The Promise of Behavioral Economics in Local Government: Applications In Public Housing

The emergence of the field of behavioral economics has provided critical insights into the way people behave when confronted with decisions. Traditionally, economic models predict behavior that is economically rational, but behavioral economics has shown how people are often irrational in predictable ways because they are being affected by different biases and heuristics. For policymakers, these insights can show ways in which governments can change their behavior to take advantage of people’s humanity. This paper will show the value of taking these insights to the local level, as local governments provide a number of valuable services and account for the most direct and frequent interaction between citizens and their government. Specifically, this paper will look at the area of public housing in the United States. Public housing has gained a rather notorious reputation in the United States, as government policy and socioeconomic trends have caused public housing to house only the poorest of the poor. Still, public housing accounts for around 1.1 million households across America, and could benefit greatly from behavioral economic approaches to policy. This paper will look at the problems occurring in public housing, match these up to the behavioral “irrationalities” occurring in public housing, before finally providing a series of behavioral interventions which take advantage of these irrationalities to provide better services to public housing residents.Plan II Honors Progra

Developing a Framework for Stigmergic Human Collaboration with Technology Tools: Cases in Emergency Response

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), particularly social media and geographic information systems (GIS), have become a transformational force in emergency response. Social media enables ad hoc collaboration, providing timely, useful information dissemination and sharing, and helping to overcome limitations of time and place. Geographic information systems increase the level of situation awareness, serving geospatial data using interactive maps, animations, and computer generated imagery derived from sophisticated global remote sensing systems. Digital workspaces bring these technologies together and contribute to meeting ad hoc and formal emergency response challenges through their affordances of situation awareness and mass collaboration. Distributed ICTs that enable ad hoc emergency response via digital workspaces have arguably made traditional top-down system deployments less relevant in certain situations, including emergency response (Merrill, 2009; Heylighen, 2007a, b). Heylighen (2014, 2007a, b) theorizes that human cognitive stigmergy explains some self-organizing characteristics of ad hoc systems. Elliott (2007) identifies cognitive stigmergy as a factor in mass collaborations supported by digital workspaces. Stigmergy, a term from biology, refers to the phenomenon of self-organizing systems with agents that coordinate via perceived changes in the environment rather than direct communication. In the present research, ad hoc emergency response is examined through the lens of human cognitive stigmergy. The basic assertion is that ICTs and stigmergy together make possible highly effective ad hoc collaborations in circumstances where more typical collaborative methods break down. The research is organized into three essays: an in-depth analysis of the development and deployment of the Ushahidi emergency response software platform, a comparison of the emergency response ICTs used for emergency response during Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and a process model developed from the case studies and relevant academic literature is described

Evaluation of the response capability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the impact of natural hazards

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of BedfordshireThe UAE is an Islamic state which has undergone dramatic urbanization in the last 30 years. It is situated near the eastern margin of the Arabian tectonic plate, close to the seismically active collision zone between the Arabian and Eurasian Plates, marked by the Zagros Mountain belt of Iran. In the UAE the population of Dibba in Fujairah has felt tremors as recently as November 26 2009 and an earthquake with a magnitude (M) of 5 occurred in Masafi, Fujairah, in March 2002. The most recent earthquake was M 4.3, and awareness of seismic hazard is increasing. In addition to earthquakes, rapid heavy rainfall in the arid environment of the UAE typically results in high level of discharge and flooding. Tropical storms have also struck the Indian Ocean coast of the UAE and have caused damage in coastal areas. The impact of natural hazard events in Fujairah since 1995 and the responses of the authorities and affected communities illustrates the issues faced by the country and is discussed in the thesis. The Federal Plan to face disasters in the UAE prepared by the Civil Defence sets out the role of the government structures in the UAE to manage disasters with particular reference to the Ministry of Interior, which is the responsible body. A survey of UAE ministries and the Civil Defence shows that in practice there is lack of clarity between the roles of government bodies and there are many areas of confusion regarding jurisdiction and responsibility between the federal and individual emirate institutions. It was a concern that some supporting ministries were unaware of their role as set out in the overall plan. There is lack of evidence of an integrated approach and no testing of effectiveness of emergency procedures through simulation exercises. It is recognized that, not only are school children particularly vulnerable to natural disasters but also that education is an important mitigation tool through raising awareness of hazard exposure amongst the population. A survey of schools in Fujairah showed that there was little preparation for natural disasters and no framework to address this issue or to ensure the structural integrity of school buildings. The survey revealed that there is a willingness to learn among the school children and this was followed up by a pilot scheme to raise awareness. This is important as the survey also revealed that traditional views about losses are still common amongst parents, particularly in rural areas. The vulnerability of the communities to natural hazards is strongly influenced by cultural and social factors. A survey was undertaken of the population in the UAE to investigate their awareness of natural hazards, their perception of risk and how this might be mitigated. The survey revealed a low level awareness and what the role of government agencies would be in the event of a disaster. A majority considered that disasters were Acts of God, a punishment, and the most effective way to mitigate risk was through religious observance. It is clear that even in a developed Islamic country an effective response to mitigate risk needs to recognize and address the cultural and religious contexts. Finally the thesis evaluates the response capability of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the impact of natural hazards. This analysis shows that though there is a Federal Plan for Disasters there is little specific focus on natural hazards. Ministries not directly involved with the Civil Defence were sometimes unclear regarding their roles. At an operational level there is lack of clarity regarding responsibilities and lines of authority between different bodies and between Federal and emirate structures. The Civil Defence was very much focused on response with little effort devoted to reducing vulnerability through awareness-raising, hazard assessment and monitoring. These need to be addressed to minimize the risk from natural disasters

Reality Hackers: The Next Wave of Media Revolutionaries

Just as the printing press gave rise to the nation-state, emerging technologies are reshaping collective identities and challenging our understanding of what it means to be human. Should citizens have the right to be truly anonymous on-line? Should we be concerned about the fact that so many people are choosing to migrate to virtual worlds? Are injectible microscopic radio-frequency ID chips a blessing or a curse? Is the use of cognitive enhancing nootropics a human right or an unforgivable transgression? Should genomic data about human beings be hidden away with commercial patents or open-sourced like software? Should hobbyists known as biohackers be allowed to experiment with genetic engineering in their home laboratories? The time-frame for acting on such questions is relatively short, and these decisions are too important to be left up to a small handful of scientists and policymakers. If democracy is to continue as a viable alternative to technocracy, the average citizen must become more involved in these debates. To borrow a line from the computer visionary Ted Nelson, all of us can -- and must -- understand technology now. Challenging the popular stereotype of hackers as ciminal sociopaths, reality hackers uphold the basic tenets of what Steven Levy (1984) terms the hacker ethic. These core principles include a commitment to: sharing, openness, decentralization, public access to information, and the use of new technologies to make the world a better place.https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/mono/1000/thumbnail.jp

Bitcoin, Virtual Currencies, and the Struggle of Law and Regulation to Keep Pace

At less than a decade old, Bitcoin and other virtual currencies have had a major societal impact, and proven to be a unique payment systems challenge for law enforcement, financial regulatory authorities worldwide, and the investment community. Rapid introduction and diffusion of technological changes throughout society, such as the blockchain that serves as Bitcoin’s crypto-foundation, continue to exceed the ability of law and regulation to keep pace. During 2017 alone, the market price of Bitcoin rose 1,735%, from about $970 to$14,292, causing an investor feeding frenzy. As of September 11, 2018, a total of 1,935 cryptocurrencies are reported, having an approximate market capitalization of $191.54 billion at that date. A brief history of the fast moving adoption of blockchain-based technology is provided, along with a look at the efforts of regulators to keep up with the staggering worldwide growth in the usage of virtual currencies. In the United States, enforcement actions for violations of law involving virtual currencies are brought primarily by: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and The Department of The Treasury through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This Article contributes to the literature and our understanding of the constant struggle of law and regulation to keep pace with rapid technological developments

Shelter, Women and Development: First and Third World Perspectives

Around the world, woman\u27s access to shelter is inextricably linked with her economic, legal, and social status. Policy makers, planners, architects, and other professionals must understand and factor in these crucial aspects when creating shelter for women. An international gathering at the University of Michigan College of Architecture and Urban Planning in 1992 provided an opportunity for dialogue between persons working in this field in the First and Third World and established an exchange of views in a global, multicultural context. The papers underscore the importance of housing to women\u27s economic, legal, and social development and emphasize the need to continue to address and act upon these issues across nations, cultures, and class.https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/books_fac/1001/thumbnail.jp

The Poverty of Simplicity: Austerity, Alienation, and Tiny Houses

Tiny houses – stand-alone, fully functional dwellings generally between 100 and 400 square-feet – are increasingly popular in the United States. The degradation of working class life wrought through neoliberal policy and then punctuated by the Great Recession propels this popularity. Next to traditional houses, tiny houses are significantly cheaper. Those among the middle stratum of the working class have sought out tiny houses as a means to ease their financial anxiety. Rather than merely a newer form of cheaper housing, an entire lifestyle movement has emerged around tiny houses. Anti-consumerism is the keystone to this lifestyle movement. For enthusiasts, environmental destruction, their indebtedness and financial precarity, their stress and alienation from work and life, in short, their lack of happiness or sense of purpose, originate in overconsumption. Tiny houses, because so few commodities can fit inside them, become a tool by which dwellers facilitate anti-consumerist lifestyle. Decreased consumer spending not only helps dwellers save money, it also proceeds, through the discourse of minimalism, as a spiritualistic method of practicing and signaling the virtues of prudence and self-restraint. With more savings and fewer expenses, enthusiasts endeavor to avoid alienating work and hasten retirement, leaving more time for hobbies and leisure. Because tiny houses are cheaper, they can be owned more quickly outright, and ownership permits dwellers a sense if economic security and feeling at home. Homeownership allows dwellers to customize or even build their tiny home, offering an opportunity for un-alienated, self-affirming labor of a bygone era. Given that they typically require less materials and energy to build and maintain than a traditional house, tiny houses, and the anti-consumerism they embody, shrink dwellers ecological footprint. Drawing from interviews and textual analysis, I argue that the tiny house movement is essentially one of working class retreat as it attempts to navigate several contradictions of the capitalist system. When it comes to these contradictions – capital\u27s need to pay workers as little as possible despite their need for social reproduction, to dehumanize them at work notwithstanding their humanity, to isolate workers through competition no matter their innate sociality, to despoil the environment without thought of future survival – all of them come to rest on the shoulders of the working class itself. Like recurrent movements throughout American history, in the face of economic crises and rising inequality the tiny house movement proposes anti-consumption as protean savior. And just like its historical predecessors, the tiny house movement\u27s anti-consumerism – its call for the working class to embrace thrift as a way of life – has been adorned by and rebranded through the discourse of simplicity. Financially enforced asceticism is, upon being dragged through liberal (and now neoliberal) ideology, an opportunity for spiritual transcendence, savvy entrepreneurship, rugged self-reliance, and exceptional individuality. The tiny house movement\u27s call to embrace thrift as virtuous simplicity, then, encapsulates a recurrent if sublimated critique of capitalism. It cries out against capitalism\u27s commercialism, social isolation, environmental destruction, and the overall misery of life due to overwork and insufficient leisure time. All of these symptoms are worthy of critique. But the tiny house movement\u27s critique is altogether superficial and impoverished. Wedded as it is to a lifestyle politics focused on personal consumption, and thus privileging individual consumer decisions above that of collective political actions, it leaves the root causes of alienation, austerity, and abstract domination – the capitalist mode of production itself – unchallenged. The tiny house movement is thus ultimately more interesting in how it reproduces neoliberal ideology than its desire or capacity to combat it – and how such a sad state of social surrender can so easily be rebranded as a countercultural route to material and spiritual salvation

Islam, Science, and Civilization: Prospect and Challenge for Humanity

This Joint International Seminar Proceeding is intended and aimed at reexploring the values of modern science that have been lost. Considering the current crisis of modern civilization, constructing principles of modern science which are based on divinity and humanity is a must as well as formulating spiritualized framework of modern science. Therefore, this proceeding identifies not only the agenda of modern science and technology which are based on divinity principles but also extensive strategic networks for Islamic science development that are useful for civilization development. Through this proceeding, UIN Walisongo in cooperation with UTM Malaysia performed a civilizational duty to discuss some important topics such as the humanization of science and technology, the unity of sciences for humanity, Muslim contribution to Asian civilization, and science and technology future agenda. The target of this proceeding is to compile strategic formula in the face of prospects and challenges for the efforts to fulfill the divinity values to modern science