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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Populist Nationalism In The Age Of Trump, Vernon D. Johnson, Chelsee Autry
Populist Nationalism In The Age Of Trump, Vernon D. Johnson, Chelsee Autry
Political Science Faculty Publications
This paper builds upon the arguments advanced by Johnson and Frombgen in “Race and the Emergence of Populist Nationalism in the United States” (2009). Johnson and Frombgen made three central arguments: that the US is two nations, not one; that racial attitudes are central to each national identity, and that social movements of a populist character have critically shaped each national identity. They then offered a typology of left and right national identities, each of which had been shaped by populist social movements. This paper seeks to revisit the two nations thesis in the era of Donald Trump on the …
Indian South Africans As A Middleman Minority: Historical And Contemporary Perspectives, Vernon D. Johnson
Indian South Africans As A Middleman Minority: Historical And Contemporary Perspectives, Vernon D. Johnson
Political Science Faculty Publications
Beginning in the 1940s, a literature on middleman minorities emerged to demystify the intermediary economic niche that Jews had occupied in medieval Europe. They were viewed as ethnic entrepreneurs occupying the economic status gap. In the 1960s, scholars began to apply middleman minority theory to colonial societies and to American society. More recently, Coloureds in South Africa have been identified as a middleman minority of another type: semiprivileged proletarians occupying an economic status gap in labour between whites and Africans. A political status gap between whites and Africans, both seeking alliances to achieve hegemony, is also occupied by Coloureds. Among …
Perceptions Of Referendums And Democracy: The Referendum Disappointment Gap, Shaun Bowler, Todd Donovan
Perceptions Of Referendums And Democracy: The Referendum Disappointment Gap, Shaun Bowler, Todd Donovan
Political Science Faculty Publications
We examine the gap between perceptions of seeing referendums as an important democratic principle, versus perceiving how referendums are used in practice. We term this the “referendum disappointment” gap. We find support for referendums as a democratic principle is strongest among those most disaffected from the political system, and that the disaffected are more likely to perceive they are not given a say via referendums. We also find context-specific effects. Disappointment was greater in countries with higher corruption and income inequality. We also find higher disappointment among right-populist voters, those who distrusted politicians, and among people who viewed themselves at …
Hijacked Justice: Dealing With The Past In The Balkans – Book Review, Cynthia M. Horne
Hijacked Justice: Dealing With The Past In The Balkans – Book Review, Cynthia M. Horne
Political Science Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Two Political Worlds? The Relevance Of Language In California Politics, D. Xavier Medina Vidal, Antonio Ugues, Shaun Bowler, Todd Donovan
Two Political Worlds? The Relevance Of Language In California Politics, D. Xavier Medina Vidal, Antonio Ugues, Shaun Bowler, Todd Donovan
Political Science Faculty Publications
In this paper we examine how Spanish language marks a political divide within the Latino community. Spanish language use also provides an opportunity for political parties to send slightly different campaign messages. We illustrate this point with reference to California’s Democratic party
Presidents With Prime Ministers: Do Direct Elections Matter? - Book Review, Amir Abedi
Presidents With Prime Ministers: Do Direct Elections Matter? - Book Review, Amir Abedi
Political Science Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Beyond Expectations: Effects Of Early Elections In Us Presidential Nomination Contests, Todd Donovan, Rob Hunsaker
Beyond Expectations: Effects Of Early Elections In Us Presidential Nomination Contests, Todd Donovan, Rob Hunsaker
Political Science Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Priming Presidential Votes By Direct Democracy, Todd Donovan, Caroline J. Tolbert, Daniel A. Smith
Priming Presidential Votes By Direct Democracy, Todd Donovan, Caroline J. Tolbert, Daniel A. Smith
Political Science Faculty Publications
We demonstrate that direct democracy can affect the issues voters consider when evaluating presidential candidates. Priming theory assumes that some voters have latent attitudes or predispositions that can be primed to affect evaluations of political candidates. We demonstrate that: (1) state ballot measures on same sex marriage increased the salience of marriage as an issue that voters used when evaluating presidential candidates in 2004, particularly those voters less interested in the campaign and those likely to be less attentive to the issue prior to the election; and (2) that the printed issue (gay marriage) was a more important factor affecting …
A Goal For Reform: Make Elections Worth Stealing, Todd Donovan
A Goal For Reform: Make Elections Worth Stealing, Todd Donovan
Political Science Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Reasoning About Institutional Change: Winners, Losers And Support For Electoral Reforms, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler
Reasoning About Institutional Change: Winners, Losers And Support For Electoral Reforms, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler
Political Science Faculty Publications
This study assesses how the mass public reasons about political institutions by examining the effects of winning and losing on support for several electoral reform proposals. The national sample survey identified majorities supporting proposals for major changes in America's electoral institutions, and that suggested electoral losses may have a modest effect in reducing losers' satisfaction with how democracy works. Random assignment experiments that tested hypotheses derived from theories of risk perception were conducted. It was found that people who saw themselves as winners and losers in the electoral arena reasoned differently when proposals for change were framed in terms of …
Canada-Us Information Sharing And The Case Of Maher Arar, Bidisha Biswas
Canada-Us Information Sharing And The Case Of Maher Arar, Bidisha Biswas
Political Science Faculty Publications
This article discusses the controversy related to the detention and rendition by US authorities of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen. The Arar case is particularly significant because of the intense publicity, debate, and mobilization that it has engendered in Canada. This case illustrates problems posed by the expectations and practices of information sharing in Canada – US security cooperation.
Why Politicians Like Electoral Institutions: Self-Interest, Values, Or Ideology?, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler, Jeffrey A. Karp
Why Politicians Like Electoral Institutions: Self-Interest, Values, Or Ideology?, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler, Jeffrey A. Karp
Political Science Faculty Publications
We examine whether MPs and candidates for parliament are motivated by electoral self-interest, values, ideology, or all of these when evaluating proposals for changing electoral institutions. Using survey data from four countries (Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand), we find that candidates who won election are less supportive of proposals to change institutions, while those who lost elections are more supportive of institutional changes. Winning candidates share preferences for institutions that are independent of whether they are affiliated with a governing or opposition party. This self-interest effect is attenuated by ideology and attitudes about democracy. Pure self-interest, then, is …
Giving Voters A Voice: The Origins Of The Initiative And Referendum In America – Book Review, Todd Donovan
Giving Voters A Voice: The Origins Of The Initiative And Referendum In America – Book Review, Todd Donovan
Political Science Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Minority Representation, Empowerment, And Participation, Todd Donovan, Susan A. Banducci, Jeffrey A. Karp
Minority Representation, Empowerment, And Participation, Todd Donovan, Susan A. Banducci, Jeffrey A. Karp
Political Science Faculty Publications
According to the minority empowerment thesis, minority representation strengthens representational links, fosters more positive attitudes toward government, and encourages political participation. We examine this theory from a cross-national perspective, making use of surveys that sampled minorities in the United States and New Zealand. Both countries incorporate structures into their electoral systems that make it possible for minority groups to elect representatives of their choice. We find that in both countries descriptive representation matters: it increases knowledge about and contact with representatives in the U.S. and leads to more positive evaluations of governmental responsiveness and increased electoral participation in New Zealand. …
Art For Democracy's Sake? Group Membership And Political Engagement In Europe, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler, Robert Hanneman
Art For Democracy's Sake? Group Membership And Political Engagement In Europe, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler, Robert Hanneman
Political Science Faculty Publications
Theorists contend that private social groups-particularly those that have no overt political missions such as bowling leagues, sports clubs, and choral societies-make major contributions to democracy by generating engagement with democracy in the form of political interest and participation. Although this discussion is generally at an aggregate level, it is based on seldom-tested assumptions about individual-level phenomena. This study expands our understanding of how (and where) memberships in various groups are associated with political engagement of individual citizens. We test if the effects of group membership vary across eleven European democracies and test which types of groups have the strongest …
Reconciling Environmentalism And The Left: Perspectives On Democracy And Social Justice In British Columbia's Environmental Movement, Donald K. Alper, Debra J. Salazar
Reconciling Environmentalism And The Left: Perspectives On Democracy And Social Justice In British Columbia's Environmental Movement, Donald K. Alper, Debra J. Salazar
Political Science Faculty Publications
The article examines how political ideas of environmentalists support as well as impede relations between the environmental movement and other progressive movements. This requires examination of the role and meaning of social justice and democracy in the discourse of environmentalism. Ibis study focuses such an examination on a sample of environmental activists in British Columbia. Q methodology is used to discern patterns of association between particular sets of environmental ideas, and beliefs and values related to democracy and social justice. The authors identify four environmental/political perspectives: alienated ecocentrism, civic communitarianism, insider preservationism and green egalitarianism. These perspectives share a perception …
Democracy, Institutions And Attitudes About Citizen Influence On Government, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler
Democracy, Institutions And Attitudes About Citizen Influence On Government, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler
Political Science Faculty Publications
Theorists such as Carole Pateman and Benjamin Barber suggest that democratic participation will engage citizens and lead them to have more positive regard for political processes and democratic practices. The American states provide a setting where provisions for direct voter participation in legislation vary substantially. If participatory institutions have an 'educative role' that shapes perceptions of government, then citizens exposed to direct democracy may be more likely to claim they understand politics and be more likely to perceive that they are capable of participation. They may also be more likely to perceive that government is responsive to them. We merge …
Defying Conventional Wisdom: Political Movements And Popular Contention Against North American Free Trade – Book Review, Donald K. Alper
Defying Conventional Wisdom: Political Movements And Popular Contention Against North American Free Trade – Book Review, Donald K. Alper
Political Science Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Election Systems And Voter Turnout: Experiments In The United States, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler, David Brockington
Election Systems And Voter Turnout: Experiments In The United States, Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler, David Brockington
Political Science Faculty Publications
Theory suggests that majoritarian/plurality elections depress voter participation and that proportional election systems encourage greater voter mobilization and turnout. We examine the effect that cumulative voting (CV) has on turnout in local elections in the U.S. Variation in social/cultural context is largely held constant by our design while election system varies, allowing us to identify the unique effect CV has on turnout. We test if turnout is higher when CV is used in the same context as plurality rules. Consistent with expectations about institutional effects, turnout is about 5 percentage points higher under CV than in similar plurality elections.
Campaign Warriors: Political Consultants In Elections - Book Review, Todd Donovan
Campaign Warriors: Political Consultants In Elections - Book Review, Todd Donovan
Political Science Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Minority Representation Under Cumulative And Limited Voting, Todd Donovan, David Brockington, Shaun Bowler, Robert Brischetto
Minority Representation Under Cumulative And Limited Voting, Todd Donovan, David Brockington, Shaun Bowler, Robert Brischetto
Political Science Faculty Publications
We examine minority representation resulting from modified at-large elections (cumulative and limited voting) used in U.S. localities in the 1990s. Hypotheses about the relative proportionality of descriptive representation under various local election systems are presented and tested. We find that CV/LV elections produced descriptive representation of African-Americans at levels similar to those in larger single-member district places, and at levels that exceed those from some small, southern SMD places. Results for Latino representation are more qualified. Our results offer encouragement for those interested in facilitating minority representation without using the acrimonious process of drawing districts on the basis of races.
Support For Legislative Term Limitations In California – Group Representation, Partisanship, And Campaign Information, Todd Donovan, Joseph R. Snipp
Support For Legislative Term Limitations In California – Group Representation, Partisanship, And Campaign Information, Todd Donovan, Joseph R. Snipp
Political Science Faculty Publications
This study uses opinion data to assess the basis of public support for California's term limit initiative (Proposition 140). We test if support was higher among members of demographic groups under-represented in the state's legislature, if support displays a partisan bias, and if campaign contacts are associated with opinions. Ethnic and racial characteristics display little association with support; however women and younger voters were more supportive. Partisanship and campaign effects appear to have played an important role in shaping support for the initiative.
Forgotten Partnership: U.S.-Canada Relations Today By Charles F. Doran - Book Review, Donald K. Alper
Forgotten Partnership: U.S.-Canada Relations Today By Charles F. Doran - Book Review, Donald K. Alper
Political Science Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.