Digital Commons Network^™

Do Voters Shake Off Policy Stances? A Look Into The Impact Of Celebrities On Policy Recall, Alyssa A. Noe

Department of Political Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Celebrities try to influence politics by leveraging their ability to command attention. But does a celebrity’s endorsement of a policy impact citizens’ ability to recall the policy? This paper examines if people’s information processing, specifically policy recall, is impacted by a celebrity’s endorsements. Data was collected at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during the fall 2024 semester using a student sample. Participants were randomly assigned into three experimental groups. I hypothesize that the more recognizable a celebrity is the more likely people are to be able to recall the policy they posted. By using Taylor Swift as the well-known celebrity and …

Populism And Religious Rhetoric In Spain's Right-Wing Vox Party, Ainsley Taylor

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This thesis examines the intersection of populism and religious rhetoric in Spain’s right-wing political party, Vox. By analyzing Facebook posts from Vox’s national and regional accounts in the months leading up to the 2019 and 2023 national elections, as well as key regional elections in Andalusia and Cantabria, this study explores how the party strategically employs religious themes to shape its populist discourse. The findings indicate that Vox primarily uses religious rhetoric to construct an exclusive national identity, framing perceived external threats such as immigration, secularism, and leftist politics. While the party's use of religious rhetoric declined slightly between 2019 …

The Affordable Care Act: Analyzing Rates Of Healthcare Claim Denial, Lauren Sitter

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The United States healthcare industry is an integral aspect of every American’s life. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 reformed the healthcare system by expanding coverage to millions of Americans and eliminating claim denials due to pre-existing conditions. It requires participating states to submit transparency data. Despite these reforms, coverage denials continue and vary by plan category, metal level, and among different states. I analyze data from The Kaiser Family Foundation (2023) and The CommonWealth Fund to test the correlation between claim denial and a variety of variables, including state political culture, plan type, metal level, and out-of-pocket costs. …

Crossroads: Outcomes Of Egalitarian And Traditional Gender Ideology On Abortion Attitudes, Paige S. Weising

Honors College Theses

What is the relationship between gender ideology and abortion attitudes? For decades now, abortion has remained one of the most controversial topics in the modern world. A greater understanding of the motivations behind abortion attitudes could be useful to predict changes in abortion policy within a variety of cultures. This study analyzes data from the 2021 General Social Survey (GSS). Multivariate regression was used to investigate the effect of gender ideology on abortion attitudes. The independent variable was tested with two models. In Model A, four conditions for gender ideology were analyzed separately, and in Model B, the four conditions …

Despair Against Boredom: Hyperstitional Narrativization In The International Relations Of Populist States, Rayna Summerfield

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Academic scholarship on populism in the digital age, thus far, has focused heavily on radicalization, social reorganization, and other ways the internet and social media facilitate the rise of populist movements, rather than the impacts of the internet on the actual desires of the citizenry. In this theoretical piece, I argue that modern populists engage in a contract with their supporters to create an “entertaining” political environment closely mimicking online dynamics. Next, I use the lens of hyperstition, a concept devised by the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit, to explain the means by which the patterns of human interaction found more …

Comparative Trends In Campaign Fundraising For United States Democratic Senatorial Candidates After Citizens United, Averi E. Foster

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Political polarization has grown more prevalent in the United States political atmosphere in recent years (Pew Research Center 2017). While political polarization is a prevalent topic of discussion, there is a limited understanding of exactly how polarization affects various aspects of political elections, such as the financing of campaigns. This research aims to explore the relationships between the ideological scores of U.S. Senate candidates and the varying types of campaign funding that they received, such as individual contributions, independent expenditures, PAC contributions, and party contributions. A data analysis was conducted utilizing Stanford University’s Database on Ideology, Money in Politics, and …

Analyzing The Role Of Donald Trump As A Catalyst For The Surging European Far Right, Michael D. Main

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Only about a quarter of the world population is currently living under a democracy, down from 54 percent in 2006 (Owens, 2023). In the United States, President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive actions and increasingly unchecked power have many worried about a possible deterioration in the sturdiness of American democracy in the coming years (Barrow, 2025). Meanwhile in Europe, far-right movements such as Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France have scored historic wins at the ballot box (Green, 2024).

The parallel rise of authoritarianism in so many different nations suggest a potential connection between these …

Dekonstruktion Der Afd: Eine Analyse Der Rechtspopulistischen Deutschen Partei Der„Alternative Für Deutschland”, Elizabeth A. Breckenridge, Elizabeth Breckenridge

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Die Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) ist eine rechtsextreme populistische Partei, die innerhalb eines Jahrzehnts rasch an Macht gewonnen hat, insbesondere in den ostdeutschen Bundesländern, aufgrund ihrer Betonung der Nationalisierung, ihrer populistischen Rhetorik und ihrer Anziehungskraft auf Wähler, die Ängste vor Einwanderung und kulturellem Wandel hegen. Die AfD hat es innerhalb von fünf Jahren geschafft, eine starke Wählerschaft zu mobilisieren, 2017 Sitze im Bundestag zu erringen und gilt nun als wichtigste Oppositionspartei zu den etablierten Parteien. Die AfD ist die erste rechte Partei seit 1945, die aufgrund des Aufstiegs rechtspolitischer Ideologien bedeutende Wahlerfolge erzielen konnte. Aufgrund des reaktionären Pendelschwungs nach dem …

Third Parties As A Matter Of Rhetoric: The Development Of Third Party News Coverage, 1890-2020, Aedan Perry

Political Science

There has been a lot of debate in academia over the reasons that third parties have traditionally fared poorly in the United States. Such explanations have largely ignored discussion of how the public's perception of third parties have changed over the course of 120 years' worth of elections and political evolution. By first taking a broad look at the prevalence of key terminology, and then drawing connections between the coverage of various campaigns, it can be noted that while third parties have lost a significant amount of esteem, the two party system itself has also declined relative to the mid …

The Effects Of Political Polarization On Congressional Oversight, Jason Aguayza-Palaguachi

Political Science

The increasing political polarization in the United States has had affected the relationship between the Democratic and Republican Parties and their ability to work together so they can govern the country effectively. While numerous scholars have previously conducted research on political polarization, one important aspect that requires further research is the extent that polarization has affected the role of congressional oversight. In this study, I will examine the congressional committee investigations of the Iran-Contra Affair and the 2012 Benghazi attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi. The analysis of newspaper articles, media reports, voting records, and public statements will reveal …

An Analysis Of Climate Change Communication In The Modern World: What Works And What Doesn’T, Erin Donnellon

Political Science

Effective climate change communication is a broad and widely researched topic, attempting to address how to communicate the issue of climate change in a way that will not only lead people to believe in and to care about it, but also to act on the changing climate. While individual action is progress made, collective action is more effective and more often the goal of this communication. Climate change is consistently considered to be one of the most critical political issues due to its time sensitivity and exponentially increasing, drastic results. Scientists have agreed that climate change is an impending and …

Allen V. Milligan And Predicting Louisiana V. Callais, Noah Kasprzak

Political Science

In its 2021 docket, the United States Supreme Court would take on the case Allen v. Milligan from the Eleventh Circuit in the United States Court of Appeals. This case surrounded the new Congressional map that Alabama had drawn following the 2020 Census, which would be in effect from the 2022 House of Representatives Elections until 2030. In this map, a single majority-minority district was drawn of the seven total, despite nearly 1 in 3 Alabamians belonging to a racial minority. Voters and several organizations would challenge this new Congressional map on the grounds of it violating Section 2 of …

Academic Freedom And Free Speech In Crisis: Elite Educational Institutions Response To Student Protests After October 7th, Isabella Blauvelt-Mercado

Political Science

Higher education institutions establish themselves as academic communities for students to explore various perspectives and values. When controversial topics arise, such as the October 7th Hamas-Israeli attack, students have the First Amendment right to voice their opinion and critically analyze the world around them. When institutions place limitations on this freedom— either through restrictive speech codes, administrative interventions, or the suppression of certain viewpoints—they risk undermining the very purpose of education and critical inquiry. This puts into question the entire responsibilities of these institutions as they limit and suppress student demonstrations. My research is necessary because universities serve as a …

A Future For The U.S. Department Of Education, Keith V. Allen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This thesis examines the persistent inequities within the U.S. public education system, particularly affecting low-income and underserved communities. Despite the founding mission of the U.S. Department of Education to ensure equitable access to quality education, systemic disparities continue to prevent millions of students from realizing their full potential. By exploring the Department’s historical evolution, this research highlights three critical areas undermining educational equity: unequal funding, an overreliance on standardized testing, and the lack of universal access to preschool and higher education. The thesis argues that equitable funding is not merely a financial issue, but a moral imperative—an investment in the …

The Effectiveness Of International Courts In Contributing To Rebuilding And Resolving Conflicts In Societies Post-Genocide, Garrett Connely

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In the aftermath of mass atrocities, international courts have emerged as key mechanisms for delivering justice and fostering post-conflict reconciliation. Rooted in the precedent set by the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, these institutions aim to prosecute crimes that often go beyond national legal systems. However, their effectiveness remains contested, largely due to their dependence on state cooperation and the complexity of post-conflict environments. This project examines the societal impact of international courts in two significant cases – Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Through a comparative analysis of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal …

Perceptions Of Identity And Blame Attribution In Sexual Harassment Scenarios, Avarie Lambert

Honors Theses

Sexual harassment is a widespread issue influenced by societal attitudes that stem from victim blaiming and rape myth acceptance. These perceptions are often shaped by the identities of the parties involved, however there is limited research on how gender and race influence blame attribution. The purpose of this study is to examine how different identities shape public perceptions of victims in sexual harassment scenarios. Through using a nationwide sample and survey experiment, participants were randomly assigned to receive one of eight different hypothetical scenarios that differed by the race and gender of the victim, and the gender of the perpetrator. …

Welfare Federalism And Immigrant Inclusion: How State Ideology, Democracy, And Public Opinion Shape Social Policy, Emily Daniel

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the variation in immigrant access to state-level social welfare programs in the United States from 1997 to 2023, focusing on the influence of state ideology, democratic performance, and public opinion. In the wake of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which curtailed federal welfare access for many immigrants and shifted authority to the states, significant disparities emerged in how states approached immigrant inclusion. This study examines eight states—four historic immigrant destinations and four “new growth” states—with varied political climates and demographic changes. Using a legislative output index, moral language analysis of state media …

The Commodification Of International Adoptees Through A Conflict Lens, Andrew S. Antcliffe

Honors Theses

The practice of international adoption, also known as intercountry adoption (ICA), can be defined as a transference of a child from international borders (Ma, 2017). International, also known as intercountry, adoption is a process that is widely characterized to provide the creation of families and humanitarian aid to orphaned children. It is most often facilitated by privatized intermediaries, predominantly facilitating the transference of children from non-Western nations to Western ones. Adopting abroad has largely been framed as a practice of humanitarianism, yet instances of corruption, neglect, and abuse have shown a different nature of the system. Dominant source countries, such …

The Role Of Specialty Coffee Roasters: A Proposal For A Sustainable Value Chain, Konoka Hattori

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

Specialty Coffee Roasters are starting to adopt transparency to reshape the coffee value chain, as climate change and sustainability challenges deepen. Through a case study of Onyx Coffee Lab in Arkansas, this research examines how transparency in pricing and traceability can foster more equitable and sustainable value chain systems. This thesis also explores the potential of B Corp Certification to further embed sustainability into Specialty Coffee Roasters’ business models, by comparing Onyx with Coffee Collective based in Denmark, which already has B Corp certification. By making pricing transparent and investing in producer relationships, Specialty Coffee Roasters can lead a future …

Shame On Us: The Democratic Costs Of Public Shaming, Elijah Han

Honors Theses

This thesis argues that contemporary public shaming—amplified today by the Internet and universal social membership—is unjustifiable because existing theories ignore its distinctly democratic harms. Defining public shaming as an intentional, collective act that weaponizes social opprobrium, I critique existing consequentialist and deontological defenses, showing they overlook how shaming erodes the conditions for democratic citizenship. Public shaming breeds mistrust, skews who gets to set social norms, chills political participation, radicalizes targets, and obscures what norms actually govern us; these six systemic costs undermine democracy and outweigh any social, economic, or moral benefits except in rare cases where public shaming averts existential …

Left Turn? Progressive Caucus Characteristics & Influence In The 117th Congress, John C. Paschold

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I address three critical questions about the Congressional Progressive Caucus. First, which characteristics are associated with whether a House Democrat is more likely to be a member of the Progressive Caucus? Second, are Progressive Caucus members more effective as lawmakers than other House Democrats not part of the caucus? Third, how much influence does the Congressional Progressive Caucus exert influence over their party’s legislative agenda in Congress? The answers to these questions are important because this research helps provide a further understanding of characteristics and influence that party caucus members share in the contemporary Congress. My research …

Influence Of The Solicitors General On The Supreme Court: 2011-2023, Maxwell Tobin

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This project looks at the success rate of the OSG and how the data indicates that the government-more specifically between the executive and judicial- is not getting along. In doing so, this scholarship uses 337 Supreme Court cases where the OSG filed on these cases as an amicus brief. This project aims to fill the research gap since 2014. I argue the salience of this research is in 2020-2022 where SCOTUS has 3 new conservative members and the President during this time was leaning more progressive (even more than Obama). All of this works to explain the low success rate …

Koxinga: The Catalyst Of Taiwan's Current Geopolitical Conflict, Lauren Masterson

Honors College Theses

Taiwan, strategically located in the South China Sea, has long faced challenges in asserting its sovereignty. While much of the existing scholarship focuses on the 20th-century conflict between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party, this study turns to the mid-17^th century to trace the roots of the island’s contested status. It centers on Zheng Chenggong (1624–1662), also known as Koxinga, who established the Ming loyalist Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan (1661–1683) following the fall of the Ming dynasty. By examining Koxinga’s actions and the legacy he left behind, this research draws parallels between his retreat …

Lowering Barriers To Voting For Individuals With Disabilities: Mail In Ballots And No Excuse Absentee Ballots, Cynthia Weyerman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The right to vote is an important part of the democratic process in America, but for individuals with disabilities it may not be as simple as simply showing up on election day and voting. Individuals with disabilities may face multiple barriers when it comes to voting. This paper looks at some of the common barriers to voting for individuals with disabilities, and focuses on ways that could improve turnout for individuals with disabilities. I look specifically at the data on mail in ballots and absentee ballots as a way to improve turnout for voters with disabilities. We do know from …

The Politics Of The Black Womb: How Education And Power Reinforce The U.S. Black Maternal Health Crisis, Foluke Akinkunmi

Honors Scholar Theses

This study investigates the alarming maternal mortality rates among Black women in the U.S. today first by exploring the historical exploitation of Black maternal bodies during enslavement and with the rise of professionalized gynecology. It challenges the narrative that attributes these outcomes to individual choices or supposedly inherent biological factors, arguing instead that the devaluing of Black women’s well-being and authoritative knowledge have been constructed along with the United States itself. To advance a constructive response, the paper analyzes curriculum competencies for obstetric and midwifery healthcare providers, surveys of Black women's birthing experiences in the previous 20 years, and interviews …

Deadly Choices: Political, Legal, And Moral Understandings Of U.S. Supreme Court Death Penalty Decisions, Anabelle S. Bergstrom

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis explores the political, legal, and moral factors that influence Supreme Court justices when penning capital punishment decisions. It also examines the evolution of thinking toward the death penalty by former justices John Paul Stevens and Harry Blackmun throughout their tenure on the Court. Cases are analyzed through fact-pattern analysis and the jurisprudential regime theory, which quantitatively build upon existing literature detailing the theoretical background of judicial decision-making through the attitudinal model. An analysis of Justices Blackmun and Stevens’ papers at the Library of Congress focuses on rhetoric that reflects utilitarian and retributive theories of punishment. Findings show that …

Understanding The Underrepresented: A Descriptive Deep-Dive Into The Impact Of Young Legislators, Eric T. Meade Jr.

Honors Scholar Theses

This project explores youth members (thirty-five years old or younger) from the first Congress up until the present Congress by examining and analyzing the ideology, career trajectory, and accomplishments of these members. This project also analyzes the voting records of Congress members on topics that are highly salient to young voters to see how they align with young voters’ preferences and highlights multiple members of note to provide more detail on their backgrounds and unique circumstances. This study aims to demonstrate how young people have been represented historically and why it is so important for the U.S. to have youth …

Ethnic/Racial Representation In Leadership Positions In Us School Districts, 2002-2014: Are School Districts Achieving Parity?, Melissa A. Taylor, Larra Rucker, Valarie H. Hunt, Brinck Kerr

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective A representative public education workforce has substantive benefits for underserved groups. While research finds considerable differences in ethnic/racial representation among public bureaucrats, little research examines representation within the public education workforce. Methods We use US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEO-5 data to measure the levels of representation in public school district jobs among Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites (non-Hispanic). Results Based on the analysis of 4253 US districts for 2002 through 2014, we find Hispanic and Black underrepresentation among administrators, principals, assistant principals, and classroom teachers. Based on new-hire employees, we observe improvement in Black and Hispanic representation. District size …

Rewriting The Rules: Impact Of Covid-19 On Norms In Science, The International Order, And China, Jacob Kissling '25

Honor Scholar Theses

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed both strengths and vulnerabilities in global responses, many of which were shaped by underlying norms and behavioral expectations within key institutions. Understanding how these norms influenced decision-making, collaboration, and communication—and how they were themselves challenged or reshaped by the crisis—can provide valuable insights for improving future responses. While some norms adapted in response to the evolving crisis, others remained stagnant or were inconsistently enforced, contributing to fragmented and, at times, ineffective responses. This paper investigates the role of norms in three critical sectors: the scientific community, the international order, and China. Within the scientific community, norms …

A Democracy In Question: Policy Failures, Institutional Weakness, And Bangladesh’S Evolving Global Standing, Omme Habiba

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Democracy in Bangladesh has fluctuated since its independence, shaped by governance failures, institutional weaknesses, and socioeconomic factors. While the country has experienced economic growth, challenges such as electoral irregularities, judicial inefficiency, and corruption continue to undermine democratic stability. Despite these issues, Bangladesh's global democracy rankings present mixed trends, raising questions about the relationship between economic development, inequality, and governance. This study examines how policy failures and institutional weaknesses influence Bangladesh’s democracy rankings and explores the role of income inequality, using Frederick Solt’s SWIID dataset. A mixed-methods approach integrates quantitative analysis of democracy indices, economic indicators, and regression models with qualitative …