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All Together Now? The Impacts of the Government's Coronavirus Income Support Schemes Across the Age Distribution
From the Summary: "In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Government introduced three policies to directly protect household incomes: the coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (JRS), the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), and a significant boost to social security benefits. These are estimated to cost £71.5 billion in the current financial year, more than the government spending on Defence and Public Order and Safety in the previous year. This note looks at how that financial support has been distributed across people from different age groups during the first months of the crisis. This is of interest both to help us understand the distributional impacts of the Government's policy decisions, but also because it gives us an indication to who might be financially at risk when the schemes come to an end."
Resolution Foundation
Brewer, Mike, 1975-; Handscomb, Karl
2020-09
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Under Water: How Big Will the Negative Equity Crisis Be, and Who is at Risk, in the Aftermath of the Coronavirus Crisis?
From the Summary: "Despite the apparent resilience of the housing market so far during the coronavirus crisis, there is a significant risk of large falls in house prices. However, available data suggests the unprecedented economic shock triggered by the coronavirus crisis has so far been associated with small rises in house prices. Indeed, the Halifax house price index increased by 3.8 per cent in the year to July 2020, taking the average house price in July to an all-time high on that measure. A key reason for this is this is likely to be the relatively small rise in unemployment in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak. This situation is very unlikely to continue, given the expected rise in unemployment: all recessions we have data for have led to falls in house prices. And in contrast to past recessions, during which the Bank of England has cut interest rates by an average of 5 percentage points, there is little scope for prices to be boosted by interest rate cuts, with policy rates close to zero. Reflecting these housing-market fundamentals, the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) has forecast a fall in house prices of 8 per cent in its 'central' scenario and up to 16 per cent in its 'downside' scenario."
Resolution Foundation
Gustafsson, Maja
2020-09
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Widening the Training Pipeline: Are Warrant Officer Instructor Pilots the Best Solution to Increase Pilot Production?
From the Abstract: "The United States Air Force is struggling to cope with a worldwide pilot shortage that has left the service over 2,000 pilots short of what is needed to fully man its squadrons. With pilot retention declining in a time of unprecedented airline hiring, the service is desperately trying to find ways to increase pilot production. To recover from the current shortage, the Air Force has determined it needs to increase annual production from 1,200 to 1,600 pilots per year. Despite identifying a need for increased production, the service has yet to identify a clear method to accomplish this task. A 33 percent increase of students will necessitate an increase of undergraduate pilot training (UPT) instructors; where the Air Force intends to find additional instructors given the current pilot shortage is unclear. This research paper seeks to fill this gap in knowledge by answering the question, are warrant officers the best solution to increase UPT instructor manning to achieve the overarching goal of producing 1,600 pilots per year? To answer the question, this study used a problem/solution framework to compare four methods of increasing pilot production: warrant officer UPT instructors, contracted civilian UPT instructors, increasing the number of first assignment instructor pilots, and timeline reductions via the Pilot Training Next program. The four methods were assessed against five criteria: timeliness of implementation, personnel cost savings, training squadron manning stability, impact on operational squadron manning, and quality of training."
Air University (U.S.). Air Command and Staff College
Ewing, Aaron R.
2020-09
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Telecommunications: FCC Should Take Action to Better Manage Persistent Fraud Risks in the Schools and Libraries Program, Report to the Chairman, Committee on the Budget, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "In 2017, the FCC's [Federal Communications Commission] Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported that FCC's ability to deter and detect alleged E-rate program fraud has been severely limited since the program's inception due to a lack of certain controls. Also, as recently as February 2020, a number of E-rate program participants pled guilty to defrauding the program by billing for equipment and services that were not provided, and obtaining more than $2.6 million in program funds to which they were not entitled. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review fraud risk management in the E-rate program. This report addresses: (1) the E-rate program's key fraud risks; (2) the extent to which FCC and USAC [Universal Service Administrative Company] are managing fraud risks in accordance with leading practices; and (3) the extent to which FCC and USAC face challenges in effectively employing data analytics to support fraud risk management activities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
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Public Health Preparedness: Information on the Use of Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers During Emergencies, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The Medical Reserve Corps consists of health care volunteers--medical and public health professionals--who donate their time to help strengthen a response to public health emergencies and build community resilience. These volunteers prepare for and respond to public health emergencies, which may include natural disasters--such as hurricanes and wildfires--as well as disease outbreaks, whether intentional or natural. The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review states' use of health care volunteers during public health emergencies. This report describes (1) the number and type of Medical Reserve Corps volunteers; (2) the types of public health emergencies volunteers have participated in; and (3) how HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] has assisted in developing volunteer capabilities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
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Resonating Narratives: The Scale of Islamist and Far-Right Extremism Among British Young People
From the Foreword: "Counter-extremism is heavily politicised. For years, leading politicians have failed to engage constructively, shying away from tackling divisive groups head on. But the rise in identity politics should not stop us from making greater efforts to bridge divides and identify and root out those seeking to damage the social fabric of our communities. In 2020, governments across the world have had to deal with the unprecedented health and economic challenges posed by the spread of Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. While the priority of every government at the moment should be to protect lives and the economy by building in the necessary infrastructure to live with the virus as we wait for a vaccine, let us not forget that the problems that existed before Covid-19 will continue to exist afterwards. If anything, Covid-19 will only exacerbate the problems that were there before."
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
Ariza, Cristina; Alvis, Sam
2020-09
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Digital Technology in Social Assistance Transfers for COVID-19 Relief: Lessons from Selected Cases
From the Abstract: "Many countries have launched unprecedented relief packages to cushion the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. This short review considers some initial lessons emerging from selected countries around the use of digital technology to implement these government-to-people (G2P) social transfer programs. Information is still limited on how well the programs have functioned; in particular, there is a dearth of rapid demand-side survey evidence on the experience of beneficiaries receiving transfers and the likely magnitudes of inclusion and exclusion errors. Nevertheless, the emerging picture provides some indications of how investments in digital systems and their deployment along the social transfer value chain have been facilitating the response. Lessons from the COVID-19- related scale-up of social assistance can be harnessed by developing countries to rethink and strengthen the architecture of social protection systems in the future."
Center for Global Development
Gelb, Alan; Mukherjee, Anit, 1972-
2020-09
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Evolving Consequences of the Coronavirus 'Infodemic': How Viral False Coronavirus-Related Information Affects People and Societies Across the World
From the Document: "As the coronavirus outbreak continues to increase in severity, the volume of information regarding the virus has been growing. In February 2020, as the disease began to take hold across the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that it had been accompanied by an 'infodemic' - 'an over-abundance of information - some accurate and some not - that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it'. At the same time, people are worried about their own health, the wellbeing of relatives and the (financial, economic and societal) repercussions of the pandemic. Changing knowledge about the virus has also resulted in sometimes confusing guidelines. Moreover, there has been uncertainty about the appropriateness of government action as well as questions about the role of the WHO itself. All this has led to confusion over what is truth and what is fiction and, as many people are especially emotionally vulnerable during the pandemic, has also made many more susceptible to online false information, including false rumours and conspiracy theories spread unknowingly by people who mean well; online or phone scams that exploit people's emotional vulnerabilities, hoaxes claiming to offer a cure to the virus, as well as disinformation spread by malign actors."
European Parliament. European Parliamentary Research Service
Bentzen, Naja; Smith, Thomas
2020-09
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China Task Force Report
From the Methodology: "The China Task Force (CTF) conducted an expansive survey of U.S. interests relating to the People's Republic of China, to clarify the scale and urgency of the threat of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) global malign behavior and develop a specific and actionable response plan. A summary of its recommendations can be found in Appendix I. The CTF conducted briefings with current and former administration officials on both sides of the aisle, business executives, Ambassadors, and various outside experts. In total, the CTF met with more than 130 leaders in over 60 engagements to gather information, learn about their perspectives and ask questions. The 15 Members of the China Task Force represented 11 committees in the U.S. House of Representatives. Their diverse experience ensured the China Task Force could best address this multi-faceted challenge. The Members were assigned to six pillars to address the various aspects of the China Challenge: Ideological Competition, Supply Chain Security, National Security, Technology, Economics & Energy, and Competitiveness. [...] The CTF's overall goal was to use the information gathered to assemble a comprehensive report and action plan to illustrate to the American public how Congress and the Administration can best address the growing dangers of the CCP."
United States. Congress. House
2020-09
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United States: Federal and State Executive Responses to COVID-19
From the Summary: "The executive branches of federal and state governments in the United States have authority to enact rules and regulations designed to implement, enforce, and carry out laws passed by Congress. The executive branch generally relies on government agencies to perform these actions. Typically, the process is lengthy, including time for public comment and congressional oversight. Under certain circumstances, however, exceptions can apply to the process, allowing agencies to act immediately, lawfully bypassing normally longer regulatory procedures. Although emergency rulemaking has been used in response to previous emergent situations, the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has resulted in emergency rulemaking affecting every jurisdiction in the United States. The functional effects of emergency rulemaking are wide-ranging and can be contentious. The nature of emergency rulemaking creates difficulties for oversight at both the federal and state level. The rules and regulations enacted under the emergency framework will shape current and future generations as the United States begins to recover from COVID-19's economic and societal impacts."
Law Library of Congress (U.S.)
Price, Anna; Myers, Louis
2020-09
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IASC Key Protection Advocacy Messages-COVID-19: IASC Results Group 3 on Collective Advocacy
From the Document: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic is exacerbating protection concerns in humanitarian crises and exposing vulnerable populations to new threats. Protection clusters are reporting an increase in cases of violence, including a 'shadow pandemic' of Gender Based violence (GBV), forced displacement, a rise in xenophobia and stigmatization, alongside discrimination in access to health, food, water, education and legal services for vulnerable and marginalized groups. In the face of the largest economic shock the world has experienced in decades, some of the most vulnerable communities are now forced to resort to adverse survival strategies, with limited safe alternatives. The following messages are based on protection concerns reported through the national protection clusters. Their objective is to inform on key protection issues related to or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and to suggest how these protection issues could be addressed through collective advocacy."
Inter-Agency Standing Committee
2020-09
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Supporting Weight Management Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Phase 1 Insights
From the Executive Summary: "Societal changes required to manage the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may have inadvertently promoted weight gain, due to the adverse impact on socio-economics, psychological health, and the resulting metabolic impact of elevated stress, emotional eating and physical inactivity. Evidence on the impact of COVID-19 has rapidly accumulated, to demonstrate that people living with obesity are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 infection. It is therefore important to understand what is happening in terms of weight management practice to develop local and national thinking. This project will explore the impact of the COVID-19 upon the provision of tier 2 and 3 weight management services (WMS) in England during the lockdown period (phase I; March-June 2020); and determine what needs to happen in the future (phase II; September-November 2020). This report documents findings from phase I."
Public Health England
Ells, Louisa J.; Radley, Duncan; Matu, Jamie . . .
2020-09
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Medical Surveillance Monthly Report (MSMR) (Volume 27, Number 9)
This edition of MSMR [Medical Surveillance Monthly Report] contains the following articles: "Update: Routine Screening for Antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Civilian Applicants for U.S. Military Service and U.S. Armed Forces, Active and Reserve Components, January 2015-June 2020"; "Incidence of Inguinal Hernia and Repair Procedures and Rate of Subsequent Pain Diagnoses, Active Component Service Members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2010-2019"; and "Surveillance of Spotted Fever Rickettsioses at Army Installations in the U.S. Central and Atlantic Regions, 2012-2018."
Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (U.S.)
2020-09
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What's at Stake: Economic Justice
From the Document: "Courts are often the last resort for Americans who have been injured by a defective product, defrauded by a big bank, or wrongly fired by an employer. Access to the courts and a trial by jury are so fundamental to our democratic system that they were a leading cause of the American Revolution and are enshrined in the Constitution's Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial in civil cases. James Madison called the right to trial by jury in civil cases, 'as essential to secure the liberty of the people as any one of the pre-existent rights of nature.' Today, fair access to courts remains vital to achieving economic justice and equality in this country. Not surprisingly, big corporations and special interests hate the prospect of being held accountable in court and have waged a decades-long campaign in Congress and the courts for laws and procedural rules that limit the American people's ability to hold them liable for malfeasance."
United States. Congress. Senate. Democratic Policy Committee
Warren, Elizabeth; Stabenow, Debbie; Whitehouse, Sheldon, 1955- . . .
2020-09
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Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Strategic Outlook
From the Executive Summary: "Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a pervasive security threat to U.S. national interests. By undermining international agreements and fisheries conservation measures, IUU fishing jeopardizes global food security, with pronounced destabilizing effects on vulnerable coastal States. IUU fishing robs legal fishers of their livelihoods, endangering the economic security of all nations with a maritime boundary. Industrial scale fishing vessels deployed by irresponsible and aggressive flag States can increase geo‐political tensions, undermining the rights of nations to exercise their sovereignty and benefit from their economic resources. A lack of accountability by these flag States to enforce responsible maritime behavior on their fleets further enables illegal fishing actors to violate international rules-based order and opens the door to transnational criminal organizations to use profits from IUU fishing to monetize a suite of other illegal activities."
United States. Coast Guard
2020-09
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U.S.-China Relations in the Age of COVID-19: Politics, Polemics and Pandemic Response Measures: A Collection of Individual Analyses on the History and Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic
From the Foreword: "Given the expanding significance of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] around the world, ICAS [Institute for China-America Studies] has dedicated much of its recent research efforts to understanding and debating the impact of the coronavirus on U.S.-China relations. Beginning in late February, ICAS researchers began developing a living database in order to track developments in the coverage and response by global actors, both government and private, with a focus on perspectives in the West. Reams of data was pulled together through research of over 190 Western public and private sector responses, typically beginning with online media sources, starting with the coronavirus' outbreak from December 1, 2019 to the present. The team continued updating this database and developed a second database focusing on Chinese coverage and responses, looking at similar sectors as a comparative focus of study. ICAS has released a series of commentaries relevant to the COVID-19, each of which is accompanied by its own interactive map. [...] This ICAS Report is a compilation of the ICAS research team's effort over the past half-year to spotlight and provide multiple perspectives on U.S. and Chinese interactions and responses to the pandemic."
Institute for China-America Studies
Hong, Nong; Gupta, Sourabh; Geraci, Matt . . .
2020-09
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COVID and Free Speech: The Impact of COVID-19 and Ensuing Measures on Freedom of Expression in Council of Europe Member States
From the Document: "The coronavirus pandemic constitutes an unprecedented and global crisis, which has forced Council of Europe member states to take extraordinary measures on the basis of constantly evolving and sometimes conflicting insights and information. The news media have played an important role in providing information about COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and associated measures, and news consumption has increased drastically. At the same time, the crisis has amplified important pre-existing challenges to free expression. The steady deterioration of freedom of expression across Europe in the recent years has weakened member states' resilience in the face of the crisis and must be addressed. The success of efforts to contain the spread of the virus is largely dependent on access to accurate, reliable, diverse and timely information by all - public authorities, media, medical and other technical staff and, equally important, the population. A free and pluralistic public debate is crucial for the public's understanding of the situation and for their ability to make informed decisions, limit rumours, recognise disinformation and foster solidarity and trust in measures taken to address the crisis."
Council of Europe
Noorlander, Peter
2020-09?
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Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers: OPTOLANE Technologies, Inc., Kaira 2019-nCoV Detection Kit
From the Document: "This Fact Sheet informs you of the significant known and potential risks and benefits of the emergency use of the Kaira 2019-nCoV [novel coronavirus] Detection Kit. The Kaira 2019-nCoV Detection Kit is authorized for use with respiratory specimens collected from individuals suspected of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] by their healthcare provider."
United States. Food and Drug Administration
2020-09-01
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Catch-22: Relations Between Labor Unions and Management in Public Safety
From the Thesis Abstract: "In the United States, a small portion of firefighters are responsible for fire and emergency responses for a large segment of the population. Many of those firefighters are members of a labor union; in states that allow collective bargaining, the unions hold significant legal protections in regard to contract negotiations, job protection, and working conditions. The relationship between the firefighters' unions and the government entities that employ their members can bring about positive collaboration or costly, ongoing battles that negatively impact services. Those who oppose unions point to the associated costs and the considerable sway unions hold over elected officials. Union activists, however, point to the job protections and benefits that unions negotiate and the continued need for employees to have a collective voice. In places where public sector unions are allowed, labor and management must find a way to relate to each other in a manner that is fair and equitable to the union membership but that also ensures services provided to citizens are effective and efficient. This thesis concludes that collaboration and pursuit of shared interests benefit both labor and management, and acting outside of the legal frameworks of a unionized workforce is counterproductive and exacerbates the problem. Labor unrest drives costs through legal action and can reduce the level of service provided to taxpayers."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Dudek, Matthew
2020-09
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Gods Versus Titans: Ideological Indicators of Identitarian Violence
From the Thesis Abstract: "The identitarian movement is a complex socio-political worldview based on the notion that the European identity must be defended against the onslaught of globalism, replacement, and liberalism. In order to arm current and future identitarians with the courage and resolve they must have to fight this war, identitarian leadership has built a culture of violence founded on ancient heroes, epic battles, and wars between gods and Titans. In some cases, the culture of violence moves from the realm of allusion to the real world, where scores of innocents are murdered in churches, stores, and summer camps. This thesis applies the theory of sensemaking to identitarianism in a series of lenses through which adherents perceive, construct, and then react to the world. The identitarian culture of violence is found in the positioning of each lens, with violence ultimately becoming a lens unto itself. By studying and understanding the various lenses used by identitarians, U.S. law enforcement will be equipped to seek out and identify markers of identitarian violence and intercede before more lives are lost."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Adamczyk, Christopher J.
2020-09
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How Can Architecture Make Communities and Urban Environments More Resilient to Disease?
From the Thesis Abstract: "The thesis outlines a series of risk factors that will increase the frequency and intensity of disease outbreaks in the years to come. As COVID-19 has shown, an outbreak can occur at any time. Architecture can be an agent to help reduce the risk. By creating spaces that prioritize health-giving attributes--through the circulation of airflow, spatial design, biophilic elements, natural light, and selection of the right building materials--architecture can be built for healing, and to support infection control. In the 19th century, cities like London and New York implemented housing reforms to improve the living conditions in tenements and other dwellings. Back then, the incorporation of light, nature, and airflow into a building's design was seen as a prescription for disease. In recent years, a growing body of research is confirming what the architects and planners from the past deduced from theory and intuition: that the built environment can promote health and well-being, and reduce the public's exposure to such respiratory infections as tuberculosis and COVID-19. Organizations like Mass Design Group and Archive Global have been applying lessons from the past to design spaces of the present with health-giving intent. This thesis examines their work, along with their core strategies. Ultimately, this thesis advances a prescriptive model to shape the built environment to make it healthier and more resilient, and to reimagine how spaces function and operate."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Garofalo, Jeffrey A.
2020-09
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Defending American Democracy in the Post-Truth Age: A Roadmap to a Whole-Of-Society Approach
From the Thesis Abstract: "False narratives increasingly threaten U.S. democratic society and evolving adversaries and technology are making it more difficult for authorities and the public to differentiate between fact, opinion, and falsehoods. Despite experts proposing a variety of recommendations to mitigate this threat, the United States does not have a national-level strategy in place to combat deceptive messaging in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The author analyzed over 170 recommendations for a U.S. strategy and found that many of them hinge on broad coordination between all U.S. stakeholders, which includes, but is not limited to, all levels of government, private sector, academia, media, and civil society. To identify how the United States can achieve the coordination needed to combat deceptive messaging, the author conducted a case study of the role of coordination in the European Union (EU) response to disinformation and an assessment of collective impact, a cross-sector coordination method used for complex social problems, for use in the United States. The conclusions of the case study and assessment endorse U.S. government practitioners to use collective impact and components of existing practices in the EU response to disinformation to build a coordinated national strategy to challenge those who wish to harm American democracy and U.S. interests via cyber-based deceptive messaging."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Mason, Katelyn M.
2020-09
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Disasters, Finances, Nutrients, and Climate Change: A Case for Waterless Sanitation Systems
From the Thesis Abstract: "The practice of sewering (transporting with underground pipes) human excreta began in the mid-1800s and propelled the United States into the current wastewater paradigm. Water is the key element of wastewater conveyance, treatment, and disposal/reuse systems. Although this process has arguably improved quality of life, extending it to manage human excreta with water is becoming problematic due to water's increasing scarcity, mounting costs, contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, and deleterious environmental effects. This thesis sought to answer the following central research question: To what extent would an alternative means of managing human excreta benefit homeland security? Through appreciative inquiry and structured interviews with human subjects, research revealed that a method known as container-based sanitation has applications in multiple contexts. Container-based sanitation is rapidly deployable, scalable, and can be used in any situation in which traditional wastewater systems are nonoperable or nonexistent, such as disaster recovery, homelessness, and temporary encampments such as refugee camps or military bases."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Smith, Ryan A.
2020-09
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Hidden Impact of COVID-19 on Child Rights
From the Executive Summary: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has spread rapidly within and between countries across the globe. Governments worldwide have implemented measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 including school closures, home isolation/quarantine and community lockdown, all of which have secondary impacts on children and their households. Save the Children launched a global research study to generate rigorous evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic and measures implemented to mitigate it are impacting children's health, nutrition, learning, well-being, protection, family finances and poverty, and to identify children's and their family needs during these times. [...] The results presented in this report focus on implications for Child Rights, drawing on data from our representative sample of 17,565 parents/caregivers and 8,069 children in our programme participants group."
Save the Children (U.S.)
Dulieu, Nicole; Burgess, Melissa; Orlassino, Chiara . . .
2020-09
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Hidden Impact of COVID-19 on Child Protection and Wellbeing
From the Executive Summary: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has spread rapidly within and between countries across the globe. Governments worldwide have implemented measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 including school closures, home isolation/quarantine and community lockdown, all of which have secondary impacts on children and their households. Save the Children launched a global research study to generate rigorous evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic and measures implemented to mitigate it are impacting children's health, nutrition, learning, well-being, protection, family finances and poverty, and identify children's and their family needs during these times. The research also captures children's views and messages for leaders and other children."
Save the Children (U.S.)
Ritz, Daniela; O'Hare, Georgina; Burgess, Melissa . . .
2020-09
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Key to Lawful Access: An Analysis of the Alternatives Offered in the Encryption Debate
From the Thesis Abstract: "This thesis examines the lawful access challenge that law enforcement and intelligence agencies face when seeking to obtain communications and mobile electronic devices that cannot be penetrated and that include strong encryption protocols. This encrypted data is inaccessible despite government agencies holding court-approved search warrants and wiretap orders authorizing access. Technology companies, cryptographers, and privacy advocates have argued for years that allowing such lawful access for government agencies will leave Americans' personal information vulnerable to cyber criminals and nation-state adversaries. These groups have offered alternatives to lawful access, which they argue can stand in lieu of the lawful access government agencies argue should be mandated. This thesis uses a policy options analysis to evaluate the viability of these alternatives to mandated lawful access. This thesis explores law enforcement and intelligence agencies' need for access to encrypted data through a review of incidents in which access proved fruitful and incidents in which lack of access was detrimental to public safety, homeland and national security, criminal investigations, etc. This thesis finds that the alternatives offered in place of lawful access are not adequate in ensuring government agencies are able to fulfill their law enforcement and intelligence missions."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Mack, William R.
2020-09
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Trolls or Threats? Challenges of Alt-Right Extremism to Local Law Enforcement
From the Thesis Abstract: "The alt-right subculture is a relatively new component of online right-wing extremism. Because it is dissimilar from older white nationalist movements and has a perplexing style of communication, the media and public discourse incoherently and inconsistently frame the movement. Due to a lack of consistent background information on the movement, local law enforcement executives have found themselves underprepared for alt-right gatherings in their jurisdictions. This thesis provides agencies with guidance on the alt-right, including a discussion of existing theories of recruitment, self-recruitment, and the acerbic culture. The thesis also provides a comparative case study of mass casualty incidents perpetrated by individuals who openly espoused ideologies linked to the alt-right and movements with significant overlap, such as the manosphere. Finally, based on the theoretical and case study comparative analyses, this thesis concludes that although the movement's popularity is declining, the alt-right remains a threat to homeland security and the ideologies behind it are likely to subsist under another name."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bobin, Jonathan M.
2020-09
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Perfect Storm: Climate-Induced Migration to the United States
From the Thesis Abstract: "From the Mariel boatlift in the 1980s to the recent mass migration of familial units from the Northern Triangle in 2019, the United States has consistently been unprepared to handle mass migration events. With the world approximately 1.0°C warmer than pre-industrial levels, climatic-driven migration events will now challenge the U.S. borders. This thesis explores how the United States might prepare to handle cross-border climate change-induced migration from a homeland security perspective. Using the research methodology of scenario planning, this study assesses the many ways the future might unfold by focusing on intersecting global megatrends and an array of global warming projections in the year 2050. As a result, this thesis finds that regardless of how the world chooses to combat global warming in the coming decades, migration will continue. If the United States is to prepare for such a future, regional agreements and national legislation will be necessary. In turn, if leveraged correctly, climate migrants can help the United States compete with future emerging economies. This thesis ultimately concludes that a proactive approach to cross-border climate change-induced migration might not only benefit climate migrants but also the future resiliency of United States well into the mid-century."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Wright, Katelin M.
2020-09
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Modeling for Success: Strengthening Homeland Security Through Vocational-Based Offender Programming
From the Thesis Abstract: "Incarceration rates in the United States are among some of the highest in the world, and offenders' returning to confinement is an issue that needs reform. Correctional agencies need to identify programs to prepare offenders for a better chance at a successful reintegration into society. While many methods attempt to reduce recidivism, research shows that unemployed offenders are overwhelmingly more likely to return to prison than offenders who obtain stable, living-wage jobs with advancement opportunities. This thesis investigated vocational-based programs for offenders to identify best practices and potential gaps, as well as program components that support offender success through job skill training. The research methodology consisted of a literature review, qualitative analysis, and a local case study of the Michigan Department of Corrections' Vocational Village program. Because the research uncovered very little information and data for vocational-based training for offenders, this thesis attempted to fill that gap by constructing a conceptual model for vocational program development that starts with a mission statement and ends with continuous program improvement. Using the information contained within this thesis, agencies might construct a tailored model or framework for instituting a vocational-based program."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Travelbee, Brently C.
2020-09
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Lone Actor Terrorists: The Performance of Hegemonic Masculinity Through Acts of Violence
From the Thesis Abstract: "As the United States faces the threat of lone actor terrorism, researchers have struggled to reach a consensus on how to profile these actors and fully understand causation and motivation. The media frequently report attackers' histories of gender-based violence; however, there is a lack of gendered analysis of lone actor terrorism. This thesis explores the role of gender-based violence and hegemonic masculinity in the radicalization and attacks carried out in the United States by post-9/11 lone actor terrorists. It finds that a majority of the attackers experienced stressors related to the performance of hegemonic masculinity, a culturally constructed set of norms that values dominance and accomplishment in terms of wealth, heterosexual romantic partners, and control. This thesis explores these stressors as identity threats in the context of social identity theory. In the absence of group dynamics, it connects referent informational influence to social identity theory concepts and radicalization models for lone actor terrorists. This thesis presents a thematic diagram that coalesces social identity theory with lone actor terrorism, radicalization, and studies of hegemonic masculinity. Furthermore, this thesis finds that collecting data on gender-based violence will be critical to understanding lone actor terrorism and violence prevention strategies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Windisch, Beth
2020-09
