Digital Commons Network^™

Bond V. United States: Choosing The Lesser Of Two Evils, David Sloss

Faculty Publications

In Bond v. United States, Carol Anne Bond used toxic chemicals in an attempt to poison her husband’s lover. The federal government prosecuted Bond for violating the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act of 1998 (the “CWC Act”). Congress enacted the CWC Act to implement U.S. obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), a multilateral treaty signed in 1993 that is designed to address the global threat posed by chemical weapons. Bond challenged the constitutional validity of the federal statute and urged the Court to overrule Missouri v Holland, a 1920 case holding that the combination of the Treaty Power and …

The Impact Of Kenya African Soldiers On The Creation And Evolution Of The Pioneer Corps During The Second World War, Meshack Owino

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Archaeological And Historical Research To Establish The Jasper County, Missouri Civil War Museum And Park, Christopher Dennis Dukes

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In May, 1863 a group of Confederate guerillas led by Major Thomas Livingston attacked Union troops at William Rader’s farm in western Jasper County Missouri. The guerillas killed eighteen Union troops, who were unarmed at the time, and mutilated their bodies. Most of them were from the first African American regiment of the civil war. The following day Union troops retaliated by burning the town of Sherwood, Missouri and multiple homesteads in the area. These events caused an increase in the brutality of the civil war in Southwest Missouri. To commemorate these conflicts and provide a “living history” site for …

The Essence Of English Identity: Gender's Role In The Stability Of The Nation In English Literature, From The Anglo-Saxons To The Victorians, Natalie Marie Whitaker

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis, using Jungian analysis, investigates how the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, William Shakespeare's Macbeth, and Charles Dickens's David Copperfield reflect the interdependent spheres of gender relationships that affected societal perceptions of English national identity and stability for over a thousand years. Historian Geoffrey Hindley writes, "the historical reality of an English identity grew out of the traditions of loyalty and lordship from the epic heritage of a pagan past embodied in the poem of Beowulf in a common vernacular tongue.” In the three periods examined here, men and women had responsibilities in marriage that were defined by the societal ideals …

Horse-Stealing And Man-Hanging: An Examination Of Vigilantism In The Missouri Ozarks, Connie Sue Yen

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to determine what factors did or did not have an impact on the formation of the Slickers, the Regulators, and the Sons of Honor, three vigilante organizations that formed in the Missouri Ozarks during the nineteenth century. Primary source documents indicate that vigilante organizations formed in Missouri, and throughout the United States, for a variety of reasons. This study disproves the theory that vigilante violence in the Missouri Ozarks was based on any social or political struggle between an old or new order. This study contributes to our understanding of Ozarks history, as well …

Iran As A Strategic Threat To The U.S. In The Middle East And Its Impact On U.S. Policy In The Region, Aaron Michael Craig Richards

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This essay will examine Iran's nuclear program and foreign and defense policy and how these threats shape U.S. defense and foreign policy in the region. Iran's advanced nuclear program is only one aspect of its goal to reaching regional hegemony in the Middle East. Iran looks to establish itself as a dominant power in the region by employing non-military tools such as promoting Shiism and Iranian ideology and supporting Arab and non-Arab political leaders and groups friendly toward Iran. Meanwhile, the United States and other world powers are concerned about Iran's enrichment program being diverted to develop nuclear weapons, which …

Gaming And Aggressive Tendencies: The Effects Of Conflict Simulations On Behavior And Political Decision-Making, James Gilmore

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Simulations and war games have seen increasing use not only in the military, but various other agencies throughout the United States Federal Government as well. There seems to be a gap in the relevant literature examining if there are any effects on foreign policy decision-making after participating in these games, however. I deployed a survey at a local paintball place, to test for any noticeable effect on people's foreign policy preferences after they take part in a conflict simulation. The results of my research demonstrated a greater need to examine the effects of conflict simulations on decision-making processes. Some of …

Military Law: Time To Mandate Best Interests Of The Child To Restrict Deployments Of Parents That Affect Preschool Children, John A. Lynch Jr.

All Faculty Scholarship

As America viewed the first massive deployment of its all-volunteer force at the beginning of the first Persian Gulf War, one journalist commented:

When this war is over, Americans need to do some serious thinking about the all-volunteer armed forces, the one legacy of the Vietnam War with which the nation seemed comfortable. Among other things, we have to decide whether a single parent, and, in many cases, both parents, should be deployed in war zones.

Is the nation's reliance on an army of volunteers worth the emotional grief that comes from ripping military parents away from their children? Do …

Cyberwar, International Politics, And Institutional Design, Daniel Abebe

University of Chicago Law Review

In the United States, the breadth of the president’s warmaking authority has been governed by the Constitution, the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence, and, over time, historical practice; in short, the president’s powers are constrained by a well-developed body of US foreign relations law. But the prospect of a new kind of conflict—cyberwar—potentially challenges the existing regulatory regime, which rests on assumptions that are common to traditional, conventional war. For some, the complexities of cyberwar generate new foreign relations–law questions about the president’s authority to engage in offensive cyberoperations, and they thus necessi-tate a new regulatory framework. For others, cyberwar is not …

Checks And Balances From Abroad, Ashley Deeks

University of Chicago Law Review

Judicial and scholarly discussions about checks and balances almost always focus on actions and reactions by domestic actors. At least in the intelligence area, however, foreign actors can have direct and indirect influences on US checks and balances. New national-security challenges require increased cooperation with foreign intelligence partners. Leaks and voluntary transparency mean that far more information is publicly available about intelligence missions. And robust legal rules now bind the United States and other Western intelligence services. These changes create opportunities for foreign leaders, citizens, corporations, and peer intelligence services to affect the quantum of power within the executive or …

The Mutual Dependency Of Force And Law In American Foreign Policy, Richard A. Epstein, Mario Loyola

University of Chicago Law Review

A successful American grand strategy requires a close integration of interna-tional and domestic institutions and practices. This Essay explores the vital inter-dependence of grand strategy and law, both international and domestic. First, it asks how the United States should formulate its foreign policy strategy by pointing to the three primary components that must be deployed in tandem to forge a suc-cessful American foreign policy—persuasion, inducements, and force. Second, this Essay shows that in light of the distribution of powers between the president and Congress, and within the executive branch, the execution of that strategy requires a high level of bipartisan …

Constitutional Implications Of The Cost Of War, Lucas Issacharoff, Samuel Issacharoff

University of Chicago Law Review

Institutional practices evolve to fill gaps in all constitutional blueprints. One of the underappreciated features of the initial constitutional settlement of war powers was the accountability of the executive through the process of budgetary authorization and the corresponding need for Congress to answer to the citizenry for the tax implications of military expenditures. This political accountability is more complex than often described, consisting not merely of the division of the Declare War and Commander-in-Chief Clauses of Article I and Article II, but also of the temporal limitation of the budgetary power for the army and a variety of practical and …

The Norm Against Economic Espionage For The Benefit Of Private Firms: Some Theoretical Reflections, Samuel J. Rascoff

University of Chicago Law Review

For decades, the American intelligence community has adhered to a norm against spying for the sake of enriching private firms. More recently, the norm has figured in a prominent presidential directive as well as in various international agreements. But notwithstanding its durability and its newfound renown, the norm has largely eluded scholarly consideration. In this Essay, I aim to address that gap by showing how theories of agency capture and institutional culture can help make sense of the norm’s past and inform judgments about its future.

Jihad In The Global Village: Al-Qaeda's Digital Radicalization And Recruitment Campaign, Katie Cannata

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Following America’s “War on Terror,” al-Qaeda and its affiliates became highly decentralized in terms of organizational and media operations. Though mass media outlets continue to play a significant role in drawing attention to al-Qaeda’s transnational campaign, Salafi Jihadists have recently begun to rely on new media for purposes of legitimization and promotion. The Internet serves as a suitable platform for these groups’ media objectives since it is inherently anonymous and absent of censorship. Most importantly, the Internet facilitates al-Qaeda in reaching a global audience, which is made evident by the growing amount of Salafi Jihadist media that is translated or …

Institutional Decolonization: The Internationalization Of The Conflict Over Organized Labor In British Guiana, 1946-1961, Joshua David Esposito

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation argues that an internationalized struggle for control of British Guiana's trade unions after 1946 resulted in institutional dysfunction and violence in the early 1960s. Some Guianese nationalists, who eventually became leaders of the People's Progressive Party (PPP), wanted to replace the institutions imported from Great Britain with trade unionism geared towards a Guianese version of communism. Conversely, reformist Guianese labor leaders were intent on establishing a left-leaning capitalist framework of labor relations, primarily based on a British model of unionism. Guianese unionists' ideological proclivities shaped their international affiliations, adding a transnational dimension to the struggle between the colony's …

The Power Of Music In The Maori Welcoming Ceremony, Rachel Gerwig

Graduate Thesis Collection

Scholars do not deny that the piiwhiri involves musical movements, but few sources adequately emphasize how intimately the piiwhiri and music are intertwined. Instead of defending a position that has not been directly challenged, but rather skimmed over, this thesis aims to define the what, how, and why questions surrounding the inseparable relationship between music and the powhiri. The goals are to pinpoint the role music plays in the Maori powhiri ceremony and to recognize that the ceremony itself would lose its effectiveness without the use of Maori music

From Conquest To Indian Health Service: The Continued Colonization Of Native Americans, Christina Tlatilpa

Ethnic Studies

This project covers the historical development of health problems in the Native American community and it covers the development of Indian Health Service and the limitations of this institution. A thorough investigation of historical events will pinpoint pivotal occurrences that have had an impact on the Native American population today. Lastly, this project examines how the practices of Indian Health Service align with or divert from the cultural practices of the communities it serves. This section addresses the ways in which community healing is necessary and the ways in which this could be accomplished.

Red China's "Capitalist Bomb": Inside The Chinese Neutron Bomb Program, Jonathan Ray

China Strategic Perspectives

This paper examines why China developed an enhanced radiation weapon (ERW) but did not deploy it. ERWs, better known as “neutron bombs,” are specialized nuclear weapons with reduced blast effects and enhanced radiation, making them ideal tactical and antipersonnel weapons. Declassified U.S. intelligence and Chinese press reports indicate the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was interested in an ERW in 1977 and successfully tested a device on September 29, 1988. To date, however, these sources provide no evidence of deployment. This study exploits primary source documents to reconstruct the ERW program’s history, assesses drivers behind decisions throughout the program, and …

Modernizing The Marianne: The French Feminist Movement And Its Effects On Gender Equality, Hallie Grace Haines

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Honestly, Woman, You Call Yourself Our Mother?: Mothers And Witches In Harry Potter, Mary-Eileen Rankin Rankin

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to analyze the importance of maternal nurture and the witches as mothers trope in the Harry Potter series. This nurture is traditional as well as perverse and appears in characters besides the adult women. Rowling creates characters who appeal to paradigms of the Early Modern bad mother witch who harmed children among other accusations associated with female sexuality and motherhood. Additionally, Rowling challenges the negative stereotype of associating witches and bad mothering by presenting witches as good mothers. The power of maternal nurture in the series is best seen through the good mothers. This theme plays such …

The Rise And Rise Of The One Percent: Considering Legal Causes Of Wealth Inequality, Shi-Ling Hsu

Emory Law Journal Online

Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which is surely one of the very few economics treatises ever to be a best-seller, has parachuted into an intensely emotional and deeply divisive American debate: the problem of inequality in the United States. Piketty's core argument is that throughout history, the rate of return on private capital has usually exceeded the rate of economic growth, expressed by Piketty as the relation r > g. If true, this relation means that the wealthy class'who are the predominant owners of capital'will grow their wealth faster than economies grow, which means that relatively speaking, the nonwealthy …

Identification And Biosensing Application Of Molecular Recognition Elements, Ka Lok Hong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Molecular recognition elements (MREs) are biomolecules such as single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), RNA, small peptides and antibody fragments that can bind to user defined targets with high affinities and specificities. This binding property allows MREs to have a wide range of applications, including therapeutic, diagnostic, and biosensor applications. The identification of MREs can be achieved by using the process called Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). This process begins with a large library of 109 to 1015 different random molecules, molecules that bind to the user defined target or positive target are enriched in the process. Subsequently, this process …

The Making Of Natal: Defensive Institutions And State Formation In Nineteenth Century Southern Africa, Jacob Mckinnon Ivey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation establishes an understanding of how the defensive institutions of the colony of Natal were formed in the context of the emerging British Empire in Southern Africa during the mid-nineteenth century, the parameters of their organization, and their contributions and influences to the institutions which characterized Natal as a colonial state. Paying particular attention to the organization of colonial defence, including the complexities of African contributions to colonial rule and white solutions to questions of security and defence in the emerging colonial state of Natal, a clearer picture of the manner in which Natal defined itself and its place …

Two-Faced: Bringing Two Roles To Life In Kurt Weill's "Street Scene", Vincent Pelligrino

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis is the culmination of my process, rehearsal and performance of two roles in Kurt Weill's American opera Street Scene. This document serves to describe my process from casting to closing night. It is also a reflection of my work, and reveals information about my education in creating character, and the role of leadership in a large production. This is my process and romantic encounter with Kurt Weill's Street Scene.

Defensive Force Against Non-State Actors: The State Of Play, Monica Hakimi

Faculty Scholarship

On September 22, 2014, a U.S.-led coalition began airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State in Syria. At the same time, the United States started targeting the Khorasan group in Syria. These two operations raise (again) the question of when States may use defensive force against non-State actors in other States. The text of the United Nations Charter does not resolve the question. Article 2(4) prohibits States from using force “against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.” Article 51 then recognizes “the inherent right to …

Fault Tolerance Analysis Of L1 Adaptive Control System For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Kiruthika Krishnamoorthy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Trajectory tracking is a critical element for the better functionality of autonomous vehicles. The main objective of this research study was to implement and analyze L1 adaptive control laws for autonomous flight under normal and upset flight conditions. The West Virginia University (WVU) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flight simulation environment was used for this purpose. A comparison study between the L1 adaptive controller and a baseline conventional controller, which relies on position, proportional, and integral compensation, has been performed for a reduced size jet aircraft, the WVU YF-22. Special attention was given to the performance of the proposed control laws in …

The Influences Of Participation In An Elite Paralympic Military Program On The Self-Identity Of Active Duty Service Members With Acquired Disabilities, Lindsay M. Hammond

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background/Purpose: To explore the lived experiences of active duty service members with acquired disabilities that participated in an elite military sport program to gain an enhanced perspective on how elite sport programming influences self-identity post injury. Methods: A phenomenological approach was employed, using a three phase semi-structured interview protocol to capture military journeys of four (4) service members who had sustained a physical disability as the result of a combat injury and chose to remain on active duty status as a part of a specialized unit designed to prepare service members for the Paralympics. Results: Three themes were identified with …

The Social, Anti-Social Network: A Qualitative Study On Pro Social Benefits Of Online Multiplayer Gaming, Kent L. Hastings

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using the social capital and uses and gratifications perspectives, this study employs a qualitative, interview-based approach to studying the pro-social benefits of online multiplayer gaming.Through in-depth interviews, this study contributes to the literature of pro-social benefits of online multiplayer gaming by corroborating past research with evidence that online multiplayer gaming fosters the generation of social capital, both bridging and bonding, and cultural capital. Further, online gaming offers players a sense of community, provides them the tools to form and work together in coordinated teams, and allows them to feel a sense of mastery, excitement, and accomplishment with each in-game victory.

Control Design And Performance Analysis For Autonomous Formation Flight Experimentss, Caleb Michael Rice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Autonomous Formation Flight is a key approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing traffic in future high density airspace. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) have made it possible for the physical demonstration and validation of autonomous formation flight concepts inexpensively and eliminates the flight risk to human pilots. This thesis discusses the design, implementation, and flight testing of three different formation flight control methods, Proportional Integral and Derivative (PID); Fuzzy Logic (FL); and NonLinear Dynamic Inversion (NLDI), and their respective performance behavior. Experimental results show achievable autonomous formation flight and performance quality with a pair of low-cost unmanned research fixed …

Cultivating Intelligent Consumption: The United States Food Administration And Food Control During World War I, James H. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines government food control in the United States during the First World War. More specifically, it looks at the food conservation program, and the associated propaganda, formulated by the United States Food Administration (USFA). The USFA was a wartime government agency headed by future president Herbert Hoover. I argue that the philosophy guiding the Food Administration's food control program was clearly influenced by a particular strain of progressivism that men like Hoover subscribed to. Using the input of experts in various fields such as nutrition, physiology, and advertising, the government was able to present a message to the …