Digital Commons Network^™

The Universal Periodic Review: Determining An International Organization’S Impact On Women’S Rights In A State, Miranda R. Peterson Ms.

Honors College Theses

How does official criticism from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) affect the level of government respect for women’s rights in a state? International governmental organizations (IGOs), such as the Universal Periodic Review, play an important role in the overall global community. Although there is some evidence that IGOs can improve respect for human rights in a state, scholars do not yet know the impact on women’s rights specifically, especially when it comes to naming and shaming. I investigate this relationship, theorizing that the UPR will positively impact women’s rights, but this effect will be contingent on the level of terrorist …

The Meaning And Measure Of Deliberative Systems, Darren Michael Mccormick

Dissertations and Theses

Deliberative democratic theory emphasizes deliberation as central to the health of democracy. It has grown to be one of the most active and popular stands of political theory. In response to criticisms that deliberative democracy was unworkable at the large scale, the field made a systemic turn and now conceives of political communities as potential deliberative systems. While advancements have been made in measuring the quality of deliberation that occurs in deliberative forums, the practice of measuring the quality of deliberative systems is in its infancy. Authors have proposed various theoretical paths to assessing deliberative systems but no standardized method …

Putin And Putnam: Interpreting Russian Military Activity Through A Three Player, Two-Level Game, Nathan M. Colvin

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Is Vladimir Putin a bad strategist, perhaps irrational? Previous military activity by Russia, such as the annexation of Crimea of 2014, yielded limited international gains, at a significant economic and reputational cost. Yet as the 2022 invasion of Ukraine shows, Putin is willing to commit military power, despite the cost of sanctions and other possible retaliation. This three-player simultaneous game, originally created in June, 2021, demonstrates how domestic and international considerations of President Vladimir Putin might lead to otherwise unpredictable Russian military behavior. In this extended version of Robert Putnam’s “two-level game,” President Putin rationally uses the international venue as …

Racialized Mass Incarceration In The United States: Exposing The Facade Of “Liberty And Justice For All”, Emily Wingfield

The Compass

No abstract provided.

Assessing Thematic Correlations Between Extremist Political Organizations Of The Past And Present, Andrew C. Eunice

Honors College Theses

The Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, saw more than five hundred protestors teamed with dozens of militia groups, all representing anti-government and white nationalist groups. Also present were over one thousand counter protestors, many representing far-left and antifascist groups, leading to a violent confrontation between the two sides. As we have developed our core themes of what defines the United States of America, we have also fostered a strong division along the way, enough to the point where some individuals feel the necessity to act with violence to “save our nation” so to speak. This conviction exists within …

The Influence Of Misinformation From The American Perspective, Tyler W. Nelson

Honors College Theses

Over the last decade, conspiracy theorists and larger groups have become much more prominent across the United States, despite conspiracies being present for decades. Previously, they have been dismissed by most, however over the last decade due to an explosive political climate and growing numbers, these groups have begun to act on their beliefs. Events such as the January 6th Insurrection on the United States Capitol building is an unfortunate example as to how far these groups are willing to go. This study’s purpose is to use a nationwide survey to help determine who exactly are these types of individuals …

When Growth Is Not Enough: Inequality, Economic Gains, And Executive Approval, Ryan E. Carlin, Timothy Hellwig, Gregory J. Love, Cecilia Martínez-Gallardo, Matthew M. Singer

Faculty and Student Publications

A robust economy is assumed to bolster leaders' standing. This ignores how benefits of growth are distributed. Extending the partisan models of economic voting, we theorize executives are more likely rewarded when gains from growth go to their constituents. Analyses of presidential approval in 18 Latin American countries support our pro-constituency model of accountability. When economic inequality is high, growth concentrates among the rich, and approval of right-of-center presidents is higher. Leftist presidents benefit from growth when gains are more equally distributed. Further analyses show growth and inequality inform perceptions of personal finances differently based on wealth, providing a micro-mechanism …

Is Discourse About Flexible Working, A Mechanism Of Gender In/Equality, Changing Over Time? The Case Of Working From Home (Wfh)., Alyson Gounden Rock

Dismantling Bias Conference Series

No abstract provided.

Negotiating Allies And Alliances In Social Movements, Cynthia Wang, Sara Soderstom, Jennifer Whitson

Dismantling Bias Conference Series

No abstract provided.

A Difference In Perspective: Linking Empathy To Allyship Behaviors Via Authentic Emotional Connections, Beth Livingston, Tina Opie

Dismantling Bias Conference Series

No abstract provided.

Allyship And Incivility, Rohan Crawley

Dismantling Bias Conference Series

No abstract provided.

Financial Hardships As Gendered Experiences And Financial Insecurity Trajectories, Heather Odle-Dusseau, Russell Matthews, Julie Wayne, Yi-Ren Wang

Dismantling Bias Conference Series

No abstract provided.

Lean Dei: Applying A Proven Transformative Approach To “Sticky” Dei Problems, Valeria Sinclair-Chapman, Christopher Chapman

Dismantling Bias Conference Series

No abstract provided.

Compassion, Respect And Governance: How Legislative Gender Quotas Influence Physical Integrity Rights, Daniel Partin

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

This paper addresses the substantive political outcomes of legislative gender quotas and considers the influence of gender quota rules upon the governmental respect for physical integrity rights that are observed within states.

How News Media Influences Foreign Policy Through Public Opinion, Elizabeth Ayowole

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Russian Disinformation: A Threat To Unity In America, Nicole Wellington

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Great Men Are Almost Always Bad Men: The Cultural Revolution Of The Techno-Totalitarians, Gregory S. Mckenzie

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Reformation Within The Nation: Adapting The Nordic Rehabilitation And Reintegration Model To Positively Recondition The United States Criminal Justice System, Jessica Cornell

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

An analytical and statistical based comparison of criminal sentencing, incarceration, rehabilitation and reintegration in the United States of America to those of the five countries which follows those of the Nordic Criminal Justice System.

Breaking The 'Cis' Binary: Examining The Role Model Effect Among Cisgender Women And Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Individuals, Elizabeth A. Diamanduros

Honors College Theses

While recent strides have been made regarding more transgender and gender non-conforming individuals (TGNC) running for and being elected to political office in the United States, only 64 individuals who identify as part of the community are currently serving elected office (LGBTQ Victory Institute 2021). Though cisgender women have also faced political underrepresentation, higher rates of cisgender women have campaigned for and won elected office at all levels of government in recent years. Previous research illustrates the differences between the political and societal situations of these groups, including drawing attention to the elements of visibility and viability the Role Model …

Critical Thinking In The Age Of Misinformation: Information Literacy For Citizenship, Tamra Ortgies-Young, Jennfer Lobo Meeks, Barbara Robertson

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

As recent political events across the globe have shed a light on the fragility of democratic values, the role of the University in creating a framework for civic education becomes more urgent. Informed, caring and engaged citizenry must be a goal of higher education. Students currently face the emergence of faulty types of information - such as misinformation and disinformation, which undermines the notion of collective or public inquiry, not only within universities, but also within society as a whole. This challenge must be acknowledged and addressed by academic institutions.

Session presenters will provide an overview of their work, “Critical …

Dark Faces In White Spaces: The Effects Of Skin Tone, Race, Ethnicity, And Intergroup Preferences On Interpersonal Judgments And Voting Behavior, Patrizia Chirco, Tonya M. Buchanan

Student Published Works

Across three experimental studies, we explored how a political candidate's intersections of skin tone, race, and ethnicity affect voting preferences and interpersonal judgments (e.g., warmth, trustworthiness, expertise). Study 1 assessed whether White participants would favor a light-skinned (vs. dark-skinned) African American candidate. Study 2 investigated participant (White vs. non-White) voting preferences based on the interaction between candidate race/ethnicity and relative skin tone (lighter vs. darker). In Study 3, we examined the influence of candidate race/ethnicity on voters’ preferences as well as the accuracy and impact of memory for candidate skin tone. Supporting our hypotheses, White participants generally held more negative …

Taking The Bull By The Horns: Gender Analysis In A Cattle Project In Indonesia, Febrina Prameswari

Sustainability and Social Justice

Women play a crucial role in agriculture, especially in cattle farming. However, gender inequality in livestock production remains a critical issue, as women usually have less engagement with livestock production, less control over finances, and less access to markets. The IndoBeef program in Indonesia was one of the first livestock projects to incorporate gender-specific activities in its implementation. The project used women-only focus groups, utilizing the Women’s Empowerment in Livestock Index (WELI) combined with farm production data to address women’s needs in the cattle industry. I conducted a gender analysis of one of IndoBeef’s subsidiary projects, CropCow. The project did …

People Remember Liked Political Policies As Having Been Attributed To Their Own Party, Dalton Thomas Bailey

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A robust finding in psychology shows that people tend to like information more when it supports their existing beliefs, or comes from their own ingroup, a finding known as motivated reasoning. These findings are especially prominent in a political context. Quite consistently, research suggests people increase their liking of political information like political policies when they are attributed to their own party. What is unknown, however, is if people also tend to attribute personally liked information to their own party. These studies were conducted to investigate this question.

Two, within-subjects studies were conducted. In both, participants (undergraduate students) saw various …

“Who Runs The World? Girls!” A Case Study On The Role That Stacey Abrams Has Played In Changing The African American Political Voice And American Political Realm As A Whole, Kyler Wiltz

2022 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

Stacey Abrams is one of the most prominent up-and-coming politicians in America. From her controversial gubernatorial race in 2018 to her post-election voting rights efforts, she is consistently at the forefront of many political discussions and debates. Nonetheless, with all this notoriety, there has not been much research on her life and impact relative to her peers or predecessors. What makes Stacey Abrams as popular and accepted as she is to the public? How is she the same as other American politicians, both male, and female? Who is Stacey Abrams? This study focuses on answering these questions through a case …

The Future Of Family-Operated Resort-Destinations, Colton L. Casselman

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The tourism industry, one of the largest in the world, is arguably one of the most volatile industries we look at. Through the varying sub-sectors of tourism, we narrow in on the family resort industry, predominately in the upper Midwest. You may hear me refer to them as Family-Operated-Resort-Destinations, but they serve unique clientele in a unique way. This industry faces immense pressure from mild tax code changes, politicians, DNR regulations, fishing quality, climate change, gas prices, foreign affairs and more. During this paper, I will examine the future of Family-Operated-Resort-Destinations.

Monuments Of Folly: The Persistence Of He Lost Cause At The University Of South Carolina, Sean Dedmon

Senior Theses

The recent controversies surrounding the Confederate flag and Confederate monuments has sparked increased interest understanding why many people, particularly in the South, celebrate the Confederate States of America. This thesis seeks to better understand the motivations and emotions behind the persistence of the Lost Cause among students at the University of South Carolina. This study utilizes both deep textual readings and sentiment analysis to analyze student-published newspaper articles printed in The Gamecock from 1960-2006 and survey responses from current University of South Carolina students to capture the scope and history of belief in the Lost Cause at the University of …

The Effect Of Gendered Scandals On The Passage Of Women’S Issues Legislation: Louisiana State University Title Ix Failures And The Elimination Of The Pink Tax, Rebecca Norton

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Dilemma Of Banned Books: Questioning The Ethics Of Censoring Literature In Schools, Kyle King

Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics Essay Contest

Literature, specifically in the form of novels, has been a vital organ of the public education system within the United States. Not only does reading such works transform us into better close readers and strengthen our vocabulary, but the texts at hand can be very essential to analyze specific contexts or issues that might have existed either throughout history or even in the present day. In today’s country, the issue of banning certain books from school curricula has become as prevalent as ever, where mostly Southern Republican officials are calling for lists of books to be restricted from teaching due …

Delegitimizing Animal Rights And Environmental Activism: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of “Eco-Terrorism” In Congress And The Federal Courts, Joshua Varnell

Dissertations

Research on eco-terrorism has focused attention on many areas, from the analysis of the language used in specific pieces of legislation targeting animal rights and environmental activists, like the Animal Enterprise Protection Act, and the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, to the appropriateness of labeling individuals and groups eco-terrorist and/or terrorist given their non-violent stance and direct action campaigns which target property not people, and to law enforcement responses to those labeled eco-terrorist (Del Gandio and Nocella II 2014; Lovitz 2007; Carson, LaFree, and Dugan 2012; Loadenthal 2013b, 2014). The eco-terrorist discourse produces images of animal rights and environmental activists as …

Compulsory Voting And Corruption In Latin America, Jonathan Dumdei

Senior Honors Theses

Among modern democracies, compulsory voting (CV) is institutionalized most prevalently in Latin America. Latin American politics have a long, turbulent history, and governments in the region have some of the highest rates of political corruption in the world among democracies, especially electoral fraud. This study investigates the connection between these two phenomena. Secondary empirical quantitative and qualitative research of political and cultural behavior are analyzed according to a rational choice theory decision paradigm. Demographic, experimental, and theoretical data regarding the effects of CV laws are considered in light of possible incentives and disincentives for engaging in vote-buying. This study inductively …