Digital Commons Network^™

How Does Connecticut Define Equity? Exploring Oppositions To House Bill 05003: An Act Concerning Education Funding In Connecticut (2023), Jennifer Elizabeth Guider

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Limitations Of Law Enforcement Involvement In Harm Reduction: A Multivariate Analysis Of State-Level Policies And Overdose Deaths, Marilyn L. Brach

Senior Theses and Projects

Research Question: How do state-level policies authorizing law enforcement to carry and administer Narcan while on duty shape overdose mortality?

Methods: State-level policies Narcan administration policies were examined and categorized. A cross-sectional regression analysis was performed to evaluate the factors influencing state variation in drug overdose deaths. Following bivariate analysis, a panel regression analysis was then executed to precisely estimate the relationship between state-level law enforcement Narcan administration policies and drug overdose deaths.

Results: The cross-sectional analysis provided findings that were largely consistent with the current literature. A higher proportion of non-Hispanic white individuals and a higher proportion of individuals …

The International Restitution Of Classical Antiquity: Creating Uniformity Within Museum Restitution Policy, Jacob Armentrout

Senior Theses and Projects

This thesis will explore the scope of the restitution debate for Greek and Italian classical antiquities and how it has evolved over the past 70 years. Chapter 1 will focus on the scholarly works of well-known figures within the restitution debate, including John Henry Merryman, James (Jim) Cuno, and Patty Gerstenblith. Their work is crucial in developing the terminology that defines the debate and also for understanding their opinions on both sides of the debate. Chapter 2 will center on claims to cultural property and restitution efforts that have been made at both the international and national level. The three …

Muslim Immigration To Connecticut: An Analysis Of Muslim Communities' Role In Immigrant Incorporation, Hannah M. Lynch

Senior Theses and Projects

This research investigates the relationship between Muslim religious identity and immigrant incorporation outcomes in the United States. There is much existing literature discussing the outcomes of different immigrant groups to the United States, but Muslim immigrants have been largely left out of the discussion. Through interviewing Muslim immigrant residents of Connecticut, I discovered a two-fold relationship between Muslim identity and immigrant outcomes. On one hand, Muslim immigrants were able to incorporate more successfully through their Muslim religious community, such as their mosque. On the other hand, Muslim immigrants faced more difficult incorporating because of negative attitudes towards Muslim immigrants from …

The Restitution Of Nazi-Looted Art In The United States: A Legal And Policy Analysis, Katharine J. Namon

Senior Theses and Projects

Restitution of Nazi-looted art in the United States is a complicated legal and policy issue. Victims and their heirs seeking restitution of their stolen art frequently encounter inconsistent legal standards at the state, federal, and international levels. Moreover, there are many different parties involved in these cases, including countries, museums, private collections, auction houses, heirs, and individuals who may have an interest in the particular work of art. Ethics must also be considered, and in the past, international principles for nations have been established to guide the process of delivering victims of wartime looting justice. Unfortunately, the current legal framework …

The Evolution Of Transgender Student Rights: A Legal And Policy Analysis, Camille J. Valentincic

Senior Theses and Projects

Transgender student protections are at the center of the most recent debate about the scope of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Although LGBTQ+ rights and protections have greatly expanded under all areas of the law in the last thirty years, transgender student rights have most successfully advanced through the judicial system.

Through a close evaluation of executive, judicial, and legislative responses to this compelling policy issue, the development of transgender student rights is explored. This analysis, which provides a comprehensive overview of the current legal landscape of transgender student protections, ultimately determines that the courts are the …

Special Education In Hartford And Cape Town: What Policies And Programs Reveal About An Educational Culture’S View Of Students With Disabilities, Sara Barrett

Senior Theses and Projects

Abstract

This paper analyzes special education policy in Hartford, Connecticut and Cape Town, South Africa to see how different educational cultures view students with disabilities. The themes of teacher training, curriculum, and treatment of children in addition to language use are described and compared. Cape Town educational culture arguably has a more holistic view of students with disabilities as the policy commits to providing more resources and hiring confident and trained teachers committed to providing for the needs of their students. However, Hartford has more guidance on the treatment of children and more accepting language use in the policies. This …

Immigration Enforcement In The Age Of Trump: Local Government Responses To Federal Immigration Rhetoric And Policy Change, Abigail Painchaud

Senior Theses and Projects

This thesis explores how local governments, and specifically police departments are responding to the federal immigration rhetoric and policy changes. Previous literature argues that the national government’s role in immigration will strongly shape how local governments respond and how they will change their policies. In the first section, this thesis examines sanctuary cities across the United States and uses a specific data set of sanctuary cities to determine their status and their changes under the new administration. I find that despite the constant change on the national level and the anti-immigrant rhetoric, localities around the United States are pursuing accommodating …

The Politics Of Presidential Credibility, William Winter

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Structures, Norms, And Renewable Energy Policy: A Comparative Analysis Of The Driving Forces Behind Energy Policymaking In The United States And Denmark, Elise Ogden

Senior Theses and Projects

The 1973 OPEC Oil Embargo served as a wake-up call for many highly oil dependent countries, including the United States and Denmark. In the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, the U.S. and Denmark had very different policy responses. Denmark identified oil itself as the underlying issue, and quickly transitioned to alternative energy sources, including wind. Today, Denmark is a global leader in renewable energy usage and sustainability. The United States, on the other hand, saw foreign reliance on oil as the main issue, and moved to develop domestic oil reserves rather than transitioning to alternative sources. Today, the U.S. …

Sea Change In Management Strategies: The Implications Of Global Climate Change On Policy Conceptions Of And Responses To Invasive Marine Species, Griffin J. Hunt

Senior Theses and Projects

The dispersal of the invasive red lionfish (Pterois volitans) across the Caribbean–Atlantic reverberates throughout the region’s public policy, conservation efforts, and economic concerns. Invasions by non–native species generally exhibit a wide range of negative effects on recipient ecosystems, and the lionfish case is no exception. Of central concern, this invasion has occurred at a rate, scale, and magnitude that precludes traditional management efforts. This paper assesses the diverse anthropogenic factors that contributed to the establishment of lionfish within the Caribbean–Atlantic, as well as the reasons for the species’ subsequent rapid dispersal throughout the region. This work investigates how …

The Effect Of Single Mothers’ Marital Status On Sympathy, Character Evaluations, And Maternity Leave Support, Patrick B. Dorsey Ii

Senior Theses and Projects

Social science research has found that single mothers tend to be viewed more negatively than married mothers. However, single mothers are not a monolithic group, they can vary in terms of their marital status. Informed by DiLiapi’s (1989) motherhood hierarchy, we hypothesized that relative to never married single mothers, formerly married single mothers (i.e., widowed and divorced) would garner more sympathy, more favorable character evaluations and people would also be more willing to support maternity leave policies as a result of thinking about formerly married single mothers compared to never married single mothers. To test these predictions participants were randomly …

China's Unbalanced Development, And What We Can Learn From It, Manfredo F. Camperio Ciani

Senior Theses and Projects

This paper argues that China’s development is unbalanced, and to see the unbalance we must divide the concept of development into different categories representing its different aspects, such as economic, urban, social, and sustainable. By looking at the different characteristics of development through time, it is possible to see where the unbalance lies. Furthermore, we learn that by categorizing the nature of development, we can gain a more comprehensive insight into the development of individual countries. In conclusion, this paper proposes the creation of a possible Development Index, as it can provide greater understanding of each country’s development.