Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

European Integration And The Expansion Of The European Union: Identity Formation In Europe, Aaron P. Boesenecker

Honors Theses

The states of Europe and the European Union are facing one of the greatest challenges since the founding of the European Community in the 1950s. The collapse of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War have served to strengthen the position of the European Union as a guarantor of democracy, peace, and fundamental human rights in Europe. However, crises such as the Balkan conflicts of recent years have also exposed inherent weaknesses in the Union's ability to respond to the changing international environment. As the Amsterdam Treaty entered into effect on 1 May 1999, the EU marked a …

The Future Of Banking: A Political Analysis For 1999 And Beyond, John Maffey

Masters Theses

This study focuses on the cycle of politics and banking by analyzing the relationship amongst the three primary actors within the domestic financial subsystem; regulatory agencies, the banking industry, and members of Congress. The cycle consists of three stages; loosening or deregulatory behavior, tightening or reregulatory activity, and re-loosening, which is a return to deregulation. Legislation does not distinguish the stages, rather it ratifies existing behavior. Prior to legislative action, regulators grant bankers similar authority in an effort to enhance profitability or fend off competitors. Regulatory agencies provide mostly objective, non-partisan advice to Congress and supervision of the industry, acting …

Women And Work: An Analysis Of The Sociological And Historical Trends Of Maternity Leave Policies In The U.S., Gina M. Schrader

Honors Theses

This paper presents an analysis of maternity rights and regulations within the context of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993. First, I will define the legislation while observing the sociological and historical significance of the legislation. Second, I will analyze maternity leave policies of the modern working environment and address the increasing involvement of women within the workforce. Finally, I will examine the needs that are unmet within current policies and the possible alternatives.

In The Service Of Market Socialism: The Quest For A Welfare Model In China, Bong-Ho Mok, Jitong Liu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The socialist market economy in China has brought about impressive economic growth. It has also resulted in serious social problems such as unemployment, deteriorating family relations, prostitution, and poverty among the disadvantaged groups. This paper discusses a welfare model proposed by the Chinese Government to contain the destabilizing effects of the social problems and to serve the newly adopted market socialism. The authors argue that although this welfare model is still very much residual by western standards, it is a big step forward in building a modern Chinese welfare system.

Legislators' Perceptions About Poverty: Views From The Georgia General Assembly, Elizabeth L. Beck, Deborah M. Whitley, James L. Wolk

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study sought to explore legislators perspectives about causes of poverty. Members of the Georgia General Assembly rated the importance of 10 behavioral and structural explanations of poverty, and indicated whether they thought poor women and children would be better served under AFDC or TANF. Whereas all groups of legislators found behavioral explanations moderately important, there was significant variation by race, gender, and political party about the importance of structural explanations of poverty. Support for several structural explanations of poverty correlated with a preference for AFDC, but no correlations were found with behavioral explanations. This study holds implications for affecting …

The Study Of Political And Economic Reforms In Ghana, John L. Adedeji

Masters Theses

The dual transition program of Ghanaian political economy was put in place as a result of Ghana's huge external debts, its balance of payments problems, and the critical shortage of foreign exchange resulting from years of financial management by seven regimes (civilian and military) that ruled the West African nation since its independence in 1957. Taken together, these problems tilted the balance of power in favor of external actors, including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The study focuses on the dual strategy of macroeconomic measures and structural adjustments. The study then evaluates: (a) the policy components of the …

Political Violence In The United States: Apocalyptic Typologies Of Left And Right Wing Political Groups And Their Violence Through The Period 1990-1997, Gordon Daniel Green

Masters Theses

Historically the study of apocalyptic groups has occupied the "exotic fringe" of political science (Flanagan 1996). With the use of textual analysis, historical description, and participant observation as its main research methods, there has been little progress made in the study of these groups. By using data analysis of incidents of violence to compare the violent actions of apocalyptic groups, a better understanding of reasons for the use of violence by these groups can be found.

Six apocalyptic groups are studied and categorized into a typology of apocalypticism. The Rescue Movement and End-Times Religious occupy the Supernatural type, Militia/Patriot and …

The Machtpolitik Doctrine From Antiquity To Present, Brian Abendshein

Masters Theses

The thesis is an archival study of international relations. This thesis will analyze the Machtpolitik, or power politics, doctrine from its beginnings in Plato's Republic to the present day. In considering this evolution the thesis will seek to address the following three main questions. First, does traditional machtpolitik doctrine still exist today? Second, has the rise of democratic systems of government limited the effectiveness of diplomacy? Third, what are the causes of international instability? The debate over these questions in modern times is framed by three main factions: Idealists, Descriptive Realists, and Normative Realists. Each of these positions will be …