Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Community Group Influence On Political Involvement, Courtney Klaers

2024 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

Humans are creatures who seek connection. However, it can be difficult to get large groups of people engaged. In order for community and political centered groups to function properly, it is essential that people get involved. And, by extension, it is essential that the public is engaged in order for the USA government to work as it should. I wish to study the possible connection between community and political groups and involvement. To explore these ideas, people can apply knowledge and theories pertaining to topics such as political socialization, sociotropic interests, social capital, and political involvement. These theories explore how …

Did The Change In Snap Ebt Benefits In Response To Covid-19 Affect Poverty, Snap Participation, And Food Insecurity Rates?, Paige Thing

2024 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is one of the most important welfare programs the United States government offers. In fiscal year 2015, one in every seven Americans received SNAP assistance. Previously called food stamps as they were first introduced with the passing of the Food and Agriculture Act in 1977, this program has been helping individuals struggling with food insecurity for decades (Ziliak 2016). Benefits are no longer dispersed with physical stamps, restricting what households can and cannot buy. Now benefits are distributed via a debit card-type system. This is where the EBT gets added to the program …

The Political Obstruction Of Anti-Lynching Policy, Jerimiah Boyd-Johnson

2022 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

United States House of Representative Bobby Rush from Illinois’s District 1 proposed the Emmitt Till Anti-Lynching Act (H.R.35 - 116th Congress 2019-2020). This Act would classify lynching as a federal hate crime. This act has been passed through the House of Representatives but was blocked in the Senate by Rand Paul. This is not a new phenomenon. Anti-Lynching legislation has been repeatedly blocked in the United States Senate. As reported by congressional findings, on all three occasions where anti-lynching legislation would be passed the opposing party argued states' rights, threatened to use the filibuster, or used the filibuster. This research …

Don’T Tilt My Crown: The Impact Of Hair Discrimination On Minorities, Constance Young

2022 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

Hair discrimination is a significant issue that has not been given adequate attention nor the proper application of legislation to combat it across the United States. It is currently disproportionally impacting minorities, especially minority women, as it is not only emotionally and mentally damaging to them, but it can lead to health issues as well. This research will further analyze what causes some states to endorse anti-hair discrimination policies as opposed to others. I believe there are many common factors amongst states that have passed laws related to this issue, and that these factors are main indicators of why other …

Terrorism: The Case Of Donbas And Ukraine, Noelle C. Chubb

2022 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

In 2014, the Crimean Peninsula was pseudo-legally annexed by the Russian Federation after months of internal turmoil (the “Euromaidan crisis”) that ousted then-President Viktor Yanukovych. This crisis, which began in November 2013, would turn into the most intense conflict in Eastern Europe since the Russian Federation was formed in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union. The annexation, along with the declaration of independence by the oblasts of Donetsk and Lugansk would see several non-state actors (notably the People’s Republic of Donetsk, the People’s Republic of Lugansk, and Cossack Separatists) rise in opposition to the pro-Western forces in …

“Who Runs The World? Girls!” A Case Study On The Role That Stacey Abrams Has Played In Changing The African American Political Voice And American Political Realm As A Whole, Kyler Wiltz

2022 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

Stacey Abrams is one of the most prominent up-and-coming politicians in America. From her controversial gubernatorial race in 2018 to her post-election voting rights efforts, she is consistently at the forefront of many political discussions and debates. Nonetheless, with all this notoriety, there has not been much research on her life and impact relative to her peers or predecessors. What makes Stacey Abrams as popular and accepted as she is to the public? How is she the same as other American politicians, both male, and female? Who is Stacey Abrams? This study focuses on answering these questions through a case …

The Role Of Language Education In Peacebuilding: The Case Of Cyprus, Maya Hunter

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The New Immigrant Whiteness: Race, Neoliberalism, And Post-Soviet Migration To The United States, By Claudia Sadowski-Smith, Tim Engles

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

How Do Gender Focused Political Action Campaigns, Such As Emily’S List, Contribute To The Number Of Women Running For Office?, Paige Franzen

Student Honors Theses

2018 is already being called the “Year of the Woman.” As we begin to see political movements rise such as the #MeToo movement, or #TimesUp, women of all socioeconomic statues, cultures, political parties, and ages come together to bring awareness to women’s issues, such as the gender pay gap, sexual assault and harassment, and the misrepresentation of women in politics. One political action committee, EMILY’s list, works to elect democratic, pro-choice, female candidates to all levels of state and local office. According to their mission statement, EMILY’S List, which is an acronym that stands for “Early Money is Like Yeast,” …

Women Representation On Cnn And Fox News, Ryan Burke

Student Honors Theses

Research question: What difference does a political bias matter when analyzing how CNN and Fox News portray women’s issues, the number of women guests on their shows, and how much airtime women receive.

Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that both networks will have relatively low coverage on women’s issues and guests on the show will be predominately male, but I do hypothesize that CNN will have a higher yield of women as guests on the show.

Access Or Exclusion? An Analysis Of State Reproductive Rights And Comprehensive Sex Education, Sam Gilbert

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 2009, Colorado successfully decreased their abortion rate among minors and at-risk teenagers through a privately-funded trial. This outcome was realized by offering affordable, accessible, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare options, specifically long-acting reversible contraception, to young women. Reproductive rights is an issue at the forefront of political discussion, often a determining factor for party identification. The controversy of reproductive rights--in particular, abortion--leads to a higher reliance on hear-say, instead of peer-reviewed literature, statistics, and legislation. In order to gain a well-balanced understanding of abortion politics, I compare three Midwestern states--Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota--to determine their respective policy successes and shortcomings. …

Religion And Politics: How Eiu Students View Policy, Sam Gilbert

Student Honors Theses

Through this survey project, it is my intention to analyze the intersection of an individual’s religiosity and their tendency to support or oppose governmental programs and Trump’s political platform. From my personal experience and the information I have attained in my life, the more religious a person is, the more apt they are to hold conservative ideologies. Based on this information, it is safe to assume that the support for liberal-leaning programs would be considerably lower than their non-religious counterparts. However, based on my understanding of religion—specifically the Christian faith—an essential pillar is treating those around you with a love …

An Analysis Of Minimum Wage: The Impact States With Higher And Lower Minimum Wages, Kathryne Arnold

Student Honors Theses

Perhaps one of the most politically contentious debates arguably revolves around minimum wage rates, and in particular federal minimum wage rate which sets a standard floor to which all states must follow. Each state in the US is allowed to raise its minimum wage rate above the federal standard, however many view increasing minimum wage rates to be a reversal of economic progress while others see it as a way to end poverty for many American citizens who work in minimum wage positions. While the federal policy on minimum wage continues, the importance of a state’s individual policy on their …

Redefining Human Rights: Non-Governmental Organizations, United States Foreign Policy In Chile, And The 1970s, Thomas Michael Spencer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The United States And The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child, 1989-1995, Katie St. John

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

What Factors Cause The Millennial Generation To Lean More Liberal Than Conservative Especially On Issues Of Abortion And Lgbtq Rights?, Rachel Kaiser

Student Honors Theses

The primary goal of my study was to look at what factors cause the millennial generation to lean more liberal than conservative, especially on abortion and LGBTQ rights. “In 2016, a majority of Millennials (55%) identified as Democrats or leaned Democratic; 27% described themselves as liberal Democrats – the highest share of any generation” (Maniam & Smith, 2017). Originally, I would’ve liked to survey people of all ages in order to get an accurate result to see where exactly those changes in social ideology took place. Because the survey was only sent out to college students, I decided to focus …

Book Review Of Kirsten Dyck's Reichsrock: The International Web Of White-Power And Neo-Nazi Hate Music (2016) And Nancy S. Love's Trendy Fascism: White Power Music And The Future Of Democracy (2017), Tim Engles

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

A review of Kirsten Dyck's Reichsrock: The International Web of White-Power and Neo-Nazi Hate Music (2016) and Nancy S. Love's Trendy Fascism: White Power Music and the Future of Democracy (2017).

In A Bind: The Role Of Transgender Health Care Coverage In Politics, Lucas Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Integrating Creative, Critical, And Historical Thinking Through Close Reading, Document- Based Writing, And Original Political Cartooning, John Bickford

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Historical thinking, an unnatural and developed skill,1 is foundational for both civicinvolvement and social studies education.2 To facilitate students’ historical thinking, teachers candraw from a myriad of discipline-specific close reading strategies.3 History literacy stratagems canbe adjusted for learners both young4 and old5; teachers can target a specific heuristic6 or address adistinct barrier to understanding.7 Whether termed content area literacy strategies, close readings,processes, and simply methods,8 state and national education require students to scrutinizecomplex, diverse, and, at times, competing texts.9 The education initiatives assess students—inboth history/social studies and English/language arts non-fiction curricula—on their ability toextract, employ, and cite newly generated understandings …

Concealed Carry In The Show-Me State: Do Voters Who Favor Right-To-Carry Legislation End Up Packing Heat?, Linda Ghent, Alan Grant

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Objectives – The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between a public vote on the right-to-carry concealed weapons in the state of Missouri and the subsequent demand for concealed-carry permits. Methods – Weighted logit analysis of the referendum vote and the proportion of the population holding concealed-carry permits was performed to investigate the factors that influence them. Results – We find vast differences in the factors that significantly influenced the vote and the decision to hold a concealed-carry permit. Crime rates are positively related to the vote, but have no influence on the decision to carry. Conclusions …

The Effect Of Welfare Policies And Hardships On Participation Rates Among The Poor, Matthew W. Cain

Undergraduate Honors Theses

For several decades, a new political prospective has emerged in the Political Science literature - Policy Feedback Theory. Put simply, Policy Feedback Theory looks at the way public policy affects politics. Existing policies can define the political environment, shaping the capacities, interests, and beliefs of political elites and states, which in tum influence the next round of policy-making. However, does public policy only change the politics of elites and states? Can public policy also change the politics of mass publics? Recent Political Science researchers are now examining this question.

Even though much ground has been gained in examining this question, …

Personal Roots Of Representation: Applying Burden's Model To Female Leaders In State Legislatures, Lindsey Juszczak

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The role of women in politics is not a new concern in the United States. However, the number of women being elected into leadership positions at all levels of government is growing. Reasons for women's political drive and ambition stem from various aspects of their life. Barry Burden believes that the roots of personal representation like a representative's religion, education, and home life are important factors that drive politicians in their careers. Burden's model can be used to understand why women in leadership roles are motivated in a certain way to represent and respond to constituents. Specifically, this research studies …

Millennial Issues And Millennial Voters: The Opinions Of Today's Youth, John Proffitt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Foreign Intervention In Africa: From The Cold War To The War On Terrror, Felix Kumah-Abiwu

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

20 Years On: Manfred Wӧrner’S Impact As Nato Secretary General, Ryan C. Hendrickson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

20 Years On: Manfred Wӧrner’S Impact As Nato Secretary General, Ryan Hendrickson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Home Rule And Environmentalism: The Adoption Of Green Initiatives In U.S. Municipalities, Luke Eastin

2013 Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity - Documents

In recent years there has been a movement in academia from studying environmental policy on the national level to a much narrower examination of local municipalities and their respective green initiatives. The implications of this research reach well beyond the borders of academics and hit squarely municipalities and their corresponding local policy makers. We, as political scientists, must ask what particular characteristics of municipalities play the most significant role in green initiative adoption. Recent urban scholarship has suggested several variables that influence the adoption of environmental policies, but one specific variable, municipality home rule status, has had little to no …

Sweden: A Special Nato Partner?, Ryan Hendrickson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Sweden: A Special Nato Partner?, Ryan C. Hendrickson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Changes In United States Diplomacy: How International Development And An Increasing Military Role Is Challenging The Relevance Of U.S. Ambassadors, Jennifer M. Prillaman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.