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Religion And Politics: The Influence Of Religious Affiliation And Beliefs On Political Participation, Samuel Gonzalez

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Religion has had a significant effect on voter participation in the United States and continues to change with society as it continues to develop into a more diverse environment. The “God Gap”, a coined term used to describe the more religiously attentive an individual is the more likely they are to vote Republican. Many different survey studies of the 2004 American National Election Survey (ANES) have supported this term with data showing a gap between republican and democratic votes when individuals report their attendance to religious services more than once a week.

Of those that participated in the 2016 American …

Stability Through Economic Growth In Afghanistan, Abdul Qadir Khan

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the Afghan public’s opinion to identify the overall direction of the country, whether the country, in terms of economic growth, is moving in a positive direction or not. How do economic factors affect the public’s views on the direction of the country? Based on that, this study finds that economic growth has an effect on the Afghan public’s opinion on the country’s direction.

Afghans are not enjoying stability in their country yet, after the majority of Afghans accepted U.S. military intervention in 2001 and the establishment of the new government to end instability. It was not an …

Split Definitive, Lawrence Baum, Neal Devins

Neal E. Devins

For the first time in a century, the Supreme Court is divided solely by political party.

Romney And Huntsman: Two Answers To The 'Mormon Question', Nathan B. Oman

Nathan B. Oman

No abstract provided.

Prosperity Versus Equality At The Polls, Nathan B. Oman

Nathan B. Oman

No abstract provided.

Without Compromise, Fixing Deficit Is A Fairy Tale, Nathan B. Oman

Nathan Oman

No abstract provided.

The Mormon Plot That Wasn't, Nathan B. Oman

Nathan B. Oman

No abstract provided.

The End Of The Great Fiscal Compromise, Nathan B. Oman

Nathan B. Oman

No abstract provided.

Token Representation?: Impact Of Female Reservations In Panchayati Raj Institutions In Elections To State And National Legislatures, Surbhi Bharadwaj

Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Politics, Economics and World Affairs

Reservations have long formed a fundamental tenet of affirmative action in India. Quotas for representation of various disadvantaged groups proliferate across public educational institutions and government jobs. However, elections to public office have largely escaped such quotas, except those that are caste-based. A shift in this status quo occurred in 1992 with the establishment of the Panchayati Raj system of grassroots governance. 34% of all seats under Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) were to be reserved for women under the 73rd amendment. Another constitutional amendment passed in September 2009 increased PRI quotas for women to 50%. This paper seeks to examine …

The Tea Party: Burgeoning Or Beaten?, Philip Olsen, Alexa Robinson

Augsburg Honors Review

The Tea Party is a grassroots political movement which has gained a considerable following since its inception in 2009.Its platform centers on a single issue -- greater fiscal responsibility and conservatism on the part of each respective level of government. In this paper we examine the question of whether or not the Tea Party will develop into a viable political entity. We concluded early on in the process of researching this paper that extensive statistical analysis would only be a fruitless endeavor because of the contemporaneity of the Tea Party movement. Any figures we might choose to use stood the …

A Squandered Mandate: How Ppp Failed Larkana, Mashal Usman

MSJ Capstone Projects

In this story, I have attempted to capture the history of the Bhutto family’s association with Larkana; how their influence in the district as well as their hold over it grew over time, how that shaped the districts identity and continues to do so, and lastly, how their party, the PPP, squandered the mandate in Larkana.

Is Pakistani State At War With Free Press?, Umer Bin Ajmal

MSJ Capstone Projects

Pakistan’s media scene today depicts a similar picture where many journalists say they have been “conditioned” to self-censor news. But unlike Pavlov using a sound as a stimulus, certain “powers that be” use threat and violence to intimidate journalists and force them to behave in a certain way. Psychologists around the world say there is a lesson in this experiment: it demonstrates that human behavior, too, can be manipulated or maneuvered through conditioning.

Funding American Democracy, Michael Barber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The academic objectives of the project were largely met. Students participated in a number of research projects from beginning to end. Two students were included as coauthors on papers that were eventually published in academic journals. Other students participated throughout the process as research assistants. They collected data from archival sources, scraped data from webpages, merged a variety of existing datasets using computer software programs, and conducted analysis of these data using statistical programs.

How Endorser Gender Affects Candidate Electability, Miranda Hatch, Connor Kreutz, Jessica Preece

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Across the world, and especially in the United States of America, women are severely underrepresented in government. Although most Americans claim to see men and women as equals, covert and unintentional sexism still permeates the political decisions they make1.One consequence of this inadvertent sexism is the common perception that women are typically seen as less authoritative than men when it comes to politics. One way that this authority can be seen in politics is through endorsements given about candidates2.

Latino Political Leadership In Massachusetts – 2019, Bianca Ortiz-Wythe, Christa M. Kelleher, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Gaston Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Center For Women In Politics And Public Policy, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

There is very limited Latino presence in the State Senate, with one Latina State Senator in office; having five Latinos in the Senate would be proportionate to the statewide Latino population. Six Latinos serve in the 160-member House of Representatives; eighteen would be proportionate. There are no Latinos in the state’s congressional delegation.

City councilors and members of school committees account for 83% of all Latinos serving in key elected leadership positions. The top 20 cities and towns with the largest proportions of Latino residents in Massachusetts account for 57% of the Latino population in the state. Among these cities …

Charles De Gaulle: A Life Of Consequence, Jack Van Der Slik

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Latino Political Leadership In Massachusetts: 2019, Bianca Ortiz-Wythe, Christa M. Kelleher, Fabián Torres-Ardila

Gastón Institute Publications

There is very limited Latino presence in the State Senate, with one Latina State Senator in office; having five Latinos in the Senate would be proportionate to the statewide Latino population. Six Latinos serve in the 160-member House of Representatives; eighteen would be proportionate. There are no Latinos in the state’s congressional delegation.

City councilors and members of school committees account for 83% of all Latinos serving in key elected leadership positions. The top 20 cities and towns with the largest proportions of Latino residents in Massachusetts account for 57% of the Latino population in the state. Among these cities …

Make America Great Again? American Conservatism And Donald Trump, Justin Lange

Honors Theses

LANGE, JUSTIN M. Make America Great Again? American Conservatism and Donald Trump. Department of Political Science, June 2019

ADVISOR: Prof. Clifford W. Brown, Jr.

It might seem difficult to imagine now, but once upon a time it was possible to feel shocked by political developments. We’ve become so desensitized, especially in the last few years. Yet in 2016, there was a profound sense of disbelief over the results of the American presidential election. How could Donald Trump, a complete political outsider who’d never before held office, defeat an opponent who seemed to hold every office except for the presidency she …

How State Legislators Can Use The Media To Affect Policy Change In State Government Agencies: A Case Study With The Department Of Motor Vehicles, Alisha Gallon

Journalism

This study was done to understand how a member of the state legislature used the media to effect policy change. This subject is discussed using the California Department of Motor Vehicles as a case study. There is a long-standing and well-understood relationship between legislators and the media. It is common knowledge that legislators in the minority party use the media to pressure members of the majority party. Research shows those in the minority benefit from this kind of coverage. However previous studies are mostly silent about whether using the media to pressure the party in control of the government actually …

Forced Migration: A Syrian Exodus To Germany, Taylor Witt

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Syrian Civil War has killed over 500,000 people and displaced over 12 million since it began in 2011. The conflict has resulted in forced migration on a massive scale. Syrian people have been displaced within Syria, to the surrounding Arab states and to Europe. This has led to an immigration crisis in some parts of the European Union. Germany has become a primary destination for these refugees, but nationalist, xenophobic forces have started pushing back against what is perceived to be an invasion of foreigners into their land and their borders. This project examines the sentiments of German citizens …

Municipal Government: Social Media And Youth Engagement, Jordyn D. J. Bailey

Major Papers

Social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube allow for the development of an online community for individuals to communicate and connect with others throughout the world. For this paper, social media outlets are understood to offer a solution to the ongoing issue of political disengagement found among youth between the ages of 18 and 34. Municipalities commonly experience low voter turnout during elections, causing a shift in candidates’ focus from traditional forms of campaigning towards the use of social media. The political disengagement among youth has been attributed to a lack of knowledge on politics and a lack …

Havelian Presidency: A Study In Theory & Practice, Chelsea Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite former dissident and Czech president Václav Havel’s widespread influence, his presidency has not been seriously considered as a framework for how one should head a government. A reasoned and thorough examination of Havel’s presidency is conspicuously absent in the existing literature. Havel is known for and evaluated most in terms of his sweeping moral principles and philosophical treatises, but I wish to know whether his 13-year presidency passes the test of ideal world leadership that he provides so clearly in his written works and speeches. Specifically, I develop a set of ideal traits for world leadership and then examine …

Conservatives In The Classroom: Targeted Or Apathetic?, Emma Nordmeyer

Sociology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

In the 21st Century U.S., college and university classrooms have become a hotbed of political debate. Conservative students decry "liberal indoctrination" in the liberal arts setting. In this paper, I analyze attitudes towards classes across the political spectrum. I found that while liberals have more positive views of class, conservatives have a wider range of attitudes. This study points to divisions within the right wing.

How Do Women Affect Politics And Legislation Among Distinct Nations?, Paulina Hatzipetrakos

Political Science

How does the increase of women in the political realm affect legislation? It is critical to discover the answer to this presented question as it allows academics to better understand the past, present, and future of politics. Understanding why more women are entering the political world, and how they can influence the rate of policy change, presents academics with a basis to further analyze the impact of women in various disciplines. This study will attempt to prove that an increase of women in high-ranking, legislative positions will prompt an increase in progressive legislation. Historically, the implementation of progressive policies has …

A Politics Of Boundlessness, Fernando Orellana

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Spirituality has nothing to do with politics. Nonetheless, there is a functional relationship between them. Although spirituality supposes a disposition against boundaries – of experience and consciousness – and politics appears to involve the definition of limits insofar as they enable political action and meaning, these two distinct dimensions of human existence are not in opposition to each other. Politics here can be characterized as a kind of vectorization: the inscription of a gesture – as a force with magnitude and direction – into an intelligible (political) matrix. When we talk about politicization, we are concerned with the investigation of …

History, Security, And Peace: A Comparison Of Sectarian Conflicts In Northern Ireland And The Middle East, Ahmed I. Hamed, Noah Chamberlain Spicer

Student Symposium

“The Troubles,” a violent conflict that began in Northern Ireland in 1968 and lasted until the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, saw high levels of violence and terrorism on both sides--Protestants and Catholics--of the socio-political conflict. While major issues of violence were addressed by the Good Friday Agreement, many key ontological issues remain very much alive and active, resulting in “peace walls” which separate Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods in Northern Ireland. The impediments to peace stem not just from these issues of violence, but also from the minimal attention paid to ontological security in peace negotiations: the security of oneself, …

General Campus Climate From A Conservative Student Perspective, Sarah Mattick

Student Symposium

Campus Climate Research studies how students and others in a college community feel about the climate of their institutions, especially how the climate facilitates learning, growth, and expression. Typically, this research has been applied to diversity concerns, especially in the decades after affirmative action became a common practice in higher education admissions. My research adds to this literature, because in the midst of creating a campus community and campus climate that is sensitive and in alliance with the needs of marginalized students, institutions will often find that a struggle occurs between the needs of marginalized students and the perceived neglect …

Genocide Masquerading: The Politics Of The Sharpeville Massacre And Soweto Uprising, Jessica P. Forsee

Honors College Theses

Apartheid South Africa represented a paradox as a US ally and human rights pariah. “Genocide Masquerading” uncovers the implications of US foreign policy on the rise and decline of apartheid, looking specifically at the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and the 1976 Soweto Uprising. By comparing Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Ford, and Carter foreign policy responses, this thesis creates a comparative analysis of how effective, or ineffective, the United States was during pivotal moments in apartheid history. This thesis will not only expand on the developing South African literature but add to the conversation of international aid, diplomacy practices, and North-South relationships.

Living In Gang-Controlled Neighborhoods: Impacts On Electoral And Nonelectoral Participation In El Salvador, Abby Córdova

Political Science Faculty Publications

Gangs’ territorial control affects the lives of residents in thousands of neighborhoods across Latin America, particularly in northern Central American countries. I argue that gang dominance constrains the ability of neighborhood residents to mobilize politically and consequently resist gang violence through institutionalized channels. Living in gang-controlled neighborhoods results in fewer incentives and opportunities to make political elites accountable for one’s personal safety. Even residents who have already experienced crime firsthand are discouraged from turning to politics as a strategy to change the status quo. My theoretical insights identify mechanisms through which gangs’ neighborhood control affects nonelectoral and electoral participation. To …

The Misunderstood Alliance: Defining The American And Pakistani Relationship, Zachary Joseph Shapiro

Joseph I Shapiro MD

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.