Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Analyzing Government-Resident Communication Methods In The City Of Bangor, Jaymi Thibault

Honors College

The objective of this study is to analyze the communication preferences of Bangor residents, with a particular focus on two of Bangor’s largest demographics, renters and residents aged 60 or older. Based on results from existing literature, it was hypothesized that both renters and elderly residents of Bangor would be less satisfied with the city’s communication efforts than the general population, due to less knowledgeability of municipal information and limited internet access, respectively. 510 residents participated in an online survey that asked residents to describe their preferences regarding city communication methods. In addition to the survey, a series of six …

The Role And Rhetoric Of Interest Groups In Obergefell V. Hodges’ Amicus Briefs, Heidi Mills

Honors College

This thesis explores the expression of polarization surrounding the most recent same-sex marriage case in the Supreme Court, Obergefell v. Hodges. 28 amicus briefs, submitted from interested groups and concerned individuals in support of either the petitioners or the respondents, were analyzed for the major points of concurrence and disagreement between the two sides. The aim of the study was to come to a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which both sides express their arguments either for or against same-sex marriage. What the findings of the content analysis suggest is that interest groups on both side of the …

Personalities & Traditional Political Participation In Young Adults, 18–24, Abigail Pratico

Honors College

This thesis investigates the different political patterns that young adults have in comparison to older generations, and certain personality or attitudinal traits that may encourage traditional participation through voting or joining a political party. Previous research in this field suggests many different factors that encourage or inhibit participation. Parental influence and declining trust in government are considered to be two of the largest indicators of whether a young adult will decide to participate in politics in a traditional way. This thesis will provide an alternative explanation to why we see lower participation in politics for young adults, by exploring the …

Determining An Expected House Majority Using Pattern Analysis, Jesse T. Clark

Honors College

Since the early 1800s, state committees and legislatures have been drawing districts in order to win elections by splitting and grouping populations to promote their chances of victory, a process called gerrymandering. Little consensus can be found in past work as some studies claim that current partisan gridlock is partially related to this procedure, while other works have found that sorting and the spatial distribution of partisanship account for gridlock. This exercise seeks to measure the impact of gerrymandering by comparing the party makeup of the current U.S. House delegation to the natural partisan makeup of a state as determined …

A Comparison Of The Experiences Of Economic Adaptation And Integration For Refugees And Asylum Seekers In Maine, Grace Kiffney

Honors College

The migration of refugees and asylum seekers affects them and the communities where they resettle, as people from different backgrounds and cultures come together. In the United States, the federally funded refugee resettlement program supports refugees with welfare benefits, case management, and other services to assist with integration. However, no such federal program exists for asylum seekers, who are considered displaced people, but who have not received immigration status as refugees. This project sought to answer the question: How is the experience of supporting oneself different and similar for refugees and asylum seekers, in the context of Maine?

Research involved …

The Triad Of Nationality Revisited: The Orthodox Church And The State In Post-Soviet Russia, Robert D. Potts

Honors College

The Orthodox Church has been intimately wrapped up in the Russian state since Russia’s conversion to Christianity in 988. The relationship between the two is most succinctly wrapped up in Tsar Nicholas I’s so-called triad: “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality.” This paper seeks to explain the manner in which the Orthodox Church reasserted itself as a force in Russian politics after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 up through the first administration of President Vladimir Putin. The church under Patriarch Alexy powerfully reinserted itself into affairs of state during the August 1991 coup attempt, while its relationship with the …