the R Markdown files and modify the text for use in different courses.
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e-book
Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a realistic but motivating look at the many issues that are facing our society today. As this book's subtitle, Continuity and Change, implies, social problems are persistent, but they have also improved in the past and can be improved in the present and future, provided that our nation has the wisdom and will to address them. It is easy for students to read a social problems textbook and come away feeling frustrated by the enormity of the many social problems facing us today. Social Problems: Continuity and Change certainly does not minimize the persistence of social problems, but neither does it overlook the possibilities for change offered by social research and by the activities of everyday citizens working to make a difference. Readers the book will find many examples of how social problems have been improved and of strategies that hold great potential for solving them today and in the future. You will find several pedagogical features help to convey the “continuity and change” theme of this text and the service sociology vision in which it is grounded: Each chapter begins with a “Social Problems in the News” story related to the social problem discussed in that chapter. These stories provide an interesting starting point for the chapter's discussion and show its relevance for real-life issues. Three types of boxes in each chapter provide examples of how social problems have been changed and can be changed. In no particular order, A first box, “Applying Social Research,” discusses how the findings from sociological and other social science research have either contributed to public policy related to the chapter's social problem or have the potential of doing so. A second box, “Lessons from Other Nations,” discusses how another nation or nations have successfully addressed the social problem of that chapter. A third box, “People Making a Difference,” discusses efforts by individuals, non-profit organizations or social change groups, or social movements relating to the chapter's social problem. Students will see many examples in this box of how ordinary people can indeed make a difference. A fourth box in each chapter, “Children and Our Future,” examines how the social problem discussed in that chapter particularly affects children, and it outlines the problem's repercussions for their lives as adolescents and adults. This box reinforces for students the impact of social problems on children and the importance of addressing these problems for their well-being as well as for the nation's well-being.Each chapter ends with a “Using What You Know” feature that presents students with a scenario involving the social problem from the chapter and that puts them in a decision-making role. This feature helps connect the chapter's theoretical discussion with potential real-life situations. Each chapter also ends with a “What You Can Do” feature that suggests several activities, strategies, or other efforts that students might undertake to learn more about and/or to address the social problem examined in the chapter. Like other aspects of the book, this feature helps counter “doom and gloom” feelings that little can be done about social problems. Other pedagogical features in each chapter include Learning Objectives at the beginning of a major section that highlight key topics to be learned; Key Takeaways at the end of a major section that highlight important points that were discussed in the section; For Your Review questions, also at the end of a major section, that have students think critically about that section's discussion; and a Summary that reviews the major points made in the chapter. The founders of American sociology a century or more ago in cities like Atlanta and Chicago wanted to reduce social inequality, to improve the lives of people of color, and more generally to find solutions to the most vexing social problems of their times. A former president of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, A. Javier Treviño, has used the term service sociology to characterize their vision of their new discipline. Social Problems: Continuity and Change is grounded in this vision by offering a sociological understanding of today's social problems and of possible solutions to these problems.
- Subjects:
- Sociology
- Keywords:
- Social change Social problems Textbooks
- Resource Type:
- e-book
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e-book
The Second Edition of Economics of Food and Agricultural Markets (2019) is written for applied intermediate microeconomics courses. The book showcases the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, agribusiness, international trade, labor markets, and natural resource sectors. The field of agricultural economics is relevant, important and interesting. The study of market structures, also called industrial organization, provides powerful, timely, and useful tools for any individual or group making personal choices, business decisions, or public policies in food and agricultural industries. Readers will benefit from a large number of real-world examples and applications of the economic concepts under discussion. The book introduces economic principles in a succinct and reader-friendly format, providing students and instructors with a clear, up-to-date, and straightforward approach to learning how a market-based economy functions, and how to use simple economic principles for improved decision making. The principles are applied to timely, interesting, and important real-world issues through words, graphs, and simple algebra and calculus. This book is intended for students who study agricultural economics, microeconomics, rural development and/or environmental policy. The goal of the book is to encourage students to learn to “think like an economist” through application of benefits and costs to every decision, idea, and strategic decision. This objective is accomplished by including extended examples that cover a broad range of topics including the analysis of consumer decisions, supply and demand, and market efficiency; the design of pricing strategies; advertising and marketing decisions; and public policy analysis. Contents The book begins with a review and introduction of economic principles, including markets, scarcity, and the scientific method. Supply and demand are examined carefully and completely, with numerous real-world examples. The power of the market model is employed to explain and predict economic phenomena and current events. Elasticities are defined, explained, and put to use in decision making for all individuals, businesses, and policy makers. Next, the motivation for and consequences of globalization, immigration, and international trade are explored. Government policies are surveyed, including taxes, subsidies, trade policies, and immigration policies. Monopoly and monopsony are presented, using numerous real-world examples and anecdotes. Pricing strategies are comprehensively discussed, including price discrimination, peak-load pricing, two-part pricing, bundling, and advertising. Monopolistic competition and oligopoly are defined, explained, and used to understand real-world markets. Game theory, or strategic decision making, is introduced and used to demonstrate how to make better decisions in numerous situations when other individuals and groups are affected by a choice or strategy. Repeated games, sequential games, and first-mover advantage are carefully presented and considered.
- Subjects:
- Economics
- Keywords:
- Food industry trade Food industry trade -- Management Agriculture -- Economic aspects Textbooks
- Resource Type:
- e-book
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e-book
The issue of sustainability and specifically sustainable business is of increasing interest and importance to students of business and also students in the sciences, government, public policy, planning and other fields. There can be significant benefits from students learning about sustainable business from the rich experiences of business practice. The Sustainable Business Case Book by Gittell, Magnusson and Merenda is one of the first of its kind. It combines the the theory of sustainability with key concepts, analytical information and contextual information with a collection of cases which provide insights, perspective and practical guidance on how sustainable businesses operate from different business functional area perspectives. The Sustainable Business Case Book can be used as a stand-alone text or as a supplemental textbook for undergraduate courses that have an interest in sustainable business. While the book's primary focus is on the relationship between business and sustainability, the book can also be used in courses offered in fields other than business, including environmental and earth systems sciences, environmental studies, urban planning, economics and public policy. The first part of The Sustainable Business Case Book, Chapter 1 through Chapter 3, introduces students to the meaning of sustainability, and the practice of sustainable business. The introductory chapters also describe key concepts, analytical frameworks, and contextual information relevant for the understanding of business sustainability. Chapter 1, defines sustainability and describes how and why businesses choose to engage in sustainable practices and how sustainable business practices relate to corporate profitability and social responsibility. Chapters 2 and 3 provide important background and contextual information affecting sustainable business practice. Chapter 2, The Science of Sustainability, reviews scientific evidence about climate change and the human and business influences on climate change. Chapter 3, Sustainability, Public Policy and Business, describes the significant role of government and public policy in sustainability, including setting the rules, regulations and laws that define the market and market opportunities for sustainable business practice. After presenting a framework for understanding business engagement in sustainability and helping your students develop a core background of information on sustainable business seven case studies across the business disciplines illustrating business sustainability practices are presented. At the beginning of each case study chapter Learning Objectives are listed with major sustainable business points and principles that the case will illustrate and illuminate. Each case chapter includes listing of Key Takeaways, Key Terms and Exercises for students. In each case chapter, there are four main areas of focus: Context and motivating interest in sustainability for company; Description of the sustainable business practice and how it was implemented; Results in terms of changes in sales/revenues, costs, profits and competitive positioning from the sustainable business practice; Challenges and opportunities, and future considerations as a result of the company implementing the sustainable business practice.
- Subjects:
- Management
- Keywords:
- Business -- Environmental aspects Sustainable development Textbooks
- Resource Type:
- e-book
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Courseware
This course explores perspectives in the policy process - agenda setting, problem definition, framing the terms of debate, formulation and analysis of options, implementation and evaluation of policy outcomes using frameworks including economics and markets, law, and business and management. Methods include cost/benefit analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and system dynamics. Exercises include developing skills to work on the interface between technology and societal issues; simulation exercises; case studies; and group projects that illustrate issues involving multiple stakeholders with different value structures, high levels of uncertainty, multiple levels of complexity; and value trade-offs that are characteristic of engineering systems. Emphasis on negotiation, team building and group dynamics, and management of multiple actors and leadership.
- Subjects:
- Management
- Keywords:
- Policy sciences -- Economic aspects Political planning -- Economic aspects
- Resource Type:
- Courseware
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Courseware
This course provides an introduction to public policy analysis. It is designed for students who may be planning a career in public or non-profit sectors. The primary goal is to help students understand the implications of public policy for different pursuits. The class examines various approaches to policy analysis by considering the concepts, tools, and methods used in economics, political science, and other disciplines. Students apply and critique these approaches through case studies of current public policy problems.
- Subjects:
- Sociology
- Keywords:
- Political planning Policy sciences
- Resource Type:
- Courseware