Ramona Sue McNeal

Ramona Sue McNealDr. Ramona McNeal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Northern Iowa. Her chief research interests include e-government, telehealth, campaign finance reform and telecommunications policy. She also studies the impact of technology on participation, including its relationship to voting, elections, and public opinion. She has published work in a number of journals including Journal of Information Technology & Politics, Social Science Quarterly, Policy Studies Journal, Public Administration Review, Political Research Quarterly and State Politics and Policy Quarterly. She is a co-author of Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society and Participation (MIT Press, 2007) with Karen Mossberger and Caroline Tolbert.

Publications

Affordability and State Support for Higher Education
Affordability and State Support for Higher Education
Ramona Sue McNeal, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan, Mary Schmeida. © 2023. 19 pages.
The COVID-19 pandemic has helped to accelerate an already declining rate in college enrollment in the U.S. tuition, and college fees have continued to outpace inflation, pricing...
Variation in State-Level Response to School Shootings
Variation in State-Level Response to School Shootings
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan. © 2021. 25 pages.
Historically, public demand for gun control in the U.S. spikes after a mass shooting, only to wane in the proceeding months. One consequence has been limited or no changes to...
State-Level Policy Response to Mass Shootings: A Timeseries Analysis
State-Level Policy Response to Mass Shootings: A Timeseries Analysis
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan, Susan M. Kunkle. © 2020. 21 pages.
Recent mass shootings including Charleston, SC; Chattanooga, TN; Chardon, OH; Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA; and San Bernardino, California, have resulted in public outcry for...
Long-Term Care Spending Relevant to U.S. Medicaid Expansion: Medicaid Long-Term Care Spending
Long-Term Care Spending Relevant to U.S. Medicaid Expansion: Medicaid Long-Term Care Spending
Mary Schmeida, Ramona Sue McNeal. © 2019. 25 pages.
The U.S. population is living longer, placing a demand on long-term care services. In the U.S., Medicaid is the primary player in funding costly long-term care for the aged poor....
Digital Paranoia: Unfriendly Social Media Climate Affecting Social Networking Activities
Digital Paranoia: Unfriendly Social Media Climate Affecting Social Networking Activities
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida. © 2019. 18 pages.
Participation in social networks, forums, and other discussion groups is a growing trend in the United States. Aside from the benefits of online social media, there is a growing...
Presidential Elections Web 2.0
Presidential Elections Web 2.0
Ramona Sue McNeal, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan. © 2019. 10 pages.
Has social media changed voter participation in presidential campaigns? Prior research has found that advances in social media has resulted in candidates focusing more on the...
Smartphones and Their Increased Importance in U.S. Presidential Elections
Smartphones and Their Increased Importance in U.S. Presidential Elections
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan. © 2019. 21 pages.
Early researchers had predicted that the Internet might help to encourage political participation through its ability to make political information more accessible....
Digital Paranoia: Unfriendly Social Media Climate Affecting Social Networking Activities
Digital Paranoia: Unfriendly Social Media Climate Affecting Social Networking Activities
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida. © 2019. 18 pages.
Participation in social networks, forums, and other discussion groups is a growing trend in the United States. Aside from the benefits of online social media, there is a growing...
Presidential Elections Web 2.0
Presidential Elections Web 2.0
Ramona Sue McNeal, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan. © 2018. 9 pages.
Has social media changed voter participation in presidential campaigns? Prior research has found that advances in social media has resulted in candidates focusing more on the...
Long-Term Care Spending Relevant to U.S. Medicaid Expansion: Medicaid Long-Term Care Spending
Long-Term Care Spending Relevant to U.S. Medicaid Expansion: Medicaid Long-Term Care Spending
Mary Schmeida, Ramona Sue McNeal. © 2018. 25 pages.
The U.S. population is living longer, placing a demand on long-term care services. In the U.S., Medicaid is the primary player in funding costly long-term care for the aged poor....
The E-Government Surveillance in the United States: Public Opinion on Government Wiretapping Powers
The E-Government Surveillance in the United States: Public Opinion on Government Wiretapping Powers
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida, Justin Holmes. © 2017. 23 pages.
Since the 2001 U.S. Patriot Act passed in response to the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., government wiretapping powers have evolved in scope and practice. Although overall...
U.S. Public Support to Climate Change Initiatives?: Setting Stricter Carbon Dioxide Emission Limits on Power Plants
U.S. Public Support to Climate Change Initiatives?: Setting Stricter Carbon Dioxide Emission Limits on Power Plants
Mary Schmeida, Ramona Sue McNeal. © 2017. 20 pages.
The Obama Administration Climate Action Plan is enforcing goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2020, regulating both stationary and mobile sources of...
State-Level Cyberbullying Policy: Variations in Containing a Digital Problem
State-Level Cyberbullying Policy: Variations in Containing a Digital Problem
Ramona Sue McNeal, Susan M. Kunkle, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan. © 2017. 21 pages.
Cyberbullying is the use of information technology to deliberately hurt, taunt, threaten or intimidate someone. Currently, there are no federal statutes in the United States...
Smartphones and their Increased Importance in U.S. Presidential Elections
Smartphones and their Increased Importance in U.S. Presidential Elections
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan. © 2017. 21 pages.
Early researchers had predicted that the Internet might help to encourage political participation through its ability to make political information more accessible....
State-Level Cyberbullying Policy: Variations in Containing a Digital Problem
State-Level Cyberbullying Policy: Variations in Containing a Digital Problem
Ramona Sue McNeal, Susan M. Kunkle, Lisa Dotterweich Bryan. © 2016. 21 pages.
Cyberbullying is the use of information technology to deliberately hurt, taunt, threaten or intimidate someone. Currently, there are no federal statutes in the United States...
The E-Government Surveillance in the United States: Public Opinion on Government Wiretapping Powers
The E-Government Surveillance in the United States: Public Opinion on Government Wiretapping Powers
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida, Justin Holmes. © 2016. 23 pages.
Since the 2001 U.S. Patriot Act passed in response to the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., government wiretapping powers have evolved in scope and practice. Although overall...
Social Media, Participation, and Attitudes: Does Social Media Drive Polarization?
Social Media, Participation, and Attitudes: Does Social Media Drive Polarization?
Justin W. Holmes, Ramona Sue McNeal. © 2016. 21 pages.
A wide body of evidence shows that the American electorate has become more politically polarized in recent years. There are a wide variety of explanations for this trend...
U.S. Public Support to Climate Change Initiatives?: Setting Stricter Carbon Dioxide Emission Limits on Power Plants
U.S. Public Support to Climate Change Initiatives?: Setting Stricter Carbon Dioxide Emission Limits on Power Plants
Mary Schmeida, Ramona Sue McNeal. © 2016. 20 pages.
The Obama Administration Climate Action Plan is enforcing goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2020, regulating both stationary and mobile sources of...
Digital Paranoia: Unfriendly Social Media Climate Affecting Social Networking Activities
Digital Paranoia: Unfriendly Social Media Climate Affecting Social Networking Activities
Ramona Sue McNeal, Mary Schmeida. © 2015. 18 pages.
Participation in social networks, forums, and other discussion groups is a growing trend in the United States. Aside from the benefits of online social media, there is a growing...