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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
316 - How A Student's Demographics Influences Their Knowledge Of Global Affairs, Emily Schofield
316 - How A Student's Demographics Influences Their Knowledge Of Global Affairs, Emily Schofield
GREAT Day Posters
Through examining the intersection of identities of the public and global affairs, we can better understand the public's knowledge to advance policy and actions directly applicable to the constituency by state or non-state actors. Through my research in the McNair Program, I have focused on the demographics of students in relation to their knowledge and understanding of global affairs by examining their backgrounds, interests, and involvement within student life.
096— Concealed Carry Laws Throughout The United States, Carver Kozlowski
096— Concealed Carry Laws Throughout The United States, Carver Kozlowski
GREAT Day Posters
Explaining the variance in states’ concealed carry laws (referring to the practice of carrying a handgun in public in a concealed fashion) is a topic that remains underexplored in academic literature. This study looks at nine variables—political, gun and crime-related, economic, and education-related—and uses a multinomial logistic regression analysis to detect differences between states with more or less restrictive concealed carry laws. Out of these variables, only two statistically significant relationships were found: states with the least restrictive concealed carry laws had fewer Republicans in the upper house of their state legislatures (this result was unexpected) and had higher gun …
283— Universal Basic Income: The Answer To Poverty?, Carver Kozlowski
283— Universal Basic Income: The Answer To Poverty?, Carver Kozlowski
GREAT Day Posters
In the wake of a global pandemic, increased workplace automation and competitiveness, and unprecedented levels of income inequality, welfare reform is among the most salient political issues of the day. As of November 2020, 11.7 percent of Americans are living under the poverty line and an astounding 63 percent report living paycheck-to paycheck-since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. One possible solution is the implementation of a nation-wide universal basic income (UBI) system. UBI is a relatively new term in American political vocabulary, garnering increased attention during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries. This paper argues that UBI should be taken …
277— Demands Of The 99%: The Impact Of Protest In Contemporary American Democracy, Dylan Walgate
277— Demands Of The 99%: The Impact Of Protest In Contemporary American Democracy, Dylan Walgate
GREAT Day Posters
Frederick Douglass once said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” In American politics, one method of making those demands has been organizing and engaging in social protest. In contemporary politics, this has manifested with protests like the 2011 Occupy Movement, the 2018 March for Our Lives, or the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. These movements have all dominated headlines, and contributed to shaping public discourse on the issues (or at times even polarizing the electorate), and thus affecting elections, and subsequent legislation. This research will use case studies to examine how mass social protests can, and have already, influenced American …
209— The Academic Achievement Abyss, Madeline M. Rivera
209— The Academic Achievement Abyss, Madeline M. Rivera
GREAT Day Posters
The policy problem that centers this research is the academic achievement gap in United States schools. The achievement gap refers to any significant and/or persistent disparity in academic performance or educational attainment between different groups of students, such as white students and students of color, for example, or students from higher-income and lower-income. The statistics provided within this poster showcase how the novel Corona Virus Pandemic has widened already existing gaps in academic achievement between white students and students of color. This research allows us to propose a public policy change to combat the abyss forming between the measurable academic …
030— Introducing A Proportional Representation System Of Voting In The U.S., Madison Burns
030— Introducing A Proportional Representation System Of Voting In The U.S., Madison Burns
GREAT Day Posters
The current voting system in the United States exhibits numerous flaws that weaken American democracy. Presently, the U.S. operates a winner-take-all voting system through single-member districts. Consequently, those who did not cast their vote for the winner are effectively not represented in American government. This problem is felt mostly by minorities and introduces a lack of trust into the voting system, increases political hostility, and expands the influence of gerrymandering. Through a poster presentation, I propose that these issues could be vastly improved by instituting a proportional representation ranked-choice voting system in the United States. This method of voting allows …
279— President Biden's Stimulus Package Aims To Decrease Americans In Poverty, Tyler Schneider
279— President Biden's Stimulus Package Aims To Decrease Americans In Poverty, Tyler Schneider
GREAT Day Posters
How will President Biden’s stimulus package affect Americans living in poverty? This $1.9 trillion package was just recently signed into law by President Biden this month. President Biden argues that this plan will cut child poverty in half which would be the largest reduction in recent history. The stimulus plan includes direct checks, tax breaks and extended benefits for unemployment. These benefits are temporary and there for be analyzed whether or not this will allow for Americans to live out of poverty for the long term and whether these benefits should be made permeant.
280— Bureaucracy And Inefficiency: Failures Of Cercla In Protecting Indigenous Communities, Mikaela Burke
280— Bureaucracy And Inefficiency: Failures Of Cercla In Protecting Indigenous Communities, Mikaela Burke
GREAT Day Posters
In 1983, The Environmental Protection Agency created the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The main goal of which is to protect human health and the environment by holding liable parties accountable for hazardous waste contamination. While CERCLA has been able to clean up many of the sites on their National Priorities List, it has failed to address many as well. Persistent problems with slow-moving bureaucratic structures and expensive oversight costs have forced people out of their homes, subjected them to long-term and short-term health problems, and have created an unlivable environment, particularly for those who rely on …
421— Examining Statewide Participation In Early Voting Regulations, Juliana Kuryla
421— Examining Statewide Participation In Early Voting Regulations, Juliana Kuryla
GREAT Day Posters
This research seeks to explain the variance across the federal system in regards to a states choice to adopt early voting regulations. An analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on early voting was also done to display its impact on the 2020 election cycle.
082— The Importance Of An Unbiased Media For American Democracy: An Analysis Of Media Affecting Public Opinion, Keith Hurley
082— The Importance Of An Unbiased Media For American Democracy: An Analysis Of Media Affecting Public Opinion, Keith Hurley
GREAT Day Posters
A free and unbiased media is a cornerstone of any properly functioning democracy. It is the primary means of information transfer between the federal government and its constituents on policy matters. While there are a number of democratic countries around the world that have taken steps to limit press freedom, thereby moving away from a full democratic system, the United States has, for the most part, not been one of them. However, mass media in the United States is far from perfect, and in some instances can be damaging to American society and democracy itself. I will conduct a literature …
316— Transgender Healthcare Policy In The United States, Aiden Budinski
316— Transgender Healthcare Policy In The United States, Aiden Budinski
GREAT Day Posters
My research question is how does American social welfare policy address transgender individuals in healthcare? This is an important issue because social welfare policies that focus on healthcare in America tend not to include transgender individuals at all or specific transgender medical procedures, like hormone-replacement therapy or sex reassignment surgery (SRS). I will look at access to healthcare for transgender patients, specifically regarding access to hormone therapy, mental health services, and SRS. For example, Medicare eliminated restrictions for SRS for transgender individuals; however, approval of this treatment is determined on a case-by-case basis. For my research, I will look at …
260— Necessary Reform In The Child Welfare System, Amy Lynch
260— Necessary Reform In The Child Welfare System, Amy Lynch
GREAT Day Posters
This paper will examine and explore solutions to fix the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). In Los Angeles County, California, there has been numerous situations where the children are not being checked on regularly and that results in them living in unsafe environments. These children are not removed from an unsafe home immediately. Some of the DCFS social workers do not complete neglect checks in a timely manner or even visit the home once. According the Los Angeles Daily News, an audit of practices in 2017 and 2018 revealed that 72% of social workers completed the necessary safety …
266— Decisively Polarized: An Examination Of Polarization In Contemporary American Politics, Sophia Modugno
266— Decisively Polarized: An Examination Of Polarization In Contemporary American Politics, Sophia Modugno
GREAT Day Posters
Today’s political climate in the United States is decisively polarized. This polarization is dividing the United States in numerous ways, including - though not limited to - along partisan lines, socioeconomically, and racially. These aforementioned divides are resulting in issues from legislative stalemates to mass social unrest. One must beg the questions of how the United States became so decisively polarized, and if it is possible to reduce this polarization and unite the nation. This poster explores the historical context surrounding the current levels of polarization, the impacts of it on society as well as in government, and possible policy …
220— Affirmative Action As Part Of Educational Reform In The U.S, Yadariselt Romano
220— Affirmative Action As Part Of Educational Reform In The U.S, Yadariselt Romano
GREAT Day Posters
Affirmative action is one of the most controversial topics in American politics as many groups fight for more expansive affirmative action while other groups are calling for their complete removal. Affirmative action in higher education is a series of policies that were enacted by the US government to ensure that historically underrepresented people were able to obtain academic opportunities from which they have been historically excluded from. However, almost sixty-one years later after the implementation of the first policies approved by JFK, has anything changed? This research will aim to evaluate whether various affirmative action policies across several states have …
087— Run Like A Girl: Why Women Don't Run For Election, Angela Van Pelt
087— Run Like A Girl: Why Women Don't Run For Election, Angela Van Pelt
GREAT Day Posters
Women are running for office more frequently than they have in the past. However, women are still running less than men and do not yet hold equal representation in Congress.
031— Identity Politics In America: The Role Of Catholicism And Its Implications, Jessica Buffamonti
031— Identity Politics In America: The Role Of Catholicism And Its Implications, Jessica Buffamonti
GREAT Day Posters
My research paper and its corresponding informative poster with the paper’s highlights details the role of religion in American identity politics, specifically that of the Christian Catholic Church. Identity politics leads to individuals (the electorate and the elected officials alike) making political decisions, forming policy stances, and choosing partisanship to help those most similar to them as well as what reflects them most. It even provokes those with said social identity characteristics to protest their beliefs as a reaction to certain policies and potential policy changes out of their favor. I will examine how Catholic religious beliefs play a role …
259— Housing As A Human Right: Addressing Family Homelessness In New York City, Alberta Eshenour
259— Housing As A Human Right: Addressing Family Homelessness In New York City, Alberta Eshenour
GREAT Day Posters
New York City has the largest homeless population in the United States. In fiscal year 2019, 132,660 New Yorkers entered the New York City municipality including 44,300 children. Families with children accounted for 70% of this population. These data represent an 80% increase in family homelessness since 2002 and make clear the fact the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness goal to end family homelessness by 2020 has not been guided by proper social policy in the City of New York. The Bloomberg and De Blasio Administrations represent two extremely different ideologies, however, neither administration, to this point, has been …
327— Identity Politics Within The Supreme Court, Anne Marren
327— Identity Politics Within The Supreme Court, Anne Marren
GREAT Day Posters
Identity politics leads to individuals making political decisions to help those most similar to them. This leads to underlying bias towards those in your racial and socioeconomic group. The Supreme Court has been notorious for a lack of diversity on the bench. I will explore the consequences of this and how it has resulted in withdrawing civil rights away from certain groups.
306— The National Popular Vote Plan: A Possible Course Of Reform For The Electoral College, Ian Kirkpatrick
306— The National Popular Vote Plan: A Possible Course Of Reform For The Electoral College, Ian Kirkpatrick
GREAT Day Posters
Does the Electoral College establish a system to elect U.S. presidents that truly represents the will of U.S. citizens? This question is subject to much debate in political science. Advocates of Electoral College reform assert that it fails to uphold the democratic principle of majority rule. One possible course of reform is the National Popular Vote Plan, in which member states pledge to award their Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote. In order to determine the validity of this proposal, the advantages and disadvantages of this reform must be considered.
410— Analysis Of Public Opinion On Social Welfare Programs In The United States, Timothy Condon
410— Analysis Of Public Opinion On Social Welfare Programs In The United States, Timothy Condon
GREAT Day Posters
Political platforms on social welfare issues that directly affect the lives of millions of citizens can make or break a candidate’s campaign for office. Therefore, it is important to view and understand public opinion towards these programs. Not only the general public’s attitudes, but the attitudes of specific sub-groups as well, such as political affiliation, ideology, age, gender, race, religion, education, and class. The opinions of sub-groups have important implications for how candidates will campaign on social welfare issues and how policymakers will shape public policy regarding welfare programs. This paper will both summarize and analyze datasets of public opinion …
395— Problems Of Representation: How Reforms Can Change Democracy, Vincent Meccariello
395— Problems Of Representation: How Reforms Can Change Democracy, Vincent Meccariello
GREAT Day Posters
The electoral system in America is inherently undemocratic due to campaign finance corruption and the electoral college. Due to super PACs and large corporations donating unlimited money to fund campaigns, the values and opinions of citizens aren’t being heard. I propose four changes to the electoral system that would give substantial power to every American citizen, as well as theorize the impact of such drastic change. I attempt to summarize what reforms are and how they highlight the corruption in certain aspects of the American electorate system.
219— Insuring America's Youth: Examining The Success Of Medicaid And Chip Coverage, James Mcglynn
219— Insuring America's Youth: Examining The Success Of Medicaid And Chip Coverage, James Mcglynn
GREAT Day Posters
Children make up 23% of the nation’s total population, but make up 32% of all persons in poverty. Given the overrepresentation of children among the US impoverished population, questions are raised on how best to provide much needed medical coverage to low income children. Currently, programs such as Medicaid and CHIP seek to provide low or no cost health coverage to children in low income households. However, the uninsured rate for children has risen from 4.9% to 5.5% in 2018. This is equivalent to about 425,000 children becoming uninsured. Do Medicaid and CHIP do enough to ensure that children in …
287— The Question For The Modernization Theory, Fumi Ogura
287— The Question For The Modernization Theory, Fumi Ogura
GREAT Day Posters
In general, democratic countries have higher economic growth than non-democratic countries. The primary reason for this theory is that democracy and capitalism are mostly the two sides of the same coin. Thus, democratic countries can promote economic growth easier than authoritarian regimes. Most developed countries adopt to democracy while there are a lot of developing countries which do not have democratic political institution and adopt authoritarian regimes. For example, most countries in Middle East do not adopt democracy and overall GDP is not as high as developed countries like the US and European countries. However, some Middle Eastern countries that …
507— Partisan Polarization: American Democracy's Silent Enemy, Bryan Sokolowski
507— Partisan Polarization: American Democracy's Silent Enemy, Bryan Sokolowski
GREAT Day Posters
During a time of intense partisan polarization our democracy and its respective institutions have experienced several instances of gridlock. Our elected representatives’ failure to pursue crucial pieces of legislation has provoked the general public to disapprove of government and politicians. Partisan polarization has changed the entire political environment in the United States. Today, politics is a field most people distance themselves from, fearing to expose their beliefs, or intolerant of opposing partisan views. Some are also led to believe that their views or opinions do not matter, nor would they change the results of an election. For politicians it has …
200— The Political Clout Of Wealthy And Poor American Indian Tribes, Katie Shepard
200— The Political Clout Of Wealthy And Poor American Indian Tribes, Katie Shepard
GREAT Day Posters
Since the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, casinos on reservations have become lucrative sources of income for not only tribal governments but also state governments. With an increase in wealth, many tribes have increased their lobbying forces to become major political actors in state and federal government. But, while some tribal governments have become financially stable due to gaming others have become physically and economically isolated making some tribal governments extremely poor. Poor tribal governments continue to have problems and when lobbying is not an option grassroots movements such as protests become the most viable source of political …
392— Hegemonic Masculinity And The Partisan Gender Gap: Implications For American Democracy, Emily Pascale
392— Hegemonic Masculinity And The Partisan Gender Gap: Implications For American Democracy, Emily Pascale
GREAT Day Posters
There is a growing body of evidence that shows a correlation between gender inequality and economic inequality. Often these highly unequal societies, such as the US, have stringent gender norms that disparately affect how men and women think and behave, including the kinds of political opinions they express. My research will focus on the implications of divergent gender norms for American democracy, particularly for proposals aimed at redressing economic inequality. Because this normative behavior has gendered the perceptions of political parties and policies—such as men cognitively linking redistributive policies to a feminine ethos—these gendered ideas may undermine policies that have …
481— The Rise Of White Identity Politics In Modern America, William Dorfner
481— The Rise Of White Identity Politics In Modern America, William Dorfner
GREAT Day Posters
This project seeks to outline the rising tole that racial identity, specifically white identity, has played in our political discourse in recent years. Research suggests that there is a growing trend of using white identity as a means of getting elected to office in America resulting in events such as the election of Donald Trump.
284— Talkin' Bout A Revolution: American Protest And Counter-Protest Movements In The Twentieth And Twenty-First Century, Alea Tiberi
GREAT Day Posters
This poster represents my research for my senior seminar in Political Science. This project explores different protest and counter-protest movements throughout the United States in the last one hundred years. Through comparative study, this project tracks and collates these different protest and counter-protest movements. This research attempts to answer the following questions: Have the nature of protest and counter-protests movements changed over time? If so, how have these movements adapted to modernity? Protest and counter-protest movements are some of the most direct opportunities for American citizens to engage in our democracy. Therefore, this project also explores the important implications of …
228— Biden's Bounce: The African American Vote And Biden's South Carolina Comeback, Rachel Morris
228— Biden's Bounce: The African American Vote And Biden's South Carolina Comeback, Rachel Morris
GREAT Day Posters
On February 29, 2020, registered Democrats across South Carolina came out to vote for their preferred primary candidate. At the time of this primary, former Vice President Joe Biden needed a win to show that he was still a contender in the race. As the poles closed that night, it was clear that South Carolina was going to give Biden the win and this momentum eventually propelled his campaign to a bigger win on Super Tuesday. South Carolina is an important primary state with 63 delegates available, and it can make or break a candidate’s chance of securing the nomination. …
181— Same Day Voter Registration And Increasing Voter Turnout, Alexander Short
181— Same Day Voter Registration And Increasing Voter Turnout, Alexander Short
GREAT Day Posters
Among major democracies, the United States has one of the lowest voter turnouts. Presidential elections in the United States see a turnout of only about 60% and turnout for midterm elections is even lower. These percentages are made worse when one considers that the population that does vote isn’t representative of the demographics of the nation as a whole. One of the reasons that voter turnout is so low is because many states require potential voters to register months before election day. A remedy to this problem that has been utilized by other nations and some states within the U.S. …