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Articles 1 - 11 of 11

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Seeking Stability In An Oily World: The Gulf War And American Imperialism, Kate Keleher Aug 2012

Seeking Stability In An Oily World: The Gulf War And American Imperialism, Kate Keleher

The Macalester Review

Oil has profoundly shaped the political, economic, and social structures of the twentieth century and it continues to shape the global order today. As both a source and a medium of power, oil binds together seemingly disparate elements into a highly sensitive web. This paper examines the first Gulf War as a turning point in the narrative of oil and power. The United States’ engagement in the Gulf War reasserted American dominance over the Middle East and ushered in a new era of oil security. In the war’s aftermath, the United States assumed roles that indicate an agenda of new …


Social Movements And Free Riders: Examining Resource Mobilization Theory Through The Bolivian Water War, J.P. Weismuller Aug 2012

Social Movements And Free Riders: Examining Resource Mobilization Theory Through The Bolivian Water War, J.P. Weismuller

The Macalester Review

Mancur Olson's free rider problem suggests that self-interested individuals would be more rational to abstain from rather than participate in collective action. This possibility is particularly problematic for social movement theories attempting to account for movement emergence. In this essay, I critique resource mobilization theory's solution to Olson's problem, arguing that its "elite support hypothesis" cannot account for the emergence of entirely grassroots movements. However, through an analysis of the Bolivian Water War, I ultimately suggest that resource mobilization theory can be salvaged. I claim that a distinction between "vertical" and "horizontal" organizations allows resource mobilization theory to maintain its …


Deciphering A Duality: Understanding Conflicting Standards In Sex & Violence Censorship In U.S. Obscenity Law, Rushabh P. Bhakta May 2012

Deciphering A Duality: Understanding Conflicting Standards In Sex & Violence Censorship In U.S. Obscenity Law, Rushabh P. Bhakta

Political Science Honors Projects

This research examines the division in US obscenity law that enables strict sex censorship while overlooking violence. By investigating the social and legal development of obscenity in US culture, I argue that the contemporary duality in obscenity censorship standards arose from a family of forces consisting of faith, economy, and identity in early American history. While sexuality ingrained itself in American culture as a commodity in need of regulation, violence was decentralized from the state and proliferated. This phenomenon led to a prioritization of suppressing sexual speech over violent speech. This paper traces the emergence this duality and its source.


Theology Of Global Citizenship: Belonging Beyond Boundaries, God Within Boundaries, Jisoo Hong Apr 2012

Theology Of Global Citizenship: Belonging Beyond Boundaries, God Within Boundaries, Jisoo Hong

Political Science Honors Projects

Though creating identity and belongingness under the sovereign requires an enclosure by boundaries, the very act of drawing boundaries imposes inevitable challenges. The limitations of the Westphalian system based on territorial boundaries are becoming more tangible with transnational flows threatening individual’s sense of belonging and the state’s exercise of sovereignty. Global citizenship is suggested as a possible “solution” transcending these arbitrarily drawn boundaries. Nonetheless, my political theological examination concludes that global citizenship is yet another translation of the human beings’ old wish for belonging to, protection from, and unity under a “god,” albeit with new boundaries that differentiate us from …


The Creation Of State-Level Regulatory Systems: A Case Study Of Post-Prohibition Alcoholic Beverage Regulation, Jeremy Carp Apr 2012

The Creation Of State-Level Regulatory Systems: A Case Study Of Post-Prohibition Alcoholic Beverage Regulation, Jeremy Carp

Sociology Honors Projects

To better understand the way in which local and national forces operate to influence the design of subnational regulatory systems, this paper analyzes the development of alcohol regulation in the post-prohibition era. In particular, I examine why, in the period between 1933 and 1935, some states adopted a monopoly system of alcohol regulation and others a license system of alcohol regulation. I use fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and case-based research to identify causal pathways leading to each regulatory outcome. I draw on state-level demographic, religious, and voting data, as well as measures of alcohol industry prevalence and prohibition …


Whose Line Is It Anyway? Examining The Media's Coverage Of Cabinet Secretaries' Speeches, Matthew G. Mullarky Apr 2012

Whose Line Is It Anyway? Examining The Media's Coverage Of Cabinet Secretaries' Speeches, Matthew G. Mullarky

Political Science Honors Projects

Previous research suggests that politicians and the press spin news stories through their remarks and coverage of remarks to their own benefit — but is this also true for remarks made by Cabinet Secretaries? For this project, I compared remarks given by DHS Secretaries with newspaper articles about those remarks. I find that Secretaries’ ability to shape issues is initially limited by the press; however, Secretaries succeed in conveying their message eventually. This is important because citizens should know what government officials are saying and what those statements mean; therefore, media coverage of those statements should be critical and accurate.


A State Within A State: The Case Of Chechnya, Hanna Zimnitskaya Apr 2012

A State Within A State: The Case Of Chechnya, Hanna Zimnitskaya

International Studies Honors Projects

After the USSR's dissolution, Russia struggled to reassert its Great Power status by enhancing its internal might and territorial cohesion. Futile military campaigns against the rebellious Chechen people pushed the Kremlin to strike a bargain with an unorthodox warlord: Ramzan Kadyrov, who was to become a faithful ally, while in return Chechnya received an unprecedented level of autonomy. This thesis examines the dynamics of Kadyrov's ascent to power, specifically the Islamization of public space and the monopolization of Chechen security forces, and concludes that, in the long run, the unwavering consolidation of his rule menaces Russia's re-emerging 'greatness'.


On Chinese Foreign Policy: A Big Stick, An Equally Big Carrot, Hannah K. Fishman Feb 2012

On Chinese Foreign Policy: A Big Stick, An Equally Big Carrot, Hannah K. Fishman

The Macalester Review

This paper attempts to provide a framework for analyzing China's newfound assertiveness. Does a rising China pose a systemic threat to the world order, or will Beijing's rise be characterized by what policy officials refer to as a "Peaceful Rise"? This paper argues that China is "building a bigger stick and a bigger carrot" to increase its hard and soft power capabilities; however, this policy won't necessarily pose a threat. The United States must strengthen Western-central international institutions and guide Beijing into this framework if the US wants to see a "Peaceful Rise."


Optimizing Social Media In Humanitarian Crisis Responses, Mark J. Mullaney Feb 2012

Optimizing Social Media In Humanitarian Crisis Responses, Mark J. Mullaney

The Macalester Review

The social media boom has brought about a new age of communications and connectedness in our world. Just as the advent of televised news brought more attention to humanitarianism, social media has the capability to alter how humanitarian responses are viewed, coordinated, and executed. However, despite the vast potential of social media, humanitarian actors have been hesitant to fully incorporate it within their modus operandi. This essay explores the reasons for their skepticism and looks at cases where social media was put to good use during humanitarian crises. Using that information, we will argue that several measures can be …


Carving Out A Niche For Humanitarianism Within The Responsibility To Protect, Oana D. Alexan Feb 2012

Carving Out A Niche For Humanitarianism Within The Responsibility To Protect, Oana D. Alexan

The Macalester Review

Humanitarian action aims to alleviate the humanitarian symptoms of crises, yet humanitarian ideals have been stretched in ways relief workers never expected. For one, the right of humanitarian intervention rests on the premise that war, whose nature provides the rationale for killing, may be labeled a humanitarian act if waged for humanitarian ends. Humanitarian relief organizations oppose the misleading and manipulative labeling of conflicts that contradict the fundamental rationale of humanitarian action—the alleviation of suffering. At the turn of the twenty-first century, the international community engaged in a dialogue that gave birth to the concept of the “Responsibility to Protect.” …


On A Condition Or A Mission?: Examining The Political Histories Of Anti-Poverty Policies In Brazil, Venezuela And Colombia, Diego A. Melo Jan 2012

On A Condition Or A Mission?: Examining The Political Histories Of Anti-Poverty Policies In Brazil, Venezuela And Colombia, Diego A. Melo

Latin American Studies Honors Projects

Political culture, fiscal constraints and institutional incentives have shaped the making and implementation of Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) in Latin America. However, why have CCTs consolidated in Brazil, been secondary in Colombia and remained absent in Venezuela? Brazilian authoritarian legacy and neoliberal rationality combined with strong federalism during economic downturn and provided room for experimentation in social policy, eventually leading to the incorporation and future universalization of CCTs (Bolsa Família). In contrast, less rationalized bureaucracies in Colombia and Venezuela have operated under strong presidentialism, allowing economic recessions and executive electoral incentives to shape weak CCT implementation (Familias …