Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Civil Society In Palestine: A Palestine Profile, Shadia Kanaan

Masters Theses

One definition of civil society dominated all theoretical and historical perspectives when it comes to the special case of civil society in Palestine. "Civil society is concerned with a society's total self re-producing ability through its inner strength in a manner that is distinct from the state" (Bishara 1995, 143). The hypothesis of this work is that civil society in Palestine existed and flourished in spite the absence of a national state and had played a fundamental role in the social and economic development of Palestinian society throughout its history. Civil society in Palestine poses an exception to the theory …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Harm That Russian And Chinese Organized Crime Groups Can Inflict On American Society, Bryce L. Hoekenga

Masters Theses

Determining which of the two main ethnic organized crime groups emerging in America poses a greater threat to society was the focus of this study. One group is from or is closely linked to Russia and the other group is from or is closely linked to China.

The aspects of each group that were discussed include their origins, their spread to America, how they structured, their membership sizes, the types of crimes they commit, and how law enforcement has responded to each group. The aspects that were compared between the two groups include their levels of sophistication, the seriousness and …

Community In Liberal Thought, Richard C. Brill

Masters Theses

The aim of this thesis is to research the role of community in liberal thought. The problem that has initiated this research is the erosion of traditional communal bonds in contemporary liberal society. This problem has been the focus of the debate between communitarians and liberals for the past two decades. The research problem will be to discover workable definitions of community and liberalism which have been plagued with multiple interpretations throughout the debate.

The method of this thesis will be to first frame in the environment of the original problem. The second chapter will address the precedents set by …

The Implications Of Deweyan Pragmatism For Liberal Democracies, Robert B. Fenneuff

Masters Theses

My research explores John Dewey's political theory in order to determine what practical and theoretical significance it has for liberal democratic nation-states that face significant problems in a number of areas. The problems Dewey's political theory is most concerned with stem from the impact of highly complex modern technology upon the ability of a democratic society to strive closer towards its ideals of freedom , equality, and community. My research shows that Dewey's theory calls for an experimental re-creation of social and political institutions with the purpose of creating an effective means by which society can organize the complex technology …

The Impact Of Political Instability On Economic Growth: Evidence From Developing Countries, Uisoon Kwon

Masters Theses

This thesis examined the impact of political instability on economic growth. This thesis included forty three developing countries and employed multiple regression analysis. Three hypotheses were tested. First, cross-nationally, political instability may serve to decrease the availability of factors of production. Second, cross-nationally, political instability will decrease the quantity of labor. Third, cross-nationally, political instability may negatively influence the timing and organization of the production process.

The statistical results of multiple regression were not significant at .05 level using t-test. Therefore the null hypotheses were not rejected. Based on statistical results, possible reasons for the statistical insignificance were considered in …

Us/Japanese Trade Policy: A Defense Of Limited Unilateralism, Stephen D. Behnke

Honors Theses

With the end of the Cold War, the Soviet threat is no longer a factor in our formulation of trade policy with Japan. In days past, the State Department cited geopolitical concerns in its on-going battle with those sections of the government who were more willing to slap trade restrictions on Japan for alleged unfair trading practices. Until the early 1970s, United States trade policy was almost totally subjugated to winning the Cold War; our market was thrown open to imports even if others were not. Back then, though, this was not only a wise Cold War "military tactic," but …

The Military-Bureaucracy Relationship In Nigeria: A Study Of Public Policy Making And Implementation, Robert Aziakpono Dibie

Dissertations

The Federal Government of Nigeria’s Structural Adjustment/Make-or-Buy policy was introduced in July 1986 to accelerate the development of Nigerian industrial capacity by contracting government R & D out to the private sector. This study expands the empirical and theoretical analyses of development policy and its implementation that have traditionally relied on motives of "rationality" (costs/benefits) to explain bureaucratic behavior. It examines and juxtaposes the military-dominated policy making apparatus with the traditional bureaucracy, which has the responsibility for the execution of public policy. It also attempts to make some contribution to Nigerian and comparative literature in the field of industrial development …

Aboriginal Autonomy: The Future Of Indigenous Development In Western Australia, Matthew B. Eugster

Masters Theses

The prospects for development within the Aboriginal society of Western Australia were the focus of this study. The Primary intent of the study was to examine the causes behind an apparent lack of development within Aboriginal society. Next, the study examined possible remedies for the situation.

The study determined that the lack of development in Aboriginal society can be attributed primarily to social dysfunction ( or social dislocation). Furthermore, social dislocation could be attributed to cultural deprivation or the inability to practice one's culture. It was proposed and established that cultural and political autonomy would provide an environment more suitable …