Other Political Science Commons^™

Reform And Democratization In Ukraine: My Service As A Peace Corps Volunteer With An Ukrainian Local Government Organization, Danielle Stevens

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

This paper provides a micro-analysis of democratization and reform in an Ukrainian local government institution that was the site placement for the author's Peace Corps service. Through using a culturalist lens and applying open systems theory while working as a Peace Corps Volunteer, the researcher observed how one organization coped with implementing public administration reform that is the result of the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014. This paper contributes to existing research regarding reform efficacy in other post-Soviet spaces, and provides a foundation for furthering similar research in Ukraine.

And That's The Word: Effects Of The Colbert Report On Political Knowledge And Participation, Nicholas Canfield

Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development—Student Research

The Colbert Report was a satirical, political, and “fake” news show that lasted for almost a decade on the Comedy Central Network. Although many scholars have argued the program was less impactful and influential than Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, phenomena such as the “Colbert Bump” show a definite impact on the political lives of many Americans. Using four quantitative surveys from 2008 to 2012, this thesis investigates the effects of watching The Colbert Report on individuals’ political knowledge and political participation. Results indicate non-Republican viewers increased their political knowledge, but not participation, from watching the show. The educational …

Strategic Housing And Vacant Land Development Plan For A More Viable Detroit, Ryan W. Hebert

Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development—Student Research

In recent years Detroit has seen the beginnings of a revival with coordinated blight removal efforts from the city and large downtown development investments from foundations, such as the Kresge Foundation, and key players in the corporate sector such as Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans. While these efforts have led to tremendous changes and revitalization in the downtown and midtown areas, as well as along the riverfront, much of the city’s neighborhoods remain left to solve their housing and land use crises. What follows is an attempt to build upon the work of others in finding creative …

Road To Recovery: Recidivism And The Mclean County Drug Court, Julia Neaves

Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development—Student Research

This study explores the effectiveness of the McLean County Drug Court at reducing time to recidivism using survival analysis techniques. Data on 146 drug court participants was collected using the county’s proprietary case management systems. Findings suggest that length of drug court programming significantly reduces time to recidivism. Unfortunately, black offenders and offenders with prior criminal history were found to return to the prison system more rapidly than other groups, suggesting that drug court programming may not be addressing the greater systemic issues present in the criminal justice system. These findings collectively inform policy recommendations provided to county administrators and …

Building On Social Capital To Improve Health: The Interactional Approach To Community Development, Matthew Charles Tomlin Mr

Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development—Student Research

Since political scientist, Robert Putnam, (1995) brought the concept of social capital into popular discourse, there has been a surge in debate over its definition, causes, and consequences in a range of social science disciplines. While social capital has been found to support self-rated overall health at the state level (Kawachi et al, 1999), there is still a dearth of data and research on localities in different regions of the country. This study analyzes survey data collected in the United Way of McLean County’s 2014 Community Assessment to better understand the dynamic between social capital and health in one Central …

Positive Effects Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Youth Development A Case Study Of The Royal Swazi Sugar Corporation In Swaziland, Danielle V. Shtraus

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

What is corporate social responsibility (CSR)? How does it directly affect the youth in the areas where corporations come in to set up factories or farms? When one thinks of corporations operating in Africa, only those examples from the news come to mind, and they are all negative. One example is the recent strikes at the Marikana Mines in the Gauteng province of South Africa due to unfair wages and sanitation issues in the camps where employees live. I intend in this capstone to paint a picture of a corporation in Africa that strives to work towards best practices, and …

Post-Development Theory And Food Security: A Case Study In Swaziland, Lauren Karplus

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

Post-development theory argues that development theory and the practice of Post-World War II development projects have failed because the entire concept of development is a Western, non-universal measure of progress. Indeed, examples of failed development interventions abound from around the world. While development experts argue amongst themselves about how best to deliver development interventions in order to minimize the failures of development, post-development theorists believe that no amount of tweaking will make the development agenda a success. They argue that the problem with development is not about how it is implemented, but rather that development itself is a flawed concept …

Terrorism: Libya’S Role In The Instability Of The Region, Cara Rabe-Hemp, Cayla Comens

Graduate Research - Criminal Justice

When media focuses its attention on the subject of terrorism, the country of Libya is not typically at the forefront of the discussion. However, Libya has a deep hand in terrorism dating back to when Colonel Muammar Qaddafi took control of the country in 1969. During the years that Qaddafi was in control, he financially backed terrorist organizations, who repeatedly aimed their sights on the United States and their allies. Even after the fall of Qaddafi’s regime, terrorism is still a part of the governmental strategy in the country. The attack in Benghazi against an American compound, which resulted in …

Politics Of Environmental Policy: A Case Study Of Alamor And The Yasuní National Park, Katie Weber

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

In 2008 Ecuador made environmental history by giving rights to Mother Nature in its constitution and was widely recognized as the most environmentally friendly country in the world. This paper examines the environmental movement in the following years and seeks to understand the primary actors that make decisions as well as who benefits and who is harmed when the environment is not protected. In order to answer these questions, the paper focuses on two distinct cases; that of the small town of Alamor in southern Ecuador and that of the Yasuní National Park in the Amazon.

Balancing Preservation And Promotion Of Natural Resources: A Case Study Of Newaygo County, Michigan, Jeffrey Koch

Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development—Student Research

Natural resource management (NRM) involves a multitude of levels and interests. Options for sustainable management must involve all stakeholders and balance levels of decision-makers, whether local, regional, or national. No one-size-fits-all approach applies to NRM; instead, co-management of resources and multi-stakeholder collaborations assist in achieving sustainable solutions, given the multiple interest groups involved in the commons. Through good governance, flexibility to change, and community engagement efforts, NRM has a better chance for success and sustainability.

Clearly, natural resources cross governmental boundaries and jurisdictions, and NRM strategies must compensate for this dynamic. The region of West Michigan contains a wealth of …

El Salvador: The Case Of Credicampo, Alexandria J. Trimble

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

The study of community development is constantly exploring new methods and ideas to improve the living conditions and opportunities for people who live in poverty. Governments, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, and grassroots community groups coordinate efforts to bring about profound change and growth through a variety of mechanisms such as public grants, education, small business development, and microfinance. Whereas the study of community development is rarely viewed as a scientific endeavor, the qualitatively measured relationships between communities and outside development intervention may allow for more understanding and exploration into the field.

Working to include and utilize the abilities of local …

The Role Of Children In A Mixed-Socioeconomic Community Development Model: A Quantitative Study Of Grand Rapids, Michigan Housing Projects, Phillip R. Dawson

Master's Theses - Politics and Government

This thesis analyzes the relationship between parental social capital and child-based activities in public housing programs.

A Case Study: The Assessment And Evaluation Of The Inaugural Multicultural Leadership Program Of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, Christine Holmes

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

From August 2009 through August 2010, I served as the program coordinator for the inaugural Multicultural Leadership Program (MCLP) of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. In collaboration with the Board of Directors and program founder, I developed an internal structure for the new non-profit program. My involvement was determined by the board’s decision to partner with the University of Illinois, McLean County Extension office for administrative support. Through a collaboration between the Sue Bandy, the Community and Economic Development Director, and Phani Aytam, founder of the MCLP program, my role as the program coordinator for the program was created. Several key deliverables were …

The Role Of Language And Politics: A Look At National-Identity Formation In Eastern Ukraine, Andrew Maxwell

Master's Theses - Politics and Government

One of the most important questions a newly-independent country must answer concerns the essence of its people as a collective nation. The policies advocated for, the laws created, and the fundamentals of the legal and political system of the young nation-state will largely be determined by the values, beliefs, culture, and identity of the people within the state. As a result, the study of the present or emerging national identity in a young sovereign state can be important for understanding the policy decisions and political direction the state is moving in. In this paper I will analyze the emerging national …

“ Do The Attitudes Of Policy Implementers Affect The Implementation Of The Community Service Policy At A Southern Illinois County Housing Authority?” A Case Study, Bernadette Zayas Lorenzo

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

According to Section 512 of the Quality and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, “every adult resident of public housing will be required to perform eight hours of community service each month, or participate in a self-sufficiency program for at least eight hours every month. This requirement does not apply to elderly persons, disabled persons, persons already working, persons exempted from work requirements under State welfare to work programs, or programs receiving assistance under a State program that have not been found to be in non-compliance with such a program” (Hunt, Schulhof, Holmquist, 1998: 5). This community service work is not …