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Full-Text Articles in American Politics

“Things Are Going To Get A Lot Worse Before They Get Worse”: Humor In The Face Of Disaster, Politics, And Pain, Sierra Semmel May 2020

“Things Are Going To Get A Lot Worse Before They Get Worse”: Humor In The Face Of Disaster, Politics, And Pain, Sierra Semmel

Honors College

From the Holocaust and slavery victims to medical professionals to firefighters, coping humor has been used throughout history even in the darkest of times. While it is common among victims of unfavorable situations, it is also utilized by late-night television shows to package the news of the day in a format that both addresses the issues and eases the emotions surrounding them. This thesis critically analyzes selected clips from late night shows and sketch comedy surrounding three different news events: Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate Confirmation Hearings, the Boston Marathon bombing, and Hurricane Sandy. By studying a political event, a domestic terrorist …


Politics Then And Now: Introduction, Richard Barringer, Kenneth Palmer Jan 2014

Politics Then And Now: Introduction, Richard Barringer, Kenneth Palmer

Maine Policy Review

This article is an introduction to several articles and excerpts published in this issue of Maine Policy Review based on a series of related lectures. One set of lectures, “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation,” was presented by the Muskie School and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine in the fall of 2013, and the other was the William S. Cohen lecture held at the University of Maine. Most of the speakers are prominent public office holders who were asked to address the issue of political polarization and dysfunction, comparing how politics was …


Productive Partisanship, Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell Jan 2014

Productive Partisanship, Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell

Maine Policy Review

This article is an excerpt of a lecture given in a lecture series, “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation,” presented by the Muskie School and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine in the fall of 2013. Speakers were asked to address the issue of political polarization and dysfunction, comparing how politics was played in the past with


Governing For The People, Kenneth Curtis Jan 2014

Governing For The People, Kenneth Curtis

Maine Policy Review

This article is an excerpt of a lecture given in a lecture series, “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation,” presented by the Muskie School and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine in the fall of 2013. Speakers were asked to address the issue of political polarization and dysfunction, comparing how politics was played in the past with the current situation, and discussing what Maine can offer based on experiences here.


Enough Is Enough, Bill Cohen, Alan Simpson Jan 2014

Enough Is Enough, Bill Cohen, Alan Simpson

Maine Policy Review

This is an excerpt from the 2013 William S. Cohen Lecture delivered at the University of Maine, featuring former Secretary of State Bill Cohen and Senator Alan K. Simpson, on “The State of Our Nation: Hardball vs Civility.” The full version was published in “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation," edited by Richard Barringer and Ken Palmer


It's Not The System, It's The Voters, Barney Frank Jan 2014

It's Not The System, It's The Voters, Barney Frank

Maine Policy Review

This article is an excerpt of a lecture given in a lecture series, “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation,” presented by the Muskie School and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine in the fall of 2013. Speakers were asked to address the issue of political polarization and dysfunction, comparing how politics was played in the past with the current situation, and discussing what Maine can offer based on experiences here.


The Project Of Democracy, Alexander Keyssar Jan 2002

The Project Of Democracy, Alexander Keyssar

Maine Policy Review

This article is an address given at the May 2002 Maine Town Meeting sponsored by the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan. Alexander Keyssar chronicles the advances and contractions of democratic political rights in American history. While on balance, this is a story of progress, it is not, Keyssar argues, unilinear, nor one that is completed. Although arguably late for the world’s “greatest democracy,” by the 1970s the United States had achieved universal suffrage. Today, however, the tug between democratic and anti-democratic forces continues. The contest is no longer over voting rights but over the procedures and rules governing elections …


Reflections On Citizenship: Thinking About Power As Interaction, Leslie I. Hill Jan 1992

Reflections On Citizenship: Thinking About Power As Interaction, Leslie I. Hill

Maine Policy Review

The steady decline of participation in many areas of public life suggests that we may be overlooking power as not only a source of the problem, but also as a critical part of the solution. Leslie Hill argues that to revive concepts of citizenship and democratic participation enshrined in the language of the nation's founding, we ought to rethink conventional ideas about power as control and domination and, in the alternative, view power as interaction. She also suggests that we need to adopt new approaches to civic education that include this concept of power as interactive politics. Underlying this argument, …


Washington County Republican Roster, Maine, 1954-1955, Washington County Republican Party Jan 1954

Washington County Republican Roster, Maine, 1954-1955, Washington County Republican Party

Maine History Documents

A directory of members of several Washington County Republican organizations and vote for Governor in 1952. Includes a summary of the Republican platform in the categories of International Affairs, National Affairs, State Affairs, State Constitution, Development, Agriculture, Labor and Industry, Education, Institutions, Welfare, Highways and Finance.


Washington County Republican Roster, Maine, 1950-1951, Washington County Republican Party Jan 1950

Washington County Republican Roster, Maine, 1950-1951, Washington County Republican Party

Maine History Documents

A directory of members of several Republication organizations for Washington County and the vote for Governor in 1948. Includes a summary of the Maine Republican Platform for 1950 with headings of Party Responsibility, Welfare and Security, Education, Highways, National Resources--Conservation and Development, Agriculture, Labor and Industry, Constitution, Finance and Taxes, State Valuation and Equalization, Commendation, Quoddy Survey, Veterans' Hospitalization, National Affairs, and Party Unity.


Washington County Republican Roster, Maine, 1944-45, Washington County Republican Party Jan 1944

Washington County Republican Roster, Maine, 1944-45, Washington County Republican Party

Maine History Documents

A directory of members of Republican organizations in Washington County for 1944-45 and the vote for Governor in 1942.


Washington County Republican Roster, Maine, 1938-39, Washington County Republican Party Jan 1938

Washington County Republican Roster, Maine, 1938-39, Washington County Republican Party

Maine History Documents

A directory of members of several Republican committees and clubs. Also includes a breakdown of votes for governor by county for 1936, and summaries of the Republican and Democratic platforms for 1938. The Democratic platform is broken into categories including the Quoddy Project, Fisheries, and a Federal Air Base.