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Full-Text Articles in Political Science
Curiosity Or Manners: The Values That Shape American Political Mindsets, Ryan Winter
Curiosity Or Manners: The Values That Shape American Political Mindsets, Ryan Winter
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
In the late 1990s, political analyst and linguist George Lakoff proposed an intriguing new way to understand what separates liberals from conservatives in American politics. His theory was based on the premise that there are two opposing frames through which Americans view politics, and that parenting values determine which frame one chooses. Those who adhere to the strict father model hold conservative beliefs on a wide range of issues, while nurturant parents are more liberal. Lakoff's writings have since become widespread and his parenting theory has convinced many political strategists and activists, despite the fact that his hypotheses lacked empirical …
No Smoking: Policy Diffusion And Its Prevailing Factors, Brad Gresik
No Smoking: Policy Diffusion And Its Prevailing Factors, Brad Gresik
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
Over the past few years, many states have taken steps to ban smoking in public areas. The process of specific polices spreading across state lines is called policy diffusion. Statewide anti-indoor smoking bans are utilized to demonstrate what the most prevailing factors in policy diffusion are. A two-step approach to analysis is implemented, first looking only at simple policy adoption among the 50 states, and secondly the rate at which the policy expands across the country. A strong presence of local ordinances, nearby neighbors with statewide bans in effect, and a history of smoking preemption laws are found to be …
The Myth Of The Clash Of Civilizations: Confucian Values And Democratic Support, Xinlin Xu
The Myth Of The Clash Of Civilizations: Confucian Values And Democratic Support, Xinlin Xu
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
Literature on political culture claims Confucianism is incompatible with modern liberal democratic values. However, little empirical evidence has been presented to prove the validity of this statement. This paper quantitatively studies the relationship between Confucian values and democratic support in East Asian society and finds no negative correlation between the two.
The Least Dangerous Branch: The Dark Horse In American Democracy, Lexi Baltes
The Least Dangerous Branch: The Dark Horse In American Democracy, Lexi Baltes
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
This research examines the extent to which the Supreme Court has the power to influence public opinion. There is a good deal of consensus in the literature regarding the influence of public opinion on the Supreme Court. However, a relatively small pool of contradictory research attempting to turn the casual arrow from the Court to the public underscores the fact that the question of whether or not a dynamic, back-and-forth relationship exists is still open for debate. Using a portion of the work done by Erikson, MacKuen and Stimson in The Macro Polity (2002) as a model, and relying heavily …
Mass Shootings, Mass Media, And Mass Opinion: An Examination Of How The News Media Affects Public Opinion In The Aftermath Of Mass Shootings, Patrick Cavanaugh
Mass Shootings, Mass Media, And Mass Opinion: An Examination Of How The News Media Affects Public Opinion In The Aftermath Of Mass Shootings, Patrick Cavanaugh
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
This research looks at how newspaper mentions of mass shootings correlate with the percentage of people in the U.S. who view gun control as the most important issue facing the country. While the agenda-setting effect of the news media has been theorized and demonstrated for a number of different issues, scholars have yet to consider how the news media may set the agenda for the public’s view on the importance of gun control through its coverage of mass shootings. Utilizing designs put forth by Smidt (2011), Tan and Weaver (2007), and Winter and Eyal (1984), this paper seeks to fill …
Vicious Cycle Or Business Cycle?: Explaining Political Violence In Northern Ireland After The Troubles, Lauren Burke
Vicious Cycle Or Business Cycle?: Explaining Political Violence In Northern Ireland After The Troubles, Lauren Burke
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
There are currently two schools of thought that seek to explain the persistence of political violence in Northern Ireland, one with a sociopolitical focus and the other with an economic focus. Expanding on past economic theory, this paper utilizes several multiple regression models to test the applicability of the economic school's relative deprivation theory in the fifteen years since the Troubles were formally ended with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. The basis of this theory is that as economic conditions worsen in a given area, the number of acts of political violence should also increase. This study specifically …
Authors' Biographies
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.
Radical Right Populist Parties In Britain And The Netherlands: Explaining Electoral Success, Casey Plach
Radical Right Populist Parties In Britain And The Netherlands: Explaining Electoral Success, Casey Plach
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
Radical right-wing populist parties have recently emerged throughout Europe, but the electoral success among these parties is incredibly inconsistent. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders’ Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) has become established in the country’s political system, while the British National Party (BNP) and the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) struggle to gain even a single seat in British parliament. Models outlining a formula for the rise and success of populist parties can help explain why some parties achieve an electoral breakthrough and others do not. Researcher of radical right populism Pippa Norris’ model of electoral success is divided into …
Editors' Introduction, Nick Desideri, Ryan Winter
Editors' Introduction, Nick Desideri, Ryan Winter
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.
Letter From The Department Chair, James Simeone
Letter From The Department Chair, James Simeone
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.
Table Of Contents
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.
Res Publica Xix
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
Complete copy of the 2014 volume of Res Publica.
Explaining Legislative Productivity: Evaluating The Effects Of Polarization And Divided Government In A Cross-Sectional Study Of State Legislatures, Mike Kistner '15
Explaining Legislative Productivity: Evaluating The Effects Of Polarization And Divided Government In A Cross-Sectional Study Of State Legislatures, Mike Kistner '15
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
Despite a wealth of literature on the causes of gridlock in Congress, there is a lack of comparative work at the state level exploring whether lawmaking in state legislatures functions similarly. Operating under a theoretical framework assuming polarization and divided government are the primary obstacles to legislative success, and controlling for majority seat share, I test the determinants of legislative productivity with an original dataset consisting of 31 states. I operationalize legislative productivity using a content analysis of editorials from each state during the 2009-2010 legislative sessions to identify pressing political issues, and then determine how many of these issues …
Dollars And Sense: Does Economic Self-Interest Or Emotional Attachment Better Explain Vote Choice?, Daniel M. Truesdale '15
Dollars And Sense: Does Economic Self-Interest Or Emotional Attachment Better Explain Vote Choice?, Daniel M. Truesdale '15
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
This paper seeks to understand voter choice using a dichotomous model differentiating between economic self-interest and emotional attachment. Using survey data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) database, this paper first utilizes a unique scaling technique and then a pseudo R-Square method to determine which independent variable, economic self-interest or emotional attachment (affect), contains more explanatory power in predicting voter choice. The findings support the hypothesis that economic self-interest contains the most explanatory power in predicting voter choice, though the degree of difference varies across elections.
Judicial Practice Makes Perfect: Explaining Asylum Recognition In The European Union, Casey Plach, '15
Judicial Practice Makes Perfect: Explaining Asylum Recognition In The European Union, Casey Plach, '15
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
Vast disparities in asylum recognition rates have persisted in the European Union despite legislative efforts to standardize the asylum determination process. National judiciaries play an important role in this process and scholars mostly agree that differences in judicial practice pose a challenge to the harmonization of recognition rates. However, no study has specifically analyzed the relationship between these two variables. The aim of this research is to determine whether differences in judicial practice account for the variation in asylum recognition rates in the EU. To observe these differences, precedent relating to three areas of the refugee determination process is identified …
Do The Means Change The End? The Effect Of All Mail Ballot Systems And Same-Day Voter Registration On Turnout, Annie Kehler '15
Do The Means Change The End? The Effect Of All Mail Ballot Systems And Same-Day Voter Registration On Turnout, Annie Kehler '15
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
This research examines the effects of certain institutional mechanisms on voter turnout, in order to provide a possible policy prescription for the ever-decreasing voter turnout in the United States. The voter turnout of general elections from 1994-2012 was measured state by state, comparing those that have instituted same-day registration and/or all mail ballot systems to those that have not, using an ordinary least squares regression model. There was an additional control variable of the number of top-of-ticket races on the ballot in each year, in addition to the institutional variables. The results suggest that the use of same-day registration and …
Can’T Buy Our Love: Prime Minister Harold Wilson And His Attempts To Woo The Beatles, Austin Aldag '15
Can’T Buy Our Love: Prime Minister Harold Wilson And His Attempts To Woo The Beatles, Austin Aldag '15
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
The monumental influence of the Beatles, their music, and “Beatlemania” deeply penetrated into many facets of British lifestyle during a substantial portion of the 1960s, and the dynamic political landscape of this waning world power was no exception. The resurgence of the Labour Party in Parliament, following fourteen long years of being situated in the opposition, simultaneously materialized during the reign of the Beatles. Subsequent to the 1964 General Election, the Labour Party narrowly achieved a legislative majority in Parliament despite achieving a total net gain of fifty-six seats.1 Leading this movement and a man who advocated for a …
Authors’ Biographies
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.
Letter From The Editors, Mike Kistner '15, Sarah Bergman '15
Letter From The Editors, Mike Kistner '15, Sarah Bergman '15
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.
Letter From The Department Chair, Greg M. Shaw
Letter From The Department Chair, Greg M. Shaw
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.
Table Of Contents
Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research
No abstract provided.