Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Arab American Interest Groups And Congressional Decisionmaking: A Case Study Of The Arab American Institute, Robert L. Harbaugh

Masters Theses

Unlike other ethnic communities in the U.S., such as the Jewish and Hispanic communities, the political power of the Arab American community is largely unknown. Therefore, one manner to gain insight into the political power of Arab Americans is to study the interest groups that represent their ethnic community. This study uses the Arab American Institute as the leading Arab American interest group.

The study recognizes that there are three important variables to determining Arab American influence. The first is voting and is not examined in this study. The second two, which are examined, are direct lobbying on Congress and …

The Politics And Values Of Individualists And Collectivists: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, David Y. Bourgeois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism as testable dimensions of cultural variation. Collectivism emphasizes the primacy of norms, duties, and obligations, whereas individualism favors maximum enjoyment for the individual, interpersonal contracts, and freedom fiom the collectivity. While the horizontal dimension stresses equality, the vertical dimension calls attention to hierarchy. While past research (Triandis, 1995, Triandis & Gelfand, 1998) has demonstrated the convergent and divergent validity of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism, it is contended that the Triandis (1 995) measures of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism could provide predictive value by discriminating between attitudinal responses …

Who's The Safer Sex? Testing Barbara Burrell's Theory Of Campaign Contributions In Arkansas State Legislative Elections, Emily Adair Neff-Sharum

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At the very heart of American politics and government is democracy. Debates abound about the nature of American democracy, and especially ways to improve symbolic representation, substantive representation and/or participation by groups typically considered in the political minority (Moss-Kanter 1977; Pipert-High and Comer 1988; Saint-Germaine 1989; Seldon 1997; Thomas 1997). One focus of this literature is on the outputs of bureaucratic agencies or legislative agendas. If advocates of representative democracy hope to create legislatures on both the state and the national levels that contain an adequate presence of female representatives in order to fully represent women, they must begin with …

Poverty Reduction, Microcredit, And The Challenges Of Sustainability, Kiros Tadesse Beyene

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Political Culture And Democracy In The Arab World, Ibtissam Rakha Hassan

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Presidential Domain: An Exploratory Study Of Prospect Theory And Us Climate Policy Since 1998, Hal T. Nelson

Dissertations and Theses

The Bush administration's decision to abandon the Kyoto Protocol can be explained by prospect theory. The change in federal climate policy between the Clinton and Bush administrations was due to the difference in domain that each president operated under. President Clinton operated under a domain of losses as he associated continued fossil fuel use with future socio-economic and environmental damages from climate change. This domain of losses increased President Clinton's risk tolerances and explains his pursuit of the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Conversely, President Bush operated under a domain of gains where he did …

中國務實外交戰略的目的和效果, Pak Wai Chan

Theses & Dissertations

中華人民共和國自建國以來，就是以馬列主義、毛澤東思想為指導理論 的意識形態國家，然而意識形態不是任何時候都左右了中國的外交戰略的。 當意識形態在中國的內政、外交上處於主導位置時，通常不會出現務實 的外交戰略。但是當國家陷於政權的生存、鞏固和安全的危機時，就會出現例 外。

當國家總體戰略是以經濟建設為中心，強調發展經濟，意識形態相對淡化時，務實外交戰略就大行其道。

就中國的務實外交戰略的本質而言，中國本國的國家利益仍然是指導中 國外交戰略的最高原則，其務實的本質與國際政治學理論中的實在主義並無根本的不同。然而，毛澤東時代與鄧小平時代實行務實外交戰略是有不同的，前者僅是外交戰略中的例外，後者則是常規，而非例外。

不論在毛澤東時代還是在鄧小平時代，務實外交戰略在特定的時代背景下都得到了淋漓盡致的展現。前者為中國鞏固新生政權和化解國家安全危機起 到了根本性的作用。後者?中國的社會主義現代化建設爭取了二十多年的和平環境，使中國的經濟得以維持了二十多年的持續高速增長，使中華民族的偉大復興出現了曙光。

Sino-American Strategic Relations : A Perceptual-Psychological Approach, Hon Yui, Eric Wong

Theses & Dissertations

The rise of China’s economic power and the end of US-Soviet rivalry has highlighted the importance of overall Sino-US relations and has made Sino-US interrelations in terms of security become more sophisticated and complicated. Although there obviously exist a number of issues in the Sino-US strategic relationship, my research takes two case studies for particular analysis. One issue, missile defense (MD), started during the presidency of Bill Clinton, but because of George W. Bush’s tough approach to China has become a critical issue in current Sino-US relations.

The Taiwan issue is another crucial case study in my research. Because of …

Toward A Dynamic Model Of State Choice: Gains Pursuit Debate And The World System, Soo-Lyon Yon

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of my dissertation is to challenge the mainstream tradition of discourse in the field of international relations with regard to the world system and gains pursuit which has been framed by two significant theoretical perspectives: realism and neoliberalism.

In my dissertation, I established a theoretical linkage between the gains pursuit debate and the dynamics of the world system. The problem of absolute and relative gains divides two of the most influential approaches to international relations theory: realism and neoliberalism. However, these dichotomized approaches to gains pursuit assume a fixed (or static) view of the world system based on …

The Value Of Inaugurals: Analysis Of Construction, Joseph M. Valenzano Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An analysis of modem mass mediated presidential inaugurals was conducted through the use of close textual analysis of each speech as well as an historical analysis of the development of the mass media since the nation's birth. In an effort to identify the goals, themes and strategies used by presidents in their inaugurals, seven pre-Kennedy and every post-Kennedy first inaugural address were analyzed. Using the work of Campbell and Jamieson (1991) as a stepping stone for the identification of these themes, seven themes and their various strategies of enactment were uncovered. Each of these themes were found to be enacted …

The Taiwan Issue In Sino-Japanese Relations In The 1990'S, Melanie Kintz

Masters Theses

The Taiwan issue did not figure prominently in the relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Japan between the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations in the 1970s and the early 1990s; other issues dominated and shaped the relationship. However, in the 1990s the Taiwan question re-emerged as a source of disturbance in the relationship between the PRC and Japan. Especially during the so-called missile crisis of 1995-1996, the Taiwan issue was pushed into the world media's center of attention and significantly affected the dynamics of the Sino-Japanese relationship. What accounts for this observable change in the importance of …

Fiscal Reforms And The Relationship Of Central-Local Governments In China, Myoung-Shik Kim

Masters Theses

In 1978, China started its economic reforms, and the main characteristic of Chinese economic reforms is fiscal decentralization. This means that the central government wanted local governments to develop the local economies with their fiscal autonomy. By and large, this strategy was successful. However, it also brought many structural problems such as the increase of government deficits and instability of macroeconomic policy. As a result, the central government was increasingly concerned with the potential political and economic consequences of its weakening fiscal power. The ceter finally introduced a new fiscal reform program (the tax-sharing system) in 1994. The main objective …

Balancing Equality And Liberty In Rawls’S Theory Of Justice, Young-Soon Bae

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the balance of equality and liberty in Rawls’s theory of justice. By analyzing the contents of his two principles of justice, this thesis supports his claim that the principles of justice adequately represent the values of equality and liberty.

The point that this thesis focuses on is the relationship between two principles of justice. According to Rawls, the relationship between them is created by priority rules. Rawls arranges two principles of justice in lexical order – the priority of the first principle over the second. This idea of priority rules does not provide an adequate standard to …

Survey Attitudes Toward Stem Cell Research, Ejinkonye C. Anekwe

Theses and Dissertations

In the following research study, a self-administered questionnaire was utilized to assess opinions regarding embryonic stem cell research based on three objectives: willingness to accept stem cells, educational background, and religion. A total of 1 13 fixed-alternative questionnaires were distributed to a diverse group of respondents. Nonprobability sampling using the accidental approach was performed. Support of stem cell research was dependent on Question 9, which asked what people thought about the cloning of human embryonic stem cells. The data revealed that most respondents from all groups surveyed opposed stem cell research. Neither education nor religion was a major determinant in …

Education, Social Security, And The Welfare State: Alternative Policy Choices In The United States And Germany, Karl G. Hokenmaier

Dissertations

Western welfare states have not all followed the same path in their social policy development. Still, certain similarities have been identified in the types and combinations of social insurance supported by specific groupings of these states. Titmuss (1974) described "three contrasting models or functions of social policy." Heclo (1985) argued "three broad groups of nations can be distinguished” with different models of social welfare policy. Esping-Andersen (1990) identified "three worlds of welfare capitalism," each with a unique social policy agenda and distinctive social insurance system. Education is typically not included with other social programs in depicting the policy profiles of …

A Foundation For Democratic Transition: The Evolution Of Korean Civil Society 1972-1987, Sukhee Lee

Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to explain the evolutionary process of Korean civil society throughout the 1970s and 1980s as a foundation for democratization. I argue that the changing character of civil society in the mid-1980s was a necessary condition for democratic transition in 1987. Thus, this study focuses on how an ineffective civil society became sufficiently effective to be a deciding factor in Korea’s democratic transition, and seeks to define what factors led to the change. In the process of development of civil society, several factors, such as political culture, economic development, political opportunity structure, and the external environment, affected the …

Mpa/Msa Program Survey Of Columbus State University Alumni, Judith A. Frix

Theses and Dissertations

Questionnaires were mailed to all Columbus State University MP A/MSA alumni, and the responses were used to evaluate alumni perception of the program. Survey questions included: indication of the alumni option area; selection and evaluation of program objectives; relationship of the degree to the objective; year of graduation; perceived importance of the degree to life success; job status during and after completion of the degree; rankings of curriculum, support facilities, and advising; value of degree versus the cost of acquiring the degree; the fulfillment of learning expectations; career goals reached through program training; contribution of the program to the general …

An Exploratory Study On The Relationships Among Electorate's Voting Behavior, Party Identification, Personal Values, And Demographic Characteristics, Kuan-Shun Chiu

Doctoral Dissertations

This study was proposed to examine if there existed significant differences in voters' party identification and voting behavior due to gender, race, age, income, education and personal values.

The sample was chosen from eligible voters in Florida. Of the 1500 questionnaires managed, 161 were identified as useable. The sample was representative of the results of 2000 presidential election in Florida with respect to voters' gender, race, income, and voting choice by party identification. Statistical techniques used were ANOVAs, Chi-square statistics, factor analysis, and logistic regression.

This study demonstrates how personal values may be associated with demographic characteristics to create a …

Child Labor In Egypt, Dina Ismail El Shafei

Theses and Dissertations

Child labor is a complex worldwide problem, especially in LDCs where poverty and low educational standards are persistent. A survey of child labor worldwide finds that children are working in considerable numbers throughout many regions of the world. Each region differs in the extent of child labor and the specific sectors where children may be found working. However, the main reasons behind the work of children namely poverty and education, were common in all areas. Egypt represents a typical case where child labor exists in most of its forms, except for prostitution, traficking and child bondage, and is mainly caused …

Parties And Realignment: The President’S Role In Political Party Realignment, Kevin B. Dockerty

Masters Theses

Using "The Youth-Parent Socialization Panel Study" that covers 1965-1982, the role of individual presidential candidates in bringing about changes in mass partisanship and party realignment is studied. Previous research has ignored the role of popular, prestigious, charismatic presidential candidates shaping and changing citizens' partisanship. Historical political party realignments guide my research in showing the strong influence of the chief executive in realignment periods.

Following the work of Niemi and Jennings (1991) I expand on their issue model explaining partisan choice by creating a candidate-issues model to provide a more complete explanation of party identification. I specifically look at the presidential …

Interpretive Revolutions, Pamela Wren Ritchie

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Civic Engagement In The Cyberspace Era: A Study Of A Local Cybergroup, Gay Henry Lyons

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the issue of participation and civic engagement through the investigation of cyberspace as public space. The research systematically studied the development, nature, operation, and impact of k2k, a local cybergroup based in Knoxville, Tennessee. While the emergence of cyberspace as public space is no panacea for the ills of democracy in America, it is clearly a potential antidote to counter the more virulent dimensions of civic disengagement in the United States. However, for a cybergroup to serve as an antidote to civic disengagement, the participants must move beyond electronic discourse into the …

Chapter 11 Of Nafta V. U.S. Democracy, Cara Mroczek

Honors Theses

The roots of the democratic system in the United States are deeply embedded within the compelling language of the Declaration of Independence. This document is still held on high regard for the inspiration it has provided to the development of democratic institutions and ideals. The creation of United States democracy was founded on the principles outlined in this historic document "that certain truths are self-evident, that people are created equal, that they are endowed with inalienable rights, that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and that the purpose of government is to protect these rights." These …

The Emergence Of Bulgarian National Consciousness 1800-1878, Katia Dineva Ivanova

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Leadership: The Missing Variable In The Economic Development Of Sub-Saharan Africa, Osei K. Bonsu

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Contemporary economic theories, modernization and dependency, have overlooked the fact that the development process depends on the interaction of social factors. Specifically, the theories have ignored the role of leadership in analyzing economic development. This dissertation seeks to incorporate the importance of leadership into the analysis of development. It argues that sub-Saharan African countries have not developed economically because leaders in the region have been less than successful in establishing a culture conducive to industrialization. African leaders have failed to establish the high moral and scientific cultures necessary to promote economic progress. In place of those cultural attributes, the leaders …

East European Security Revisited: Institutions, Power, And Security, Blagovest Tashev

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Drawing on the literatures on democratization, security studies, and small states this dissertation explores the relationship of small states' domestic and international institutionalization and their security. Small states have limited power not only to affect their environment but also to guarantee national security. Small states, it is hypothesized, enhance their security through the consolidation of domestic institutions and the accumulation of capacities provided by their participation in capacity-reach international institutions.

The dissertation tests the hypothesis by applying the comparative method to the post-communist states of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. The three case studies analyze the effects of domestic …

Moderate Political Islamism As A Possible New Social Movement, Joshua Alan Stacher

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Status Of Women's Rights In Egypt, Sigrid Grude Amb

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

January 18 And 19, 1977, Hossam Elhamalawy

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Candidate Recruitment In American State Legislatures, Stuart Weidie

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.