Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Longitudinal Study Of Lgbtq-Rights Interest Groups, Pacs, And State Rights, Jennifer Ann Dobbins

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Choice Is Yours: A Study Of The East Tennessee Voter's Decision Process, Alice E. Brading

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The National Security Presidency In The Post-9/11 World, Thomas C. Scandlyn

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Strategic Mediation: The Domestic Influences And Constraints On Diplomacy, James Preston Todhunter

Doctoral Dissertations

Mediation theory has developed separately from mainstream theories explaining foreign policy. Specifically, mediator motivations and constraints have often been overlooked. I extend an argument explaining mediator motivations, and thus mediation occurrence and strategy, in terms of domestic political institutions and leader performance. The notion that leaders use foreign policy in order to help further their domestic fortunes and those of their party is widely accepted in the international relations literature, as is the notion that political survival is pre-eminent in any leader’s decision-making calculus. Scholars have also shown that leaders shift their focus to foreign policy when institutional factors, such …

The Role Of The Party Record In Elections For The House Of Representatives, 1970-2008, Matthew Thomas Gross

Doctoral Dissertations

Much scholarly attention has been devoted to the role of political parties in Congress. One of the major theories of party legislative organization is cartel theory. Cartel theory assumes that each legislative party possesses a party record or reputation, which influences the election prospects for all members of the party. It provides an electoral incentive to encourage cooperation among party members in a single chamber of Congress.

Congressional scholars have paid little attention to the party record. In the following chapters, I bring together the desultory scholarly research on the party record and examine the impact of the party record …

The Power To Regulate: State Vs. Federal Authority In Immigration Law, Mallory E. Young

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Equality Of Participation: A Rawlsian Critique Of U.S. Federal Campaign Finance, Spenser Flinn Powell

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Determinants Of Supreme Court Decision-Making: An Ideal Point Analysis, Colin Ross Glennon

Doctoral Dissertations

The relationships among governmental institutions are some of the most studied phenomena in political science. Yet these complex interactions remain largely unexplained due to the difficult task of developing accurate measures that lead to quantifiable tests that enhance explanation and prediction. This work centers on the interactions of United States Supreme Court justices with other political actors. The goal of this dissertation is to better understand the relationship between the Supreme Court and its institutional environment. In short, I ask: What factors affect Supreme Court justices’ voting decisions?

I approach this question from several different angles while making use of …

The Effect Of U.S. Intervention On Political Rights And Civil Liberties, William T. Bedford Jr.

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Political Communication In A Digital Age: 2011 Tea Party Senators And Social Media, Kaitlyn M. Barrett

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Spokes, Pyramids, And Chiefs Of Staff: Howard H. Baker, Jr. And The Reagan Presidency, Michael Lee Haynes

Doctoral Dissertations

One of the most compelling areas of research when considering the modern presidency is the role of the White House chief of staff (COS) and the direct impact it has on the presidency. The office of the president’s chief of staff is often referred to as the power behind the throne. Chiefs of staff exercise great authority and control within the White House Office (WHO) functioning as a filter or gatekeeper strictly controlling the access of information and people reaching the president. The COS is also one of the president’s closest advisers. James Baker, former chief of staff for …

Governmental Fragmentation And Rural Sprawl: Case Studies Examining Governmental Structure And Limited Public Choice, Daniel C. Carter

Doctoral Dissertations

Marion County, Tennessee was formed in 1817 and currently all seven cities within its boundaries combined account for 34,202 (thousand) acres. Within a short period time, Marion County will experience over 40,000 (thousand) acres of traditional forestland being converted to private, rural residential development. These former forested tracts are all located in remote areas of the county with very few existing public services. The intent of this dissertation is to demonstrate how government structure and funding mechanisms result in a type of rural sprawl that is rapidly fragmenting thousands of acres throughout Tennessee and the United States as timber companies …

Elements Of Postfeminism: The Current Landscape Of American Politics?, Laura Delorenzo Denison

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to establish the meaning and definition of postfeminism along with an assessment of whether it accurately represents the current era of thinking. It is an historical, descriptive, qualitative analysis of the feminist movement from its inception with the central focus on the newest strand of feminist thought, postfeminism. The progression toward these conclusions entails an outlining of the waves of feminism and the strands of thought within these eras as well as a discussion of third wave feminism, modern feminism and generational differences between the waves. The focus on postfeminism begins with an exploration …

The Political Roles Of Presidential Children: Kennedy Through Clinton, Tabitha Alissa Warters

Doctoral Dissertations

Many facets of the institution of the presidency warrant examination. Individual presidents, cabinets, staffs, and first ladies have all been studied in-depth, but one aspect of the presidency remains fundamentally unexplored: the political activities of presidential children.

Role analysis using case studies was the method of examination used. Role analysis was the method used in early studies on first ladies and is replicated in this study on presidential children. The basic assumption is that all presidential children from Kennedy through Clinton have performed political roles. By examining the repeated political activities of the 24 presidential children, five political roles were …

Andrew Johnson And The Patronage, James Lewis Baumgardner

Doctoral Dissertations

The Constitution bestows upon the president the right to make appointments "by and with the advice and consent of the Senate" to federal position at home and abroad. Over the passage of time, through free use of this power and the implied power of removal, the several chief executives constructed a vast patronage system, of which one primary goal was to reward the party faithful for their services. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine how well Andrew Johnson, the unexpected successor of Abraham Lincoln, used the seemingly powerful patronage weapon and the reasons why he used it as …