Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Fitzgerald, Keith

Area of Concentration

Political Science

Abstract

A few sources suggest that the spread of diversion programs and/or veterans courts may be explained by policy "diffusion" (Baum 2011, 117; Baldwin 2013, 204; Dorf and Fagan 2003, 1501-1502), a political science theory (Berry and Berry 2014, 310). Accordingly, this thesis provides a fairly comprehensive test of the applicability of policy diffusion theory to the spread of veterans courts in the State of Florida. First, it finds, based on scholarly discussions of this topic (Weyland 2006, 18-21; Starke 2013, 565-568), that Floridian veterans courts offer significant descriptive evidence of diffusion. Next, this thesis finds very convincing anecdotal evidence of diffusion (see Klein n.d., par. 9; Klein 2014; Vietnam Veterans of America Florida State Council 2014a; Vietnam Veterans of America Florida State Council 2014b). Finally, this thesis finds quantitative support for "'horizontal' diffusion" (Berry and Berry 2007, 231), but it finds no support for "vertical influence" (Berry and Berry 2007, 231). These findings are qualified by some data limitations, but overall, this thesis does find strong support for diffusion with at least the anecdotal evidence being fairly convincing (see Klein n.d., par. 9; Klein 2014; Vietnam Veterans of America Florida State Council 2014a).

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