Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Police Data Brief: 2020 Police And Community Relations Survey, Fernando J. Guerra, Brianne Gilbert, Mariya Vizireanu, Max Dunsker

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The 2020 Police and Community Relations Survey conducted by StudyLA involved 20-minute telephone sessions and online and face-to-face surveys with 1,753 adults living in the city of Los Angeles. The survey was conducted in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean from August 31st to October 25th, and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning policing in Los Angeles.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

Survey results are presented in two sections: (1) toplines, or total responses for each question, and (2) crosstabs, or all questions crossed by major demographics. The following report presents data pertaining to all substantive questions. Note …

Police Trust Data Brief: 2020 Los Angeles Public Opinion Survey, Fernando J. Guerra, Brianne Gilbert, Mariya Vizireanu

StudyLA Data Briefs

Research Question

How much of the time do you trust the following groups to do what is right?

• Just about always
• Most of the time
• Only some of the time
• None of the time

Highlights

Trust

Don’t Trust

• Just over 60% of Angelenos trust their police department to do what is right, a consistenttrend since 2017.
• Only one in three African Americans trust their police department to do what is right.
• Trust increases with age and higher annual household income and is highest among Asians (76%), those with an annual household income of $150K or higher (71%), conservatives (71%), and …

Climate Change Data Brief: 2020 Los Angeles Public Opinion Survey, Brianne Gilbert, Fernando J. Guerra, Max Dunsker, Mariya Vizireanu

StudyLA Data Briefs

Research Question How much do you think climate change will affect of the following groups?

• You personally
• People in the LA region
• People in the U.S.
• Future generations of people

Highlights

• Concern over climate change increases as Angelenos think of large-scale effects. Only one in three Angelenos (39.6%) are concerned climate change will affect them personally while two in three are concerned it will affect future generations (65.9%).
• Concern over climate change affecting “you personally” and “people in the LA region” either “a great deal” or “a moderate amount” is over 80% for all demographics.
• Concern over climate change affecting …

Covid-19 Data Brief: 2020 Covid-19 Public Opinion Survey, Brianne Gilbert, Fernando J. Guerra, Mariya Vizireanu, Max Dunsker, Vishnu Akella

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The COVID-19 Survey conducted by StudyLA involved 15-minute telephone sessions and online surveys with 2,000 adults living in Los Angeles County (1,000 in the city of Los Angeles and 1,000 in the rest of LA County). The survey was conducted in both English and Spanish from March 23rd to April 8th, and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

Survey results are presented in two sections:

(1) toplines, or total responses for each question, and (2) crosstabs, or all questions crossed by major demographics.

The margin of error for the …

Vote Center Awareness Data Brief, Fernando J. Guerra, Brianne Gilbert, Mariya Vizireanu

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The annual Los Angeles Public Opinion Survey conducted by StudyLA involved 20-minute telephone sessions and online surveys with more than 2,000 adults (1,100 phone and 900 online) living in Los Angeles County. Respondents were asked about quality-of-life perceptions, personal economic wellbeing, economic concerns, overall life satisfaction, and various civic issues. The margin of error is ±3.0% for the entire sample.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

The following report contains responses to the question on vote center awareness for (1) respondents (voters) to the 2018 Exit Poll (n=1,546) and the 2020 Los Angeles Public Opinion Survey (n=2,002), and (2) respondents …

Electoral College Reform: Past, Present, And Future Implications Of The United States Electoral College System, Madison Mckinney

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The United States’ Electoral College system has been a topic of debate for several years, gaining even more attention from the recent 2000 and 2016 elections. This has become a controversial topic throughout history for several reasons, but mostly because twice in the modern presidency, candidates have won the presidency by winning the electoral vote while losing the popular vote. This paper will examine the history and creation of the Electoral College, how the Framers’ intended it to function, several positive and negative factors of the current system, and compare arguments for and against Electoral College reform. Some reform options …

The Impact Of Globalization As An Economic Theory On The Mass Migration Of Vulnerable Populations, Amalia Luxardo

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

As the world becomes increasingly globalized, the question of economy, of who hinders it or allows it to blossom, has become a point of contention that has led to many acts of violence. This research utilizes globalization as an economic theory as the underlying factor that causes these violent conflicts and imminent mass movements of migration. In using this lens, I emphasize that economically fueled violent conflict leads to the migration of populations and their ultimate elimination. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate and draw data from major violent conflicts in different nation-states and perform a quantitative …

Conflict Resolution: A Critical Analysis Of The Challenges Of The Government Amnesty Program In The Niger Delta And The Way Forward, Sarah Emmanuel Isong

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative research study that used a narrative approach to explore the perspectives of the research participants (indigenes of the oil communities) on the challenges of the government amnesty program in the Niger Delta. Cyril Obi (2014) argues that the program is an unsustainable state-imposed peacebuilding project that only brought about a “graveyard peace” that enabled continued access to oil by the state and the oil companies operating in the region. Like other analysts and scholars, he explained that for peace to be sustained in the region, the underlying issues such as oil revenue allocation, environmental damage, poverty, …

Why Would I Want To Talk To Them? An Exploration Of Perceptions Of Talking Across Political Divides, Melinda Burrell

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Americans are increasingly reluctant to talk across the political divide, a problematic situation for a system predicated on a citizenry exploring a marketplace of ideas and arriving at policy consensus. This study seeks to illuminate this problem through a qualitative, exploratory study around the research question of how conservatives and liberals experience communicating across the political divide. Results are examined through a research framework that first posits the benefit of deliberative democracy (Habermas, 1996), then identifies two major challenges to such – the tendency to avoid uncomfortable political discussions (Eliasoph, 1998) and the emotional, identity-driven process of polarization (Iyengar and …

Historical Memory And The Role Of The Media In Conflict Resolution: A Study On Prolonged Conflict In Catalonia, Hannah Zwolensky

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The process of peacebuilding in post-conflict regions is a delicate process, contingent upon the participation of all societal groups and the search for a culture of peace. This process is greatly impacted by the role of the historical memory within a state, as well as the mass media’s shaping and maintenance of historical memory of which is influenced greatly by the State Apparatus and state ideology. In this thesis we attempt to develop a solid basis for analyzing the interplay between the three concepts of historical memory, the role of the media in shaping historical memory, and the processes of …

[Introduction To] Community Wealth Building And The Reconstruction Of American Democracy: Can We Make American Democracy Work?, Melody C. Barnes, Corey D. B. Walker, Thad Williamson

Bookshelf

"How can we create and sustain an America that never was, but should be? How can we build a truly multiracial democracy in which everyone is valued and possesses the needed political, economic and social capital so that democracy becomes a meaningful way of life, for all citizens? By critically probing these questions, the editors of Community Wealth Building and the Reconstruction of American Democracy seize the opportunity to bridge the gap between our democratic aspirations and our current reality. In a moment of democratic disappointment and anxiety, politicians, policy officials, scholars and citizens desire an effective response. This book …

[Introduction To] Convenient Criticism: Local Media And Governance In Urban China, Dan Chen

Bookshelf

"Why and how does critical reporting persist at the local level in China despite state mediacontrol, a hallmark of authoritarian rule? Synthesizing ethnographic observation, interviews, survey and content analysis data, Convenient Criticism: Local Media and Governance and Urban China reveals evolving dynamics in local governance and the state-media relationship. Local critical reporting, though limited in scope, occurs because localleaders use media criticism strategically to increase bureaucratic control, address citizen grievances, and improve governance, something that ultimately advances their political careers. This new approach to governance enables the shaping of public opinion while at the same time disciplining subordinate bureaucrats. The …

Reviewers And Referees, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Author Biographical Notes, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Volume 22, Full Contents, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

The State And War On Poverty: British Welfare Development And Its Legacies For Malawi, 1930s-1983, Gift Wasambo Kayira

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation documents the struggles and dilemmas that the Malawian state endured as it attempted to achieve its developmental goals from the 1930s to 1983. It contributes to histories of development by focusing on the interventions both the colonial and postcolonial states made to improve the living standards of African rural communities, the ideas which shaped state programs, and the behavior of the state which such interventions reveal. Scholars typically argue that state policy in Malawi was necessarily destructive and limited the economic progress of the local communities. The state deliberately pursued land, market, and other agricultural policies that constrained …

Microfinance In Latin America: Poverty Alleviation And The Impact Of Institutional Mimicry, Lindsay Jouben

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microfinance has become a program of choice in the international development community. The World Bank has promoted microfinance programs under the idea that poverty alleviation can be accomplished by mainly providing credit. [1] As such, these policies are often replicated throughout the developing world. This replication is done through international organizations adopting a standard of best practices for the microfinance field. Best practices consist of a complex set of standard by which all banks must adhere if they receive funding from the World Bank or International Monetary Fund. These best practices, following neoliberal economics, lay out how microfinance should operate …

The Idea Of A Citizen: The Role Of Higher Education Institutions In The Development Of Citizens And An Exploration Of Innovative Teaching Techniques To Aid In The Process, Eric Matthew Myers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This work seeks to explain how institutions of higher education and political science educators within those institutions can develop students into citizens. Understanding the role of each (institution, educator, and student) within American democracy is important and the focus of this research. As the roles of each are demarcated, it becomes clear that higher education institutions and their political science educators have a unique ability to nurture students into citizens with a strong sense of civic purpose and understanding.

The subsequent chapters in this work explore the use of experiential education and other innovative teaching methods to determine if students …

The Dark Tetrad, Social Dominance Orientation, And Online Political Discussion, Cory D. Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous literature into online trolling behavior has focused upon the role of the Dark Tetrad and political measures separately. This study extended the existing body of research by examining the relationship between the Dark Tetrad personality traits, social dominance orientation (SDO) and online political trolling in the United States of America. The data was collected using an online questionnaire from American users of Facebook and Reddit in the summer of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter movement, and in the runup to a hotly contested national election. Positive correlations were found between all of the Dark Tetrad traits, …

Gopniki: Peripheral Masculinity In Post-Soviet Russia, Eli Loeb

Pomona Senior Theses

In the 1990s, packs of tracksuit-clad youth from the suburbs known as gopniki descended on Russia’s cities. These problematic youth, embodying a unique strain of violent masculinity, rapidly rose in prominence during a time of national crisis. The gopniki faded just as quickly when Russia entered the new millennium. The influence of gopnik worldview did not diminish with the movement, however, and gopniki continue to influence Russian culture. This study of primary Russian source material examines the theoretical, ideological, and historical origins of this under-researched group, and explains their lasting influence on Russians in a rapidly changing world.

Ethical Concerns Of Heroism Training, Brian R. Riches, Matt Langdon, Ari Kohen

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Heroism training programs originated in the mid-2000s with the goal to “Train everyday heroes” (Heroic Imagination Project, 2017). Most participants of these programs are students between the ages of 10 and 20. Anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that these programs may create more courageous and prosocial people (Heiner, 2018; Kohen & Sólo, 2019), however there is very little discussion in the emerging academic field of heroism science about the potential ethical concerns of training minors to be heroes (Beggan, 2019; Franco & Zimbardo, 2016; Franco et al., 2017). With the growth of heroism science scholarship, it would be wise to …

Territorial Threat And Women’S Legislative Representation, Alice J. Kang, Nam Kyu Kim

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Why do some countries have fewer women in parliament than do others? Recent studies find that women have less access to positions of political power in countries facing external threats. Exist-ing studies, however, do not differentiate between types of threat. We theorize that territorial threats are a particular driver of gender inequality in national parliaments. When a country’s land is under threat, people prefer having “tough” representatives in the national legislature who are competent on the military and defense moreso than when a country faces other threats. Moreo-ver, when countries face territorial threats, they build larger standing armies and adopt …

The Political Preference Of Arkansas Farmers And Ranchers, Rachel J. Barry, Donna L. Graham

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Access to information is critical to improving production efficiency, but little is known about how farmers are informed on the policy or issues influencing programs related to farming. This research sought to determine the sources of communication used by farmers and ranchers to form opinions about agricultural policy and candidates, identify the issues important in voting, and their level of participation in the political process. Face-to-face interaction was the preferred form of communication in farm organization meetings, with friends, or farm agencies. Magazines were the preferred source of print communication, and university/extension websites were preferred for internet sources. Broadcast media …

Environmental Governance For Whom? Examining The Political, Institutional, Fiscal, And Legal Determinants Of State Environmental Agency Budget Policy In The Us, Andrew R. Duggan

Theses and Dissertations

Budgets are a prospective tool of governance, and appropriations are a planning vehicle reflecting: bureaucracies’ values, complex interactions, collective preferences, political influences, and available resources. Research spanning 30 years finds that environmental pollution is a key determinant of environmental budgets in the US, though myriad factors, actors, and subsystems are important to consider. Due to federalism and devolution of responsibilities and authorities, environmental governance falls largely to the states. While the dynamics that shape state environmental budget policy have received scholarly interest, theoretically-driven examinations of environmental appropriations remain limited within the public budgeting and environmental policy literature.

Using panel data …

The Political Viability Of Carbon Pricing: Policy Design And Framing In British Columbia And California, Roger Karapin

Publications and Research

The adoption of climate policies with visible, substantial costs for households is uncommon because of expected political backlash, but British Columbia's carbon tax and California's cap-and-trade program imposed such costs and still survived vigorous opposition. To explain these outcomes, this paper tests hypotheses concerning policy design, framing, energy prices, and elections. It conducts universalizing and variation-finding comparisons across three subcases in the two jurisdictions and uses primary sources to carry out process tracing involving mechanisms of public opinion and elite position taking. The paper finds strong support for the timing of independent energy price changes, exogenous causes of election results, …

การรณรงค์ทางการเมืองบนโลกออนไลน์เพื่อสนับสนุนการเปลี่ยนผ่านอำนาจ: กรณีศึกษาเฟซบุ๊กเพจ “ล้านชื่อต้านล้างผิด” “The Mettad” และ “ลุงตู่ตูน”ในช่วงการเลือกตั้ง 2562, ทัตเทพ ดีสุคนธ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วิทยานิพนธ์นี้มุ่งศึกษาการรณรงค์ทางการเมืองผ่านเฟซบุ๊กเพจ “ล้านชื่อต้านล้างผิด” “THE METTAD” และ “ลุงตู่ตูน” ซึ่งมีลักษณะเป็นเฟซบุ๊กเพจนิรนามที่ไม่สามารถระบุตัวตนของผู้ก่อตั้งเพจได้ชัดเจน แต่ผลิตเนื้อหาเพื่อสนับสนุนการเปลี่ยนผ่านอำนาจของรัฐบาลพลเอกประยุทธ์และโจมตีคู่แข่งทางการเมืองมาอย่างต่อเนื่องในช่วงฤดูกาลเลือกตั้ง 2562 เพื่อตอบคำถามหลักว่า เฟซบุ๊กเพจเหล่านี้มีลักษณะ บทบาท และนัยสำคัญที่เหมือนหรือต่างจากการรณรงค์ทางการเมืองผ่านช่องทางอื่น ๆ ของรัฐบาลอย่างไร โดยศึกษาในเชิงคุณภาพด้วยแนวทางการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา (Content Analysis) และการวิจัยเอกสาร เพื่อสำรวจรูปแบบและประเด็นที่เฟซบุ๊กทั้ง 3 เพจใช้ในการรณรงค์ ลักษณะความคิดเห็นของผู้ใช้เฟซบุ๊กที่ปรากฏบนเพจ รวมถึงประเด็นที่ถูกหยิบยกไปขยายผลทางการเมือง ผลการศึกษาพบว่า แม้เฟซบุ๊กทั้ง 3 เพจจะนิยมใช้รูปแบบการนำเสนอที่สอดคล้องไปตามวัฒนธรรม การสื่อสารบนสื่อสังคมออนไลน์ยุคปัจจุบัน แต่ประเด็นส่วนใหญ่ที่หยิบยกมาสนับสนุนรัฐบาลและโจมตีคู่แข่งกลับยังคง ผูกโยงอยู่กับชุดอุดมการณ์ซึ่งครองอำนาจนำในสังคมไทย ได้แก่ ชาติ ศาสนา พระมหากษัตริย์ แตกต่างจากการรณรงค์ผ่านช่องทางอื่น ๆ ที่มักสนับสนุนรัฐบาลด้วยการนำเสนอนโยบายและผลงาน โดยไม่ปรากฏการโจมตีคู่แข่งด้วยชุด อำนาจนำมากนัก นอกจากนั้น ผู้ใช้เฟซบุ๊กส่วนใหญ่มักแสดงความคิดเห็นไปในเชิงสนับสนุนเนื้อหาที่เพจนำเสนอ จนอาจทำให้เฟซบุ๊กเพจนิรนามเหล่านี้กลายเป็นอีกหนึ่งพื้นที่ห้องเสียงสะท้อน (Echo Chamber) บนโลกออนไลน์ซึ่งรวมกลุ่มคนที่สนับสนุนรัฐบาลพลเอกประยุทธ์เข้ามาไว้ด้วยกัน โดยไม่ได้แพร่กระจายเนื้อหาไปสู่กลุ่มคนที่มีอุดมการณ์แบบอื่น ๆ มากนัก อย่างไรก็ตาม บางประเด็นที่เฟซบุ๊กเพจนิรนามร่วมกันนำเสนอเพื่อโจมตีคู่แข่งทางการเมืองกลับไม่ได้ถูกพูดถึงอยู่ภายในห้องเสียงสะท้อนบนโลกออนไลน์เท่านั้น แต่ยังถูกหยิบยกไปขยายผลทางการเมืองบนโลกจริงผ่านการให้สัมภาษณ์ของบุคคลสาธารณะและการยื่นฟ้องร้องดำเนินคดีโดยบุคคลต่าง ๆ ด้วย จนอาจแสดงให้เห็นถึงพลังอีกแง่หนึ่งของ เฟซบุ๊กเพจนิรนามซึ่งเป็นหนึ่งในกลไกที่ทำงานอยู่เบื้องหลังการรณรงค์หาเสียงเลือกตั้ง 2562 และคงจะถูกนำมาประยุกต์ใช้อย่างเข้มข้นมากขึ้นในการเลือกตั้งครั้งต่อ ๆ ไป

อินโดนีเซียกับการจัดการปัญหาวิกฤตการณ์ด้านมนุษยธรรมชาวโรฮีนจา, พิชญุตม์ บงกชพรรณราย

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

สารนิพนธ์หัวข้อ “อินโดนีเซียกับการจัดการปัญหาวิกฤตการณ์ด้านมนุษยธรรม ชาวโรฮีนจา” เป็นการศึกษาการจัดการของอินโดนีเซียต่อชาวโรฮีนจาที่อพยพเข้ามาในประเทศตั้งแต่ ปี ค.ศ. 2015 ผ่านแนวคิดกระบวนการประกอบสร้างประเด็นความมั่นคง โดยมีข้อถกเถียงสำคัญว่า แม้รัฐบาลอินโดนีเซียจะให้ความช่วยเหลือแก่ชาวโรฮีนจาที่อพยพเข้ามาภายในประเทศ แต่การช่วยเหลือนั้นเป็นไปอย่างจำกัดและเป็นไปตามหลักมนุษยธรรมเท่านั้น แต่ในความเป็นจริงแล้ว รัฐบาลอินโดนีเซียได้พยายามทำให้ชาวโรฮีนจากลายเป็นประเด็นความมั่นคงภายในประเทศ และพยายามยกระดับปัญหาโรฮีนจาให้เป็นประเด็นความมั่นคงในระดับระหว่างประเทศ จากการศึกษาพบว่า รัฐบาลอินโดนีเซียได้จัดการกับชาวโรฮีนจาที่อพยพเข้ามาผ่านการทำให้เป็นประเด็นความมั่นคงภายในประเทศ โดยการสร้างวาทกรรม “การย้ายถิ่นแบบไม่ปกติ” เพื่อทำให้ชาวโรฮีนจากลายเป็นภัยคุกคามต่อรัฐ ดังนั้น อินโดนีเซียจึงได้สกัดกั้นการเข้ามา และผลักเรือของชาวโรฮีนจาออกจากเขตแดนของตน รวมถึงกักขังชาวโรฮีนจาให้อยู่ในค่ายทหาร พวกเขาไม่ได้รับสิทธิขั้นพื้นฐานทั้งการเข้าถึงการรักษาพยาบาล การทำงาน และการเดินทาง นอกจากนี้ อินโดนีเซียยังได้ทำให้ปัญหาโรฮีนจากลายเป็นประเด็นความมั่นคงในระดับระหว่างประเทศผ่านเวทีอาเซียน และกระบวนการบาหลี โดยอินโดนีเซียได้พยายามเรียกร้องให้ประเทศสมาชิกต่าง ๆ ได้เข้ามาช่วยเหลือและหาวิธีแก้ไขปัญหาโรฮีนจา เพื่อที่จะต้องการลดภาระที่อินโดนีเซียต้องแบกรับ อย่างไรก็ตาม อินโดนีเซียไม่สามารถโน้มน้าวอาเซียน และกระบวนการบาหลีให้จัดการแก้ไขปัญหาโรฮีนจาได้ ส่งผลให้ปัญหาโรฮีนจาไม่ได้รับการแก้ไข

From Neoliberalism To Socialism: Reimagining Socialism In Africa, Kiiru Gichuru

Dissertations and Theses

Abstract. For many scholars, pundits, policy makers, and citizens alike, Africa’s persistent maldevelopment has continued to defy the usual International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and foreign aid prescriptions that are, at times, peddled as silver bullets to the African conundrum. Beginning in the late 1970s, loans from the IMF and World Bank required African governments to implement certain conditions that were supposed to address public sector mismanagement, illiberal trade policies, low foreign investment, and state development. These austerity measures were designed to usher in an era of financial growth that would enable Africa to join the ranks of developed …

Emergent Women's Global Political Leadership: Progress Despite Constraints, Aoife Meehan

Dissertations and Theses

“Emergent Women’s Global Political Leadership: Progress Despite Constraints” seeks to trace why and how female political leaders emerge at the global level. Evidence points to certain cultural factors, often expressed by laws, constraining or supporting women as they seek political advancement. Data shows women leaders are emerging more and more, though slowly, as political leaders around the world. Reviewing women’s participation and representation regionally and nationally in parliaments, as ministers, and as heads of governments and states confirms that women can and do emerge as political leaders. Finally, learning about and examining women leaders themselves, their style and substance, proves …

Political Representation For Indigenous Peoples In The Andes, Jessica Yepez

Dissertations and Theses

For years, there has been a lack of representation for indigenous peoples in communities, and most importantly in parliament. This is a very common trait in the South American Andes, which houses the largest number of indigenous groups in the continent. This thesis focuses on Ecuador and Bolivia due to their indigenous population and their history, or lack thereof, with indigenous people in parliament. For my hypothesis, I argue that parliamentary representation of indigenous peoples, can help ensure that their rights are protected, and their unique interests are heard and translated into relevant policies, while at the same time preventing …