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Illinois Wesleyan University

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Articles 1 - 30 of 179

Full-Text Articles in Political Science

Letter From The Department Chair, Greg M. Shaw May 2023

Letter From The Department Chair, Greg M. Shaw

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


German Energy: The People’S Transition, Morgan Tadish May 2023

German Energy: The People’S Transition, Morgan Tadish

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

After decades of polluting the earth with fossil fuels, our reckless behaviors have finally caught up with us. Among few others, Germany leads the world in unique renewable energy transitions and sustainability solutions to best suit their country and protect the environment. Through scholarly articles, past & current news sources, and various national & world databases, this paper discusses the question: how much of Germany’s energy policy success rests on the back of civil society? In addition to following a strict set of national and international environmental policies and targets, Germany’s strategy towards renewables and sustainability comes from their German …


Cover Art, Sami Curtis May 2023

Cover Art, Sami Curtis

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Religious Accommodations From The Contraceptive Mandate: Sincere Belief Or Political Statement?, Rachel A. Williams May 2023

Religious Accommodations From The Contraceptive Mandate: Sincere Belief Or Political Statement?, Rachel A. Williams

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2014, the Supreme Court made a controversial decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, ruling that for-profit businesses were entitled to religious protections under the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and could seek and receive a religious accommodation from the contraceptive mandate of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA). This decision split legal scholars who have since debated whether corporations may even qualify as persons under RFRA and what motivated Hobby Lobby and its litigating peers. Why did 48 other businesses litigate alongside Hobby Lobby for a religious accommodation? Should we believe the sincerity of their beliefs or consider …


Title Page May 2023

Title Page

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Editor's Introduction, Isaac Rubenstein, Emma Stroh May 2023

Editor's Introduction, Isaac Rubenstein, Emma Stroh

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Authors' Biographies May 2023

Authors' Biographies

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Table Of Contents May 2023

Table Of Contents

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Combating Inequality: The Value Of Acknowledging Gender In Transitional Justice, Zoe Hovde May 2023

Combating Inequality: The Value Of Acknowledging Gender In Transitional Justice, Zoe Hovde

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Patriarchal inequalities have become exacerbated in nations occupied by mass violence, conflict, and violations of human rights, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Colombia. Gender-based violence is often not adequately recognized in processes transitional justice. In this essay, I observe and analyze sexual and gender-based violence in several countries and the ignorance or attention they were given by truth commissions, reparations, and other aspects of transnational justice. I also explore data regarding the aftermath of such violence, including the feminization of poverty and political insecurity. I discovered that recognizing gender when attempting to build reconciliation is a hesitant task …


Shaping Chilean Feminism, Itzel Mendoza May 2023

Shaping Chilean Feminism, Itzel Mendoza

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The early 1990s are marked by worldwide feminist movements and women’s suffrage. Women mobilized through feminist groups that demanded political rights, marital rights and labor rights. In the case of Chile, advocating for women’s suffrage was an extensive process that required mass unity and mobilization through agitative media. By 1935, one of the most prominent feminist leaders, Elena Cafferena, co-founded The Movement for the Emancipation of Chilean Women (MEMCH) which became a critical actor in the Chilean women's rights battle. This case demonstrates how working women and “elite women” worked in collaboration for diverse demands within the movement. This paper …


Voting Behavior And Primary Elections, Amber Anderson May 2023

Voting Behavior And Primary Elections, Amber Anderson

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The United States of America has become increasingly polarized, so elections are more important than ever. This research paper analyzes voting behavior in primary elections throughout the United States. The four most recent Presidential primary election cycles are used as case studies. The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which voters are more concerned with issues and ideology over electability in primary elections and how changing polarization and the timing of primary elections affects these results. The hypothesis argues that in increasingly polarized eras, voters become less concerned with voting based on issues and ideology; instead, …


Brass’S Model And The Surat Riots Of 1992, Melinda Burgin May 2023

Brass’S Model And The Surat Riots Of 1992, Melinda Burgin

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Intercommunal violence in India, especially between the Muslim and Hindu communities, has been a constant cause of conflict within the nation since it achieved independence in 1947. Social scientists have attempted to understand what makes certain communities in India more and less vulnerable to this conflict. Paul Brass’s theory of an institutionalized riot system which involves every level of society in the construction of politically motivated violence, and Ashutosh Varshney’s theory of an integrated civil society being crucial to keeping ethnic conflict at bay are two of the strongest in the field. This paper applies these theories to the 1992 …


‘Vox Populi?:’ Assessing Nato Popularity Relative To Political And Economic Indicators In Selected Member Nations, Zachary W. Cheek Apr 2022

‘Vox Populi?:’ Assessing Nato Popularity Relative To Political And Economic Indicators In Selected Member Nations, Zachary W. Cheek

Undergraduate Economic Review

This paper seeks to identify the impact of political and economic conditions on a nation’s popularity/favorability ratings towards North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the world’s most powerful military alliance. It is found that in random-effect models there exists a significant positive relationship between a country’s democratic strength and favorability, as well as a negative relationship regarding unemployment. In fixed-effect models, however, there is slight evidence of a positive relationship with per-capita GDP, as well as negative relationships with the unemployment rate and the trade index. Overall, differences in member-nations largely account for whether democratic or macroeconomic conditions influence support.


Title Page Jan 2022

Title Page

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Table Of Contents Jan 2022

Table Of Contents

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Editors' Introduction, Rachel Williams, Amber Anderson Jan 2022

Editors' Introduction, Rachel Williams, Amber Anderson

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Racial Party Polarization Under Donald Trump, Kate Berman Jan 2022

Racial Party Polarization Under Donald Trump, Kate Berman

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Growing party polarization directly results from increasing economic inequalities, racial tensions and the idea that the white majority is now a minority. This paper identifies the sources of party polarization. Combining social, economic, and racial factors, it builds on popular scholarly works that show white people feel left behind. Acknowledging that income inequality is the root of polarization, the paper argues that the interaction between race, economics and social status provides a more well-rounded look at party polarization. Party polarization has caused an increase in non-college-educated people participating in voting. This, in turn, led to Donald Trump’s popularity. This study …


A Case For Disastrous Party Politics In Peru, Carlo A. Chavez Linares Jan 2022

A Case For Disastrous Party Politics In Peru, Carlo A. Chavez Linares

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The commemoration of 200 years of Peruvian independence brings the question if the republic is really free and sovereign. Even though Peru is formally a democracy, it is weak and not yet consolidated. Satisfaction with democracy is low, and many analysts claim that it already died in the 1990s. In a narrow sense, Peruvian democracy is in danger because of the personalistic nature of the political parties. This study defends the argument that parties in Peru are weak. Specifically, it focuses on the shift from traditional to proto-parties. Traditional parties failed in their political role, and, therefore, new anti-elite and …


Socioeconomic Factors In Wrongful Convictions, Melinda Burgin Jan 2022

Socioeconomic Factors In Wrongful Convictions, Melinda Burgin

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Wrongful convictions once thought of as a rarity barely worth investigating, have been a far more prevalent issue than previously believed. According to recent research, the overall wrongful conviction rate is around six percent in the United States and, based on data specific to certain crimes, can be even higher. (Loeffler et al., 2018). High-profile cases such as the Central Park Five have allowed the issue to gain traction and credibility in the eyes of the public. Many organizations, such as the Innocence Project and the Exoneration Project, are working to free victims of these injustices. However, the question remains: …


How The United States And Russia Have Interacted With Syria Since Its Use Of Chemical Weapons, Brynn M. Mitoraj Jan 2022

How The United States And Russia Have Interacted With Syria Since Its Use Of Chemical Weapons, Brynn M. Mitoraj

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Syria has been locked in a civil war for over a decade, with thousands of people dead, many of them civilians. The Syrian Civil War has caused a humanitarian crisis, drawing the attention of international humanitarian aid actors and now the United States. After a chemical weapons attack against the Syrian civilians by the Assad Regime, former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump led punitive strikes against the Syrian government. After years of the United States weaving in and out of the Syrian crisis, the time has come for international actors to carefully analyze the intentions of the United States.


Research Report Two: Lliuya V. Rwe Ag, Zach Burhans Jan 2022

Research Report Two: Lliuya V. Rwe Ag, Zach Burhans

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The case of Lliuya v. RWE AG first starts with Saúl Luciano Lliuya, of Huaraz Peru. Lliuya, a small-scale farmer and mountain guide in the flood path of Lake Palcacocha in the Peruvian Andes, decided to file a lawsuit against German energy giant Rheinisch-Westfälisches Elektrizitätswerk Aktiengesellschaft (RWE AG; Reeves et al. 2019). Due to rising temperatures from global warming, the glacial melt is increasing the lake’s size and threatening the people of Huaraz city. Lliuya decided to take action, and with the help of environmental advocacy groups such as Stiftung Zunkunftsfähigkeit (Foundation for Sustainability), he was able to get the …


Urgenda Foundation V. State Of The Netherlands (2015) And Associated Policy Impacts, Emile C. Ottinger Jan 2022

Urgenda Foundation V. State Of The Netherlands (2015) And Associated Policy Impacts, Emile C. Ottinger

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Climate change is a global issue that calls for global responses. It is also crucial to address regionally, according to each state’s best ability, and respond to regionally-felt impacts. Often, this regional change must begin with individual and community action. The Urgenda Foundation v. State of the Netherlands case is a crucial example of how individual interests and community actions can create regional change and result in global change through concentrated effort. The Urgenda Foundation was created to promote national shifts toward sustainable societies. It facilitates the integration of individuals’ sustainable interests into community action. As the first legal success …


Authors' Biographies Jan 2022

Authors' Biographies

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Cover Art, Molly Morrissey Jan 2022

Cover Art, Molly Morrissey

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Election Laws And Voter Turnout In The United States, Sofia Papoutsis Jan 2022

Election Laws And Voter Turnout In The United States, Sofia Papoutsis

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the last decade, electoral reform has become a topic of intense controversy in the United States. While Republicans highlight the need for strict voting laws to prevent voter fraud and maintain election integrity, Democrats argue that these laws create barriers to voting and decrease voter turnout. How have U.S. voting laws evolved over the last decade? How do these changes affect voter turnout? Which voting laws have the greatest impact on voter turnout? Researchers Larocca and Klemanski (2011) provide answers to some of these questions through an empirical analysis on the effects of state-level election laws and reforms on …


Letter From The Department Chair, William A. Munro Betty Ritchie-Birrer ’47 And Ivan Birrer Ph.D Professor, Chair, Department Of Political Science Jan 2022

Letter From The Department Chair, William A. Munro Betty Ritchie-Birrer ’47 And Ivan Birrer Ph.D Professor, Chair, Department Of Political Science

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Table Of Contents Jan 2021

Table Of Contents

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Letter From The Department Chair, William Munro Jan 2021

Letter From The Department Chair, William Munro

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Holding The Public Trust: Forms Of Trust In Democratic Countries And Their Determinants, David Werner Jan 2021

Holding The Public Trust: Forms Of Trust In Democratic Countries And Their Determinants, David Werner

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Across both established and newly established democracies, notions of trust in government appear to be falling. These realities prompt investigations into both the determinations of trust in government and its positive relationship to democracy. A host of literature supports institutional approach theory, posting that the overarching government system predominantly determines trust. Analyzing survey questions at the country-level across 16 countries from the World Values Survey (WVS) Waves 5 - 7, this research affirms differences in trust relating to regulative, impartial institutions, trust in political, governmental institutions, and general social trust between citizens. Further, this study finds that more democratic countries, …


The Irrationalness Of Game Theory, Oscar Romero Jan 2021

The Irrationalness Of Game Theory, Oscar Romero

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

In February 1909, at a time where political scientists were confused as to their purpose to society, the Right Honorable James Bryce highlighted the three most important criteria for effective research of political science at the fifth annual meeting of the American Political Science Association. He declares that political scientists “1) must be critical, 2) must beware of superficial resemblances, and 3) must endeavor to disengage the personal or accidental from the general causes at work” (numbers added) (8). These specific criteria ensure that any political science research conducted leads society to increase its understanding of the laws that govern …