Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Foreign Policy Reorientation: From Globalization To Nationalism, Abdullah A. Asiri

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation explores the foreign policy implications of the post-2010 resurgence of nationalism in the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world. It explores the reorientation of foreign policy away from globalization and the post-Cold War expectations that include a rules-based order, the spread of democracy and human rights, and the free movement of capital, products, people, and information. Instead, the emerging nationalist foreign policies emphasize independence and national sovereignty, economic self-sufficiency and protectionism, and anti-democracy and universal values. These policies are also characterized in terms of limited and unilateral engagement and proneness to conflict and confrontation. This dissertation …

From The Pews To The Ballot Box: How Religion Shapes Voting Behavior In Ghana., Maxwell Afriyie Nimako

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation explores how religion shapes voting behavior in emerging democracies, focusing on the case of Ghana. Using the Afrobarometer survey, the first stage of the analysis shows that Pentecostals are not statistically different from Roman Catholics in terms of voting for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidates in 2007-2008 and 2013-2014. However, in 2016-2017, Pentecostal voters seem to have behaved differently from Roman Catholic voters. The dissertation subsequently explores why this variation in voting patterns emerged. This dissertation argues that explicit religious appeals made by presidential candidates and explicit religious appeals made by Pentecostal leaders for presidential candidates …

Historical Evolution Of The Late 20th-Century Maritime Claims, The Concept Of The Nine-Dash Line, And The Dispute In The South China Sea, Kamil Nowak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This study discusses the origins and development of the South China Sea dispute. It briefly analyzes the overlapping maritime claims, their justifications and legal aspects, and key clashes between the actors across the second half of the 20th century. It uses a historical perspective to assess the present-day conflict. The study discusses the impact of international agreements, national policies, claimants' domestic factors, and external influences connected to the geopolitical situation of the period to determine how they influenced the dispute. The analysis reveals that amidst more pressing global events, the South China Sea issue was frequently overlooked by the international …

Governance From Below: Decentralization, Innovation, And Disaster Management In East Asia, Fatemah Muneer Nawabdin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Research on decentralization has emphasized that the distribution of power between the national and local levels has different effects on various outcomes. This dissertation aims to contribute to this discussion by shedding light on the three types of decentralization (political, fiscal, and administrative) and their effect on two main outcomes: the production of technological and intellectual innovation and COVID-19 management. I argue that decentralization – including its three types – works differently under different conditions, resulting in different outcomes. That is, fiscal and administrative decentralization empower local decision-makers to make autonomous decisions, which can be beneficial for promoting innovation, but …

Exploring Cyberterrorism, Topic Models And Social Networks Of Jihadists Dark Web Forums: A Computational Social Science Approach, Vivian Fiona Guetler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This three-article dissertation focuses on cyber-related topics on terrorist groups, specifically Jihadists’ use of technology, the application of natural language processing, and social networks in analyzing text data derived from terrorists' Dark Web forums. The first article explores cybercrime and cyberterrorism. As technology progresses, it facilitates new forms of behavior, including tech-related crimes known as cybercrime and cyberterrorism. In this article, I provide an analysis of the problems of cybercrime and cyberterrorism within the field of criminology by reviewing existing literature focusing on (a) the issues in defining terrorism, cybercrime, and cyberterrorism, (b) ways that cybercriminals commit a crime in …

A Shock To The System: Analyzing Ethnocentric Populist Support Before And After Crises, Kyu Chul Shin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Using the question of what is driving the support for populists in the mid-late 2010s in Western Europe and the United States as the starting point, this dissertation attempts to answer a number of different questions related to populists: Were the reasons behind support for populists in countries that saw an increase in support for populisms similar to those that saw a decrease in support? Are the reasons for supporting right-wing populists different from more general ethnocentric populists? Are the reasons that Americans supported Donald Trump similar or different from the reasons behind support for Western European populists? Following migration-related …

U.S.-Ukraine Relations And The Concept Of Strategic Partnership, Khrystyna Pelchar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A strategic partnership has become particularly relevant in the wake of the Russian war in Ukraine. Most studies focus on the historical perspective of particular special relations leaning toward the long-standing nature and stability of those relations. Others describe interstate partnerships as dynamic developments rather than static phenomena. Conventionally, strategic partnerships are multifaceted, including the spheres of economic cooperation, military assistance and partnership, and democracy promotion. Scholars also single out cultural proximity as an important factor facilitating mutual trust and feasibility of strategic partnership.

This thesis will discuss the historical background of the U.S.-Ukraine economic, socio-political, and military cooperation and …

Wild And Wonderful: How Both A Local And National Newspaper Framed West Virginia Leading Up To The 2016 Election, Emily Grace Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

During the 2016 Presidential election, journalists from all over the country flocked to West Virginia to try to understand the draw to then-candidate Donald Trump. There is a well-documented history of outsiders flooding the state and its surrounding Appalachian states to attempt to make sense of the current political situation, all while operating off of stereotypes and preconceived notions about the people of the Mountain State. This study aims to determine how stereotyping and the concept of framing or othering — when in-groups create out-groups — were used by a local West Virginia paper, as well as a national newspaper …

Shutting The Door On Voting: The Effects Of "The Great Poll Closure", Joshua Matthew Squires

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The 2016 election was the first presidential election following the landmark Shelby County v. Holder (2013) case that invalidated Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The decision in Shelby meant that certain jurisdictions with histories of racial discrimination no longer needed permission or “preclearance” from the federal government before making changes to election administration procedures. Perhaps not coincidentally, voting jurisdictions across the United States also saw a record number of polling place closures - especially in formerly preclearance areas. Past research has studied the effects of precinct closures on voter turnout in individual counties and at the …

After The Protests: A Campus Racial Climate Case Study Of The Perception And Curricular Responses For Institutional Reforms, Following The Black Students’ Demands For Interventions At The University Of Missouri-Columbia, Bruce E. Mitchell Ii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This qualitative method single case study explores the phenomenon of a racially tense campus climate at the University of Missouri Columbia, a Predominantly White Midwestern Institution. At the forefront of the media regarding student and athlete protests, leading to the resignation of senior level administrators, African American students put forth eight demands to their administrators. Included, was the creation and implementation of a required racial awareness and inclusion curriculum. The study explores the perceptions of the institutional response to an exceptional campus racial climate issue and the process of formulating and participating in a diversity training course and a semester …

Development And Dynamics Of Us Welfare Policy, Liza Gordon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In this dissertation I analyze the development of contemporary US welfare policy with special consideration given to the importance of race and gender. In the introductory chapter I outline how the development of the American welfare state has continuously neglected the needs of women and minorities as well as how classist, racist, and sexist appeals have been prevalent throughout US history in relation to welfare policies. The remaining chapters analyze how contemporary welfare policies including the 1996 welfare reforms and state drug-testing for welfare laws carry on these American legacies. In Chapter 1 I examine how the classist, sexist, and …

The Ethics Of Aerial Bombardment In International Conflicts: From Douhet To Drones, Rauan Zhaksybergen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In this thesis, I demonstrate how the question of ethics in aerial bombardment has been evolving and transforming since its inception at the beginning of the twentieth century to contemporary targeted killings/assassinations by drones. I interact with early airpower theories from Douhet, Trenchard, Mitchell, and contemporary air tactics in order to establish a crucial sequence between these early theories and practices of aerial violence and modern ones conducted by armed drones. I show how the evolution of aerial bombardment challenged, influenced, and transformed essentials of conventional warfare, as well as dispersed boundaries between combatants and non-combatants. Contemporary legally uncontrolled targeted …

Polarized Policymaking: The Effect Of Ideological Division On Legislative Outcomes In The United States Congress, Aaron Tyler Mentzer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation examines the effect of political polarization on legislative productivity and policymaking in the United States Congress. As the ideological distance between Republicans and Democrats increases, both parties face pressure to obstruct the legislative process in order to defeat their opponent’s policy proposals. This leads to legislative gridlock and alters the means by which Congress can perform its legislative duties. This theory is not a new one, but this dissertation expands on existing literature in several ways. In Chapter 2 I ask: does polarization limit the types of policy that Congress is able to pass, and is Congress restricted …

Judicial Independence In Pakistan: A Case Study Of Lawyers’ Movement, 2007-2009, Shabbir Ahmad Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This study focuses on a social movement, the Lawyers’ Moment 2007-2009 of Pakistan, a transitioning democracy, which brought vast changes in its judicial system, especially in terms of its judicial independence. There are three main research questions in this study: 1) the status of judicial independence before the Lawyers’ Movement; 2) was judicial independence a major goal in the Lawyers’ Movement? and 3) did the Lawyers’ Movement alter the status of judicial independence? The research methodology used to explore the answers to these questions also has three main sources: 1) the literature which explains some areas of scholarship in social …

Putting Policy In Its Place: Policy Enactment And Engagement Through A Multiscalar Policy-Shed Framework, Barbara L. Maclennan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The objective of this research is to examine the spatial components integral to policy formation, implementation, and evaluation. The research uses solid waste as a case study to explore a multiscalar GIS policy-shed framework. To this end, the goal of this dissertation is to examine the spatial nature of public policy. The research applies spatial concepts and multiscalar methodological applications embedded within GIS and geovisualization to explore the complex spaces surrounding public policy implementation and evaluation.

Energy Policy Dynamics In The European Parliament And In The Lithuanian Seimas, Vaida Lilionyte Manthos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The purpose of this study is to apply punctuated equilibrium theory to better understand the development of energy policies in the European Parliament and in the Lithuanian Parliament – Seimas. In the first empirical chapter I analyze written questions that members of the European Parliament submitted to the EU Commission to study whether members of the European Parliament respond to punctuating events such as the Fukushima nuclear accident. I also study party groupings in the European Parliament to evaluate how punctuating events alter the policy behavior and priorities of these party groupings. In the second empirical chapter I analyze whether …

The State And War On Poverty: British Welfare Development And Its Legacies For Malawi, 1930s-1983, Gift Wasambo Kayira

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation documents the struggles and dilemmas that the Malawian state endured as it attempted to achieve its developmental goals from the 1930s to 1983. It contributes to histories of development by focusing on the interventions both the colonial and postcolonial states made to improve the living standards of African rural communities, the ideas which shaped state programs, and the behavior of the state which such interventions reveal. Scholars typically argue that state policy in Malawi was necessarily destructive and limited the economic progress of the local communities. The state deliberately pursued land, market, and other agricultural policies that constrained …

Microfinance In Latin America: Poverty Alleviation And The Impact Of Institutional Mimicry, Lindsay Jouben

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Microfinance has become a program of choice in the international development community. The World Bank has promoted microfinance programs under the idea that poverty alleviation can be accomplished by mainly providing credit. [1] As such, these policies are often replicated throughout the developing world. This replication is done through international organizations adopting a standard of best practices for the microfinance field. Best practices consist of a complex set of standard by which all banks must adhere if they receive funding from the World Bank or International Monetary Fund. These best practices, following neoliberal economics, lay out how microfinance should operate …

The Idea Of A Citizen: The Role Of Higher Education Institutions In The Development Of Citizens And An Exploration Of Innovative Teaching Techniques To Aid In The Process, Eric Matthew Myers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This work seeks to explain how institutions of higher education and political science educators within those institutions can develop students into citizens. Understanding the role of each (institution, educator, and student) within American democracy is important and the focus of this research. As the roles of each are demarcated, it becomes clear that higher education institutions and their political science educators have a unique ability to nurture students into citizens with a strong sense of civic purpose and understanding.

The subsequent chapters in this work explore the use of experiential education and other innovative teaching methods to determine if students …

The Effects Of Punctuation Events On The Oil Policy Network: A Network Analysis Of Rulemaking Outputs, Fadi M. Mugheirbi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In this dissertation, I display the effect of punctuating events on the oil policy subsystem and network and, in turn, on the rulemaking process. Here I examine whether, and to what extent, the changes in the dynamics of the policy network and the composition of the subsystem caused by the punctuation could alter rulemaking outputs and whether these changes occur simultaneously or sequentially across the policy subsystem and network.

Building upon Punctuation-Equilibrium Theory (PET), Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), and the Policy Network Approach (PNA) alongside the political control literature, I provide explanations for the routines and outputs of rulemaking. Accordingly, …

The Dark Tetrad, Social Dominance Orientation, And Online Political Discussion, Cory D. Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Previous literature into online trolling behavior has focused upon the role of the Dark Tetrad and political measures separately. This study extended the existing body of research by examining the relationship between the Dark Tetrad personality traits, social dominance orientation (SDO) and online political trolling in the United States of America. The data was collected using an online questionnaire from American users of Facebook and Reddit in the summer of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter movement, and in the runup to a hotly contested national election. Positive correlations were found between all of the Dark Tetrad traits, …

A Coordination-Based Approach To Subnational Variations In Split-Ticket Voting: The Case Of Ghana 1996-2016, Samuel Kofi Darkwa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation seeks to explain the causes of split-ticket voting (skirt and blouse voting) in emerging democracies like Ghana. The analysis carried out here has been approached at three levels. This is because voters’ decisions in the voting booth are affected by factors within the larger political environment which are often beyond the individual voter. Thus, the three approaches employed here consider individual-level, constituency-level, and elite-level factors that affect the phenomenon. In each case different datasets were used to examine split-ticket voting. The analysis reveals that the individual-level factors (demographic characteristics and political information variables) are weak in explaining ticket …

Living Tangent, Cornelius Alexander Hugo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

A living tangent is how I am known by many and how I have lived my life for some time. I think in tangents and my life and art seem to evolve through them. Everything I make is connected by multiple thoughts or tangent lines that run from something as simple as the color red, to the idea that I believe communism has invaded my family’s homeland. This then leads to the recollection of childhood games, taught to me by my family in Venezuela and the importance these games played in my psychological development and in my presence as an …

Distinguishing Beliefs About Social Inequality: Associations Among Dimensions Of Critical Consciousness, Lauren M. Alvis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Critical consciousness researchers posit that critical reflection, which refers to a critical awareness of structural inequalities between socially constructed groups and external political efficacy beliefs (i.e., perceptions of government responsiveness) are important precursors to effective political action (Diemer et al., 2016; Watts, Diemer, & Voight, 2011). However, little is known about emerging adults’ views of social inequality and political change regarding specific marginalized groups. There are different forms of social inequality and the extent to which individuals experience these inequities is partially determined by multiple sociodemographic characteristics including race/ethnicity, sex, sexual-orientation, and gender identity (Hurst et al., 2016). Identifying potential …

State Capacity And Terrorism In The Developing World, Coty J. Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

What are the most influential factors to the rise of terrorist groups in the developing world? From Nigeria to Indonesia, various groups have conducted devastating attacks, against fellow citizens and international visitors. Hendrix and Young (2014) find military capacity may encourage the use of terrorism while bureaucratic measures depress them. Further investigation into underlying catalysts for mobilization is required before we can explain the rise in activity of terrorist organizations in these regions. I expect as measures of military capacity increase that terrorism increases while increases in administrative capacity reduce terrorist activity. I also expect indirect factors such as repressive …

Political Trust In Kosovo: Exploring Cultural And Institutional Dynamics, Ermira Babamusta

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In this dissertation I examine political trust perceptions across different political-legal institutions and actors in Kosovo. I evaluate the levels of political trust using cultural and institutional performance explanations to investigate the key factors that have an impact on political trust. The study explores national political trust and international political trust, considering many domains of political trust: government, political leaders, political parties, Kosovo Courts, Kosovo Police, NATO, United Nations, European Union, and the Kosovo Specialist Court. There is growing concern about lower levels of political trust across Europe, especially in post-communist countries. In this study, I make the case that …

Following The Leaders: Issue Attention And Agenda Dynamics In Women’S Health Care Policy, Kara Anne Fisher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation focuses on shifts in issue attention in the policy process and examines policy changes. Describing agenda setting is important not only for understanding congressional behavior in general but also for understanding the institutional context of other political behavior. I focus on the processes of positive feedback to explain periods of dramatic policy changes observed over a long period of time.

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in the politics of health policy which opened the door to women’s health care as an important feature of health politics. Thus, my research is motivated by three …

The Politics Of Drug Courts, Jeffrey Chris Moss

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This study examined drug courts from a public policy and political science perspective. The first portion of the study focused on the history of sentencing policy from the 1970s through the drug court movement. The second chapter addressed gaps in the policy literature about how drug courts were created and how they evolved. Another focal point was determining how state-level actors such as legislators, state supreme courts, and bureaucratic agencies regulated drug court policy in each particular state. From this data, a continuum was formed to determine which states operated from a top-down management style for drug courts and which …

Midterm 2018 And Targeting Latino Community Through Misinformation And Disinformation Online, Manjul Shrestha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

How has the Latino community been targeted by digital propaganda during the 2018 midterm elections in the US? How might this affect their involvement in and around the election? This thesis starts to answer these questions through a data analysis on two of the most prominent and popular social media platforms for political discussion: Twitter and Reddit. This study analyzed people’s posting patterns over time, the digital traces of the individuals pushing the majority and most popular content, and Latino candidates’ interaction on Twitter. This research provides evidence that on Twitter there are two main actors discussing Latinos and politics: …

Unequal Influence: The Impact Of Inequality On Trade Policy, Brian William Fitzpatrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Trade was a central issue in the 2016 US presidential election, with both major party candidates debating how trade impacts American workers. However, the current literature on trade policy outcomes and inequality has insufficient measures of public opinion on trade. I examine the varying roles the public and interest groups play in the trade policy formation process as inequality changes in democratic societies. I expect, as inequality increases, the public and mass based interest groups will have less resources to expend on influencing policymakers. Also, as inequality increases economic elites’ and business interest groups’ resources will increase, and they will …