American Politics Commons^™

Faculty Research Note: "Memo To The Governor" - Citizen Participation In Massachusetts, Bridgewater State College Political Science Department

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Government Reorganization In The Fight Against Terrorism, Brendan Burke

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Trends. Disclosure Of Post-9-11 Arrestees And Maslow’S Hierarchy Of Needs, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This Trends article discusses the Maslowian hierarchy of needs in the context of 9-11 terrorist attacks and the relationship between executive and judicial branches of American government.

Commentary On “Conditions For Success And Failures Of Denial And Deception: Democratic Regimes”, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article provides commentary on an essay written by Mr. Walt Jajko. Mr. Jajko’s essay was itself a commentary on an article published in the book, Strategic Denial and Deception, the Twenty First Century Challenge, that was edited by Roy Godson and James J. Wirtz and published by Transaction Publishers (2002).

Mr. Jajko was formerly assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight and director, Special Advisory Staff, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy within the United States Government (USG).

The Societal Costs Of Surveillance: An Alternative View On Civil Liberties Constraints, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article explores some psychological phenomena bearing on the consequences of civil liberties constraints.

Trends. For Homeland Security, Against A Department Of Homeland Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses national security as well as the addition of a new department – the Department of Homeland Security – as a psychological and political tactic.

Trends. Fetishism, Secrecy, And Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses the Federation of American Scientists’ Secrecy News and how it characterized the Bush Administration’s stance towards the President’s Daily Brief as “fetishism.”

Trends. The Political Psychology Of Indications And Warnings: The Meaning Of "Information To Prevent Terrorist Attacks", Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses alleged availability to the FBI of actionable intelligence prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Truth Serum And Terrorism, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes several epistemological--as opposed to ethical and moral--anxieties in administering drugs to individuals for the purpose of securing truths supporting the United States Government (USG)-declared war against terrorism with global research.

Breaches Of Homeland Security: Facile Conclusions, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses homeland security breaches involving the United States General Accounting Office’s Office of Special Investigations.

Trends. The Color Of Terror, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses and evaluates Homeland Security's color-coded national alert system.

Gubernatorial Power And The Struggle For Executive Efficiency In Twentieth Century Maine, Paul H. Mills

Maine Policy Review

In this commentary, Paul Mills discusses the balance between the executive and legislative branches of Maine state government in the twentieth century, noting that from 1986 to the time of the writing of this commentary (2002), the state’s governors have had a different political affiliation than the legislatures elected to serve with them. He remarks that even as the mechanics of government have become more efficient through reforms, Maine people have created and enforced a system that puts the governor and legislature at odds, hampering their ability to move forward.

The Perils Of Voice And The Desire For Stealth Democracy, Elizabeth Theiss-Morse

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. Elizabeth Theiss-Morse takes issue with each of the alleged beneficial effects of increased participation and deliberation in politics. She presents evidence from her own research with colleague John Hibbing that suggests a more participatory democracy does not necessarily result in better decisions, a better political system or better people. Rather, most Americans would prefer not to have to participate in politics at all. Theiss-Morse explains where this view comes from and, in the end, argues for a civic …

Term Limits, The Standing Committees, And Institutional Response, Matthew C. Moen, Kenneth Palmer

Maine Policy Review

Through citizen initiative in 1993, Maine passed a term limits bill that now prevents legislators with eight years of consecutive service from seeking reelection. Although touted as a means of eliminating careerism in public service and as a means of bringing fresh blood and new policy initiative to Augusta, many now question whether limits on service have hampered legislative efficiency through the loss of experienced leadership and institutional memory. Moen and Palmer examine the impact of term limits on the legislature’s standing committees. While noting adverse impacts such as heavier workloads, they also find an institution hard at work to …

Maine Code Of Election Ethics, Gregory P. Gallant

Maine Policy Review

In the Margaret Chase Smith Essay, Gregory Gallant discusses the voluntary Maine Code of Election Ethics, sponsored and organized by the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan. The code is a voluntary effort designed to elevate political discourse in Maine’s federal and gubernatorial elections. Gallant reflects on the ways in which this code reinforces Margaret Chase Smith’s recognition of the critical role played by civic engagement in American society.

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 …