American Politics Commons^™

The Politics Of The Spotlight: Exploring High-Profile Witnesses In Congressional Committee Hearings, Wesley J. Templet

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how the use of high-profile witnesses in congressional committee hearings relates to legislative effectiveness in the U.S. House of Representatives. While hearings are traditionally viewed as venues for information gathering and oversight, they also serve as highly visible platforms for political communication. This study evaluates whether committees that devote a greater share of their hearings to high-profile witnesses exhibit lower levels of legislative effectiveness due to a potential shift toward symbolic activity. Using the Congressional Committee Hearing Dataset (CoCoHD), the analysis covers House committee hearings from the 105th through the 115th Congress. The data are aggregated to …

Racial Differences In Voter Turnout: Evidence From The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Harrison G. Kundahl, Elena M. Warner

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

How does race impact voter turnout in the 2020 U.S. presidential election? Existing research shows that political participation depends on access to resources and civic skills, while institutional barriers such as voter identification laws can disproportionately affect racial minorities. However, less attention has been given to whether these disparities persist at the individual level when accounting for other relevant factors. We argue that racial minority groups, particularly Hispanic and non-Hispanic “other” respondents, are less likely to vote than White (non-Hispanic) respondents in the 2020 presidential election. To test this argument, we use individual-level data from the ANES 2020–2022 Social Media …

Information Exposure And Vote Choice: The Role Of Social Media In The 2020 U.S. Election, Brooke Beardsley

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

How does social media use affect vote choice during the 2020 election in the United States? Research shows that social media can shape political attitudes and behaviors by increasing exposure to political information and like-minded communities. However, much of the recent literature focuses on specific platforms or broader political participation, leaving open the question of how much social media use influences party vote choice. I argue that individuals who use social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram are more likely to support Democratic candidates than individuals who do not use these platforms. To test this argument, I used …

Through A Partisan Lens: How Political Identity Shapes Economic Evaluations, Daniel Shin

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

People often disagree about the state of the economy, even when faced with the same facts. These differences are especially highlighted during times of inflation, changing employment trends, and public debate over the economy.  Relying on data from the American National Election Studies (ANES), a representative survey of U.S. adults, I examined how general partisan alignment, along with other factors, shapes perceptions of the national economy and influences citizens’ judgements about economic conditions. The results show that partisanship strongly biases economic evaluations, demonstrating that people who align with the incumbent party express greater optimism, with the opposition partisans showing greater …

Democratic Legitimacy And Data Governance: Data Privacy Philosophy And Regulatory Preferences In The U.S. Vs Eu, Mia H. Truong

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and large-scale data collection has intensified tensions between commercial innovation and consumer privacy, raising a fundamental democratic question: do Americans understand their data protections–and does this shape their demand for regulation? The EU and U.S. represent two fundamentally opposed approaches to data privacy regulation: the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) treats personal data as a fundamental human right, rooted in post-WWII constitutional protections against state surveillance and authoritarianism, while the U.S. operates through fragmented, sector-specific state laws that treat personal data as a market commodity. This study is the first to empirically investigate …

Beyond Clicktivism: Analyzing The Most Effective Forms Of Civic Engagement, Charlotte Grace Iribarren

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Civic engagement is not only characterized by voting, it can take the form of protesting for a political cause or donating to campaigns. Today, a highly common form of political involvement is posting online or signing online petitions, also referred to as “clicktivism.” In this paper, I intend to examine the extent to which voting in general presidential elections correlates with individual engagement in protests, donations to campaigns, or engages in “clicktivism”. Using the American National Election Survey which measures voting behaviors, political participation and public opinion, I find that the most consistent voters are clicktivists and campaign donors. Conversely, …

Does Feeling Threatened By Cultural And Demographic Changes Make People More Likely To Support Authoritarian Leaders In The United States?, Jack Brett Krikorian

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Does the perception of threat from cultural and demographic transformations increase a tendency to support authoritarian and nationalist views in politics in the United States? While current research indicates that demographic anxiety, rather than economic distress, has fueled support for authoritarian political figures in recent elections, there has been insufficient focus on whether such threat perceptions directly forecast support for authoritarian governance more generally. I argue that individuals who recognize heightened cultural and demographic threats are more inclined to support robust, authoritarian leadership, as perceived threats amplify the psychological necessity for security and order over democratic limitations. I utilize the …

Gender And Grades: The Gap In How Men And Women Fear Economic Collapse, Riley O'Connor

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Due to prescribed gender roles in society and wage gaps, historically, women have had to rely on spouses and family for economic survival. Now, with access to higher education and increased salaries, their economic fears are shifting. In this paper I analyze the extent of the gender gap in the fear of economic and financial collapse of Americans. Using the Chapman Survey of American Fear, an original data set surveying the degree to which American adults fear incidents collected in spring of 2025, men and women of the same education fear economic collapse differently, signifying men fear economic collapse less …

Voter Gender And U.S Senatorial Candidate In 2024 Election, Gwenn Ricordel

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines whether gender influences voters' decisions to support candidates based on the political party of the senatorial candidate in the U.S. Senate elections. While research suggests that gendered stereotypes and perceived issues on ability create a clear gender gap in voting behaviors, this research argues that in high-information national elections, these identify factors come second to party identification and economic outlook. The main goal of this research is to determine whether the gender of the voter truly impacts whether they vote for a candidate based on political party, or whether their decision is rooted more on identity based …

Raised To Hold Firm: Authoritarian Child-Rearing Values And Opposition To Political Compromise, Morgan Romine

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This research project examines how at-home values might explain an individual's view on political compromise. Using the 2024 American National Election Studies (ANES) survey data, I study the relationship between authoritarian child-rearing preferences and support for political compromise. While existing research has linked authoritarian values to attitudes such as prejudice and support for strong leaders, less attention has been paid to how those same values shape attitudes toward political negotiation. My hypothesis is that people who prioritize obedience, respect, and good manners over independence and curiosity in children reflect broader goals toward order and stability, and that those preferences translate …

Substantive Biases? Analyzing Ideological Bias In Substantive Due Process Claims On The Roberts Court, Nicholas J. Ginsberg

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines whether judicial ideology has a stronger influence on Supreme Court decision making in substantive due process claims when compared to other areas of law through the Roberts Court. Previous scholarship has noted that ideology is a factor in judicial decision making, however, there is little scholarship on if specific areas of law makes ideology play a larger factor in decision making. Utilizing justice-level voting records from the Roberts Court and Segal-Cover scores to measure judicial ideology, a logistic regression model is utilized to analyze the relationship between ideology and voting behavior in substantive due process cases and …

The Intersection Of Religion & Politics In The United States: Analyses At The Federal And State Level, Cristina Melissa Pimenta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the intersection of religion and politics in the United States, particularly concerning Christian Nationalism. Existing scholarship has linked the religio-political ideology to several culturally relevant issues, including xenophobia and nativism, racism, homophobia and transphobia, and anti-vaccine rhetoric. My dissertation continues this research by exploring the impact of Christian Nationalism on reproductive rights and, in turn, on gender equality. I assert that as the saliency of Christian Nationalism in the United States has increased, gender equality has decreased. I also argue that the higher the saliency of Christian Nationalism in an individual state, the lower the gender equality …

Money And Power: How Big Money Shapes Democracy In The United States, Paige Long

Thinking Matters Symposium

This project explores the question: what could and should be done to strengthen democracy in the United States? More specifically, it examines the role that large amounts of money in politics play in shaping political power and representation. The central argument of this project is that reducing the influence of big money in political campaigns and policymaking is necessary for creating a more fair and representative democratic system. When wealthy donors, corporations, and special interest groups are able to spend large amounts of money to influence elections and policy decisions, it can limit the political voice of ordinary citizens.

This …

Age And Congressional Leader Success: Are They Getting Too Old, Edward N. Drinkwine, Scot Schraufnagel

Honors Capstones

Congressional leaders play a central role in shaping legislative agendas, maintaining party cohesion, and negotiating policy outcomes. Despite the important roles they play, our nation's congressional leaders continue to grow older, and research has rarely examined how age influences their effectiveness in these roles. This study asks whether older congressional leaders are less effective at advancing legislation than their younger counterparts. Using data on leaders serving in the U.S. House and Senate from the 93rd through the 118th Congress, the analysis compares leaders’ ages with their Legislative Effectiveness Score Ratios, controlling for legal experience, state legislative experience, elite education, ideology, …

The Limits Of Democratic Representation: Institutional Constraints And The Failure To Reflect Public Will In The Case Of Congressional Term Limits, Kian Mcwilliams

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines why congressional term limit reform has not succeeded despite widespread public support. Although there has been sustained bipartisan approval across decades, term limits have not gained any meaningful institutional traction, raising a central question: Why do reforms with strong public backing fail to advance within Congress itself? Drawing on historical analysis, public opinion data, and original survey research conducted with Members of Congress, this study argues that the failure of congressional term limit reform is not the result of a lack of public engagement, but rather a consequence of institutional constraints that prevent public preferences from translating …

Digital Media, Political Priming, And The Strategy Of Donald J. Trump’S 2024 Presidential Campaign, Emma Dayton

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis applies the priming theory of communications and examines its effectiveness in the political realm, specifically, within the digital strategies implemented throughout the 2024 presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump. It was asked to what extent Donald Trump’s digital political priming on social media influenced the most important issues to voters in the 2024 election. The use and impact of rhetoric, images, and partnerships were analyzed in this study to determine the extent to which Trump was able to influence the issues voters deemed as most important. By comparing Trump’s social media use with polling showing the economy and …

A Plague On Both Your Houses: Archetypes Of Political Choice, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

In times of political polarization, we are well-advised to heed Spinoza’s injunction, “Not to lament, not to curse, but to understand.” Understanding can be facilitated by ideas about the archetypal structures of political choice. This paper offers a systems theoretic analysis of a set of such archetypes focusing solely on their structures and not advocating any specific political positions. The primary question that must be answered is whether available or desirable political choices are dyadic or triadic, and if dyadic, whether the two alternatives of the dyad should be viewed as good versus bad or as complementary.  Various modes of …

Does The Party Label Matter? Partisanship, Election Timing, And Ballot Drop-Off In Municipal Elections, Joelle Francis Whitaker

Masters Theses

This project examines if party labels drive participation in municipal elections. Progressive Era reforms removed partisan labels in attempts to weaken party machines and simplify local governance. Many cities continue to implement these reforms today. However, existing research suggests that party labels provide important informational and mobilizing cues that should increase turnout, especially in low-information elections. Using a comparison of four Michigan municipalities, this paper evaluates how partisan and nonpartisan systems shape local election turnout. The results show that the relationship is more complicated than expected. While party labels will still matter for how voters make decisions, election timing emerges …

Against Their Own Interests? Latinos And The Rightward Shift, Marianna S. Visbal

Honors College Theses

This study examines whether Latino voters in the United States are acting against their self-interests when supporting right-wing Republican candidates, particularly in recent elections characterized by increased Latino support for figures like Donald Trump despite harmful rhetoric. While existing literature and public discourse often assume that Latino voters share a clear set of interests aligned with progressive politics, this research questions that assumption. Motivated by underrepresentation in political research and personal observations within Latino communities, I explore how political self-interest is defined and understood. Using qualitative expert interviews with Latino elected officials, journalists, and political professionals based in New York …

An Alternative To Armageddon: O.P. Weyland And The Development Of Tactical Air Power, Paul Wells

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Theorists and advocates of air power argued that aircraft, not ground forces, would become the dominant platform for victory in war. They promoted the concept of strategic bombing, using aircraft to bypass ground forces and directly attack a nation's industrial capacity to wage war, hoping to ensure quick victory and avoid a repeat of the prolonged slaughter in the trenches of WWI. In 1947, led by advocates of strategic bombing, the United States Air Force (USAF) became an independent and equal branch of the U.S. military. The USAF developed the Strategic Air Command (SAC) to meet the requirements of the …