Digital Commons Network^™

Climate Change And Vaccines: Distrust Of Science In Politics And The Media, Natalie Montalbano

Senior Honors Projects

Distrust in science and the scientific process has increased significantly over the last fifty years, and this distrust is particularly apparent in the fields of climate change and vaccination. Climate change, a relatively new scientific issue, has become one of the hottest topics discussed in both U.S and world politics. The existence and real threat of anthropogenic global warming was publicly declared by National Geographic in 2004, but climate scientists had acknowledged that humans were causing the warming of our Earth as early as the 1980’s. Vaccines, despite being safe and effective in curbing the spread of infectious diseases, have …

Predicting And Measuring Support For Populism, Jay Rumas

Senior Honors Projects

Through reading the most recent research and case examples, I have discovered that the conventional wisdom on how political actors appeal to voters is rather obsolete. I have done my best to establish a profile of the “populist voter” and predict which parties they may be inclined to support. Cas Mudde, an expert on populist movements, labels populism as the use of a narrative that constructs the struggle of “the people (the majority) vs “the elite'' for political purposes. It has neither a positive or negative connotation. Populist movements often appeal to those among groups that feel as though they …

What Went Wrong With Economics?: Milton Friedman, Alexander Meiklejon, And The Reorientation Of Freedom, Aria Mia Loberti

Senior Honors Projects

Economics went wrong in the midst of the Cold War, specifically the time of the terror of communism in the 1950s. It went wrong in Chicago economics in particular—exacerbated by a reorientation in how to understand and conceptualize freedom. Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom trumpets the virtues of economic freedom, or the freedom of choice within the competitive market. It represents the Chicago neoliberal position. In contrast, the luminary Alexander Meiklejohn advocates a radically different conception of freedom, and his ideas echo the voices pre-1950 Chicago economics. Meiklejohn promotes political freedom over economic freedom: championing absolute protection for free speech, …

Is America Still Free?, Connor P. Daigle

Senior Honors Projects

If we take a moment and observe our current societal landscape, we may be intrigued by what we find. If we paint a broad brush over the 21^st century, we are engaged in war in the Middle East, we have allowed our politicians to purchase their seats in office, and have overcome two large economic downturns. The economic issues are the collapse of Enron, the world’s largest energy supplier, and the housing market collapse of 2008. How many know what actually created the housing bubble? How many know about Enron? How many American Citizens understand how our current society …

Understanding The Brain-Drain In The African Diaspora: Focusing On Nigeria, Jessica A. Adefusika

Senior Honors Projects

According to the International Organization for Migration, about one-third of African professionals have left the continent, which constitute as over 10 million African mini-Diasporas as of the year 2000. The loss of Africa’s intellectual capital, called the “Brain-Drain”, has been one of the greatest obstacles to the development of the continent. Of the four major countries contributing most to the brain-drain; Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, this research focuses on Nigeria, my ancestral nation. As the most populated country in Africa, Nigeria represents a large percentage of the African Diaspora, especially in the United States. One study estimates that …

A Turbulent Debate In The Ocean State, Dylan D. Lynch

Senior Honors Projects

Rhode Island has in many ways become the last battleground in a national state-by-state battle over the legalization of gay marriage. It is the last state in the country to not have a definitive stance on whether or not same-sex marriages should be legal and can be performed within the state’s borders, or should be banned and marriage defined solely as the union of a man and a woman. The state is currently undergoing a substantial swing in public support on gay marriage, moving from just 34% in 2004, to 60% in 2009. This rise in support for legalizing gay …

The Future Of The Rhode Island Economy, James C. Leshane

Senior Honors Projects

No one would argue that the economy in the United States has been faltering in recent years; due in part to global factors, and even with stimulus plans offered by the Federal Government, there is increased burden on states to find forms of revenue. More and more, states must compete not only with other states, but also on the global market, for a share of decreasing revenues. Since the decline of manufacturing and a move towards a service economy, states like Rhode Island which in the past depended heavily on the manufacturing sector to provide jobs for its’ citizens, have …

Time To Die?, Josh Dunn

Senior Honors Projects

The issue of when life begins has inspired heated debate in this country for nearly half of a century. The importance of this issue cannot be overstated; it has played a pivotal role in elections of public officials and in confirmation hearings of federal judges and justices and has dominated legal, political, economic, religious and ethical discussions. While the issue is far from resolved, it will be joined by another contentious issue in the near future. With our society rapidly getting older, and with the rapidly rising cost of health care, including the extremely high cost of end-of-life care, Americans …

Postmodernism & Paradise Lost: Reconsidering Knowledge, Politics And Literature, Mary Smith

Senior Honors Projects

“Postmodernism & Paradise Lost: Reconsidering Knowledge, Politics and Literature” is an interdisciplinary approach to interpreting John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost, one that magnetizes literary, historical, and philosophical discourse as a means ultimately to redefine the concept of radicalism. Christopher Hill’s historical text, Milton and the English Revolution draws parallels between Milton’s poem and the radical ideas that flecked England’s political landscape in the 17th century. These parallels provide a sound basis to argue in the poetic realm that Milton’s poem is primarily a political text, more specifically a radical one. Such a claim poses a metaphysical question: what is …

Persuasion In Contemporary Presidential Campaigns, Dylan Moore

Senior Honors Projects

Persuasion has been the foundation and objective of political campaigns since the first contested presidential election in 1796. While this foundation has not changed, the methods of persuading have undergone many changes over the years. Persuasion tactics of past presidential campaigns have used mediums such as print and television but it was not until the last two presidential elections that voters had the internet to supplement their decision-making process.

It is with the rise of the internet that we can see the greatest shift in contemporary campaigns tactics. Candidates’ websites serve as a “one stop shop” for voters to attain …

Evaluating Long Term Political Consequences Of Economic Restructuring Programs, James Mcgee

Senior Honors Projects

Development assistance loans provided by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are accompanied by structural adjustment programs that must be implemented as a condition of receiving the loan. These economic reforms often include currency devaluation, inflation control, increased taxation, market liberalization, decreased expenditure, and a decrease in the size of government. Populations within countries are drastically effected by these structural economic reforms as social welfare programs are often cut, government workers laid off, and the domestic economy struggles to compete in the global marketplace. The implementation of restructuring programs also constrains the policy options that are available to the …

Greenpeace, Earth First! And The Earth Liberation Front: The Progression Of The Radical Environmental Movement In America, Christopher J. Covill

Senior Honors Projects

Causes of worldwide environmental destruction created a form of activism, Ecotage with an incredible success rate. Ecotage uses direct action, or monkey wrenching, to prevent environmental destruction. Mainstream conservation efforts were viewed by many environmentalists as having failed from compromise inspiring the birth of radicalized groups. This eventually transformed conservationists into radicalists. Green Peace inspired radical environmentalism by civil disobedience, media campaigns and direct action tactics, but remained mainstream. Earth First’s! philosophy is based on a no compromise approach. They took direct action tactics further than Green Peace was willing too. Earth First’s! direct action campaigns epitomize modern environmental radicalism. …

The Convenient Alliance: President Reagan And Pope John Paul Ii, Cold Warriors, Tighe P. Flatley

Senior Honors Projects

Historians and non-scholars alike have long regarded the work of President Reagan and Pope John Paul II to be a tremendous force in helping to end the Cold War. In 1992, Time Magazine cited the relationship as a “Holy Alliance”, a political partnering of two men who, after surviving separate assassination attempts merely six weeks apart, saw their role in global politics as a divine signal to promote the free world and take down communism internationally. By the time the President and the Pope first met at the Vatican in 1982, the two were privately discussing Cold War politics. They …

A Pre-Apocalyptic Masterpiece, Brad Orleck

Senior Honors Projects

This article or section or project is not written in the formal tone expected of an honors project. Please improve it or discuss changes on the talk page. See URI's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. For years, various groups have predicted the end of the world, usually a spiritual or nuclear armageddon. Religious groups have predicted the second coming, Hollywood directors have predicted devastating wars with artificial intelligence, and conspiracy theorists predicted Y2K, among others. But every year, the world keeps not ending (widely regarded by scholars as a good thing). And while the world may not end …

Music, The Non-Governmental Actor Changing Political Policy: Have We Failed The Power Of Music?, Alex Hershey

Senior Honors Projects

Music, the Non-Governmental Actor Changing Political Policy: Have We Failed the Power of Music? People learn that making music as well as listening to it frees them from the toil and tedium of a life dominated by the privileged and the powerful. Music means trouble for those who would own and control it as they perpetuate injustice and suffering. – Mat Callahan It is believed that the pen is mightier than the sword, but is the guitar playing vocalist, a beatnik, mightier than the M-16 machinegun and an American political oligarchy? To find the answer to this question we must …

Entertaining Politics And The College Student, Alexandra Rubin

Senior Honors Projects

Mass media is crucial in forming and reflecting opinion in society. Newspaper, television, and the internet all play a critical role in the daily lives of Americans; disseminating information that shapes views of life, culture, and politics. It seems like all forms of media communication, either subliminally or blatantly, reflect the political climate of the day. The news media flood American homes with images, audio, and commentary on political happenings. My questions are as follows: How much basic political knowledge does an average college student possess? Where does the average college student receive his or her political knowledge? Does celebrity …