Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Did The Change In Snap Ebt Benefits In Response To Covid-19 Affect Poverty, Snap Participation, And Food Insecurity Rates?, Paige Thing

2024 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is one of the most important welfare programs the United States government offers. In fiscal year 2015, one in every seven Americans received SNAP assistance. Previously called food stamps as they were first introduced with the passing of the Food and Agriculture Act in 1977, this program has been helping individuals struggling with food insecurity for decades (Ziliak 2016). Benefits are no longer dispersed with physical stamps, restricting what households can and cannot buy. Now benefits are distributed via a debit card-type system. This is where the EBT gets added to the program …

Book Review: The New Immigrant Whiteness: Race, Neoliberalism, And Post-Soviet Migration To The United States, By Claudia Sadowski-Smith, Tim Engles

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

How Do Gender Focused Political Action Campaigns, Such As Emily’S List, Contribute To The Number Of Women Running For Office?, Paige Franzen

Student Honors Theses

2018 is already being called the “Year of the Woman.” As we begin to see political movements rise such as the #MeToo movement, or #TimesUp, women of all socioeconomic statues, cultures, political parties, and ages come together to bring awareness to women’s issues, such as the gender pay gap, sexual assault and harassment, and the misrepresentation of women in politics. One political action committee, EMILY’s list, works to elect democratic, pro-choice, female candidates to all levels of state and local office. According to their mission statement, EMILY’S List, which is an acronym that stands for “Early Money is Like Yeast,” …

Access Or Exclusion? An Analysis Of State Reproductive Rights And Comprehensive Sex Education, Sam Gilbert

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In 2009, Colorado successfully decreased their abortion rate among minors and at-risk teenagers through a privately-funded trial. This outcome was realized by offering affordable, accessible, and comprehensive reproductive healthcare options, specifically long-acting reversible contraception, to young women. Reproductive rights is an issue at the forefront of political discussion, often a determining factor for party identification. The controversy of reproductive rights--in particular, abortion--leads to a higher reliance on hear-say, instead of peer-reviewed literature, statistics, and legislation. In order to gain a well-balanced understanding of abortion politics, I compare three Midwestern states--Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota--to determine their respective policy successes and shortcomings. …

In A Bind: The Role Of Transgender Health Care Coverage In Politics, Lucas Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Concealed Carry In The Show-Me State: Do Voters Who Favor Right-To-Carry Legislation End Up Packing Heat?, Linda Ghent, Alan Grant

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Objectives – The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between a public vote on the right-to-carry concealed weapons in the state of Missouri and the subsequent demand for concealed-carry permits. Methods – Weighted logit analysis of the referendum vote and the proportion of the population holding concealed-carry permits was performed to investigate the factors that influence them. Results – We find vast differences in the factors that significantly influenced the vote and the decision to hold a concealed-carry permit. Crime rates are positively related to the vote, but have no influence on the decision to carry. Conclusions …

The Effect Of Welfare Policies And Hardships On Participation Rates Among The Poor, Matthew W. Cain

Undergraduate Honors Theses

For several decades, a new political prospective has emerged in the Political Science literature - Policy Feedback Theory. Put simply, Policy Feedback Theory looks at the way public policy affects politics. Existing policies can define the political environment, shaping the capacities, interests, and beliefs of political elites and states, which in tum influence the next round of policy-making. However, does public policy only change the politics of elites and states? Can public policy also change the politics of mass publics? Recent Political Science researchers are now examining this question.

Even though much ground has been gained in examining this question, …

Personal Roots Of Representation: Applying Burden's Model To Female Leaders In State Legislatures, Lindsey Juszczak

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The role of women in politics is not a new concern in the United States. However, the number of women being elected into leadership positions at all levels of government is growing. Reasons for women's political drive and ambition stem from various aspects of their life. Barry Burden believes that the roots of personal representation like a representative's religion, education, and home life are important factors that drive politicians in their careers. Burden's model can be used to understand why women in leadership roles are motivated in a certain way to represent and respond to constituents. Specifically, this research studies …

Millennial Issues And Millennial Voters: The Opinions Of Today's Youth, John Proffitt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Home Rule And Environmentalism: The Adoption Of Green Initiatives In U.S. Municipalities, Luke Eastin

2013 Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity - Documents

In recent years there has been a movement in academia from studying environmental policy on the national level to a much narrower examination of local municipalities and their respective green initiatives. The implications of this research reach well beyond the borders of academics and hit squarely municipalities and their corresponding local policy makers. We, as political scientists, must ask what particular characteristics of municipalities play the most significant role in green initiative adoption. Recent urban scholarship has suggested several variables that influence the adoption of environmental policies, but one specific variable, municipality home rule status, has had little to no …

Changes In United States Diplomacy: How International Development And An Increasing Military Role Is Challenging The Relevance Of U.S. Ambassadors, Jennifer M. Prillaman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Who Shapes The Classroom? A Case Study Of Congress, The President, And Their Motivations For Involvement In Federal Educational Policy, Kyle Swalls

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines three major influences on legislative and presidential decision-making. These three influences are 1) an officeholder's personal views, generated by socialization and experiences prior to holding office, 2) the political institutions, which speak to the complexities and many actors involved who shape the prioritization of issues, and 3) an office-holder's responsibility to a constituency which is motivated by reelection hopes. To create this model, a case study of four members of the U.S. House of Representatives and President Barack Obama was conducted regarding their involvement with federal educational policy. This framework can be further developed for the purpose …

The 'Truthiness' Of The 'Daily Show Effect': A Presidency Study, Holly Thomas

2011 Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity - Documents

News-gathering for the American public changed in the past decade with a decline in trust for journalists and news media (Jones 2009), technology advancement (Haynes and Pitts 2009), and entertainment becoming a priority (Jones 2009; Haynes and Pitts 2009; Baumgartner and Morris 2006; Colletta 2009). Television, radio, and newspapers (the traditional media) are still used today with broadcast and cable television being the dominate news source (Colletta 2009; Haynes and Pitts 2009), however, an increased amount of Americans utilize the internet for their news information through what is known as new media, referring to Web blogs and social networks. Haynes …

Art Of Representation: Portraits Of The Founding Fathers, Ellen Kathryn Corrigan

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Text panel from “The Art of Representation: Portraits of the Founding Fathers,” a local exhibit in support of the Booth Library installation of the ALA-PPO/NEH traveling exhibition Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World, on display January 12-February 25, 2011.

Art Of Representation: Portraits Of The Founding Fathers, Ellen Corrigan

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Text panel from “The Art of Representation: Portraits of the Founding Fathers,” a local exhibit in support of the Booth Library installation of the ALA-PPO/NEH traveling exhibition Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World, on display January 12-February 25, 2011.

War Powers In The Obama Administration, Ryan Hendrickson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

With the arrival of a new American president in 2009, the power and constitutional authority of the commander in chief to engage in military action remains as relevant as ever. Barack Obama inherited a war in Iraq, has worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to initiate a 17,000 American combat troop surge in Afghanistan in March 2009 and another increase of 30,000 personnel later that year, more than doubling the total American presence. He also permitted American Navy Seals to use force against Somali pirates in the first months of his presidency. In addition, nuclear development and proliferation concerns …

War Powers In The Obama Administration, Ryan C. Hendrickson Dr.

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

With the arrival of a new American president in 2009, the power and constitutional authority of the commander in chief to engage in military action remains as relevant as ever. Barack Obama inherited a war in Iraq, has worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to initiate a 17,000 American combat troop surge in Afghanistan in March 2009 and another increase of 30,000 personnel later that year, more than doubling the total American presence. He also permitted American Navy Seals to use force against Somali pirates in the first months of his presidency. In addition, nuclear development and proliferation concerns …

Pass The Plate: The Legend & Legacy Of United States Congressman Kenneth J. Gray, Marleis A. Trover

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Pass the Plate, the Legend and Legacy of United States Congressman, Kenneth J. Gray is told by stories that showcase one the most effective Congress-man of the Twentieth Century--the Congressman that made deals to actualize his visions and the visions of individuals who identified the nation's common good. Kenny was an ordinary person from an ordinary place that was able to accomplish extraordinary things for the people. As writers, the primary strategy of this book is to convey his success from the perspective of two citizen educators.

For any organization to succeed, the leader must provide hope--hope that something better …

John Kerry As Commander-In-Chief: War Powers In A Kerry Administration, Ryan C. Hendrickson Dr.

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Unlike many previous presidential elections, in 2004 foreign policy issues are at the forefront of the American policy and electoral agenda. Not since the Vietnam era has the United States entered an election year with the United States at such a heightened state of war, with ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as covert operations deployed around the world to wage the war on terrorism. After nearly one full term with George W. Bush as commander in chief, his views on constitutional war powers have been expressed on numerous occasions. Bush, like his post World War II …

John Kerry As Commander-In-Chief: War Powers In A Kerry Administration, Ryan Hendrickson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Unlike many previous presidential elections, in 2004 foreign policy issues are at the forefront of the American policy and electoral agenda. Not since the Vietnam era has the United States entered an election year with the United States at such a heightened state of war, with ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as covert operations deployed around the world to wage the war on terrorism. After nearly one full term with George W. Bush as commander in chief, his views on constitutional war powers have been expressed on numerous occasions. Bush, like his post World War II …