Digital Commons Network^™

Popular Justice Or Populist Justice? Penal Populism And Its Impact On Democracy, Kuan-Wu Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Populism, a pervasive phenomenon in contemporary politics, manifests as an anti-establishment, anti-pluralistic, morally charged framing that advocates for direct rule between leader and populace. Among its variants, penal populism emerges as a particularly concerning manifestation. It is characterized by a leader's deployment of panicking, punitive, and politically targeted rhetoric to enhance social control and accrue political capital rather than address crime prevention. This research argues that penal populism poses the most significant threat to democratic rule, as evidenced by theoretical, framing, and mobilization analyses. A novel categorization of populist variants is proposed based on dimensions of social categorization and exclusivity. …

Rethinking Democratic Backsliding: Events, Regimes, And Instituitonal Structures, Kelsey Martin-Morales

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation rethinks the concept of democratic backsliding, proposing a unified framework termed "regime contraction," which emphasizes the incremental erosion of democratic institutions. The research explores how domestic institutions, particularly NGOs, face legal and extralegal attacks as states transition toward autocracy. Chapter 3 justifies the use of the Freedom House dataset and introduces innovative methods such as leveraging large language models (LLMs) like GPT for understanding institutional dynamics. It highlights the use of LLMs to analyze changes in legislatures and governance, offering a novel approach to event-based analysis. Chapter 4 focuses on the validation of the Event-Regime Institutional Structures (ERIS) …

Winning And Losing At The Federal District Courts, Madison Shanks

Theses and Dissertations

The federal criminal courts are unique compared to the rest of the justice system. Cases in these courts pit a government backed prosecutor with an informational and first-moving advantage, against an often-disadvantaged defendant in an adversarial system that ultimately determines who wins and who loses. This asymmetry in criminal cases at the federal district courts presents a situation in which we can understand how courtroom actors matter for the justice process, and specifically if and how attorneys’ strategies differ and ultimately influence outcomes for their clients. This dissertation project builds on an existing data collection project that captures motion filings …

A Rose Or A Unicorn? Asean’S Mission Under The Spotlight, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In a commentary, SMU President Professor Lily Kong explores the question posed by political scientist Donald Emmerson in 1995 - is Southeast Asia more like a vibrant rose or an elusive unicorn? Against the backdrop of the 44th ASEAN Summit, with the theme "Connectivity and Resilience", Prof Kong highlights ASEAN's efforts in fostering regional connectivity and resilience through economic growth, cultural exchanges, and digital advancements. Despite substantial economic integration and digital connectivity, she points out that ASEAN faces challenges in creating a cohesive regional identity. The piece argues for deeper cultural engagement and a focus on shared values to build …

Leader Age And Conflictual Behavior In International Relations, Michael B. Cox

Student Publications

The United States 2020 election of Joe Biden over Donald Trump led many Americans to argue the need for younger politicians and presidential candidates, as they had concerns that older presidents, like Trump and Biden, were unfit mentally and physically to lead the nation. In particular, some expressed fears that these leaders, because of their age, would be more likely to engage the United States in or escalate interstate disputes. Scholarship in the field has found conflicting results, with Horowitz et al. finding older leaders are more likely to engage their states in interstate disputes, while Bertoli et al. found …

Legitimacy At Sea: Expanding Considerations Of Sea Control, Ian Birdwell

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Sea control has been marketed and accepted as a norm within the global commons, with a variety of states arguing for their visions of control to be viewed as legitimate. As a piece of the global commons, sea lanes are a critical enabler for the global economy and possess significant military and political significance, yet the literature revolving around ideas of sea control treats it as a military achievement at the end of a campaign and remains focused on naval power as the key mechanism for state involvement. What best explains the mechanism states use to achieve sea control, especially …

2024 Quality Of Life Survey - Orleans And Jefferson Parishes, Edward E. Chervenak, Anthony Liciardi

Survey Research Center Publications

The University of New Orleans Survey Research Center (SRC) conducted a live interviewer telephone survey of active registered voters in Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish. Four hundred and ninety-one randomly selected respondents from Orleans Parish and 487 randomly selected respondents from Jefferson Parish were interviewed from September 9th through October 1st, 2024. Each survey yields a margin of error of +/- 4.4% at a 95% confidence level.

The Digital Battlefield: Extremists On Social Media, Daniel P. Shanks

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The rise of social media has transformed the battleground for extremist groups like ISIS and the Taliban, enabling them to reach global audiences with unprecedented ease. This dissertation investigates the social media strategies employed by the Taliban and ISIS. These social media strategies are used to further their strategic objectives in propaganda, recruitment, and operational coordination. Through a comprehensive analysis, the study explores how these extremist groups adapt their digital tactics in response to evolving military and political landscapes. Utilizing case studies from key military engagements and applying theoretical frameworks of rational actor theory, social identity theory, and finite and …

The Militarization Of The Seas Hot Spots In The Third Millennium System And The Struggle For Hegemony Between The Great Powers (America, Russia, And China): Justifications And Consequences, Basma Tom

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

The study aims to identify the most prominent militarized seas and how they have become hot spots in the conflict among major powers (America, Russia and China), the justifications for the competition over them, and to clarify the repercussions of the militarization of the seas and the complexity of the conflict among these major powers on the contemporary international system. Both the descriptive analytical method and the systems analysis method were used to study the subject. The study concluded that the pursuit of militarizing the seas by the great powers has turned them into hot spots, potentially bringing international relations …

Editor's Introduction, Michael D. Pante

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Performance And Effectiveness Of Political Strategic Leadership In Indonesia, Arman Arman, Rini Indryati Patasaka

Jurnal Wacana Politik

The purpose of this study is to analyze the performance and effectiveness of political policy strategies in Indonesia using a quantitative research method with a snowball sampling technique with a sample size of 1,200 respondents from 38 provinces. margin of error of approximately 5 percent at a 95 percent confidence level with descriptive statistical data techniques where the data used to describe or summarize the main characteristics of the analysis of performance and effectiveness of political strategy leadership in Indonesia, the data tool uses SPSS statistics version 26, with a time of 2 years, with the results of the analysis …

50 Universities Working On Research In Public Health Technologies, Angie Holzer, Erica Bassett

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Joni September 2024 Full Issue, Angie Holzer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 And Health Equity: Lessons Learned From The Pandemic, Sumaya Ali, Lakell Archer, Erica L. Jensen

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Health inequities refer to avoidable, unjust differences in health outcomes caused by systemic disadvantages rooted in social, economic, and environmental contexts (Braveman, 2014). Health disparities refer to differences in health outcomes between groups, often measured by prevalence, morbidity, or mortality (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). Health inequalities are measurable differences in health status that may arise from biological, social, or environmental factors (World Health Organization [WHO], 2019). Health inequities, however, are specifically preventable and unjust differences.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted these inequities, intensifying pre-existing structural disparities within healthcare and societal systems. The pandemic underscored the urgency of …

Mass Shootings In The United States, Sydney Livingston

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

High rates of mass shootings are becoming a uniquely American problem; the US makes up 73% of the world’s mass shootings, yet makes up only 4.25% of the world’s population. School shootings, in particular, have increased dramatically in the US since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, an event many perpetrators have since drawn upon as inspiration. There is a strong divide of opinions in the nation regarding how firearm deaths should be reduced, which has complicated and slowed progress in identifying effective solutions. Each mass shooting causes additional shootings to occur, and each one takes a toll on …

The Effect Of Gerrymandering On State Social Policy, Gary D. Brinker

Sociology Faculty Publications

Partisan bias occurs when one party gets something the other party does not. If a given district map results in one party gleaning a higher proportion of the legislative seats than the proportion of votes cast for that party, since this effect is only possible for one party, then partisan bias has occurred. It can be strategically produced via gerrymandering and is thought by many to circumvent the basic principles of democracy. This study uses recent state election results to compute a measure of partisan bias, as well as secondary data measuring the levels of five state social policies, to …

Impacts Of Climate Change In The United States, Nathan T. Thompson

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Climate change, a shift in long-term climate patterns primarily driven by anthropogenic factors, poses a super wicked problem impacting every sector and region globally, including the United States. This paper explores the scientific basis of climate change, its contributing factors, and the myriad consequences on terrestrial and aquatic systems, as well as mental health. Notably, the emission of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels and agricultural activities is the primary cause, exacerbated by ideological division and psychological distance. The U.S. has seen some progress with a 7% decrease in emissions over the past 30 years and a growing shift toward renewable …

Addressing Adolescent Suicide In South Korea, Alyssa Kang

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Suicide is a prevalent issue that widely affects all demographics in South Korea. Among adolescents, it is the leading cause of mortality with an average rate of 7 deaths per 100,000 people. Some of the most significant factors that influence the risk of suicidal ideation and attempts are cultural stigma and academic stress. Other factors, such as bullying and family structure, also increase the likelihood of suicide, while specific characteristics including internet addiction, socioeconomic status, and substance abuse have been found to be predictors of suicide. Adolescent suicide attempts in Korea also increase the individual's risk for future attempts, and …

Research Summaries: Global Health, Lakell Archer, Sumaya Ali, Erica Jensen

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Who Pays The Price For The Cost Of Voting: The Impact Of Voting Policies On Presidential Election Turnout, 1996-2016, Amelia S. Minkin

eJournal of Public Affairs

The gap between the percentage of registered White voters who cast a ballot and that of registered nonwhite voters in the 2020 United States Presidential election was approximately 13 percent. This trend varies widely across the United States due to state legislators having jurisdiction to craft, enact, and implement election and voting legislation. In 2022, 408 pieces of legislation that would have made it more difficult to register to vote, cast a ballot, or stay on the voter rolls were considered in 39 states and 11 made it into state codes across the country. Given the increase in legislation considered …

Effects Of Gerrymandering On State Social Policy, Gary D. Brinker

eJournal of Public Affairs

Partisan Bias occurs when an election results in a party gleaning a significantly different proportion of legislative seats than the proportion of votes cast for that party. It can be strategically produced via gerrymandering and is thought by many to threaten the basic principles of democracy. This research uses the 2022 state election results to compute statewide measures of Partisan Bias, then analyzes the correlation with controversial state social policies. Results showed that the redistricting method used and the percent of the party’s legislators were related to Partisan Bias. Analysis also showed that Partisan Bias explains significant levels of variance …

Assessing Inclusivity Vs. Exclusivity: Impacts On Asean Trade Facilitation And Human Security, Ika Riswanti Putranti, Hardi Warsono, Valeria Paganizza, Dedi Abdul Hadi, Muhammad Faizal Alfian, Muhammad Subhan, Anjani Tri Fatharini, Maula Hudaya, Muhammad Arief Zuliyan, Dewi Setiyaningsih

Indonesian Journal of International Law

The ATIGA (Association of Southeast Asian Nations Trade in Goods Agreement) is an evolution of economic cooperation among ASEAN member countries which began in 1977 with the PTA (Preferential Trade Agreement) embryonic concept and was developed in the 1990s with the CEPT (Common Effective Preferential Tariff). It has driven a significant increase in intra-trade and external trade in the Southeast Asian region. The agreement was to establish a free trade zone that provides the concept of “preferences” by reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers for member countries in order to encourage regional economic growth through trade creation and trade diversion is …

Selected U.S. Government Statistical Agencies And Their Data, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides introductory and detailed overview of U.S. Government agencies statistics. Includes examples of how an individual U.S. law authorizes government agencies to compile statistics for particular congressional committees and the general public. Statistics cover topics such as demography, defense, foreign assistance, economic growth, criminal justice, energy, Social Security, and Medicare.

Far-Right Monologues And Extreme Identity, Benjamin Alexander Thigpen

Dissertations and Theses

My thesis is focused on the American far-right, by way of two sperate case studies, one centered on a contemporary movement (the manosphere) and one that has fallen from prominence (racist skinheads). Grounded in primary source analysis, my thesis builds off of the work of social movement theorists such as Sidney Tarrow, scholars of American politics like Richard Hofstadter, and emergent theories of social identity as laid out by Judith Butler and others. Through my analysis, I develop two theoretical arguments: first, that there are two distinct categories amongst far-right narratives (which I term offensive and defensive); and second, that …

Volume 27, Issue 1 Full Contents

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Mission And Editorial Policy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Are Economic Gender Differences The Same Everywhere? Cross-Societal Comparisons In The Early 21st Century, Joyce P. Jacobsen

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Are gender differences in economic outcomes the same everywhere? Using the most recent available data (generally from the 2021–2023 period), I consider the patterns for these gender differences and provide an annotated list of statistical sources for students and researchers to use in exploring these differences. Overall, women still work less than men in paid work, work more than men in unpaid household work, and make less than men; however, these patterns have converged somewhat, with some narrowing of work and pay gaps relative to the last part of the 20th century, and with women rapidly closing the educational-attainment gap …

Between Governance And Markets: An Assessment Of Environmental Boundary Organizations, Andy Tuholski

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This article considers the genesis, characteristics, and dynamics of boundary organizations as they apply specifically to environmental boundary objects, that is, pieces of science on which policy is reliant. Boundary organizations have been widely discussed since the 1990s but are undertheorized in terms of political concepts; this paper approaches environmental boundary organizations as essentially liberal vehicles of power using Lukes’ definition, in which the liberal dimension of power is divided into (a) eliciting and (b) meeting wants of stakeholders equitably. Environmental boundary organizations are compared and contrasted with single-perspective organizations (that is, organizations beholden to either government or industry) and …