Digital Commons Network^™

The 2005 Bosnian Law On Defense; A Policy Change Case Study, Gregory D. Vuksich

Political Science ETDs

The Dayton Peace Accord (DPA) in 1995 ended the civil war in Bosnia and Hercegovina and established a constitution for the newly institutionalizing state. It permitted the three ethnicities – Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs – to retain their wartime armed forces in place under ethnic command, a prerogative the Serbs guarded strenuously. International organizations, however, sought a single, multiethnic military institution for the whole of the country. In 2005, however, the Serbs reversed their opposition and agreed to the international organization preference. This study explores why Bosnia’s Serbian community reversed its earlier and acceded to the creation of a single …

The Rise Of Agenda Diversity In America: Its Cause And Consequences, John K. Wagner

Political Science ETDs

More than ever, Americans disagree on what issues are important. This diversity in the public agenda has received scant attention in recent years. Consequently, our understanding of why agenda diversity developed relies on a single analysis method, and we know next to nothing about the consequences for the American polity. Using a novel approach to measuring agenda diversity and an advanced experimental design, this dissertation demonstrates the causal connection between issue-based selective exposure to news and higher agenda diversity. Concerning its consequences, this work investigates congressional responsiveness. Results from a complex analysis of constituency public opinion, Congress bill sponsorship, and …

Reclaiming Justice From Below: Victim Participation And Reparations In Post-Conflict Peru, Fiorella P. Vera-Adrianzen

Political Science ETDs

Since 2007, Peru’s Plan Integral de Reparaciones (PIR, Comprehensive Reparations Plan) has provided material, symbolic, individual, and collective reparations to victims of the civil conflict (1980-2000). Important differences in the implementation of reparations have emerged across time and space. Previous studies have examined factors conditioning the adoption and the effects of reparative justice, generally at the national level. How reparative processes unfold on the ground from design to implementation remains underexplored. Drawing upon original interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and archival research in three highly affected Andean regions (Apurímac, Junín, and Ayacucho) and in the capital city, Lima, I examine …

Understanding The Interconnection Between Public Health And Political Behaviors In A Politically Polarized Context: The Impact Of Race, Political Attitudes, And Policy Factors On The Us Covid-19 Pandemic Response., Florent Nkouaga

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation evaluates the interconnection between health and political behaviors in a polarized context such as the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the current political polarization and the structural health disparities among racial communities. Using the system theory delineated by David Easton, this dissertation demonstrates that health attitudes and behaviors in the electorate can influence voting behaviors, as was the case with the 2020 US presidential election. An evaluation of the 2021 African American COVID-19 Vaccine Polls (AACVP), and the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Postelection Survey (CMPS) demonstrates that factors such as public health compliance, trust in federal health institutions, …

Women's Property Ownership And Empowerment In Latin America, Anna Calasanti

Political Science ETDs

One of the ways that women have been disadvantaged throughout much of the world is through unequal access to property. This includes both land and housing, the ownership of which has been linked to crucial human development outcomes. As a result, scholars have theorized the importance of women’s land ownership, yet empirical studies have been limited, leaving many relevant questions unanswered. Does property ownership improve women’s lives? If so, in what ways? When women own land, are they better able to make choices about their own health care? Does property ownership increase their ability to exit an abusive partnership? When …

Crisis, Cooperation, And Coercion: Migration Diplomacy In Europe, 2014-2017, Jessica L. Jones

Political Science ETDs

In this dissertation I ask when and how states employ migration diplomacy – and its coercive and cooperative variants – during the European Migration Crisis, 2014-2017. I argue that states use migration diplomacy to minimize the costs of migration crises and are more likely to use migration diplomacy when either the incurred or anticipated costs of migration crises are greater, when they are less powerful, and when anti-migrant domestic political pressures are higher. I use a multimethod approach to answer my questions. Results from my multivariate logistic regressions support my expectation that states are more likely to engage in migration …

Recruitment Machines, Community Power And Political Return On Investment (Proi): Economic Development Policy In The Age Of Amazon, Eric G. Griego Montoya

Political Science ETDs

ABSTRACT

A fundamental policy choice in economic development among local policy makers is the appropriate mix of “outside” strategies that use incentives to attract companies, and “inside” strategies that invest in smaller and local businesses. Using a mixed-methods research design, including national and state surveys along with qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with policy elites, I examine the role of ideology, elites, community, competition, social capital (trust and influence), and electoral politics in these policy decisions. I use new descriptive theoretical frameworks called “recruitment machines” and “Political Return on Investment (PROI)” to describe how and why local elected officials support …

Cross-Pressured: Agriculture, Immigration, And Congressional Gop Position-Taking, Jared William Clay

Political Science ETDs

Why are Republican (GOP) members of the Congress bucking their party’s positions on immigration? I argue this is due to agriculture’s large-scale production needs for an immigrant, Latino workforce. Consequently, this immigration influx can excite racial threats which can provoke opposition to immigration and minority interests. This raises an interesting question: Do the agricultural transition and an immigrant workforce cross-pressure district opinion and MCs’ position-taking on immigration and Latino interests more broadly? I assert agriculture’s economic pressure mitigates racial threats, which produces greater support of immigration and Latino issues. Using data from the Congressional Cooperative Election Survey, Congress.gov, Census of …

Understanding Attitudes Toward Healthcare Reform: The Roles Of Self-Interest, Group Identity And Racial Resentment, Maria Beatrice Livaudais

Political Science ETDs

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) cemented itself as one of the most controversial pieces of legislation of the decade. Public opinion polls find Americans are often evenly split in support of the ACA. This dissertation explores the roles of self-interest, group identity, and racial resentment on attitudes toward the ACA and healthcare reform. The dissertation centers our attention on variation by race and the impact racial tensions beyond the Black-White paradigm on these attitudes. I find group identity shapes attitudes Blacks’ and Latinos’ attitudes toward the ACA but not Whites’ and racial resentment, directed toward Blacks, Latinos …

The Impact Of Social Interactions On Resettled Refugee Health, Shahjadi Zaman

Political Science ETDs

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the effects of social interactions and other factors on the self-reported physical and mental health of former refugees in their host country. Social relationships and interactions consist of different layers extending from individual personal relations, to social networks, to collective activities. Using data from a public opinion survey of newly resettled Bhutanese and Rohingya refugees in Michigan, I find that along with their economic situations, like employment and income, social integration is an important determinant of physical and mental health among resettled refugees. In particular, resettled refugees tend to have better health …

Addiction, Attrition, And Visualizations: An Exploration Of Online Survey Panels, Alex Adams

Political Science ETDs

Due to changes in technology and individual behavior, survey methods for obtaining nationally representative public opinion survey data have changed dramatically. Survey methodologists increasingly rely on online survey panels. The data obtained from these panels is increasingly accepted as reliable for cross-sectional research designs, in part because these online survey panel samples are demographically representative on observable variables. However, over time the experience of panelists approximates a panel survey design.

This dissertation explores two concerns related to online survey panel data, (1) panel conditioning and the advent of a professional class of survey takers I call professional respondents, and (2) …

Four's A Crowd? Side-Taking And Strategic Intervention Decision-Making Among Networks Of Third-Party Actors, Colin Hannigan

Political Science ETDs

Why do states intervene in civil conflicts? I argue that a third-party actor's decision to intervene relies in part on the behavior of other potential interveners. Because other interveners have their own interests in the conflict outcome and resources to contribute, intervention decision-making is multi-actor game theoretic problem: external actors contemplate their roles in civil conflicts by weighing the projected impact of their own prospective contributions against their preferences for the internal combatants. However, the impact that a given third party can expect to have on the conflict outcome depends on the contributions of fighting effort that others make when …

Hora De Las Noticias: The Importance Of Spanish- Language News Media For Us Latinos, Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation examines the mechanisms that set Spanish-language (SL) news media apart from mainstream media, and how they influence political behavior and identity among US Latinos. Specifically, it analyzes (1) the role of content coverage of SL news on issue salience, (2) the use of Spanish as a US minority language in the dissemination of information and its effects on Latino identity, and (3) the presence of Latino reporters and its implications on media trust. By leveraging original data collection, including conceptual content analyses and population-based survey experiments, and by engaging in multiple theories from political science and other fields …

Racial Identity Among Latino Millennials: A Determining Factor For Political Behavior, Yoshira Macias Mejia

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation explores the political behavior of Latino millennials when compared to non-Latino millennials and Latino non-millennials. While most studies paint millennials as a monolithic generational cohort, this dissertation asks the following questions: Are Latino millennials distinct in their political behavior from millennials of other racial and ethnic groups? Do Latino millennials vary in their group identity from older Latinos, if yes does this create different patterns in their political participation when compared to other racial and ethnic millennials? The results show that linked fate varies among millennials and that Latino millennials identities are distinct from non-Latino millennials. Additionally, linked …

Representing Outside The Box: Identity-Based Constituencies And Surrogate Representation In U.S. State Legislatures, Julia Hellwege

Political Science ETDs

This project asks: whom do representatives seek to represent and how do they do it? Specifically, I seek to understand how marginalized state legislators define the concept of “constituency” and the implications for their legislative behavior. I argue that marginalization affects legislators through two avenues: socially through their identity, and institutionally through the proportion their identity group holds in the state legislature. I argue that when legislators are marginalized their awareness of identity and identity-based issue needs are prioritized and they will come to define group members as a salient identity constituency. Furthermore, they will seek to represent this salient …

The Legislative Recycling Bin: A Reevaluation Of The Policy Process, Angelina L. González-Aller

Political Science ETDs

Congressional scholarship has long sought to understand the conditions under which a member of Congress is successful in converting a policy idea into a law. Two areas of this research, the bill sponsorship literature and the legislative effectiveness literature, have developed scholarly understanding on both the motivations and outcomes of bill sponsorship, as well as illuminating the conditions under which a bill is more likely to become law. The empirical approaches of these areas of study however, do not adequately capture the complexities of Congress. Most studies of the legislative process treat bill sponsorship and the policy process as a …

Queering Latinidad: Latinx Politics Beyond Nativity, Melina Juarez

Political Science ETDs

Much debate surrounds the emergence of the term "Latinx." While some have argued against its usage, others have deeply embraced it as a way of representing the gender diversity found within the Latina/o community. Yet, these arguments do not transcend the boundaries of gender to include other facets of identity subverted within the concept of Latinidad. This project seeks to extend the boundaries of Latinx to include other areas of identity that are inherent parts of being a Latino in the United States, including sexuality, African roots, indigeneity, among others. This dissertation seeks to understand whether our rigid conceptualization of …

Latino Ideology, Congressional Polarization, And Racial Threat: An Analysis Of The Influence Of Latinos On Congressional Politics, Lisa Sanchez

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation examines the relationship between changes in demographics and changes in congressional polarization. It comes out of two important trends in American politics in the last several decades: (1) Rising Latino Population and (2) Rise in Party polarization in Congress. Latinos are the primary source of immigration to the United States and high fertility rates among this population are contributing to a record number of Latinos becoming eligible to vote. According to Pew every 30 seconds, a Latino becomes eligible to vote totaling 66,000 every month. In terms of the polarization trend, Congressional polarization is at its highest point …

At The Crossroads Of Tanf And Early Childhood Policy: The Impact Of Devolution And Health Advocacy Networks On Progressive Policy Choices, Shannon Terry

Political Science ETDs

Despite the conventional wisdom that U.S. social policies represent the emergence of a monolithic, racialized system of poverty governance that is purely punitive, there is increasing evidence that many states are repealing disciplinary social policy measures. In fact, several states are increasingly adopting enabling policies that are aimed at increasing public benefits to restore social equity among low-income families. These developments challenge current depictions of the landscape of the U.S. welfare state and they suggest that social and early childhood health policy choices may not simply emanate from a unified conservative social movement and racialized social structures. This dissertation fills …

Which Policies Are Rewarded: Explaining The Distribution Of U.S. Foreign Aid After The End Of The Cold War, Yury V. Bosin

Political Science ETDs

The goal of this study is to elucidate what drives the distribution of U.S. foreign assistance. Why do some states receive more than others? Does the U.S. use aid to reward certain good' policies? Can a regime pursue such policies to secure more U.S. funding? I answer these questions by examining patterns of aid distribution of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. I find that USAID assistance is driven primarily by strategic interests, while the MCC is more oriented towards the recipient needs. To assess the effects of various democratic policies on the distribution of …

Family Policy In Post-Communist Europe And The Former Soviet Union: Assessing The Impact Of Xenophobia, Marina A. Kingsbury

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation emphasizes the comparative aspect of family policy, with a regional focus on post-communist Europe. Following the turmoil of transition, many social welfare programs were transformed and often scaled back. Family policies, however, were largely carried through the initial period of transformation, despite the economic difficulties and the dramatic decline in birth rates in a course of several years. This study was inspired by the seeming contradiction between falling birth rates and increasing generosity of family policy provisions across the former communist European countries. This dissertation uses original data, which includes levels of benefit provision as well as national …

Ordem E Progresso: The Programa De Aceleração Do Crescimento, Developmentalism And Democracy In Brazil, Grant Burrier

Political Science ETDs

The dissertation analyzes the developmental state and public policy in Brazil, exploring the extent to which the policymaking process is rationalized or politicized. Specifically, I look at these issues in the multi-year infrastructure project, the Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC). Brazil has a long history of clientelism and pork barrel spending. At the same time, the rise of developmentalist leaders has undermined these historical legacies and encouraged the implementation of more rationalized economic policies. In order to function properly, a developmental state requires rationalization and most scholars have assumed that authoritarian, one party states would provide the necessary insulation. …

Liberal Discourse And The Hegemons Dilemma: A Realist-Constructivist Approach To The Study Of U.S.-Latin American Relations, Justin Delacour

Political Science ETDs

This dissertations approach starts from four basic premises. The first is that a Western power's interests in a liberal foreign policy course will exist alongside other interests of the state that casually conflict with its professed liberalism. The second premise is that, in order for the Western state to periodically pursue objectives that partially conflict with its professed principles, the state will present such objectives as liberal by understating the illiberal characteristics of foreign allies and overstating the undemocratic characteristics of rivals. The third premise is that, given the cultural authority of the state, its positions and narratives will have …

Ambition, Electoral Competition, And Legislative Representation In Mexico, 1997-2009, Yann P. Kerevel

Political Science ETDs

Explaining legislative behavior in the Mexico represents a puzzle given the state of existing theory. Despite a ban on consecutive reelection, Mexican legislators engage in many behaviors thought to be the result of seeking reelection. Furthermore, existing theories of progressive ambition also cannot explain the tendency of many Mexican legislators to seek less prestigious offices after serving for a single term. This dissertation develops a novel theory of political ambition that accounts for the movement up and down the career ladder by Mexican federal legislators, and highlights several behavioral implications of the pursuit of political careers in a context where …

A Different Voice?: African American And Latino Representation In The U.S. Courts Of Appeals, Jason Morin

Political Science ETDs

The increase in the number of racial and ethnic minority judges in the federal courtroom has led several scholars to examine the merits of descriptive representation. Advocates of descriptive representation argue that it is important, not only because it can translate into positive attitudes towards government, but also because it can lead to more substantive policy outcomes that can benefit under-represented groups in society. Research focusing on the latter of the two merits of descriptive representation, however, has a tendency to treat racial and ethnic minority judges as monolithic groups. It contends that racial and ethnic minority judges, based on …

The Popular Sector Of The Mexican Pri, David Schers

Political Science ETDs

This study describes the structure and functions of the popular sector of the official party in Mexico, the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional), analyzes characteristics of its leadership, and discusses the relationship of the sector with the political and social system of the country, especially its contribution to the stability enjoyed by Mexico in the last decades. The data consists mainly of interviews with the leadership of the sector, direct observation of activities, documents, and publications.

Campaign Decision-Making In New Mexico, Sam A. Carnes Jr.

Political Science ETDs

The purpose of this study is to investigate the decision-making mechanism which operated in a Democratic primary campaign for minor state office (Iieutenant-governor, attorney-general, secretary of state, land commissioner, and corporation commissioner) in New Mexico in 1970. Though the study is primarily a case study, the particular campaign is cast in the framework of game theory, utilizing some of the conceptual tools of game theory and analyzed in terms of players, strategies, communications, the payoff system, and the game environment.

A detailed description of the campaign setting or environment is included. This game factor is delineated into the political culture …

Agrarian Reform And The Modernization Of Chile, Donald J. Planty

Political Science ETDs

This paper is designed to show what happens when reform occurs, understanding that the probability of occurrence on a wide scale is constantly becoming greater. While the traditional society in Chile remains little changed, there are some isolated but interesting experiments in land reform taking place. In this monograph we will analyze some of them to determine what problems confront the reform institutions and new colonists who have been given land. This approach assumes that the political decision to reform has been taken - which, indeed, it has on the experiments we will describe. Even though reform is not a …

The Logic Of Herbert Marcuse:An Analysis Of His Critical Theory Of Society., Carlos Brazil Ramirez

Political Science ETDs

A radical socialist who advocates revolutionary change on a world-wide basis, Herbert Marcuse is one of the more controversial political theorists of our time. His synthesis of the theories of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud which he calls his critical theory of society is a peculiar class analysis of technically advanced industrial societies. Despite his numerous publications, his indictment of advanced industrial societies, both capitalist and communist, as totalitarian systems, and his appeal to such radical groups as the New Left, Herbert Marcuse’s theory has never been analyzed for its internal consistency. Because of the controversial nature of his political …

Citizen Participation: A Concept Applied To The Albuquerque Model Cities Program, John Charles Epler

Political Science ETDs

The federal government, in partnership with local government, has recently become committed to programs directed at improving the quality of life in urban slums. Several of these programs have required that those residents who are directly affected by the program participate meaningfully in its decision-making mechanism. The purpose of this study is to describe the pattern of citizen and resident participation in one such program, the Albuquerque Model Cities Program. The temporal limits of the study are confined to the Albuquerque Program's first year of operation (March, 1968, to March, 1969). In order to develop data which could form the …