Dear Reader,
We are pleased to present the 2011-2012 edition of the newly named journal Policy and Practice, managed and edited by students at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. This year’s journal has been a cross-disciplinary effort involving students from the public policy, public administration, public health, planning, and PhD programs. This approach reflects our belief that none of us alone has the solution to the pressing problems of today’s governments, cities, and organizations. Rather, we must explore all ideas from different viewpoints to develop a better and more comprehensive understanding of these matters.
This year, we are proud to publish a series of student-authored papers exploring what it means to be an urban city in these modern times. Through the lens of urban development, our authors seek to understand the empowerment of immigrants in ethnic enclaves, the role of artists in their local communities, environmental policy, the economic constraints of school districts and hospitals, and clashing community values. Our authors use the laboratory of the city to explore these diverse and dynamic issues.
Through the selections in our journal, we hope to demonstrate of the value of “knowledge in action,” applying theory to the examination of real-world problems and solutions. We believe this compilation of articles will push you to ask important questions when thinking about the economic, social, health, and development issues our country and world face.
This effort would not have been possible without the support of our faculty advisor, Assistant Professor Nicole E. Esparza. We would also like to recognize the efforts of the Director of Communications Jan Peterson and Communications Writer Ben Dimapindan in helping us to publish the journal. Finally, we would like to thank our Senior Editors and Financial and Administrative Co-Chairs for setting up the journal submission process and providing valuable insight regarding the final selection of published articles.
We encourage you to peruse, read, and reflect. The problems we explore in our journal are not easily solved, but we begin the process of finding solutions by asking the right questions. Happy reading and Fight On!
Rebecca Miller, MPA ’12
Managing Editor
Jacquelyn Chou, MPL/MPP student
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Ayesha Hashim, MPP ’12, Ed. Ph.D. candidate
Co-Editor-in-Chief