Dissertations / Theses: 'Political decision making'

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Zellentin, Alexa Birgit. "Neutrality in political decision making." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2009. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d9e8cb98-6ca2-4184-9fc4-98a206499e43.

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Liberal neutrality – as understood in current legal and political debates – has two underlying intuitions and therefore two distinct elements. On the one hand it refers to the intuition that there are matters the state has no business getting involved in (hands-off element). On the other hand it is motivated by the idea that the state ought to treat citizens as equals and show equal respect and for their different conceptions of the good life (equality element). This thesis defends this two-fold understanding of neutrality with reference to Rawls’ conception of society as a fair system of cooperation and the idea of citizens as free and equal persons. In particular, the idea that citizens are to be treated as free justifies the hands-off element and argues that the state must be involved in nothing but justice. In the context of political decision making this requires the state to be justificatorily neutral. Treating citizens as equals requires the state to grant its citizens equal political rights and also to ensure that these rights have “fair value.” Given the danger that cultural bias undermines the equal standing of citizens the state has to ensure procedures of political decision making that are able to take citizens’ different conceptions into account. Treating citizens as free and equal therefore requires that the state bans all considerations of the good from being part of the justification of state action while at the same time taking these considerations into account when deliberating the way how these regulations are to be implemented.

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Wrasai, Phongthorn. "Agency problems in political decision making." [Amsterdam] : Rotterdam : Thela Thesis ; Erasmus University [Host], 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1765/7190.

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Braman, Eileen Carol. "Motivated reasoning in legal decision-making." Connect to this title online, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1091730982.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xvi, 213 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-213). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

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Griffin, Christopher George. "Democratic collective decision making: Equality and justice." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/284868.

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Democratic procedures allow us to decide as a society what to do. We intuitively embrace the ideal of a democratic state. But do we need democracy? Some argue that the social institutions we need to live well legitimately evolve through the spontaneous and decentralized activity of free individuals, thereby making democratic decisions unnecessary. But because unjust inequalities in power inevitably develop through the evolution of property regimes and market systems, there are strong moral reasons for the community to establish democratic procedures to monitor and rehabilitate these historically entrenched institutions. Executing this corrective function is a central reason why we do in fact need democracy. Yet there is considerable disagreement about democracy's precise justification beyond this functional rationale. John Stuart Mill and Richard Arneson both argue for the claim that the justification of popular rule is solely a matter of democracy's ability to generate morally correct outcomes. I reject these views. Democracy is valuable beyond being a means to some other morally desirable ends. Democracy is justified, I argue, because it is an intrinsically just procedure. The challenge is to understand what this means. Joshua Cohen suggests that democracy is intrinsically just because in the process of democratic deliberation reasonable citizens are given reasons to accept exercises of state power. I reject Cohen's deliberative model because it does not adequately appreciate the range of moral disagreement in contemporary democracies. Further, the standard of reasonableness at the heart of his justification for democracy is not consistent with the use of majority rule, an essential element of the democratic process. Instead, I argue that democracy is an intrinsically just procedure because it distributes political power over the decisions regarding the basic rules of social life equally, and thereby satisfies each individual's interest in the public affirmation of his or her basic social standing. Democracy matters because the public declaration of equal moral standing matters.

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Ibrahim, Mukdad M. "Budgetary decision making in three English local authorities." Thesis, Keele University, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.283261.

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Holmes, Mark Edward, and n/a. "Fraud against governments in Australia : reviewing rational and political decision making processes." University of Canberra. Administrative Studies, 1993. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060725.150531.

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Mitchell, David Hermann Margaret G. "Making foreign policy Presidential management, advisors and the foreign policy decision-making process /." Related electronic resource: Current Research at SU : database of SU dissertations, recent titles available full text, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/syr/main.

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Petersen, H. "Decision-making under uncertainty : the political economy of shale gas." Thesis, City, University of London, 2016. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/19213/.

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This thesis explores the factors influencing governmental policy preferences on the uncertain issue of shale gas development. I argue that there is no convincing expected utility of shale gas development, and that, in light of conflicting evidence, governmental decision-makers cannot believe it to be so. The notion of a ‘rational actor’ government deciding on shale gas based on its utility offers limited explanatory value. I am telling a more comprehensive story of shale gas and by using different clues taken from political economy and behavioural economics theory, develop several narratives about respective dimensions of the decision-making process: a rational expected utility analysis, a perspective on the influence of private interest groups, and a narrative on capture through ideational repertoire and cognitive biases. To this end classical literature of decision-making under risk and uncertainty is reviewed and political economy theory is brought in to widen the debate. The key arguments of this study are that policy decisions on shale gas are irrational from a classical political science perspective; that economic claims made about policy decisions are defying economic logic; that strong interest groups are distorting a market-based energy policy; and that pre-existing ideas about the energy system unduly influence the decision process regardless of their actual applicability. I suggest that fracking is simply so compatible with the current repertoire of ideas, practices and tools around energy policy, that engaging in it becomes a logical conclusion, whereas not to engage in it would require a paradigmatic change. These arguments are taken forward by an in-depth analysis of the decision-making around shale gas made by the United States government and the United Kingdom government since the commercial development of shale gas became possible through technological innovation in the 21st century. The thesis serves to shine light on the story of shale gas policy, but also to explore separate dimensions of policy-making under uncertainty in which cognitive and parochial factors prove more influential than so-called rational calculations.

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Bradford, Jeffrey Peter. "Political aspects of strategic decision making in British defence policy." Thesis, Cranfield University, 1999. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.768495.

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Oei, Hong Lim. "The recombinant DNA case: balancing scientific and political decision-making." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/40076.

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een, Rebecca C. English. "The context of choice : understanding the presidential decision making process /." The Ohio State University, 1997. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu148794815862613.

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Keller, Jonathan W. "Leadership style, domestic political constraints, and foreign policy crisis decision-making /." The Ohio State University, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1486457871784773.

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Kardasheva, Raya. "Legislative package deals in EU decision-making, 1999-2007." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2009. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/33/.

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This is a thesis about legislative package deals in the European Union and their effects on EU policy outcomes. It analyzes inter-chamber legislative exchange between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The key argument is that package deals increase the legislative influence of the European Parliament across legislative procedures and policy areas. Package deals allow Member States to establish control over the financial aspects of legislation and to ensure its adoption without delay. In exchange, the European Parliament gains further institutional powers and access to some of the EU's most salient policy areas. Legislative bargaining between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament is analyzed across all EU legislation, completed in the period 1 May 1999 - 30 April 2007. The argument is tested empirically through the quantitative analysis of 1465 co-decision and consultation proposals, 19 policy areas and 8 years. Five in-depth case studies complement the findings. The results indicate that the use of package deals in the EU is conditional on the distributive nature of legislative proposals, and their urgency. In turn, package deals and urgency affect legislative outcomes. Package deals and delay increase the EP's legislative influence in the consultation procedure. Package deals and Council impatience increase the EP's legislative influence in the co-decision procedure. Overall, package deals extend the EP's legislative influence in distributive policy areas and increase its institutional powers.

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Taratoot, Cole Donovan. "Administrative Law Judge Decision Making in a Political Environment, 1991 - 2007." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2008. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/political_science_diss/5.

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Unelected bureaucrats make a broad range of important policy decisions raising concerns of accountability in a democratic society. Many classics in the literature highlight the need to understand agency decisions at stages prior to the final vote by agency appointees, but few studies of the bureaucracy do so. To this point, scholars have treated the issue of shirking as one where laziness and inefficiency are the driving forces. However, it is more realistic to expect that shirking comes in the form of ideological resistance by administrators. I develop a theory that the independence afforded to the bureaucracy is functionally comparable to that of the judiciary, allowing for the insertion of individual attitudinal preferences by bureaucrats. Drawing from the attitudinal model of judicial research, I look at whether attitudes affect the decision making of administrative law judges at the National Labor Relations Board, the influence administrative law judge decisions have on reviewing bodies, and whether attitudinal decision making can be controlled by external political and legal actors. Results demonstrate that Democratic judges are more likely than Republican judges to rule for labor in unfair labor practice cases, administrative law judge decisions provide the basis for subsequent decisions of reviewing bodies, and that few political and legal controls exist over this set of bureaucrats. This research provides evidence that lower level bureaucrats make decisions based on their own political preferences and that these preferences have far ranging consequences for policy and law.

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Sidorenko, Alisa. "Body-Environment Dialogue : Using Somatic Experiences to Improve Political Decision Making." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-260754.

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Humankind is facing global ecological problems and resulting from these social issues, while continually destroying the ecosystems which are the life-support mechanisms of the planet and human civilization. The socio-economic system is largely influenced by top-down decision making. Political decisions are a high leverage in sustainability issues, but contemporarily they are conducted in the reductionist way, focusing on short-term profit and jeopardizing the planet and people in the long run. The thesis explores the ways of integrating more holistic approach into political decision making. The study describes the connection between cognitive processes (e.g. learning or decision making) and somatic experiences: human decisions are considered a dynamic product of interaction between the cognition, body and environment. The theory of deep learning helps to understand how decision making can be transformed, and embodied cognitive science explains what facilitates the process of deep learning. The study develops the concept of “body-environment dialogue” — the somatic and cognitive integration of an agent and the context through which the agent receives non-verbal information processed then into the agent’s inner knowledge. The way of processing the information, unlike analytical thinking, is grounded into mindfulness and reflection. It results in the holistic insight about the global socio-ecological system and its interconnections, awakes intrinsic values and causes the change in one’s decisions and actions. Embodied experiences and connection with natural environment are considered the ways to facilitate deep learning which, in turn, affects decision making. The empirical part of the research tests the possibility to affect decision making through embodied contact with nature and the local context. The experimental study project based on 3-day outdoor experiential course demonstrates a certain change in the participants’ decision making as well as illustrates the challenges and drawbacks of such approach.

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Lempert, Daniel. "Testing Theories of Strategic Decision-making on the U.S. Supreme Court." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1367454302.

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Haase, Stacy Lynn. "The effects of gender composition and socio-political orientation on group satisfaction." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1995. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1231.

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Strathman, Brent A. "Who advises? power, politics, & persuasion in foreign policy decision making /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1135002242.

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Bai, Xuze, and Kapil Koirala. "The Influence of Culture in the International Business Decision-making Process." Thesis, Högskolan i Jönköping, Internationella Handelshögskolan, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-39943.

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Organizational culture and organisational political behaviours are the unavoidable part of a company which has a direct impact on its decision making. The purpose of this paper aims to understand the influence of culture and organisational political behaviour in making a decision on going internationalisation of the Chinese company. Through reviewing the cultural literature, the researcher found the interrelation between culture and political behaviour in an organization. The authors then focus on three factors of political behaviour – investment, alternatives and trust – to study their influence in the decision-making process. We used qualitative research approach under which we made in-depth interview to collect the empirical data. These empirical data were analysed using content analysis method. Our findings show that both organisational culture and organisational political behaviour have a direct influence on the decision making of the company. Specifically, political factors like investment, alternatives and trust influence in the decision making of a company. The firm should consider those factors seriously to have a positive influence in its decision-making process.

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Zavagnin, Anthony Joseph. "Politics in the classroom: teacher political disclosure and the decision-making of secondary social studies teachers." Thesis, Boston University, 2012. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/12695.

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Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
Social studies teachers face a dilemma when addressing controversial issues in the classroom. Research supports the incorporation of controversial issues into the social studies curriculum as a means of encouraging authentic debate and deliberation among students. While research supports student engagement with controversial issues, the literature is far from consistent as to the role that teachers should play during these lessons. An important question remains unresolved: should teachers divulge their personal opinions to students when teaching lessons involving controversial issues? To examine disclosure, this study asks what underlies teacher decision-making regarding teacher disclosure of personal political beliefs during social studies lessons that involve controversial issues. This multiple case study interviewed twenty secondary social studies teachers across seven suburban schools about how they made disclosure decisions. 15 of the 20 teachers in this study practiced some form of teacher disclosure. For the majority of teachers, disclosure depended upon contextual factors that included the age of students, personal connection to the topic, perceptions of the school and greater community, and the nature of the topic under discussion. While the teachers in this study discussed many factors that guided classroom practice, the most prominent factor involved personal understandings of the appropriate role of the teacher during class lessons. This study involved teachers with a variety of teaching experiences, and found that teaching experience had relatively little impact on how teachers practiced disclosure. Teachers also provided best practice recommendations involving disclosure. Those who did practice disclosure recommended that teachers share their personal beliefs when the topic related to the curriculum, and towards the end of the class lesson. Participants also believed that teachers should balance controversial issues and expressly covey their beliefs to students so that there is no confusion between the teacher's personal beliefs and the curriculum. This study concluded that instead of a focus on whether teachers should practice disclosure, the conversation should shift to how teachers should practice disclosure based on the best practice recommendations voiced by participants.

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Olson, Jeremiah. "SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND POLITICAL DECISION MAKING IN THE AMERICAN PRISON SYSTEM(S)." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/polysci_etds/5.

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With over two million inmates, the United States’ prison population is the largest in the world. Nearly one in one hundred Americans are behind bars, either in prisons or pre-trial detention facilities. The rapid growth in incarceration is well-documented. However, social science explanations often stop at the prison gates, with little work on treatment inside prisons. This black box approach ignores important bureaucratic decisions, including the provision of rehabilitative services and the application of punishment. This dissertation offers a systematic analysis of treatment decisions inside the American prisons. I use a mixed methods approach, combining multiple quantitative datasets with environmental observation at four prisons, and original interviews of twenty-three correctional staff members. I offer the only large-n comparative analysis of American state prisons. Characteristics of the inmates as well as characteristics of staff are explored. I am able to analyze data at the state, facility and individual level. All of this is to answer a crucial and somewhat overlooked question; how do prison staff decide who should be punished and who should receive rehabilitative treatment? I find that theories of social construction offer insight into the treatment of American prison inmates. Specifically, I find that socially constructed racial categories offer explanatory value for inmate treatment. Black and Hispanic inmates are less likely to receive important rehabilitative programs, including access to mental health and medical care. Black and Hispanic inmates are also more likely to receive punishment including the use of solitary confinement in administrative segregation units. I find, consistent with theories of representative bureaucracy that staffing characteristics also impact treatment decisions, with black and Hispanic staff members expressing lower preferences for punishment and prisons with higher percentages of black staff members utilize administrative segregation less. I provide a historical overview of the changing social constructions of crime and prisons inside the United States, from colonial to present day America. I argue that the treatment of prisoners changes as our conception of crime changes. I discuss recent bipartisan attempts at prison reform and offer my own suggestions for reform of the American prison system.

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Lee, Hee-Bong. "A study of the local government borrowing decision making system in Korea." Thesis, Online version, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.251846.

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Basu, Anuradha. "Procedural rationality in public expenditure decision making with specific reference to India." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.385638.

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Garey, Julie Marie. "Presidential Decision-Making During the Vietnam War." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1219374275.

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Platte, James Edward. "National decision making and nuclear fuel cycles| An analysis of influences." Thesis, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University), 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3559057.

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This study examines the factors that influence national decisions about developing nuclear fuel cycle technology, and the central question for this study is why countries have developed different national nuclear fuel cycles. Prospect theory is used as the basis of an analytical framework for studying nuclear fuel cycle decision making. In essence, prospect theory states that nations are risk averse when in a gains domain and risk acceptant when in a losses domain. This study hypothesizes that a country's nuclear fuel cycle decision making is determined by the frame of reference and domain (either gains or losses) and that security concerns are a factor driving policy behind all nuclear programs.

A structured, focused comparison of Indian, Japanese, and South Korean nuclear fuel cycle decision making was conducted in order to test the hypotheses. Major nuclear fuel cycle decisions made between approximately 1950 and 1990 in each country were analyzed. The results verified this study's hypotheses. Decisions were mostly made according to the tenets of prospect theory, and security concerns (national security or energy security) were a driver for the nuclear programs in all three countries. The study also emphasized that nuclear fuel cycle technology is strategic and highly valued by countries and that national leaders are involved with making major nuclear fuel cycle decisions.

Prospect theory proved to be a more powerful analytical tool than existing theories of nuclear weapons proliferation. Prospect theory accounts for a country's capabilities, intentions, and situational and temporal context. In this way, prospect theory gives a holistic view of how all nuclear technologies fit into strategic interests and how a country's leadership's frame of reference with regard to strategic interests influences the direction of nuclear fuel cycle decision making. Prospect theory on its own does not offer a model or predictor of nuclear fuel cycle technology development, but it illuminates how leaders viewed nuclear fuel cycle decisions and why certain decisions were made.

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Winter, William E. "Development decision-making in St. Louis, MO institutions, incentives, and urban development /." Diss., St. Louis, Mo. : University of Missouri--St. Louis, 2006. http://etd.umsl.edu/r1221.

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Matthews, Nicola. "Sport, policy and Europeanisation : process and interest mediation in European Union decision making." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1999. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7267.

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The thesis seeks to analyse the implications of the deepening and widening of the European Union for sport and leisure-related policy developments. Firstly, the work seeks to establish an appropriate conceptual framework through which to review how the process of Europeanisation is influencing sport and leisure policies. The term Europeanisation refers to the changing nature of relations between regional, national and supranational tiers of governance. Secondly, the thesis reviews the literature on the progression of EU level sports and leisure policy interventions since 1957. The range of rationales in operation, and the maturation of those rationales over the last forty years, is considered. The capacity for European level intervention has grown significantly through the development of EU socio-political and economic integration policies, the most significant being the four freedoms (the free movement of goods, services, capital and persons) and the associated legislation. The empirical work subsequently reviews the implications the Europeanisation process for three areas of decision-making: sports broadcasting rights, the use of European Structural Funds and the debate on a EU competence for sport. Drawing on both figurational sociology and policy network analysis, the research identifies the key stakeholders involved in the policy process and seeks to illustrate the nature of the policy-making processes. The thesis progresses the argument that the development of economic, social and political inter-dependencies, along transnational rather than national lines, are inevitably leading to questions over the role of the nation state and the institutions of the European Union. Accordingly, the research identifies and evaluates the positions held by the key actors, on central issues, within each of the three areas of policy and reflects on the distribution and management of key resources. The conclusion addresses the issue of whether the strategic alliances formed during the policy process are indicative of the development of a European level sports policy community or whether other forms of policy network operate at the supranational level of governance. With reference to the three areas of policy analysed, the final chapter outlines the ways in which policy networks are changing, or resisting change, in the light of developments at the European level. The evidence suggests that the sub-sectoral nature of the policy studies conducted, militates against the formation of a highly integrated, independent policy community. Consequently, it is appropriate to refer to more disaggregated, issue-specific networks. Nevertheless, the potential for a growing formalisation of the sports policy agenda at the European level is such that policy communities may develop and coalesce at some point in the future.

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Ekpe, Bassey. "Theories of collective intelligence and decision-making : towards a viable United Nations intelligence system." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2005. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/7481/.

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The idea of a United Nations (UN) intelligence system is widely misunderstood and debates about it seem to be both misplaced and anecdotal. The lack of a consistent theory on intelligence has fostered the widely held view that such a system is not feasible or incompatible with the UN collective security system. This dissertation takes as its central thesis, the question, of whether an intelligence system is both desirable and feasible within the UN structure. In spite of the fact that no known study has so far engaged with the subject matter at the depth presented in this dissertation, the study advances the concept of collective intelligence, and its implications for managing international conflicts. The dissertation examines existing barriers in efforts to interface intelligence system with the UN structure, and proposes that, with suitable refinements, the concept of intelligence need not be incompatible with the UN system. It is also argued that these constraints should not preclude evolutionary changes to include an intelligence system that is compatible with an organisation such as the UN. By developing a concept of collective intelligence, the thesis proposes theoretical frameworks that suggest a potential nature of a viable intelligence capability within the UN. The analysis is developed normatively and conceptually, which lead to a further conclusion that the UN already possesses an intelligence capability which exists in manner that is not recognised. The lack of scholarly efforts to ground such a system on a reasonable framework creates a vacuum in the study of international organisations, and in particular the United Nations system. At a minimum, this dissertation fills this gap.

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Toole, S. T. "Agency, decision-making and the political ecology of small-scale agriculture in Barbados." Thesis, Swansea University, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.639252.

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Small-scale agriculture in the developing world faces an uncertain future at the turn of the century from the dual pressures of globalisation and global environmental change. This thesis focuses on the small island economy of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean, where these pressures have played an important historical influence in shaping the current nature of small farming. This thesis has two aims: (i) to provide an explanation for changes within the island's small-scale economy; and (ii) to improve the theoretical approach of political ecology as a means by which to examine the nature of conflict and change. This thesis has sought to carry out these aims by examining the decision-making processes of farmers within the framework of socio-economic, political and environmental influences, placing particular emphasis on the importance of farmers' agency (and the way in which this varies between different farmer types). These results are based on analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with 109 small farmers across the island. Secondary data are analysed to examine the broader structural context: (i) changes within agriculture (including policies and markets) since the 1960's and (ii) the nature of environmental influences (including climate and land degradation). Results from this thesis have identified six main different types of farmer, each of which closely relate to variations in farm and farmer characteristics, farmers' perceptions of external structures, and the role of their own agency. The thesis concludes that, since the early 1990's, Barbados has witnessed the emergence of a new group of more commercial small farmers working on a larger scale (10+ acres) and with greater agency. These farmers have competed with the more traditional small farmers and, hence, the disparity between farmers has widened. A large proportion of the new 'commercial small farmers' are white Barbadians, forced from former employment within the sugar industry by the effects of global processes (falling sugar prices and restructuring in the sugar industry). Access to resources within the 'white economy' has meant that these individuals have been able to start working on a larger scale. Results conclude that the Barbados government needs to make all small farms more competitive to deal with the effects of trade liberalisation, and to ensure that the disparity does not widen. The thesis also concludes that re-emphasising the role of agency within political ecology allows a more detailed exploration of the nature of power relations between individuals within a specific group of actors (i.e. small farmers in this example) from within the framework of external socio-economic, political and environmental structures operating at a variety of scales.

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Smith, Courtney Bruce. "The politics of global consensus building : decision making in the United Nations general assembly /." The Ohio State University, 1998. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487953567772159.

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Kopko, Kyle Casimir. "The Effect of Partisanship in Election Law Judicial Decision-Making." The Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1275415061.

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Cartwright, Daniel R. "Digital decision-making : using computational argumentation to support democratic processes." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2011. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/2993/.

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One of the key questions facing governments around the world is that of how to increase and maintain the engagement of citizens in democratic processes. Recent thought, both within academia and government itself, has turned to the use of modern computational technology to provide citizens with access to democratic processes. Access to computer and Internet technology by the general public has vastly increased over the past decade, and this wide access is one of a number of motivations behind research into the provision of democratic tasks and processes online. The particular democratic process that forms the focus of this thesis is that of online opinion gathering in order to aid government decision making. The provision of mechanisms to gather and analyse public opinion is important to any government which claims to promote a fair and equal democracy, as decisions should be made in consideration of the views and opinions of the citizens of such a democracy. The work that comprises this thesis is motivated by existing research into harvesting opinion through a variety of online methods. The software tools available largely fall into one of two categories: Those which are not based on formal structure, and those which are based on an underlying formal model of argument. The work presented in this thesis aims to overcome the shortfalls inherent to both of these categories of tool in order to realise a software suite to support both the process of opinion gathering, and analysis of the resulting data. This is achieved through the implementation of computational models of argument from the research area of argumentation, with special consideration as to how these models can be used in implemented systems in a manner that allows laypersons to interact with them effectively. A particular model of argument which supports the process of practical reasoning is implemented in a web-based computer system, thus allowing for the collection of structured arguments which are later analysed according to formal models of argument visualisation and evaluation. The theories underlying the system are extended in order to allow for added expressivity, thus providing a mechanism for more life-like argument within a system which supports comprehensive computational analysis. Ultimately, the contributions of this thesis are a functional system to support an important part of the democratic process, and an investigation into how the underlying theories can be built upon and extended in order to promote expressive argumentation.

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Glass, Kathleen Cranley. "Elderly persons and decision-making in a medical context : challenging Canadian law." Thesis, McGill University, 1992. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=39315.

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The subject of this thesis is the investigation and critical evaluation of how Canadian legal institutions approach substitute decision-making in the particular context of making medical choices for incompetent elderly persons. Underlying the inquiry is an acknowledgment of the right of competent persons to have their autonomy recognized and the duty to protect from harm those with reduced competence. Statutes, case law and custom are examined to determine how well they serve older persons when choices concerning medical treatment and participation in research protocols are required. The adequacy of current Canadian law relating to informed consent to medical treatment and competency assessment is evaluated in light of the special characteristics of elderly persons. Recent and proposed law reforms are examined for their appropriateness in addressing the questions of who should make substitute decisions for incompetent persons and how these decisions should be made. The three foremost criteria used as the basis for making substitute decisions--best interests, substituted judgment and advance directives--are analyzed. A final proposal is made that would redefine the notion of a person's "interests", allowing us to view the criteria for substitute decision-making not as competing, but as complementary, the appropriateness of each varying with the situation in question. Ethical principles have been employed both as a critical framework for assessing the fairness and acceptability of particular laws and as complementary to these laws, since law by its nature can never be crafted to address adequately every question we may pose.
The statutes, case law and legal literature referenced in this thesis are up to date as of December 25, 1991.

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Dietrich, M. D. "The decentralisation of decision making : A corporate analysis of the Hungarian New Economics Mechanism." Thesis, University of Sussex, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.371192.

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Iyer, Naresh Sundaram. "A Family of Dominance Filters for Multiple Criteria Decision Making: Choosing the Right Filter for a Decision Situation." Connect to this title online, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1005939267.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2001.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 169 p.; also contains graphics (some col.). Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: B. Chandresekaran, Dept. of Computer and Information Science. Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-169).

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Appelblom, Maria. "I want to be like Ellen : The influence of women in decision-making in post-conflict Liberia." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Teologiska institutionen, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-209254.

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Alfarhoud, Yousef T. "Influence of Social Media on Decision Making of the Kuwait National Assembly Members: Case Study." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1404618/.

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In Kuwait, an increase in the use of social media by the Kuwait National Assembly (KNA) has allowed it members to reach out to the public and so advance their political agenda. This study examines social media influences on the decision making process; addresses the lack of academic research in relation to KNA members; and seeks to understand the extent to which public political engagement using social media might affect the outcome of their decision making. The proposed social media influence model (SMIM) was used to explore the relationships and relative importance of variables influencing legislator decision making in a social media environment. The second decade of the twenty-first century saw a number of major issues emerging in Kuwait. A core mixed method design known as explanatory sequential was applied to multiple sets of data generated during KNA members' 14th (2013-2016) and 15th (2016-2018) terms. These data included Twitter messages (tweets), the KNA Information Center Parliamentary Information System legislation documents, and the news media articles. The sample was drawn from KNA membership, some of which used Twitter to comment on major events with specific hashtags and the Kuwaiti news media articles related to the same. Study results confirm and support the proposed SMIM. They also suggest that a single person or a group of individuals (in this case, legislators) can be influenced and motivated to use social media for self-promotion and/or advancing their political agenda. Consequently, they can be used to devise ways for improving the use of social media by KNA members in support of legislative work, which in turn will provide citizens with access to real-time information and enhanced political interaction.

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Miny, Marnie. "Evidenced based decision making in public policy for innovating firms." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/22769.

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Firms require policies that are supportive to their operating environment and competiveness. Few firms, however, interact with policy makers and it is suggested in the literature that they do so in a self-interested manner. Policy makers are faced with the challenge of ensuring positive sum outcomes in a highly politicised process. Innovative firms could possible request more value creating policies with noninnovative firms requesting value capturing policies. A firm that is more networked is more innovative, but this also increases the management complexity of the firm. The purpose of this study was to enable policy makers to make more informed political decisions in the public policy process. A secondary dataset focused on firms in the innovation context. Groups of firms were categorised by their innovativeness, involvement with policy and network richness through Chi-square tests, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis. The policy requests of these firms were analysed through the Kruskal-Wallis test, with post hoc analyses using Mann-Whitney U tests. The study found that firms could be categorised based on their innovativeness and involvement, but that network richness played an important role in increasing both. Innovative and non-innovative firms had similar needs in policies. It is suggested that richly networked firms are not independently rent seeking as they request policies that are to the benefit of the broader innovation network in order to sustain and grow the collaborative relationships. Policy makers are advised to ensure the inclusion of network rich firms in the policy process.
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted

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Ison, Stephen G. "The policy process and urban road pricing : an incremental approach to decision-making." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2000. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7471.

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The issue of urban road pricing is currently receiving a great deal of attention. The subject matter has a long history, stretching back to the economic literature of the mid-19th century with a significant renewal of academic interest during the 1960's. Whilst the theoretical basis for urban road pricing has been cogently put forward, an apparent sound economic rationale does not, of itself, ensure political and public acceptanceH. ow then should decision-makingp roceed if the aim is ultimately one of implementing an urban road pricing scheme in the UK? As such, the aim of this thesis is to analyse the process of decision-making with respect to urban road pricing, to develop a theoretical framework for the subsequent empirical research undertaken on road pricing, and to suggest policy options, thus informing the development of policy and furthering the debate among policy-makers. In effect, an incremental approach to urban road pricing decision-making is proposed, which stresses that decisions are generally taken in small adjustments from the existing state of affairs and invariably necessitatet he attainment of agreementb etweent he various stakeholders. Two empirical methods are used in order to analyse this framework. First, a national survey of key stakeholder groups (most notably decision-makers), who have an interest in urban road pricing; and, second, a local case study based on face-to-face interviews with decision-makers who had first-hand experience of the first ever trial of an urban road pricing scheme in the UK - namely congestion metering in the city of Cambridge. This research finds that an incremental approach to urban road pricing decisionmaking is the most appropriate. In order to increase the acceptance of urban road pricing, schemes should be designed so that the various interest groups can gradually adjust to the changes in an incremental way by starting with policies that are currently in force and then considering only step-by-step change. It is still possible however, for change to take place beyond that envisaged by the incremental approach. For this to occur, it would require factors such as the existence of a policy entrepreneur, in situ, who is able to drive the process forward.

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Hussey, Laura Selena. "Social policy and social services in women's pregnancy decision-making political and programmatic implications /." College Park, Md. : University of Maryland, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1903/3840.

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Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2006.
Thesis research directed by: Government and Politics. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.

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Lekic, Zeljka. "The Role of Transnational Television in International Political Decision-Making After The Cold War." Thesis, London Metropolitan University, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.515329.

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Berti, Katia. "A political economy analysis of product quality standards under national and supranational decision-making." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.537632.

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Yogendra, Shefaly. "Decision making in political systems : a case study of obesity and policy making in the UK and the US." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.611526.

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Simon, Marsha Jean. "The real rules of the budget game : minority fiscal decision making in the United States Senate." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33708.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2005.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-127).
This study examines the consequences of the Gramm-Rudman super-majority budget rules on fiscal decision making in the Senate. It attempts to determine the efficacy of these rules as defined by those who advocate them, Public Choice scholars and conservative activists, by testing both whether they restrain spending overall and, second, whether they more often block spending benefiting concentrated special interests than other types of spending. The study concludes that super-majority budget rules do not restrain spending, much less spending on special interest legislation. The Gramm-Rudman rules were not responsible for the budget surplus that emerged in the late 1990s, and public choice scholars have no credible explanation for the surplus. Further, I argue that these rules have had the unintended effect of strengthening the hand of the leadership of the committees responsible for spending and tax legislation and diminished the ability of other Senators to influence money bills. These rules have compounded the anti-democratic bias of the Senate, increased hold-out costs, and generally made the legislative process less transparent and understandable to the public and even to the Senators themselves.
by Marsha Jean Simon.
Ph.D.

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Strathman, Brent A. "Who advises? Power, politics, & persuasion in foreign policy decision making." The Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1135002242.

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Kidney, Tyrone Christopher. "Public involvement and civic rationalism in local authority planning and decision making." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2002. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/56892/.

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This work considers the potential contribution of rational actor and behaviouralist models of political and participatory culture, in understanding specific contemporary issues within the topic of public participation in the decision making activities of UK local authorities. The basis for the research was a range of disruptive or confounding phenomena reported in various literatures, that either generate antipathy during schemes or create negative pre-conceptions that could affect future projects. It is suggested that an appreciation of these confounding factors, when viewed in the context of streamlining local authorities and a rationally acting public, can help us understand issues such as non-participation, apparent apathy in public involvement and certain participatory dynamics. It is argued that understanding these issues is vital, especially given the emergence of the Modernisation Agenda in the UK which places a great deal of importance on the consultative activities of local authorities. The research draws upon Almond and Verba’s Civic Culture theory (1963) and the work of the Public Choice school of political economics, especially the work of James Buchannan and Gordon Tullock, to address issues of political culture and rationalised political activity among both the public and authorities. These provided a framework for a multiple case study research design, looking at public involvement policies and schemes in two English local authorities, against a particularly dynamic policy background. The thesis identifies a range of issues that are linked to the public’s inclination to participate, that are additional to the traditionally quoted issues of apathy or unequal access to democracy. These issues are linked to the perceived effectiveness of participation and its methods, to individuals who are already acting subjectively on the basis of their values and material interests. This work offers and discusses the term ‘Civic Rationality’ to describe this mix of rationales in a participatory culture.

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Weiden, David Lee. "Judicial decision-making in comparative perspective ideology, law and activism in constitutional courts /." [Austin, Tex. : University of Texas Libraries, 2007. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/etd/d/2007/weidend45079/weidend45079.pdf#page=3.

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Holmes, Maja Husar. "Rationalizing public participation goals How contextual and organizational factors shape public managers' decision-making process /." Related electronic resource: Current Research at SU : database of SU dissertations, recent titles available full text, 2005. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/syr/main.

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Payne, Kenneth. "Personality and the policy stream : explaining US foreign policy decision-making during the first Clinton administration." Thesis, University of Essex, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.250069.

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Webster, Tammy Tanner. "Successful Ethical Decision-Making Practices from the Professional Accountants' Perspective." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3733.

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Unethical behavior includes all decisions and actions counterproductive to an organization's mission and can cause irrevocable damage to the organization's professional reputation. The Securities and Exchange Commission reported 807 ethical violations in 2015. This study was underpinned by the ethical leadership theory, which emphasizes leadership decision making based on fair and just practices, for all involved parties. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the ethical decision-making best practices that not-for-profit accounting managers in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area needed to strengthen the ethical decision-making process in their organizations. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from 5 participants who were accounting leaders of not-for-profit organizations. The analysis of data involved coding techniques, while member checking ensured confirmability of participant responses. Three themes emerged from the analysis of data as the most effective in fostering an ethical climate within the organizations, notably: the importance of leveraging internal controls, staff education on ethical decision making, and the role of leadership in fostering ethical leadership. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing leaders with strategies to reduce the occurrence of fraud within organizations. The beneficiaries of this research may include not-for-profit leaders, accounting professionals, and business practitioners. The goals of these individuals are to aid companies in furthering their missions and ensure organizations remain operational and utilize ethical decision making.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Political decision making'

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