Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Essays On The Political Economy Of International Trade And Coups, William Akoto

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I shed light on the nexus between coups and trade. I address three key questions. First, I examine whether all coup attempts, regardless of outcome, have the same effect on international trade. I demonstrate that while failed coups and increased coup risk negatively impact bilateral trade, the effect of successful coups is mixed. Disaggregating trade along its intensive and extensive margins, I also show that coups and increased coup risk largely influence bilateral trade through their impact on the extensive margin of trade.

Second, I examine how the changing composition of international trade affects coup propensity. I …

The Dynamics Of Vote Buying In Developing Democracies: Party Attachment And Party Competition In Southeast Asia, Matthew Louis Wagner

Theses and Dissertations

Broadly defined, what factors explain changes in party competition in developing democracies? The dominant theoretical paradigm used to explain changes in party competition in established democracies does not offer much leverage in emerging ones. The literature argues that linkages between voting blocs and parties erode and cleavages shift, allowing for new voter blocs or even new parties. However, if social groups, parties, and party systems are different in emerging democracies than in established ones, does this mean the dynamics of party competition are also different? Also, what does is the role of voters in these systems? My dissertation outlines a …

Women In The Governor's Mansion: Breaking The Barrier To Competition, Helen Adair King

Theses and Dissertations

Women are underrepresented in public office. One of the lowest percentages belongs to women serving as governor. Only nine women currently hold the office. Research has shown that when women run, they win. They are just as competitive as men. And yet, one particular question remains. Why don’t more women run? That is why I have chosen to focus this dissertation on the influences on the presence of a female candidate as opposed to the influences on the presence of a female governor. I argue that it is important to begin with candidacy instead of working backward. If the salient …

Causes And Consequences Of Police Militarization, Edward Eugene Lawson, Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

After the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown, and many other incidents of police violence that followed, the militarization of policing and the use of violence by police became the subjects of contentious debate among the public, policymakers, and scholars. Research on these subjects necessary to inform the debate has been lacking. This work examines the causes and effects of police militarization in the United States. Specifically, I argue that militarization is a response to perceived threat from minority racial groups, but the rela- tionship between racial demographics and militarization is curvilinear. Militarized begin to see themselves as soldiers fighting on …

Public Education Reform In South Carolina: An Analysis Of Legislative Efforts In 2019, Francis Halloran

Senior Theses

This thesis is a legislative research project on the South Carolina Education, Career Opportunity, and Access for All Act, proposed by the South Carolina General Assembly on January 24, 2019. I begin by exploring the history of the modern public education reform movement in South Carolina, reviewing related legislation over the last half-century, and focusing on the cornerstone South Carolina Supreme Court case Abbeville County School District v. The State of South Carolina. Next, the South Carolina Education, Career Opportunity, and Access for All Act provides the basis for a comprehensive summary of all statutory reforms attempted by this …

Judicial Legitimacy And The Dearth Of State Supreme Court Knowledge, Tj Kimel

Theses and Dissertations

As western democracies face challenges unseen since the Cold War ended, understanding the correlates of legitimacy for democratic institutions has grown in importance. While scholars have well-developed theories and empirical evidence of Supreme Court support, we know far less about state supreme court legitimacy. This is despite the fact that these courts hand down 100,000 legal decisions annually. Relying on an original survey conducted with participants in 46 states, I develop and test a theory that respondents rely on the Supreme Court as a cue when deciding whether they should extend legitimacy to state supreme courts they know next to …

Dynamic Environments And Judicial Power, Monica Lineberger

Theses and Dissertations

The study of judicial independence in comparative environments is an increasingly important endeavor for scholars and policy-makers. Scholars seek to understand how an institution without any degree of enforceable power can leverage its position into an influential member of country politics. Policy-makers assume that a high degree of judicial independence correlates with the rule of law, and consequently, a respect for the outcomes from judicial processes. While in recent history the United States Supreme Court has enjoyed a relatively stable degree of judicial autonomy, courts in other countries are plagued by institutional weakness, attacks from other institutions, or corruption from …