Civios

Persistent link for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/11299/181310

Public affairs research provides important insights into issues that impact all of us—from urban planning and design to environmental policy and human services. Typically, this research is published in academic journals that are not accessible to people outside of academia. When important policy research is not seen by practitioners, policymakers, and the broader public, we lose the opportunity to inform policy decisions with researched-based information. Civios aims to change that.

An initiative of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Civios offers short and visually engaging digital materials to inform public affairs discussions. These materials translate policy-relevant scholarly research for policymakers, practitioners, and the broader public.

Taking research one step further

In today's digital age, important research often fails to reach its target audiences in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. To address this problem, Civios includes a strategic communication plan to disseminate each research-based "product" developed—whether it is a podcast, mixed media material, or case study—to relevant audiences. Not only does this make Civios a gateway for the research, but it becomes a vehicle for sharing the research far and wide. This targeted distribution produces what we call knowledge networks—or "hubs of influence"—that are most effective for communicating public affairs research in the digital age.

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Browsing Civios by Type "Article"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
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    Criminal Liability Issues Created by Autonomous Vehicles
    (Santa Clara Law Review, 2012-12-13) Douma, Frank; Aue Palodichuk, Sarah
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    The influence of Occupational Licensing and Regulation
    (IZA World of Labor, 2017) Kleiner, Morris M.
    Since the end of World War II, occupational licensing has been one of the fastest growing labor market institutions in the developed world. The economics literature suggests that licensing can influence wage determination, the speed at which workers find employment, pension and health benefits, and prices. Moreover, there is little evidence to show that licensing improves service quality, health, or safety in developed nations. So, why is occupational licensing growing when there are such well-established costs to the public?
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    Legal Accelerators and Brakes for Deployment of Automated Vehicles
    (Springer International Publishing, 2015) Stanley, Karlyn D.; Partridge, Ellen; Douma, Frank
    This chapter will review three questions that prompted significant discussion at the 2014 Symposium on Vehicle Automation sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) as potential accelerators or brakes for deployment of automated vehicles: (1) Where are uniform laws needed? (2) What deployment will come first and will it be evolutionary or revolutionary? (3) How should tests be devised for ratings or certification? Participants in the “Legal Accelerators and Brakes” session noted that the legal environment does not appear to be the obstacle, or “brake” to autonomous vehicle deployment that many fear it will be. Greater uniformity in operational laws, such as tailgating and distracted driving, as well as in safety testing standards, could potentially accelerate deployment. Participants in the session concluded that key privacy and security questions will be informed by legal developments that are not unique to driving.
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    The Legal Obligations, Obstacles, and Opportunities for Automated and Connected Vehicles to Improve Mobility and Access for People Unable to Drive
    (Michigan State Law Review, 2017) Douma, Frank; Lari, Adeel; Andersen, Kory
    In recent decades, several legislative and regulatory mandates, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, “United We Ride” initiative, and Olmstead court decision, have been issued in attempt to improve mobility and access for those who are unable to drive. Yet despite these well-intentioned and continuing efforts, our current transportation system does not fully address these disparities. Self-driving vehicles (SDVs) present an opportunity to address these disparities by providing a level of transportation access for people unable to drive that our current transportation system cannot. Yet, even though nearly every automobile manufacturer and several major technology companies are developing SDVs and related technologies, researchers and policymakers are pointing out that more work is needed if the promise of increased mobility and access is to be fulfilled. For example, the National Council on Disability noted in November 2015 that because of the development pace and “proprietary nature of its engineering,” the explicit details of how designers and manufacturers” are ensuring equitable access for disabled and low-income individuals has nearly been non-existent. This Article will address the legal obligations, opportunities, and obstacles facing SDV technologies in this arena by articulating some of the specific challenges and questions that must be addressed. Questions such as what SDV deployment will look like, rider safety, vehicle design for wheelchair and disabled users, and the evolving role of policymakers in creating opportunities for this population will be discussed. Without answers to these questions, our ability to create an equitable transportation system through SDV technology will be limited.
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    The Limited Prospects for International Tax Cooperation
    (Global Policy, 2017) Kudrle, Robert
    The recent pace of international agreement aimed to reduce tax evasion and avoidance was completely unpredicted prior to the financial crisis. The two targets are often considered to be merely different dimensions of the same problem. This paper argues that the two problems actually involve very different logics, and this holds the key to the prospects for success. The assault on tax evasion confronts a problem that is commonly recognized and admits to amelioration through the increased information sharing that is rapidly, although unevenly, advancing. Attempts to reduce corporate tax avoidance, however, confront ambiguity at every turn. National corporate tax systems differ markedly from each other in rules as well as rates, and agreement necessarily takes place in an ever more competitive international business environment in which national rate and rule setting will remain largely independent. Moreover, increased attention to the international taxation of business seems to have increased rather than dampened unilateral initiatives to advance national gain.
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    Regulating Access to Work in the Gig Labor Market: The Case of Uber
    (W. E. Upjohn Institute, 2017) Kleiner, Morris M.
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    The SDVs Are Coming! An Examination of Minnesota Laws in Preparation for Self-Driving Vehicles
    (Minnesota Journal of Law, Science, and Technology, 2015) Peck, Spencer; Fatehi, Leili; Douma, Frank; Lari, Adeel
    Self-driving vehicles (SDVs) are predicted to be the future of automotive transportation. The significant potential benefits of SDVs to safety, congestion reduction, land use, and productivity are hard to ignore. Although fully automated vehicles are still a ways away, the technology is rapidly advancing and becoming more legally accepted. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires all newly manufactured cars to have at least a low-level of autonomous vehicle technology and suggests widespread adoption of more advanced technology by 2020. Four states and the District of Columbia have some form of legislation expressly allowing SDVs or the testing of such vehicles within state boundaries. In fact, two states—California and Nevada—have even issued comprehensive regulations for both private use and testing of SDVs. Several companies, most notably Google, are aggressively pursuing the technology and advocating for legal changes in support of SDVs. But what does this all mean for Minnesota drivers, laws and lawmakers, and local economies? This Article explores the development of SDVs and related technology and how states have responded to this development as context for more substantive discussion about why and how Minnesota might move to adopt and adapt to this transformative technology. Specifically, this Article will explore how current laws may already permit SDVs and how the law could be, or in some cases must be, modified to authorize testing and use of SDVs in the state. Finally, this Article will describe why SDVs and the related legal changes needed to support their development and adoption can greatly benefit Minnesota’s citizens and economy.
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    Self-Driving Vehicles and Policy Implications: Current Status of Autonomous Vehicle Development and Minnesota Policy Implications
    (Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology, 2015) Leri, Adeel; Douma, Frank; Onyiah, Ify
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    Six Principles for Energy Innovation
    (Nature, 2017-12-07) Chan, Gabriel; Goldstein, Anna P.; Bin-Nun, Amitai; Anadon, Laura Diaz; Narayanamurti, Venkatesh
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    Waiting time perceptions at transit stops and stations: Effects of basic amenities, gender, and security
    (Elsevier, 2016) Fan, Yingling; Guthrie, Andrew; Levinson, David
    Waiting time in transit travel is often perceived negatively and high-amenity stops and stations are becoming increasingly popular as strategies for mitigating transit riders’ aversion to waiting. However, beyond recent evidence that realtime transit arrival information reduces perceived waiting time, there is limited empirical evidence as to which other specific station and stop amenities can effectively influence user perceptions of waiting time. To address this knowledge gap, the authors conducted a passenger survey and video-recorded waiting passengers at different types of transit stops and stations to investigate differences between survey-reported waiting time and video-recorded actual waiting time. Results from the survey and video observations show that the reported wait time on average is about 1.21 times longer than the observed wait time. Regression analysis was employed to explain the variation in riders’ reported waiting time as a function of their objectively observed waiting time, as well as station and stop amenities, weather, time of the day, personal demographics, and trip characteristics. Based on the regression results, most waits at stops with no amenities are perceived at least 1.3 times as long as they actually are. Basic amenities including benches and shelters significantly reduce perceived waiting times. Women waiting for more than 10 min in perceived insecure surroundings report waits as dramatically longer than they really are, and longer than do men in the same situation. The authors recommend a focus on providing basic amenities at stations and stops as broadly as possible in transit systems, and a particular focus on stops on low-frequency routes and in less safe areas for security measures.