American Politics Commons^™

Disillusioning The Illusion Of Choice: A Rogerian Approach On Electoral College Reform, Mei Lin

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The Electoral College is used by the United States of America to elect the president every four years. It has been amended and updated several times; however, it remains an extremely convoluted and outdated system. Four presidencies were the product of incongruent elections –– the candidate won the electoral college but lost the popular vote –– and each of these presidencies resulted in immense consequences. Reforming the current electoral college will be difficult, but it is extremely vital and necessary. The American election system must be restructured so that it may fairly and adequately represent the voices of its citizens.

The Efficacy Of Gender Quotas In Politics: The United States And Europe, Emily Larson

Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival

In the United States, along with most other nations, women are underrepresented in positions of political office. There are many reasons that help to explain why women are not running, and are not getting elected, such as socialization, stereotyping, and voter biases against gender. However, there must be more research not only on the reasons why we see these patterns, but also how the United States can solve the problem of the underrepresentation of women in national politics. As a representative democracy, the governing bodies of the United States should reflect its citizens, and so far, this has not been ...

Ticket-Splitting In Montana Elections, Andrew Matheison

Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival

My research used data gathered in the Carroll College Exit Polls of midterm and general elections to analyze the prevalence of ticket-splitting for different demographic and political groups. I sought to determine if any groups exhibited increased or decreased levels of ticket splitting. My hypothesis was that different demographics would show minimal differences in rates of ticket-splitting, while party affiliation would show greater differences in ticket-splitting rates. Specifically, I believed voters identifying with major parties would be less likely to split their ticket than voters not belonging to either major party.

Rural Resentment In Montana's 2018 Election, Aggie Putnam

Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival

In the 2016 presidential election, we saw stark partisan and rural divides. While Hillary Clinton easily won the Democratic vote in urban communities, the rural vote carried Republican candidate Donald Trump to the presidency. I wanted to learn whether or not these divides affected how Montanans felt about representation. To determine this, my Elections class and I conducted an exit poll on election day of 2018 where voters from Lewis and Clark County were asked how well they felt the government represented their values. These answers were then compared with whether the respondents identified as a Democrat or a Republican ...

Rural Values In Montana, Hailey Kellum

Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival

Montana communities are difficult to classify as rural or urban. However, we often hear that rural values influence how Montanans vote. In this study, I seek to determine whether it is possible to define rural values of Montanans. I ask questions such as, “Are there specific words or phrases that people associate with the term ‘rural’?” and, “Are rural residents generally more or less confident in state or federal government than urban residents?” In response to these questions, I present two hypotheses: first, I posit that living in rural Montana leads to the development of rural values characterized by a ...

Partisanship And Representation In Montana's 2018 Midterm Election, Caitlin Troyer

Carroll College Student Undergraduate Research Festival

The basis of this research is the 2018 Carroll College Exit Poll. I utilized the results of the exit poll as well as research previously done on the topic of partisanship to explore the relationship between state and federal representation and partisanship. The 2018 Carroll College Exit Poll was conducted in Montana in Lewis and Clark County, Billings, and Great Falls. Polling locations were selected at random. Voters were surveyed and asked eleven questions, two of which were utilized in my analysis. The questions pertinent to my research were, “How well does the state government in Helena represent the values ...

Lobbying The Regulatory State: An Examination Of Regulation And Revolving Door Lobbying, Charles Lowrance Iii

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

The prominence of lobbying activity in Washington, D.C., is well-known and often discussed by pundits and legislators alike. For those familiar with the practice of lobbying, it is not a secret that many former government employees become lobbyists and vice versa in a phenomenon often called the revolving door. Yet to be determined, however, is what leads to these so-called revolving door lobbyists and what factors contribute to a heightened number of them working on similar issues.

This study sought to determine if there is a relationship between the degree to which the federal government regulates a certain industry ...

The Controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: America's Most Expensive Weapons System And Its Global Impact, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Creative Materials

Presentation describing my 2019 Palgrave Macmillan book Global Defense Procurement and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It describes this aircraft and places particular emphasis on the government information resources from multiple countries used in writing this book.

The Defense Industrial Base: How Idiosyncratic And Historical Influences Dictate Its Future, Henry Walter

International Social Science Review

The Defense Industrial Base is the river from which American military dominance flows. However, the Industrial Base is just as—if not more—vulnerable to floods and droughts as a typical industry. Tracing the sector’s historical and economic foundations helps illuminate existing gaps and strengths that can present strategic challenges and benefits. This paper aims to connect those trends to existing and future capabilities. Although the Industrial Base will take time to fill the demands of the new $700-plus billion defense budget, the more concerning strategic issues are that the budget, and subsequently, the Industrial Base are leaving a ...

The Difference In Design: Participatory Budgeting In Brazil And The United States, Hollie Gilman, Brian Wampler

Journal of Public Deliberation

Participatory Budgeting (PB) is conceptually powerful because it ties the normative values of non-elite participation and deliberation to specific policymaking processes. It is a democratic policymaking process that enables citizens to allocate public monies. PB has spread globally, coming to the United States in 2009. Our analysis shows that the types of institutional designs used in the United States are quite different from the original Brazilian programs. What explains the variation in PB institutional design between Brazil and the United States? Most PB cases in the US are district-level whereas in Brazil, PB cases are mainly municipal. We account for ...

Looking Back, Thinking Ahead: Reflections On Our Five Years As Editors Of The Journal Of Public Deliberation, Laura W. Black, Timothy J. Shaffer, Nancy Thomas

Journal of Public Deliberation

For the last five years, we have had the honor of serving as editors of the Journal of Public Deliberation. This issue marks the end of our editorial tenure, and we take this opportunity to both look back and think ahead. In this brief essay, we reflect on what we’ve seen during our time as editors. We begin by describing three important special issues that reflect the state of our field, then provide some details about how we have facilitated JPD’s growth over the past five years, including publication statistics and article download rates. We conclude by discussing ...

Patton, Paul Edward, B. 1937 (Sc 3400), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3400. Letter, 16 April 1987, of Paul E. Patton, Pikeville, Kentucky, to Riley Handy, Bowling Green, Kentucky. The letter asks support for Patton’s campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky and outlines his experience and qualifications for the office.

Nunn, Louie Broady, 1924-2004 (Sc 3405), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3405. Letter, 25 October 1971, to “Fellow Kentuckian” from Kentucky Governor Louie B. Nunn. Preparing to leave office, he provides a report on his administration’s accomplishments with respect to agriculture in the state. Much of the detail is set out in a report to Nunn from the Commissioner of Agriculture that is included with the letter.

The Influence Of Media Consumption On Trust, Political Efficacy And Social Media Activism Among Young Adults, Kerra Mccorkle- Akanbi

Dissertations

For many years, trust in government and political efficacy has increasingly been an area of interest for political scientist. Recently, social media activism has become just as intriguing. With social media playing such a dominant role in society, individuals are consuming news through their social media timelines, without having to seek it out themselves. This is especially true for young adults. Through the advancement of non-traditional media outlets, this generation is submerged in endless Facebook statuses, tweets, and television coverage of civil unrest and political polarization that has certainly had both social and political implications. While past studies conducted by ...

Three Coins In The Fountain: The Mueller Report And Russian Active Measures, Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article identifies non-political elements of Russian Federation political warfare as inferred from the Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election.

Don't Delete That Tweet: Federal And Presidential Records In The Age Of Social Media, Gabriel M. A. Elorreaga

St. Mary's Law Journal

Statutes governing preservation of presidential records must be adapted to accommodate presidents’ evolving use of social media accounts. The Freedom of Information Act is meant to promote government transparency, and subjects governmental agencies to information requests from members of the public. However, as it relates to social media records, the problem is one of volume; are the means of preservation currently in place able to adequately address the vast amount of records created by a President’s use of social media? This Comment argues that they are not, although they do provide a useful basis for how to adapt record ...

Daleyd_Abelt_Stephanm_2019_Us_Climate_Risk_Governance_Efficacy_Wpsa_Final.Pdf, Dorothy Daley, Troy D. Abel, Mark Stephan

Troy D. Abel

Voting Behavior In The U.S. House Of Representatives: What Factors Influence How Elected Officials Vote?, Natalie Harten, Michelle Abraham

18th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2019)

What is the relationship between demographic characteristics (age, number of terms or tenure in office, marital status, urban/rural residence, previous military service, education, etc.) and other factors, such as related economic activities of the state from which the representative comes, immigrant populations in their state, etc., of elected U.S. Congressional representatives and the voting decision a representative makes? With sampling from California, Wisconsin and Texas, we will assess why their members of the House of Representatives voted as they did on S. 1252: Global Food Security Act of 2016.

The Urban/Rural Divide, Emily Marino

18th Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2019)

The past several decades have revealed a dividing trend between the voting behavior of urban and rural areas within and among states. This project seeks to identify and explain factors that are causing urban areas to affiliate with the Democratic party and rural areas to affiliate with the Republican party. This trend of division, based on geography, has significant implications for the U.S. electoral system as it will greatly impact how, when, and where candidates campaign as well as the outcomes of elections. Such division amongst cities, towns, and even neighborhoods is creating communities isolated from the lifestyles, concerns ...

The Effect Of The American Presidency On The Behavior Of American Citizens: A Glimpse Into How Donald Trump Has Affected The Behavior Of The American Population, Carter Elliott

Student Scholar Showcase

Using data from a Gallup Poll conducted in 2018, and data from recent major events within the United States, I argue that the President of the United States has a significant impact on the overall behavior of American Citizens. In the two years since Donald Trump has taken office many things have taken place in America that have not been previously seen in the last several decades, or ever. I examine case studies such as The Unite the Right Rally, The 2017 Women’s March on Washington, media viewership and approval, voter turn-out rates, and hate crimes, which support the ...