Digital Commons Network^™

Cracking The Tax Codes: How State Tax Laws Influence The Number Of Manufacturing Jobs Within Their Borders, Nick Lorenson

Political Science Theses and Capstones

With the recent economic downturn, jobs have been at the forefront of people’s concerns. Policy makers in every state have promised their constituents new jobs. Of particular importance are high paying jobs. Manufacturing jobs tend to be a well-paying and highly sought after form of employment. However, in recent decades, the percentage of manufacturing jobs has been declining in the United States. Also, manufacturing facilities have shown an increased likelihood of relocating to different states. I theorize that manufacturing facilities relocating and expanding in different states is primarily due to state tax policies. This phenomenon has increased within recent years …

The Economic Theory Of Deregulation, Samuel D. Gass

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

One of the consequences of the financial crisis of 2008 was a renewed focus on the issue of deregulation. The broadly recognized connection between the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression and the systematic deregulation of our financial markets dating back over three decades reinvigorated the economic and political debate around the appropriate balance between market freedom and government regulation. This paper explores this theme historically, analyzing several economic markets that were highly regulated prior to the late 20^th century. Through this analysis it establishes a foundational framework for the study of the widespread deregulation of the late …

The End Of The World Changes? The Fifth Monarchy Men's Millenarian Vision, Christina Ann Feiner

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This project looks at the Fifth Monarchy Men, a radical religious and political group in early modern England. Two quotes from the historian Bernard Capp formed the foundation for this project. The quotes both stated that the Fifth Monarchy Men’s millenarian ideology changed based on the hopes and fears of the common people. Two components made up my analysis of the topic. The first was to find out what were the hopes and fears of the common people. The case studies used for this piece involved Nehemiah Wallington and the townspeople of Dorchester. Even though they were the hotter sort …

Taking The Road Most Travelled: Understanding Patterns Of Snake (Colubridae; Storeria) Movement And Road Mortality In A State Park, Iwo P. Gross

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Knowing How: An Empirical, Functionalist Approach, David Joseph Bzdak

Philosophy - Dissertations

Only very recently has the subject of knowledge how and its relation to propositional knowledge, or knowledge that, been given much attention by philosophers. In recent debates on the subject, positions tend to divide around the question: is knowledge how (KH) reducible to, or a kind of, knowledge that (KT), or are they fundamentally distinct categories of knowledge? I argue for the latter view, and I base my argument in the claim that KH and KT serve fundamentally different functional roles - specifically, KT is representational, while KH is practical. I develop my positive, functionalist account of KH …

The Territorialization Of The 'Republican Law': Judicial Presence In Seine-Saint-Denis, France, Joaquin Villanueva

Geography and the Environment - Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the presence of the courts in the spaces of everyday life in social housing estates located in Seine-Saint-Denis (northeast of Paris). Since the 1990s the judiciary has actively sponsored the territorialization of the courts (la territorialisation de la Justice) as the most adept measure to respond to a series of problems often understood as essentially "local": crime, revolts, "incivilities," and insecurity. The dissertation examines the proliferation of new judicial structures in crime-prone areas, and the increasing involvement of judges in local partnerships to more efficiently fight crime and prevent collective violence among youths from immigrant origins. More …

A Gis-Based Analysis Of The Environmental Predictors Of Dispersal Of The Emerald Ash Borer In New York, Renee Huset

Geography and the Environment - Theses

After going undetected for roughly a decade, the emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis)--an invasive beetle native to Asia--was first detected in North America near Detroit, MI, in the summer of 2002 where it has continued to decimate native ash trees (Fraxinus species) and increase its footprint ever since. The beetle's ability to disperse via human-facilitated mechanisms as well as biological means has resulted in an alarming pace of infestation, with the first positive EAB identification in the state of New York taking place in 2009. Using geographic information systems technology, logistic regression, and maximum entropy modeling (Maxent), this project …

The Forgotten Chancellor, Lorne Fultonberg

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Every past chancellor of Syracuse University has had something named for him. Every chancellor except for one.

The Forgotten Chancellor examines the administration of John Corbally, the only past chancellor without a campus namesake. Does SU’s eighth headman actually create a lasting legacy in his 18 months on campus? And most importantly, does he deserve anonymity?

The project took on the form of a documentary, using pictures and sounds to truly transport the viewer back to Syracuse in 1968-1971.

The story relied on the people who were there to retell it and bring it to life. The search for eyewitnesses …

The Uncertainty Of National And Cultural Identity In Salman Rushdie’S East, West And Midnight’S Children, Tress Klassen

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This project involves the examination of two works by Salman Rushdie: a short story collection, East, West and a novel, Midnight’s Children. Looking at these texts through a postcolonial lens, I analyze Rushdie’s writing in terms of its relationship to the academic debates of the period and the historical context that grounds the works. Throughout the paper, I analyze Rushdie’s portrayal of the relationship between culture, nationhood, and identity, while also focusing on different aspects of the works in the project’s two chapters. In the first, I examine the relationship between postcolonialism and magical realism in East, West, …

The Regional Exchange: From Main Street To Shopping Mall To App Market, Chris Depalma

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The heart of our existence lies within regions. Loosely defined, these territories are defined by what we do, not by what we call them. It is where we live, work, shop and socialize, characterized by an infinite multitude of interactions with other people and environments. The concept of “regionalism” is best described as a set of overlapping factors that together characterize the shared interests and dynamics of its people and environment, whether social, cultural, ecological or something else. This dynamic, constantly-changing overlap is most apparent at the center of the region, and least so at its edges.

Regionalism is especially …

What We Talk About When We Talk About Local Food: Alternative Food Networks In Syracuse, Ny And Class Identity Formation, Leanne Abraham

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The goal of this study was to investigate how alternative food networks exist in Syracuse, what participation in these networks means for the individuals who choose to be involved in them, and what this means for the way that participants conceptualize their class, their consumption patterns, and their community in terms of their personal identity construction. In order to answer this question, the researcher interviewed four participants in alternative food networks in Syracuse, New York. Two of these participants were farmers who served the greater Syracuse area with their CSA farms, and two of the participants were employees of the …

Education For All: An East African Example, Alyssa Ierardo

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The Education for All (EFA) movement to end global educational disparity is a multilateral initiative led by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Initiated in 2000, the EFA movement represents the commitment of 164 nations to the Dakar Framework for Action which outlines six goals that seek to redress issues of social disparity and to improve access to and quality of education worldwide by 2015. In this report, the progress of the EFA movement in the United Republic of Tanzania serves as a proxy for evaluating the global potential of EFA initiatives. Failed post-colonial education reform efforts …

Does Menstruation Hinder Women's Empowerment? Working Toward Social Change In South India, Sarah Walton

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

With so many challenges facing education today, it is difficult to think about any more potential problems kids around the world have to deal with. However, as I came to realize during a semester abroad in South India – one problem might be messier than all the rest. And, it only affects girls. Menstruation often limits a girl’s ability to go to school for a variety of reasons. This paper documents some of those challenges girls face in regard to cultural taboos and social stigmatization, a lack of knowledge or historical misunderstanding, as well as the fact that for many …

Why American Voters Decide To Vote For Third Parties In Presidential Elections, Harmen Rockler

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Not a single person representing a third party has ever been elected president. Yet, year after year, there are candidates and voters who support individuals who have no chance of winning. Being able to understand why people decide to vote for third party candidates helps us to be better able to predict presidential race outcomes and could also lead to more successful third party candidates.

I find that third party voters in presidential elections tend to be more independent voters who have not committed to one political party. Younger voters are often supporters of third parties. Because they have not …

A Characterization Of Baseline Groundwater Quality In The New York Southern Tier For Project Swift, Natalie Teale

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The acquisition of quality baseline groundwater quality in the Southern Tier of New York State has been of concern due to the contention surrounding groundwater quality in areas where hydraulic fracturing for natural gas production has been developed. Little information on groundwater quality is publicly available for the Southern Tier, where natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing is feasible. This Capstone study, as a part of Project SWIFT at Syracuse University, seeks to determine the concentrations of several ionic compounds and elements in the groundwater of the New York counties which are most apt for hydraulic fracturing. Sample sites were …

Essays On Academic Achievement And Student Behavior In Public Schools, Wael Soheil Moussa

Economics - Dissertations

This dissertation examines the student academic achievement through various mechanisms, put in place by the public school district, classroom student behavior, and negative external shocks to the students' living environment. I examine the impacts of various treatments on student short and long run academic outcomes such as math and English test scores, grade retention, special education diagnoses, as well as high school graduation. Each essay will be presented as a chapter of the dissertation.

The first essay uses student-level administrative data from New York City Public Schools to examine the impacts of school entry age on student academic outcomes (including …

Essays On Agglomeration, Homeownership, And Labor Market Outcomes, Jie Dai

Economics - Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays on the labor market impact of agglomeration economies and that of homeownership. The empirical analyses use different U.S. data and econometric techniques to examine the impact on different labor market outcomes such as volatility of hours worked and men's employment.

The first essay is motivated by the labor market pooling model from Krugman (1991). The paper adds to a small but important literature that provides evidence on the microeconomic foundation of agglomeration economies. Using various years of data from the American Community Survey and the County Business Patterns survey, I show that the agglomeration …

A Feasability Study For Local Food System Application Of A Peer Group Lending Microfinance Model, Anna V. Whitener

All Theses

Economic development has evolved since the Great Depression era in the United States from a stance of pure “smokestack chasing” to a more diverse set of strategies aimed at business retention and expansion. One method that has been successfully used domestically and internationally is the use of microloans to finance small businesses. One major component of microfinance strategies used abroad that allows for lower transaction costs is the use of Peer Group Lending Programs (PGLPs). This paper first reviews the cited social, political, and financial reasons for the lack of such programs in U.S. microfinance initiatives. It simultaneously addresses why …

Designing A Novel Steering Wheel For Generation-Y, Baby Boomers, And Engineers, Mary Mossey

All Theses

Historically, the steering wheel has been viewed as a stylistic or utility component of the vehicle; however, as in-vehicle technology increases, the steering wheel may provide a way to integrate technologies into the vehicle. This study built upon a usability study that examined a broad range of steering wheels. In the current study, participants designed their ideal steering wheel for a concept vehicle by using a paper prototyping method. Fifty-five participants (20 young adults 18 to 30 years of age, 20 older adults 47 to 65 years of age, and 15 male automotive engineering graduate students 18 to 30 years …

Measuring Arousal Through Physiological Responses To Packaging Designs: Investigating The Validity Of Electrodermal Activity As A Measure Of Arousal In A Realistic Shopping Environment, Daniel Hutcherson

All Theses

The validity of electrodermal activity is investigated in the context of packaging design evaluation as a sensitive measure of arousal. Analysts agree that purchasing decisions are subconscious and emotional decisions, contrasted against the popular belief that consumers make purely rational decisions. To understand the personal and rapid character of a consumer's purchasing decisions we must find methods of which to measure and interpret consumer reactions to various packaging designs. Focus groups are discussed as antiquated research methods and new, advanced technologies are outlined as physiological responses. Past literature displays methodological approaches to using electrodermal activity measures in consumer studies, however …

Temporal Analysis Of Field, Ssurgo, And Lidar Derived Site Indices In The Southeastern U.S., Steven Ham

All Theses

Sustainable forest management requires accurate information about site index (SI, tree height at a base age). The objectives of this study were to compare site indices from field inventory data (2008-2009), Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR, 2008), and to determine the uncertainty in the site indices from the southern part of the Clemson Experimental Forest. When LiDAR derived analysis were used to compare to SSURGO there were statistical differences for site indices for all of the tree species in this study: loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), white …

Effects Of Late Planting Dates, Maturity Groups And Management Systems On Growth, Development And Yield Of Soybean In South Carolina, Mengxuan Hu

All Theses

Planting date plays a significant role in determining soybean growth, development and seed yield. The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effects of late planting date, management system, and maturity group on the growth, development and seed yield of maturity group VII and VIII soybean under dry land conditions in the Southeastern coastal plain of the United States. Plant growth and development, seed yield, yield components, and seed oil and protein concentrations were evaluated throughout the season. These experiments were conducted in South Carolina at the Edisto Research and Education Center near Blackville and the Pee Dee Research …

Quantifying Visitor Impact And Material Degradation At George Washington's Mount Vernon, Laurel Lynne Bartlett

All Theses

Over one million visitors per year traverse the visitor path through George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. Increased visitation has tested the limits of the architectural materials and created the single most threatening source of degradation. While the history of Mount Vernon is dotted with attempts to mitigate damage caused by visitors, scientific analysis of the dynamic impacts to the historic fabric is needed to preserve the integrity of the preeminent national house museum. The following thesis presents a holistic analysis of visitor impact and material degradation occurring at Mount Vernon.
Visitor impact issues are acknowledged at historic sites around …

The American Lawn: Culture, Nature, Design And Sustainability, Maria Ghys

All Theses

Abstract

This was an exploratory study examining the processes and underlying concepts of design nature, and culture necessary to discussing sustainable design solutions for the American lawn. A review of the literature identifies historical perceptions of the lawn and contemporary research that links lawns to sustainability. Research data was collected by conducting personal interviews with green industry professionals and administering a survey instrument to administrators and residents of planned urban development communities. Recommended guidelines for the sustainable American lawn are identified and include native plant usage to increase habitat and biodiversity, permeable paving and ground cover as an alternative to …

The Stonecutters And Tomb Builders Of Lafayette Cemetery No.1, New Orleans, Louisiana, Emily Anne Ford

All Theses

This thesis explores the building history of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, established 1833. The historic cemetery, located in what is now the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, but has continued to experience preservation issues concerning its traditional above-ground tombs and other landscape features.
By investigating the building methods and background of the historic craftsmen who helped develop Lafayette No. 1, the cemetery will be better understood and, thus, better preserved. A combination of structural surveys and archival research, this thesis constructs a dimensional portrait not only of specific …

Beyond Drawing The Line: A Study Of The Edge Structure Of Boston's Emerald Necklace, Priyanka Vankina

All Theses

Landscapes are mosaics of patches and corridors which are formed by hills, different soils types, vegetation patchiness, natural disturbances and human activities. As humans have developed, the patches and corridors have become fragmented and edges have been created. These edges become the critical points of interaction for wildlife with their surroundings. This is especially true in urban areas where development has created harsh edge environments.
This study investigates the edge structure of Olmsted's Emerald Necklace to understand how edges can be designed to create habitat for wildlife in urban areas. The Emerald Necklace is located in Boston, MA and was …

Neighborhoood Snapshot Inventories: A Study Of The Cooper River Bridge Tax Incremnent Financing District, Rebecca Anne Quandt

All Theses

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is one of the most widely used economic development tools in the nation. In 2008, Charleston, South Carolina, designated the Cooper River Bridge neighborhood (CRBN) as its fourth TIF district. The planning process is now underway, and many large redevelopment projects have already started construction. Private investors will receive funding to develop vacant lots and revitalize dilapidated properties, and the City will benefit economically from new property taxes added to the revenue roll. City officials have anticipated the economic change this TIF district will provide, but have they properly anticipated the changes that will occur to …

How To Kill Copyright: A Brute-Force Approach To Content Creation, Kirk Sigmon

Cornell Law Library Cantwell Prize for Exemplary Student Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Spelling Out Lgbt: Enumerating Sexual Orientation In Virginia's Anti-Bullying Law, Melissa Wright

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Analysis Of Drug-Trafficking Trends In The Middle East/Central Asia And East/Southeast Asia., Benjamin M. Weyman

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.