Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Economic And Political Lens Into The Lives Of Undocumented Migrant Female-Headed Households, Fátima V. Preciado Mendoza

University Honors Theses

Mexican undocumented women are essential in migrating in many households; they are often at the center of sustaining immigrant networks (Caroline B. Brettell 2015). The purpose of this study is to document, analyze, and report on the sociopolitical climate concerning the federal immigration detention and deportation pursued by the Trump regime and its effect on the mental health and financial well-being of undocumented migrant mothers working in Oregon. Throughout the interviewed data analysis process, the study examines the critical role women play in building community and navigating through multiple state social services and programs as a means of self-empowerment. This …

Towards An Evolutionary-Institutional Analysis Of Landlordship, Jaye Balentine

University Honors Theses

This inquiry considers the social phenomena of landlordship and traces its evolutionary tendencies. Furthermore, this effort argues that since the 18^th century through the present, landlordship can be viewed as an institution that is caught in a Teufelskreis, a vicious cycle that is related to ever-increasing emphases upon pecuniary values, that comes with a related tendency for ever increasing impersonal relations between tenant and landlord. This inquiry relies upon an evolutionary approach, considering the institution of landlordship since the emergence of capitalist landlords in 18^th century England--that runs up through the present. Using an evolutionary-institutional approach drawing …

The Meghan Markle Effect: An Analysis Of A 21st Century Celebrity Through A Veblenian Perspective, Lucy Jensen

University Honors Theses

Following her engagement and subsequent marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle has emerged as a global figure and fashion icon. Her ability to influence fashion trends has been labelled the "Meghan effect" by the news media. This thesis research applies the theories of Thorstein Veblen, an economist and author of the extremely influential Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). The thesis has the aim of clarifying how Veblen’s thinking can be applied to Markle or comparable high-profile women. What this inquiry ultimately finds is that Veblen was indeed correct in his assumption that high-profile, wealthy people such as Markle can …

Police Union Contracts And Impediments To Accountability: A Case Study Analysis Of Ppa Bargaining Agreements, Elizabeth Ott

University Honors Theses

Despite a growing widespread recognition that police unions represent a major component of policing and have major influences on aspects of policing such as disciplinary procedures, day-to-day management, and police-community relations, they have until recently been largely ignored by police scholars. In light of significant gaps in knowledge regarding police unions and the impacts that they have on law enforcement behavior and police accountability, this paper utilizes a case study approach to analyze all existing union contracts between the Portland Police Association (PPA) and the City of Portland in order to explore the prevalence of particular contract provisions that critics …

The Dark Triad And Impulsivity: Predictors And Correlates Of Workplace Representative Task Problem Solving And Decision Making, Peter Kendall Glazer Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

This research investigated group and individual differences in decision-making and problem-solving on workplace representative tasks, and whether certain personality traits correlated with or were predictors of participant strategy. In parallel studies done online (N = 214) and in-person (N = 80) with Portland State University undergraduate School of Business students, performance was measured on two workplace representative tasks under two different difficulty conditions. The Number Place experiment resulted in two major findings: First, when given a comparatively easy task, women had more Time Remaining than men. However, this was moderated by the difficulty condition, such that men had more Time …

Gas Stations And The Wealth Divide: Analyzing Spatial Correlations Between Wealth And Fuel Branding, Jean-Carl Ende

Dissertations and Theses

The gasoline refining and sales industry has many peculiarities. One such oddity is a difference in sales, distribution and pricing between branded and unbranded gasolines. Although fuels leave the refinery a uniform commodity, branding determines entirely different marketing and pricing schemes, with entirely different volatility and risk premiums. In order to determine if this volatility is felt evenly across all wealth demographics, this study uses t-tests and CART models to analyze income, home value and other wealth-based indicators in the areas surrounding gas stations, to determine if there is a correlation between branding and wealth. The results show the wealth …

What Is The Impact Of Economic Stimulus Measures On Covid-19 Mortality Rates?, Stephanie C. Santaguida

University Honors Theses

This inquiry seeks to establish the degree to which economic stimulus measures impact COVID-19 mortality rates. There appears to be an inverse correlation between domestic social spending and COVID-19 deaths. While confirmed infections are the most reliable predictor of mortality rates, trust in government is an important factor to consider when public compliance with health directives determines the degree of epidemiological risk in each country. Although most economists agree that stimulus monies directed to low-income individuals to prevent financial collapse were appropriate, there is some dissention with regard to the type and size of such cash infusions. Nonetheless, behavioral economists …

Legal Financial Obligations & Rehabilitation: How The Ability To Pay Fines And Fees Disproportionately Affects Citizens Based On Socioeconomic Status, Bailey R. Code

University Honors Theses

In the United States, legal financial obligations (LFO's), also known as monetary sanctions or criminal justice financial obligations, refer to the fines and fees that result from an individual’s involvement in the criminal justice system. Today, these fines and fees have become the most common form of punishment used by the United States' legal system. This paper answers the following research question: How can the ability to pay legal financial obligations shape the rehabilitation of incarcerated people in the United States?

Legal Financial Obligations are harmful to those entangled within the justice system, as shown by their cyclical nature and …