Digital Commons Network^™

Global Development Theories At Your Doorstep, Jorge A. Alves

Open Educational Resources

This resource is an assignment for a course on the politics of international development (PSCI 230). This assignment will likely be a summative assignment either at the end of the first unit (where I discuss the different theories / approaches to development over time) or perhaps a substitute for the midterm exam. The goals of the assignment are A) for students to localize and critically ground existing global theories of development in their own lived experience / communities, and B) critically reflect on core assumptions and implications about the different conceptualizations of development (especially to see how these approaches might …

Hide And Seek: Offshore Financial Centers And Targeted Sanctions, Menevis Cilizogula, Chelsea Estancona

Faculty Publications

The movement of capital across borders has never been easier, as evidenced by the recent proliferation of offshore financial services. But these services are a double-edged sword: while boosting economic efficiency, they can also facilitate illicit financial activity. In this paper, we discuss the symbiotic relationship between financial liberalization and the pursuit of financial anonymity by secrecy-seeking actors. We examine a hide-and-seek dynamic between governments increasing monitoring of international finance and actors seeking anonymity via offshore financial centers. Under what conditions can international financial monitoring have the unintended consequence of increasing the use of poorly regulated and opaque offshore financial …

Trump’S Lasting Impact On The U.S. Presidency, Imer Kj Cespedes-Alvarado

Political Science Student Research

The first presidency of Donald J. Trump had a lasting impact on the American Presidency, expanding executive power through robust assertions of constitutional power, unconventional communications, and an unprecedented disregard for political norms. The two terms further blurred the line between governance and personal branding, cultivating this new model of leadership that depends on constant public exposure and polarization among the American people. This research examines how Trump's executive power and political tactics during both of his presidencies redefined expectations of presidential behavior and accountability by consolidating executive authority, reorganizing federal institutions, and placing even greater emphasis on loyalty and …

Parties, Race, And Political Violence: Evaluating Whether Attitudes Toward The January 6 Insurrection Vary Across Racial Groups, Sarah Perez, Natasha Altema Mcneely

School of Political Science, Public Affairs, Legal and Security Studies Faculty Publications

The insurrection and its aftermath remain salient to contemporary American Politics. Existing scholarship has shown the insurrection was fueled by an effort to return Donald Trump to power while also protesting the decline of the non-Hispanic white population. Scholars also discuss the impact of continuous division across partisan and ideological lines. We are interested in exploring if these divisions are visible across attitudes of non-Hispanic white, Black, Hispanic, and Asian American/Pacific Islander respondents in a nationally representative survey. We explore the following research question. Does the impact of partisanship, ideology, and attitudes toward Trump’s responsibility affect the attitudes of respondents …

On The Indispensability Of Natural Law On The Moral Theory Of The State, David W. Bolton

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Natural Law is widely regarded as a set of universal moral standards in which the acknowledgement of the differences between right and wrong are inherent in people, not created by society or lawmakers. It is based on the consistent nature of man as opposed to varying cultural standards and is unchanged by time or circumstance. Many thinkers throughout history have offered their educated opinions on the matter of Natural Law and the moral theory of the State. The Social Contract theory of the Modern Secular thinkers of the 17^th century was considered a break with classical and traditional Christian …

Securitizing Kinmen: China’S Gray Zone Strategy And The Evolution Of The Kinmen Model, Ian Murphy

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This paper examines the evolving dynamics of cross-strait relations through the lens of securitization theory, focusing on China’s strategic deployment of what it calls the Kinmen Model and its implications for regional security. While existing discourse predominantly concentrates on a potential full-scale invasion of Taiwan, this study shifts attention to the strategic significance of the outlying islands and the nuanced employment of securitization to exert indirect control. Utilizing Vuori’s (2008) framework for analyzing securitization in non-democratic contexts, this research conducts a discourse analysis of nineteen Chinese language media sources to dissect the speech acts employed by Chinese media and their …

Language Alignment And Career Outcomes In International Military Education: A Study Of United States Military Academy Graduates, Erin Lemons

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

Host country/sending country language alignment is an understudied topic within the field of international military education. While individual-level language barriers are recognized, this study asks how national-level language proficiency levels can influence international military graduates’ retention. International cadets from countries with lower proficiency in the host nation’s language may be selected primarily for their language skills rather than their military potential. Moreover, the acquisition of the host nation’s language and culture during international cadets’ studies may increase the attractiveness of private-sector opportunities upon their return home. At the same time, countries with lower proficiency levels in the host language may …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Presidentialism In Post-Conflict Kachin Constitution: Political Imagination, Institutional Realities, And Executive Design, Dashi Blessing Seng Htoi Lu

Maurer Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between cultural identity, political imagination, and constitutional design in the Kachin context, focusing on the strong preference for presidentialism among political thinkers and interim constitution drafters. Rooted in traditions of armed resistance, charismatic leadership, and the desire for visible sovereignty, presidentialism is widely viewed as the most viable executive model for a post-conflict Kachin future. Yet this preference is often shaped more by symbolic ideals than by a clear understanding of the structural demands of democratic governance.

At the heart of this vision lies the expectation of a strong president: directly elected, culturally rooted, and …

Breakdowns And Break-Ups? Brexit’S Implications For Irish Reunification, Daisy S. Fernandez

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

This paper seeks to understand Brexit’s implications for current and future Irish reunification efforts by examining political science literature, survey data, and election outcomes. It assesses how constituent and political actors respond to resurfacing debates about border policy. Contentious withdrawal agreement legislation, as well as losing the economic benefits of EU membership, have caused anxiety amongst Northern Irish residents. The impact of this is demonstrated in survey results indicating increasing support for reunification, expressed frustrations by both nationalists and unionists with political representation, and political party Sinn Féin gaining significant ground in recent elections. The aforementioned factors indicate increasing openness …

Child Benefit Cash Transfers In Ireland And Canada: A Comparative Analysis Of Welfare Policy, Ang D. Lee

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

Child benefit programs involving periodic cash transfers to parents have become increasingly embraced by governments worldwide. This paper investigates policy variance between child benefit cash transfers in Ireland and Canada, two countries with ostensibly similar welfare states. While Canadian child benefits shrink as household income grows, in Ireland cash transfers are set at a universal flat rate that is irrespective of family circumstance. On the other hand, Canadian parents receive far more generous payouts than their Irish counterparts despite means-testing. To determine the drivers of such policy divergence, I empirically test six theoretical paradigms from literature by leveraging several cross-national …

Urban Welfare Divergence: An Analysis Of The Factors Shaping Social Housing Policy In Berlin And Vienna, Grace Zheng

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

According to Eurostat, property prices across the 27 members of the EU surged by 47% between 2010 and 2022, while rents increased by 18% during the same period. To mitigate the housing crisis, many governments have turned to social housing—affordable housing that is either government-owned or regulated—as a solution. This paper seeks to answer the following question: Why has Vienna adopted significantly more generous income thresholds for social housing eligibility compared to Berlin? In 2024, the highest income threshold for a four-person household to receive a residential entitlement certificate in Berlin (€57,640) was nearly identical to the threshold for a …

An Introduction To Ecofeminist Thought For International Relations Students, Vivian Ike

International Relations - All Scholarship

This article introduces students of International Relations (IR) to ecofeminism, its diverse approaches, and critiques. Ecofeminism emerged in the 1970’s following the history of the intersection between the transnational women’s movement and the global environmental movement (Kelleher 2019).

The "Runt Piglet" Amendment, Samuel Fox

Political Analysis

Samuel Fox is a political science major who will be graduating in the spring of 2027. Outside of the classroom, he is a member of the Dean’s Undergraduate Student Cabinet and Alpha Phi Omega. This paper was written with the goal of exploring an underdeveloped field of constitutional law and was inspired by Dr. Pallitto’s Constitutional Law class. After college, he hopes to work in government or the business sector.

Indiana At A Glance: County Trends, 2025 Edition, Roberto Gallardo

Purdue University Press Books

Indiana at a Glance: County Trends, 2025 Edition provides an overview of macro socioeconomic and demographic trends based on county-level data in ten-year periods in Indiana, the upper Midwest region, and the nation. Analyzing data primarily from 2013 through 2023, this book presents information that contextualizes the design and implementation of specific policies enacted by elected officials and community leaders, and reveals the impact these initiatives have on the public.

Inspired, in part, by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural America at a Glance reports, as well as the author’s more than twenty years of work in the field, …

Government Communication Strategies And Citizen Participation: A Thematic Review, Ojonugwa Emmanuel, Andrew I. E. Ewoh

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

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Parents’ Dispositions On Social Emotional Learning And Their Policy Imperatives: The Relevance Of Context/Locality, Nicholas O. Alozie, Megan Armstrong, Kathy Thomas

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

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Developing Civic Competence With Educative Curriculum Materials Featuring A Historical Photograph Of Antarctica, Cory Callahan

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Here the author advocates for an innovative teaching approach synthesizing three research-based, instructional strategies: promoting civic competence within international and global contexts, planning with educative curriculum materials, and exploring historical photographs for higher-order thinking. He traces the crafting of an exemplary lesson through this approach and discusses its underpinning rationale. The lesson helps students and teachers think deeply about land claims and resource disputes in Antarctica while addressing a persistent value conflict throughout history: balancing national sovereignty and international law. A teacher-friendly narrative constitutes the lesson plan; however, it is not teacher-proof, as teachers are encouraged to make instructional decisions …

What Can Bird Poop Teach Us About The History Of U.S. Imperialism?: Guano Islands And Manifest Destiny Beyond Continental Borders, Eliot Fackler

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

In high school and college history courses, Manifest Destiny is often taught as a period when the United States expanded across the North American continent in the decades before the Civil War. This article outlines an inquiry-driven lesson examining the Antebellum guano rush and its devastating consequences to show that Manifest Destiny was also characterized by extracontinental imperial ambitions. It highlights the lasting impacts of the 1856 Guano Islands Act and links the guano rush to subsequent empire-building efforts, U.S. militarism, and ecological destruction. The article provides relevant background history, descriptions of possible class activities and assessments, and options for …

A Deep Dive Into The Nazis’ Animal World: Facilitating The Holocaust Through Symbolization, Filippa V. Frogner

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

This paper examines the use of animal symbolism in Nazi propaganda as a tool to dehumanize Jewish individuals and facilitate the Holocaust. Through an analysis of propaganda posters, films, and literature, it highlights how Jews were consistently depicted as animals such as rats, cockroaches, and monkeys—symbols associated with filth, disease, and inferiority. These portrayals, often reinforced by explicit textual messages, stripped Jews of their humanity and encouraged widespread acceptance of their persecution and extermination.

By exploring the methods, extent, and consequences of this dehumanizing propaganda, the paper sheds light on the critical role of animal symbolism in shaping public perception …

Integrating Digital And On-Site Fieldwork: Practical Solutions For Scholars With Limited On-Site Access, Mai T. Truong

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

When faced with unfolding protests, autocrats frequently respond with anti-protest propaganda loaded with negative narratives about protesters. Although a substantial body of literature has suggested that anti-protest propaganda can effectively alter the way the public views protests, few researchers have examined the mechanism through which propaganda negatively affects public support for protests. In this article, the authors explain the role that anti-protest propaganda plays in weakening public support for protests. Using an innovative experiment involving mediation analysis, the authors administered a survey to 950 Vietnamese respondents. The experimental results showed that anti-protest propaganda may deter support for protests more by …

Zero Textbook Cost Syllabus For Pol1101 (American Government: Practices And Values), Michael A. Villanova

Open Educational Resources

In this course, we will analyze the ideas, history, and values of American politics and government. This course is divided into three parts. First, we will examine the foundations of American politics by looking at America’s founding documents, early American political thought, and the history of civil liberties and civil rights. Second, we will read about political behavior and discuss what motivates political participation in America. Third, we will look at American political institutions in the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judiciary. This class will provide students with an introductory understanding of key concepts, theories, debates, and ideas …

From Seapower To Shining Seapower, Michael Lee

Publications and Research

The liberal world order is dead: the United States has abandoned both the domestic and international institutional commitments that enabled it to function. How can liberal democracy survive in an increasingly hostile world? How can liberal democracies grow powerful enough to defend themselves without becoming the empires they fear? I argue that seapowers have historically represented a distinct kind of hegemon, that is more amenable to international cooperation, and democracy at home. Moreover, the transition from declining seapowers to rising ones has played a vital role in preserving a space for more liberal states (relative to their historical context), such …

Turkish Eyes For America: How Turkey Embraced The United States In The Interwar Period, Jack Goodwin

The Ozark Historical Review

This research discusses the unique relationship developed between the United States and Turkey between world wars and invites us to reconsider the popular understanding of the United States’ place in Turkey and questions the ways American officials believed were the most effective at spreading their national ideals and culture.

Research Summaries - Research For Practice: Joni September 2025 Issue, Erica Jensen, Emma Indart, Emilyn Watkins, Faith Manchester

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Program Evaluation: Best Practices And Examples For Nonprofits, Erica Bassett, Faith M. Manchester

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Tendiendo Puentes La Teoría Y La Práctica: La Visión Y El Plan De Acción Del Grupo De Afinidad De Investigación Para La Práctica De La Istr, Angie Holzer, Christopher Dayson, Dana Doan, Patricia Quinn, Michele Fugiel Gartner, Tayyeb Hadi, Carissa Van Den Berk-Clark, Ana Maria Sanchez, Farouq Aliyu Muhammad, Romina Farias, Christopher Einolf

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Sociedad Internacional para la Investigación del Tercer Sector Grupo de Afinidad de Investigación para la Práctica (ISTR/R4P)

Transparencia, Confianza Y Asociaciones: Fortaleciendo La Colaboración A Través De Datos Y Rendición De Cuentas, Sujeeth Reddy Sithagari, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Este artículo explora cómo la transparencia influye en la confianza y fortalece las asociaciones dentro de organizaciones sin fines de lucro y de desarrollo internacional. A partir de una revisión bibliográfica estructurada de artículos revisados por pares, tesis e iniciativas globales, como la Iniciativa Internacional para la Transparencia de la Ayuda (International Aid Transparency Initiative, IATI), este artículo destaca el papel fundamental de la comunicación transparente en la creación de confianza de las partes interesadas. Los resultados indican que, si bien muchas ONG recopilan datos sobre su desempeño y sus finanzas, pocas los utilizan de manera sistemática para elaborar informes …

Transparency, Trust, And Partnerships: Strengthening Nonprofit Collaboration Through Data And Accountability (Hindi Version), Sujeeth Reddy Sithagari, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

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Special Edition: Full Issue - Research For Practice, September 2025, Angie Holzer, Erica Bassett

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.