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Robert M. La Follette
School of Public Affairs
1225 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Telephone: 608.262.3581
Fax: 608.265.3233

Last updated:
June 25, 2008

Publications: Workshop Reports: 2008

The Public Affairs Workshops are the capstone courses for the La Follette School's two master's degree programs, the Master of International Public Affairs and the Master of Public Affairs. Workshop students gain practical experience applying the tools of political, economic and statistical analysis they acquired during three semesters of coursework. In addressing actual problems faced by clients in the public, non-governmental and private sectors, the students work closely together in teams to produce carefully crafted reports that meet high professional and academic standards. This culminating project is the equivalent of the thesis for a degree from the La Follette School of Public Affairs. The students produce research-based, analytical, evaluative and prescriptive reports for real-world clients who range from municipal government offices to international development organizations. Through these reports, students contribute to the University of Wisconsin-Madison's outreach mission and to the Wisconsin Idea.

style guide for authors

PA 869: Public Affairs Workshop, Domestic Issues

Assistant Professor Susan Yackee

Professor Karen Holden

Retirement Income Security: Hybrid Pension Plans Merit Further Attention
Prepared by Adam Lee, Kate Nast, Grant Sim, and Melissa Swearingen

This report was done at the request of the Chicago field office of the U.S. Government Accountability Office. It investigate whether hybrid pensions might be worthy of further investigation by GAO. The authors review characteristics of traditional defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, describe how hybrid plans combine features of both types, and assess hybrid plans’ advantages and disadvantages for employers and employees. The report shows how few data on hybrid plans are available and concludes with a call for further study by GAO.

Improving Recovery of Recyclable and Reusable Materials in Wisconsin: The Feasibility of a Bottle Bill and Other Policy Options
Prepared for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Waste and Materials Management by Nicholas Bubb, Paul Ferguson, Amy Trostel, and Andrew Turner

This report examines whether a bottle deposit law is a feasible way to increase Wisconsin’s recovery of recyclable beverage containers, which, in turn, benefits the environment. Each of the 11 states with bottle deposit laws has a significantly higher recovery rate than Wisconsin. This report analyzes the most pertinent features a Wisconsin deposit law should have and recommends that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources assess whether recent changes in recycling practices have increased Wisconsin’s recovery rate before pursuing enactment of a deposit law.

Treatment of Juveniles in the Wisconsin Criminal Court System
Prepared for the Wisconsin Joint Legislative Council by Breann Boggs, Bradley Campbell, Justin Martin, and Saul Wolf

Seventeen-year-olds accused of criminal offenses in Wisconsin have been under the jurisdiction of the
adult court system since 1995, when the court system’s treatment of juveniles was changed dramatically.
This report provides evidence that legislators should re-examine Wisconsin laws waiving juveniles into adult court and examines alternatives based on the goals of justice, equity, efficiency, operability, and scientific validity.

Housing Trust Funds and Wisconsin: Funding for Lead Hazard Control
Prepared for Karen Timberlake, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services by Tora Frank, Jennie Mauer, Sean Moran, William Sierzchula, and Kim Zamastil

The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services seeks funding for the rehabilitation of pre-1950 housing as a way to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in this state. The state constitution prohibits using Wisconsin funds for private building improvements. The authors’ analysis examines one option to finance lead hazard control: housing trust funds. The report compares administering a statewide housing trust fund, enabling regional governments to develop their own funds, and working within the confines of the status quo.

Fee-for-Service Medicaid in Wisconsin: An Evaluation of Quality Improvement Initiatives for the Aged, Blind and Disabled
Prepared for the Office of Policy Initiatives and Budget, Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services by Helena Lefkow, Alexis MacDonald, Michael Porter, and Krista Willing

This report examines alternatives for improving the quality of health care provided to the aged, blind, and disabled population in fee-for-service Medicaid in Wisconsin. Options considered include maintaining the status quo, implementing a pay-for-performance system, adopting a primary care case management program, operating a chronic disease management program, and pursuing a combination of primary care and chronic disease management.

The secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Karen Timberlake, seventh from left in red jacket, heard La Follette School students present their recommendations for ways to fund rehabilitation of pre-1950 housing as a way to reduce lead poisoning in children. From left: Social Work graduate student Melissa Renzi; author Tora Frank; state epidemiologist Joseph Schirmer; authors Sean Moran, Will Sierzchula and Jennie Mauer; DHFS Secretary Karen Timberlake; author Kim Zamastil; DHFS Wisconsin Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Manager Margie Joosse Coons; DHFS Public Health Educator Steve Anholt; DHFS Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health Director Chuck Warzecha; and DHFS Division of Public Health Deputy Administrator Tom Sieger.

sample reference list for authors

PA 860: Public Affairs Workshop, International Issues

Professor Melanie Manion

Deconstructing Iranian Speech: A Strategic Culture Analysis
Prepared for a select group of U.S. government agencies interested in developments in the Middle East by Mikaela DeGroot, Eliot Elzinga, Todd Kowalewski, Katie Miskell, Corey Palmer-Rehorst, and Patti Reis

Within a strategic culture framework, the authors use an original data set to measure the extent to which Iranian cultural elements inform Iranian policymakers’ perceptions of the United States. The report includes information on data collection and coding, three types of analyses used, and implications of the authors’ findings for American policymakers.

Improving the Quality of Education in Bangladesh
Prepared for Dr. John Richards, Bangladesh Government Advisory Group on Primary Education by Samuel Austin, William Harford, Andria Hayes-Birchler, Sina Javaherian, Ometere Omoluabi, and Yoshifumi Tokushige

This project addresses the quality of primary education in Bangladesh. The client initially suggested three policy areas: student testing linked to teacher salary, decentralization of school management, and the hiring of tutors to work in classrooms. Using this framework, the authors develop concrete pilot projects, assess them across several criteria, and recommend the classroom tutor policy.

Learning from China’s Innovations in Environmental Regulatory Policy
Prepared for the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance by April Goodwin, Ben Jones,
Kavan Kucko, Marianna Smirnova, and Carrie Traud

Responding to severe pollution problems, China has developed new environmental regulations that restrict access to credit, the stock market, and export licenses. These policies (among others) leverage the market to punish polluters and promote environmental responsibility. This report provides the first thorough examination of these policies and the factors that will influence their potential success.

PA 869: Public Affairs Workshop, Domestic Issues

Assistant Professor Susan Yackee

Unemployment Compensation in Milwaukee: Evaluating and Improving Cost Management
Prepared for the City of Milwaukee Budget and Management Division, Department of Administration by Joe Fontaine, Jeanette Fuentes, David Stepien, and Elizabeth Zeman

This report assesses whether and how the City of Milwaukee could improve its Unemployment Compensation cost control and management by analyzing the city’s costs and administrative practices and evaluating the findings against the costs and practices of six comparable cities. The authors recommend that Milwaukee strengthen working relationships between central administrators and operating departments, establish benchmarks for tracking and evaluating Unemployment Compensation outcomes, and improve data collection.

City of Milwaukee: Distributive Impacts of a Local Vehicle Registration Fee
Prepared for the City of Milwaukee, Department of Administration, Budget and Management Division by Elizabeth Drilias, Natalie Feggestad, Brenda R. Mayrack, Jacob Miller, and Michael Rodriguez

This project determines how vehicle owners in the City of Milwaukee would be affected by a municipal vehicle registration fee in addition to the state vehicle registration fee, with
attention to the regressive nature of such a fee. The analysis considers geographic area, income, property ownership (renters versus owners), and number of cars per household.

Workers Compensation Program Improvements: Managing Workplace Safety and Costs
Prepared for The City of Milwaukee Division of Budget and Management, Department of Administration by Carissa DeCramer, Jocelyn Gibert, Kathryn Reif, Elijah Sheehan

The City of Milwaukee would like to identify management practices to increase workplace safety and reduce Workers Compensation costs. The authors identify promising practices in six comparable municipalities and evaluated these practices based on these performance management criteria: accountability, communication flow, incentives, benchmarks, and innovations.

PDF of summaries for 2008