Digital Commons Network^™

The Determinants Of Municipal Minimum Wage Ordinances: An Analysis Of 100 Large Cities From 2012-2017, Nicholas S. Hilton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The city of Seattle, Washington made headlines in 2014 when its city council enacted the highest minimum wage in the history of the United States. The ruling appeared to begin a trend as similar policies began diffusing in cities across the country. In reality, however, municipal minimum wage ordinances have existed since the early 1990’s. Yet, despite over two decade’s worth of data on the subject, little research has been conducted to understand the characteristics that influence cities to enact minimum wages in the first place. This study contributes to our understanding of the predictors of minimum wage ordinances by …

Understanding Taiwan Presidential Election: A Review Paper, Shida Zhong

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper seeks to find a systematic understanding of the presidential election in Taiwan. Based on the Taiwanese national identity issue as the main social cleavage, I try to review the literature about Taiwan’s presidential election and find the factors that influence the result of presidential election. I try to sort the factors into three dimensions: issue voting, valence voting and social context. Meanwhile, this paper also contains a brief introduction of democratization in Taiwan as a history background and a short review on the past Taiwan presidential election. The purpose of paper is to shine a light on the …

The Rise Of Populist Rhetoric And The Mainstreaming Of A Party? Testing The Rhetorical Shifts Between Front National’S Presidents Jean-Marie Le Pen And Marine Le Pen, Muriel C. Mcgregor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Populist movements have been on the rise across Europe and the Americas. In France, the far right-wing party, Le Front National, has experienced recent growth in electoral success. Scholars of the Front National have in part attributed the party’s success to its increased use of populist rhetoric. This thesis examines the populist rhetoric used between the Front National’s past president Jean-Marie Le Pen and current president Marine Le Pen in order to test these scholarly claims. Based on their campaign speeches for the 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017 French presidential elections, I conducted a quantitative dictionary-based analysis on …

Religion And Third Parties: The 2016 Presidential Election In Utah, Nathan Lee Osborne

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Third parties in the United States face a litany of obstacles to electoral success. Duverger’s Law explains that single-member, plurality-based elections will favor a two party system. However, on rare occasion a third party candidate is able to do abnormally well, even winning elections on occasion. Evan McMullin presents a unique success story among third party campaigns. He is without the name recognition, strong financial backing, or political experience that most successful third party candidates have. Despite these challenges, he became the second most successful third party presidential candidate in the history of the state of Utah. Evan McMullin’s success …

The Impact Of Federal Lands On Per-Pupil Spending In The Western United States, Matthew K. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Property taxes are a significant form of funding for states’ public education. In the West, nearly half of the land is owned by the federal government, making it off limits to tax. This research examines the relationship between federal land and its impact on per-pupil spending.

Cultural Tactics Of Salvadoran Gangs Offer Chance For Us To Weaken Ms-13, Hannah Penner

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper uses the Cultural Topography framework employed by the intelligence community to assess cultural factors of the MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) gang organization that have policy relevance to US national security. MS-13, though originally founded in the 1980s in a small sector of LA, has evolved into an international gang with a reputation of ultraviolence with a recent increase in gang activity. By striving to explore components of MS-13's identity, values, norms of behavior, and perceptions, this research can be used to create a more timely and effective strategy in combatting the present MS-13 threat within the United States. After …

Interest Groups And Supreme Court Commerce Clause Regulation, 1920-1937, Barrett L. Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Did interest groups influence the Supreme Court’s interpretation of federal economic regulatory authority under the Commerce Clause leading up to the Supreme Court’s 1937 reversal? Recent scholarship has begun a renewed study of this tumultuous era seeking alternative explanations for the Court’s behavior beyond the conventional explanations concerning Roosevelt’s court packing plan. I build on this literature by extending the discussion to the influence that interest groups may have had on the Court. I propose that interest groups served as a supporting and influential audience for the Supreme Court as the justices’ institutional legitimacy became threatened by both the political …

Tanf Funding Allocation Differences In Red Vs. Blue States: Emphasis On Out-Of-Wedlock Births And Divorces, Camille Mindrum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The 1996 welfare reforms were part of a bipartisan consensus led by Democratic President Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress about the downfalls of the existing United States welfare system. Under these reforms, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which was an entitlement program that had been in effect since 1935. Similar to AFDC, TANF intended to serve as a safety net that provides cash assistance to needy families, but it also aimed to reduce government dependence by attempting to instill values in welfare recipients through stricter work requirements and eligibility criteria. …

The Effects Of Cultural Diplomacy On Public Perception In Asia, Joseph R. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many states use their cultures to promote a positive image of themselves abroad. Some scholars argue that this can provide states with international benefits. However, other scholars point to cases where a foreign state’s cultural influence has led to nationalist backlashes and negative public reactions. In this paper, I examine how two common types of cultural diplomacy programs can influence how states are perceived abroad.

I first look at the promotion of pop culture products, such as books, movies, and music. Using survey data from 12 Asian countries, I find that an increase in cultural product imports from Japan, South …

Social Stability And Promotion In The Communist Party Of China, Siniša Mirić

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Communist Party of China CCP) controls all political, economic, and military issues in China. In the absence of elections, the only route of recruitment at higher levels of the political hierarchy in the Party is an official promotion. The scholarship on promotions offers two main explanations for advancement inside the Communist Party of China: (i) informal connections between high officials and candidates, and (ii) merit of candidates. This scholarship disregards, however, the importance of achievement of political targets by the candidates, specifically, their ability to deliver social stability.

Like every authoritarian regime, the CCP faces threats from the masses …

Rise Of The Kkk: Political Rhetoric Of The 1920s Ku Klux Klan In The West, Justine S. I. Larsen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Recent works illustrate the significance of understanding the nuances of the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s in the context of demographic and geographic differences. Using archival documents, newspaper records, and published works, this analysis dissects the differences in the Klan's ideology manifested within Utah, Idaho, and Oregon. Categorizing the Klan as a violent, extremist group with great political influence does not accurately describe any one of the Klans in these three states. While the Klan in Oregon and Idaho demonstrated varying levels of political power throughout their respective states, Utah's unique mostly homogenous religious, and therefore political, environment rendered …

Determinants And Mechanisms Of National Identity Shift In Tanzania, Alexander C. Wendt

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Since gaining independence in 1961, Tanzania has enjoyed high levels of national identification, far higher than other states in east Africa. Yet, between 2005 and 2015, the Afrobarometer survey recorded a decline in the national identity and an increase in ethnic identities in Tanzania. These changes are striking because of the successful nation-building policies implemented by former president Julius Nyerere. In addition, during the same period of 2005-2015, states bordering Tanzania have increased their level of national identification. This thesis reviews the literature on how changes in institutions, economic modernization, and conflict create incentives for political competition that may in …

An Analysis Of State Heterogeneity And Voting Patterns In The United States Senate, Tessa Ray Carver

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The United States Senate is one of the major legislating forces in the United States and can make policy impacts that can have significant impacts for the entire nation. The two major political parties in the U.S. have significant influence on the members of this body, yet they are elected to represent each of the different states. Previous research has shown that states and districts can vary significantly in their political leanings and preferences, even from the party that is considered the majority in that area. The purpose of this study is to investigate several forces that may influence members' …

Same Revolution, Different Outcome: Why Did The Syrian Regime Survive The Arab Spring?, Adam Alrowaiti

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Arab Region faced a wave of massive public demonstrations in 2011. People across the region demanded freedom, justice, and equality. That movement overthrew some of the region’s dictatorship regimes that had been in power since decades. In Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen the regimes collapsed in the face of the people’s revolution. However, public demonstrations and opposition could not overcome the Al-Assad regime in Syria. This thesis seeks the reasons behind the survival of the Syrian regime when other regimes collapsed. The thesis analyzes the case of Syria by comparing it to the case of Libya, since Libya went …

Foreign Fighter Recruitment Messaging And The ‘Islamic State’, Jacob M. Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The so called ‘Islamic State,’ an Islamic extremist organization which currently controls large swaths of territory in the Middle East, has attracted foreign fighters to its insurgency in tens of thousands. Until just recently, foreign fighters were not well researched or understood separately from local fighters. David Malet (2013) argues that insurgencies recruit foreign fighters by persuading them to defend a ‘common group’ against a threatening enemy. This ‘defensive mobilization,’ he believed, was critical to recruiting foreign fighters throughout history. After preliminary analysis, the Islamic State presented evidence contrary to this theory, and it seemed dubious that they would use …

International Policy Diffusion And Religious Freedom, 1990-2008, Allison R. Hale

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Why do governments restrict religious freedom? As more and more governments have adopted restrictive policies over the past thirty years, scholars have traditionally examined internal domestic factors—such as the role of democratic governance, economic growth, or internal competition—that may influence government choices. I build on this literature by extending the discussion to external factors, arguing that some policies may also spread from one government to another. This process, identified by scholars as the idea of policy diffusion, may occur in several ways.

While previous research has focused on the spread of policies that are generally considered positive (i.e. the spread …

The Influence Of Threatened State Preemption On City Council Voting Behavior And Municipal Broadband, Dillon P. Corbridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between city and state government has been contentious at times throughout American history. Cities only have the legal authority granted to them by state government, yet many cities have cause to seek policy that may not be in the interest of those who govern the state. Leaders of American states may choose to preempt municipal authority by removing the legal power of a city to perform certain actions. While preemption provides states with a tool for regulating the policies and practices that cities may pursue, it is unclear whether city leaders act cautiously to avoid preemption, or instead …

Continuing Conversations: The Image Of Richard Nixon In Political Cartoons, Megan Sanderson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Historians have extensively researched and reported on the images presented by United States presidents. Political cartoons have been an effective means of depicting government figures’ behaviors, actions and deficiencies. The goal of this thesis is to examine images of President Richard Nixon as captured in political cartoons, with particular attention to the themes represented in works following the President’s key speeches. Nixon’s “Address to the Nation on the War in Vietnam” (1969), “Toasts of the President and Premier Chou En-lai of China at a Banquet Honoring the Premier in Peking” (1972), and the “Question-and-Answer Session at the Annual Convention of …

Cultural And Economic Factors That Influence Brazilian Public Opinion On Climate Change, Jenna Williams

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Climate change is a commons problem of global proportions. The effects of climate change threaten not only the natural world, but also the human systems that we have established (IPCC 2014, 4). The devastating effects of climate change will not be confined to those regions of the world that have contributed the most to this problem. Already, every continent and ocean has been touched by climate change (IPCC 2014, 4).

“Touched By Time”: Geopolitical Themes Of Estonian National Identity Through Folklore And Song Festivals, Mandy L. Hoggard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Estonian national identity—how Estonians imagine their values, history, and place in the world—is defined by their centuries-long struggle for independence and autonomy. This thesis examines the struggle and resulting identity through the lens of the laulupidu, or song festival, and its employment as a vehicle of political mobilization and re-constructor of Estonian history. Regarding folklore, in this case festivals and folk songs, as containers of the soul of the nation, I show how Estonians have produced and reproduced their national identity through the practice which they hold sacred: choral singing. I implemented a critical geopolitical approach, which emphasizes the …

How Good Intentions Backfire: Failures And Negative Consequences Of Federal Environmental Policies, Jordan K. Lofthouse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is meant to dispel the myths that surround federal environmental policies. The research object of this project is to show that the formation of environmental policies is not altruistic, and the outcomes of these policies often have negative side effects that policymakers and the general public should recognize.

During my time as an undergraduate, I studied environmental geography, which also included environmental policies. We would research environmental problems, but the solution to these problems always seemed to be another government policy. I began to wonder why environmental problems never seemed to actually get better. Once I began my …

A More Perfect User Fee: Examining The Viability Of A Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee As An Alternative To The Gas Tax, Heath Hansen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The United States is currently facing a highway funding crisis. Both federal and state transportation budgets are under mounting duress as road maintenance and construction costs continue to outpace revenues each year. While a number of factors contribute to this problem, one of the primary causes is the inherently flawed nature of gas taxes, which provide the vast majority of revenues for the nation’s surface transportation system.

In response to growing budgetary shortfalls and the increasingly apparent shortcomings of gas taxes, state and federal policymakers have begun searching for an alternative approach to funding and financing roads. Recently, a concept …

Where The Action Is: An Analysis Of Partisan Change In House Of Representatives Open Seat Elections, 2000-2014, Kyle B. Wallace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research is to better understand what causes partisan change in House of Representatives open seat elections from 2000-2014. Despite being the source of the majority of freshman entering the House and traditionally having a higher rate of partisan change, open seats receive less attention in the political science literature than seats involving incumbents. The most comprehensive look at open seats came from Ronald Keith Gaddie and Charles S Bullock III in their 2000 book Elections to Open Seats in the U.S. House. Since 2000, very little research has been done to update the ever-changing environment …

Representations Of Us Acts Of Extra-Territoriality As Illustrated In Pakistani-English Political Cartoons, Aina S. Niaz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The significance of Pakistan as an international state cannot be downplayed. Not only is Pakistan the first Islamic state to develop its nuclear power, but Pakistan has served as an important geostrategic state to the US on several occasions. The US-Pakistan geopolitical relationship was most vividly highlighted during the final years of the Cold War; and has reemerged again in the Global War on Terror. This thesis will examine Pakistani-English political cartoons to examine the way US extra-territoriality is represented visually. Approximately 2940 political cartoons are collected from four Pakistani-English newspapers: Dawn, The Express Tribune, The Nation, …

Democracies Waging Counterinsurgency In A Foreign Context: The Past And Present, Scott J. Winslow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The lack of favorable outcomes produced by recent attempts at counterinsurgency by Western countries shows that the importance of uncovering a more effective approach for conducting external counterinsurgency operations cannot be downplayed. In an attempt to discover what this approach might entail, prior successful interventions conducted by democracies in the Philippines and Kenya were compared to the recent failure in Iraq, using three variable groupings as a lens through which to view all three conflicts and allow cross-conflict comparison of conditions that contributed to success or failure. Through evaluation of indicators linked to these variable groupings, it was determined that …

Negotiated Settlement And The Durability Of Peace: Agreement Design, Implementation, And Mediated Civil Wars, Chong Chen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since the end of the Cold War, outright military victories in civil wars have been rare. As a result, the number of peace agreements designed to end civil wars in the post-Cold War era has increased exponentially compared to the entire Cold War period. However, according to some statistics, about a third of those peace agreements failed to secure postwar peace. These failures to get warring parties to live up to their peace agreements not only restarted armed conflict, but they also escalated the violence. Therefore, this project is aimed to explore why some civil war settlements break down within …

Quality Of State Attorneys' Oral Arguments In Supreme Court Litigation, Kaylee Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In my thesis, I evaluate the conventional wisdom that attorneys representing state governments performed poorly in oral arguments before the Supreme Court. This led the National Association of Attorneys General in 1982 to create the Supreme Court Clearinghouse Project. The project was implemented in an effort to improve the quality of states' efforts before the Court. Pulling from Justice Blackmun's ratings of attorneys in oral arguments, I conduct a quantitative analysis to determine whether such efforts actually led to an improvement in states' performance in Supreme Court litigation. I take the 1,142 cases in which states were involved from 1970-1993 …

The Revolutionary Climate: Applying Theories Of Revolution To Assess Political Stability In Contemporary Brazil, Arden Andrew Nicholls

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Rapid modernization has throughout history presented unique challenges for developing countries. Generally judged to be a good thing--but if too rapid--modernization can strain a government if that governmental system is unable to keep up. Historically concrete social classes begin to blur or shift as massive capital investments are injected--often unequally. Proliferation of the middle class is commonly seen as a country modernizes quickly; with the new middleclass comes rising expectations and modern demands on government. Social programs, infrastructure, political and social equality and general societal advancements are all expected to increase at roughly the same pace as the economy. Social …

A Cultural Topography Of The Sovereign Citizens Movement: Are They A Terrorist Threat?, Piper Blotter Biery

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis analyzes the Sovereign Citizens Movement—considered a domestic terrorist organization by the FBI— to determine if the label “terrorist organization” is appropriately applied, and then to assess the effectiveness of government protocols. The Sovereign Citizens Movement is a loose organization of individuals who adhere to an anti-government ideology. In most cases their actions are limited to fraudulent activity; however there have been individuals who resorted to violence in their engagements with government officials. This thesis concludes that the label “terrorist organization” does not describe the movement well, but that it is more likely that some individuals extrapolate the ideology …

Foreign Policy Through Aid: Has United States Assistance Achieved Its Foreign Policy Objectives?, Jessica Andreasen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Why does the U.S. give foreign aid? There are compelling humanitarian and economic reasons, yet the U.S. also gives large amounts of military aid. What, then, are the overall goals of aid giving in the post 9/11 era? In looking at the history of U.S. foreign aid, three general objectives emerge: political stability, increased economic liberalization and expanding soft power influence in the aid receiving country. While we can identify the motives and aims of U.S. foreign aid, little work has been done to evaluate the success of aid in these objectives. It is the goal of this study to …