Political Science Commons^™

Covid-19 Pandemic Response In Brazil, Maria P. Ruiz

Ideas: Exhibit Catalog for the Honors College Visiting Scholars Series

In 2020, the world got struck by a pandemic no one was ready for. Due to the lack of preparation, the world was forced to go into quarantine while scientists tried to create a vaccine. Every country took the actions they thought would be best, however not all of them saw positive outcomes from those decisions. In this paper Brazil’s decision on how to tackle the pandemic is analyzed, specifically how they tried to go for herd immunity, and their outcomes will be compared to the outcomes of the United States, who followed mask and quarantine mandates from specialists.

Interesting Times: Returning To Blended Activism In A Culture Of Impunity, Eugene R. Sensenig

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Presentation

Norm Diffusion Or Norm Backsliding? A Text Analysis Of Anti-Lgbtq Rhetoric, Christopher Patane, Marc S. Polizzi

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

How are counter-norms manufactured, and what are their components? Current literature on norm diffusion largely views the process as linearly progressive. In other words, norms progress towards greater inclusion. However, notable cases such as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s controversial use of traditional values in the UN Human Rights Council demonstrates a potential backlash to this progression. Building on our previous case study work of Russian anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and its spread to the United States, in this paper we examine the timing and content of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric using text analysis. This allows us to model the sequencing of messaging and whether …

Developing A Practice In Remote Sensing For Next-Generation Human Rights Researchers, Theresa Harris, Jonathan Drake, Umesh K. Haritashya, Wumi Asubiaro Dada, Fredy Cumes

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Remote sensing is increasingly recognized as an important tool for documenting human rights abuses. When used alongside interviews, case studies, surveys, forensic science, and other well-established research methods in human rights and humanitarian practice, remotely sensed data can effectively geolocate and establish chronologies for mass graves, forced displacement, destruction of cultural heritage sites, and other violations. But as a highly technical field of science that relies on ever-changing technologies, remote sensing and geospatial analysis are not readily accessible for human rights and humanitarian practitioners. The community of practice grew out of innovative work by practitioners at NGOs and specialized inter-governmental …

Migration And Mortality: Social Death, Dispossession, And Survival In The Americas, Miranda Cady Hallett, Joseph Nevins, Jamie Longazel, Amelia Frank-Vitale, Alicia Yvonne Estrada, Abby C. Wheatley

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

This panel presents research from the new edited volume Migration and Mortality (edited by Longazel and Hallett, Temple University Press, 2021). Death threatens migrants physically during perilous border crossings between Central and North America, but many also experience legal, social, and economic mortality. Rooted in histories of colonialism and conquest, exclusionary policies and practices deliberately take aim at racialized, dispossessed people in transit. Once in the new land, migrants endure a web of systems across every facet of their world—work, home, healthcare, culture, justice—that strips them of their personhood, denies them resources, and creates additional obstacles that deprive them of …

Gender Performance And Political Identity At The Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, Emma E. Newton

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) at UNI

The January 6th riot on the U.S. Capitol Building was heavily documented with recorded videos and photos, not just by mainstream news sources but by the rioters themselves. Rioters’ videos uploaded to social media, particularly the conservative-focused website Parler, provide a lens into performances of gender as they intersect with political identity, revealing new ways that communication studies scholars can understand how conservative arguments are constructed within gender performance. In this thesis, I rhetorically analyze rioters’ videos uploaded to Parler using a lens of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity, and further outline a conservative masculine and feminine performance of the …

International Conference On Political Science, University For Business And Technology - Ubt

UBT International Conference

UBT Annual International Conference is the 9th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make them be aware of the recent …

Can Democratic Subjectivity Be A Way Out Of Recent Crisis Of Democracy? The Case Of Turkey, Erdem Damar

UBT International Conference

Drawing from poststructuralist perspective with a specific emphasis on agonistic democracy, this paper emphasises on the notion of democratic subjectivity as a possible way out of the contemporary crisis of liberal democracy. The two faces of this crisis will be elaborated in the first part. While the crisis of democracy is largely produced by the implementations of conservative, technocratic and capitalist politics that embrace minimalist approaches to democracy by reducing it into a set of rules to govern politics, it also gains visibility to the emergence of a wide range of counter-mobilisations contesting these neoliberal variants. In that respect, post-structuralist …

The Gap Between The Legal Framework And Social Order In Addressing Property Rights For Kosovo Women, Hanza Kastrati, Krenare Lika, Riola Morina, Dritero Arifi

UBT International Conference

The primary purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that influence the creation of a gender gap for the right to inherit property. The focus falls on factors such as the legal framework and social norms, where one of these factors has managed to bring stagnation in the social, economic and intellectual development of the entire Kosovo state and mainly appears to affect women to a large extent. A more detailed and in-depth explanation and understanding of why this space is creating and the discrepancy between the legal framework (perfectly drafted) and social norms (terribly wrong) are the …

Kosovo's Foreign Policy And Nato Membership: Opportunities And Challenges, Bahri Gashi, Ngadhnjim Brovina

UBT International Conference

The background of this study is related to the strategic orientation of Kosovo, the Euro-Atlantic, respectively the union and integration in political, economic and military organization of North Atlantic. A research question that will be asked, and that we will try to answer in this research is: "What are the opportunities and what are the challenges that Kosovo may have until full membership in NATO?".

A challenge that still remains a concern of societies in transition, especially the Kosovar which is and traumatized in general, taking into the consideration the past of these fragile territories, after the wars in the …

Elections In Context Of The Covid-19 By The Monitor Of The Blogs In September 2021 In Russia And Aboard, Marmilova Ekaterina Petrovna

UBT International Conference

Covid-19 is part of the topic for blogging. The aim of the article is to identify of changes of organization and conduct of elections in connection with of the COVID-19 pandemic by the monitor of the blogs in September 2021 in Russia and aboard. To write this article, we used monitoring social media Brand24. In September 2021, 18.3% of all election blogs mention Covid-19. The conduct of elections during the COVID-19 period required addressing the wider use of electronic voting and voting by mail. Elections during the COVID-19 period are held with strict measures against COVID-19. Political parties and candidates …

Local Elections In Kosovo, A Set Theoretic Model Of Explanation, Mehdi Sejdiu

UBT International Conference

In the 2014 local elections in Kosovo many mainstream parties lost ‘partisan’ municipalities they have governed for 14 years. This disruptive election exhibited the high electoral volatility in the country, rather than the expected consolidation of the party system. Using the Qualitative Comparative Analysis this paper tests the configurations of conditions under which governing mayors of 2014, gained or lost votes in the subsequent elections in 2017. With the standard analysis we tested the variables of new/old parties, mayor popularity, voter turn-out, kept promises and municipality performances. The findings show that old incumbent parties with bad performance were more likely …

The Level Of Student Participation In Decision-Making Processes In Kosovo Universities: A Comparative Study Between The University Of Prishtina And The University Of Business And Technology, Blerina Recica, Dea Preniqi, Dritero Arifi

UBT International Conference

During the last decade in the education system of Kosovo, there has been an increase in demands for increased student representation in the decision-making processes of universities. During the last decade, efforts have been made for the concept of joint leadership to be implemented by Kosovar universities (public and private). This can be justified because students are the primary actors influenced by these decisions, and consequently, they should be held accountable for these decisions. To see how effective the work of these bodies has been, this paper aims to analyse research and elaborate at what level is the degree of …

Addressing First Nations' Concerns In Water Sharing Agreements, Cynthia Huo

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Water sharing agreements are a potential solution to the issue of ongoing water insecurity in First Nations' communities. They involve a First Nation connecting their water system to that of a nearby municipality, and paying that municipality a fee for water provision. However, some First Nations have been reluctant to enter into these types of agreements. We identified 3 categories of concerns that First Nations may have: capacity, cultural protection, and sovereignty. We analyzed and coded 54 existing water sharing agreements to see how well they responded to these concerns, and conclude with recommendations about how agreements might be amended …

Star Political Candidates In Canada, Mateo Larrazabal

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

A brief overview of the work that I completed over the Summer of 2021. I examined star political candidates in Canada, a field in political science that has not been researched thoroughly nationally. I discuss a few of the key findings in my blog post and offer a brief overview of everything in my video.

Expanding Horizons: China’S Perception And Management Of Globalization, Xiaofan Mu

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

No abstract provided.

'Household Managers': Women's Employment In Japan, Elizabeth Gaver

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

Despite modern Japan’s evident economic success, persisting inequality between men and women is still apparent in the work field, furthered by societal expectations that drive women away from employment and overwork men. This presentation argues the causes of inequality for women in the work field, including societal expectations and the two-track system, as well as analyzes the effects on women’s lifestyle and careers, including the wage gap and prevalence of non-standard employment. Furthermore, this presentation argues the increasingly detrimental effects of employment inequality on Japanese society as a whole, such as the declining fertility rate. Lastly, this paper will focus …

Constitutional Crisis And The Tenth Amendment: Civil Disobedience, Founding Principles, And The State’S Responsibility, Travis Younce

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

This past year we have seen an unprecedent grab of power from the State to the federal levels. This has caused many Americans to voice their concerns through civil disobedience. Yet, as we have seen from the summer of 2020 to the electoral vote on 6 January 2021, many Americans have gone beyond civil disobedience and rioted, causing loss of life and destruction of property for their beliefs.

The Founding Fathers were concerned with a central government that exceeded its powers and destroying the powers at the local or State level in favor of federal rule. In Federalist no 45 …

Relations Of The Catholic Church And The Government Of The Republic Of Lithuania Relations During The Crisis Of Covid-19: Partnership Or Dispute?, Audris Narbutas

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

The religious liberty is one of the most profound and fundamental deep freedoms in the West World. The vast majority of the modern democracies recognize the people’s right to worship God according to the particular traditions and norms of the different religious communities.

The state of Lithuania belongs to this family of democracies where the religious liberty plays a significant role in the legal system of the Lithuania. The rights to express and practice each one’s faith are established in the Article 26 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania[1] and in the bilateral treaties with the Holy …

The Effect Of International Level Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders On Death Rates, Valeriia Manchak, Annalisa Stoll, Kyle Conniff

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

In this paper, we document and compare data gathered from more than 50 countries with different demographic characteristics, lockdown policies, health systems, and different varying timelines to combat COVID-19. After discussing the variables and their impact on the mortality numbers, we will make a recommendation concerning the different lockdown policies for future use. The main objective of this paper is to investigate connections between government policies, population age, age density, smoking rate, IQ air pollution, forms of greeting, death rate, obesity/health index, mean age, face coverings, contact tracing, international travel control level, etc. and how these independent variables might affect …

The Non-Christian Nature Of Marxism, Andrew Looker, Jr.

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Marxism is one of the most impactful philosophies in the history of mankind. It refers to the political and economic theories formulated by Karl Marx, a German philosopher who lived from 1818 to 1883. Marx’s most well-known works include the Communist Manifesto (1848) and Das Kapital (1859). Marxism initially consisted of the three related ideas of a philosophical anthropology, a theory of history, and a radical economic and political program.[1] More specifically, Marx claimed that capitalism is just one stage in the historical progression from inferior economic systems to superior ones. Marx held that every society throughout history has …

Illegal Abortion: Truth Vs. Fiction, Andrew Looker, Jr.

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Abortion has remained one of the most contentious issues in American political discourse ever since the Supreme Court legalized the procedure in the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade. Numerous emotional, statistical, and even Biblical arguments have been formulated in debates over this topic. However, arguably the two most common assertions are that thousands of women perished due to unsafe abortions prior to Roe v. Wade, and that laws restricting or outlawing abortion are ineffective in reducing abortion rates. As an example, former President of Planned Parenthood Leana Wen made the following claim in May 2019: “Before Roe v. …

The Effect Of State Level Covid-19 Stay-At-Home Orders On Death Rates, Stephen A. Langeland, Jose Marte, Kyle Connif

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

This paper attempts to examine a correlation between lockdown length and COVID-19 case rate, death rate and fatality rate. In March of 2020, the publishing of alarmist epidemiological models prompted government officials to enact sweeping emergency measures (Miltimore 2020). Notably, the Imperial College London model published by epidemiologist Neil Ferguson predicted a “best-case scenario” of 1.1 million COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by August 2020. This model heightened concern that the hospital system would be overwhelmed, a reason cited by President Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force members, Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci, as justification for the “15 Days to Flatten the …

Antitrust In The Age Of Trump, Stephen Langeland

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Calls for regulation of major tech giants are currently ringing out from both the left and right sides of the political spectrum, largely for different reasons (Soave 2020). The current DOJ antitrust suit against Google was undermined by murmurs of political motivation as former-Attorney General William Barr personally played a key role in pushing the investigation forward into a lawsuit. (Birnbaum 2020). Prior examples of this can be seen in the reportedly political motivation of the DOJ’s unsuccessful attempt to block the 2017 merger of President Trump’s nemesis CNN’s parent company Time Warner and AT&T following President Trump’s campaign trail …

The Barmen Declaration And The American Church: A Warning And Guidance From History, Johnny Davis

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

The Barmen Declaration serves as a great example that the American Church should heed.[1] The American Church faces a hostile secular culture and a government that is increasingly statist and anti-Christian. The state has become an idol in an American culture that rejects truth and righteousness. A bold stance for truth and Christ is required by scripture and is the key to transforming the culture and saving the American Republic.

The Long Road Towards Racial Reconciliation, Lia Cueto Jerez

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

The issue of race in the United States has been long contested among different social and political spheres. Over the course of the 20^th and 21^st century, Americans have been eyewitnesses to the long and evolving fight for racial justice and equality. Most recently, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 has proven to contest people’s attitudes over the issue. As political polarization grows, mistrust within communities of color deepens, further hindering participation in bipartisan work to overcome these differences.

Public Reason, Rawlsian Restraint, And The Judiciary: The Influence Of Political Philosophy On Legal Scholars And Judges In Relation To Religious Liberty, Marc A. Clauson

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

This paper concerns the political theory of public reason in its application to religious freedom issues. Public reason, or its related idea, public justification, is in my estimation, just the latest extension of the problem of religious toleration in its particular relationship to the right of religious liberty. This latest expression of the toleration debate began, by most estimates, with John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice.[1] I will argue that in its Rawlsian form, public reason contains some serious flaws, which can be corrected by the work of political philosophers such as Gerald Gaus, Kevin Vallier and Michael Perry, …

Nothing New Under The Sun: Augustine And Cicero’S Visions Of How Human Nature Relates To Justice, Virtue, Biblical Wisdom, And The State, Faith Chudkowski

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Social issues today stand at the forefront of civil discourse, global injustice abounds, and the average citizen seems to be more invested in molding a better future than ever before. In the 2020 presidential election, nearly two-thirds of America voted, a percentage that has not been reached since 1900.[1] In recent years, social media has become a primary avenue for rallying support and spreading ideas that range from domestic policy to new notions of justice. Yet, where passionate debate has erupted, levels of polarization and division have risen as well. Where one finds genuine concern for the state of …

The New Space Policy Regime And Its Financial Foundation, Tamara Campbell

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

Post the global financial crisis of 2008, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) sought to expand the space economy through a public policy of commercialization. This has brought major changes to the composition of space mission funding strategies, now repositioned as public private partnerships (P3s). Formed to fund space missions with private finance in lieu of public funding, P3s are investment and risk-sharing vehicles evaluated by financial intermediary institutions, insurers, and at times, the courts in the case where there is foreign direct investment (FDI) agreement. For this reason, it is arguable P3s have exceptional influence on the scope …

Income, Colleges, Universities And Political Engagement, Devin Oommen

COD Library Student Research and Award Symposium

Political engagement is a cornerstone of America‚Äôs democracy. It is important to define and understand the factors that impact political engagement to increase its function. Political scientists have identified factors that influence voting habits globally and within individual countries. Understanding this idea and finding connections in voting patterns allows deeper understanding of the causes that lead to higher rates of political activity within populations. Political scientists have identified which factors are most frequently reported or found as motivators for citizens who are most politically active across the globe. A factor noted as creating younger voters who are politically active as …