Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Shouting Down Democracy: The Role Of The Deeply Engaged In American Political Discourse, Annaliese Fleck

Honors Theses

In an age of heightened polarization and increasing incivility in politics, a small but influential subset of Americans, known as the deeply engaged have emerged as dominant voices in political dialogue. This thesis investigates who these individuals are, what drives them, and how their behavior impacts democratic participation in the United States. Through a combination of theoretical analysis and original survey data, this study constructs a profile of the deeply engaged and distinguishes them from the general electorate. Drawing on foundational concepts of free speech, including isegoria and parrhesia, and the philosophies of John Stuart Mill and Karl Popper, this …

When Choice Disappears: Voter Cynicism In The Absence Of Competition, Benjamin J. Kaden

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the democratic consequences of uncontested state legislature elections in the United States, focusing on how the absence of electoral competition influences both voter engagement and political attitudes. While state legislatures wield significant influence over public policy and resource allocation, an increasing number of these elections proceed without meaningful opposition. Drawing on an original survey of 2,775 respondents, this study tests two core hypotheses: first, that uncontested state legislature elections lead to decreased voter engagement, as reflected in voter attitude towards election participation and candidate qualities; and second, that uncontested state legislature elections increase negative attitudes towards government …

Are Cities Still Liberal? An Analysis Of Post-Pandemic Political Change In American Cities, Olivia Mundy

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates whether American cities are experiencing a political shift to the right in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as suggested by recent media narratives. Drawing on an original national survey of 2,385 respondents conducted in early 2025, the study examines attitudinal and demographic changes among urban residents, with a particular focus on ideology, trust in local government, economic perceptions, and views on race and immigration. Despite anecdotal evidence of conservative gains in urban elections, the findings show no significant trend toward conservatism among urban residents overall. In fact, urban respondents were slightly more likely than their non-urban …

Venezuela's And Mexico's Oil Industries: Policy Making Sets The Course, Camila Gimenez Valero

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The puzzle of Venezuela's crisis is one that researchers often try to understand. How did one of the richest nations in the world become one of the poorest? Venezuela is nowadays seen as a country with political unrest, where people struggle to get by and with a corrupt government. However, this was not always the case. Throughout the 20th century Venezuela had remarkable economic stability. Having discovered the world's largest known oil reserves, the nation's economy quickly developed, and the country also became known for its long-standing democracy. After the election of Hugo Chavez in 1998, Venezuela began to decline …

Chicago Police Torture And The Limits Of Human Rights Enforcement In Liberal Democracies, Mark S. Berlin

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

From 1972 to 1991, a network of Chicago Police detectives used torture to force confessions from over 100 criminal suspects. Almost all were Black men, and many were wrongly convicted, some for capital offenses. I synthesize insights from comparative research on human rights, state abuse, and police violence in democracies to explain why, for nearly two decades, liberal institutions in Chicago failed to stop the torture. I argue that the nature of state violence in this case—targeting marginalized individuals uninvolved in political activity—intensified the practical, affective, and informational obstacles that are inherent to activating liberal institutions—courts, elected officials, media, and …

Local Governments, Pandemic Aid, And Community Violence Intervention, Amanda Kass, Philip Rocco

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

Expenditures on police departments account for significant portions of local government budgets in the United States. Yet activism on police reform and changing views on the causes of violence have called into question law enforcement’s role in public safety. While intergovernmental transfers have historically supported traditional policing, the American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) affords cities the opportunity to disrupt the status quo by providing them with the federal funds and flexibility to reshape their public safety policies around Community Violence Interventions (CVIs). This article examines how 13 cities that participated in a White …

Is Nuclear Security An International Norm? A Constructivist Account Of How Nuclear Security Shapes State Behavior, Doan Linh Anh

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Since 9/11, nuclear terrorism has been acknowledged to pose a serious threat to global security. In response to this threat, the United Nations Security Council, International Atomic Energy Agency, and nuclear-advanced states such as the US have worked together to develop a global nuclear security regime based on United Nations resolutions, legal conventions, and informal initiatives. However, this regime has been continuously criticized for lacking international standards or, more precisely, an independent nuclear security convention. Although this assertion no doubt holds in comparison with international agreements such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, nuclear security has made …

Transparency, Accountability, And Influence In The International Investment Law System, Jarrod Wong, Jason Yackee

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article offers the first interdisciplinary critique of transparency in international investment law (“IIL”) that draws on transparency-skeptical and accountability scholarship in political science and public administration. Not only has the expansive IIL literature overlooked these disciplines, but much of it fails to define the core concept of transparency. Building on contributions from the fields of administrative law, international relations, and system theory in classic political science, we provide a novel functionalist account of transparency that traces a line from transparency to accountability to influence in the IIL system.

We make three arguments. First, transparency involves access to data that …

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

Identifying Intangible And Biocultural Heritage Elements Toward Environmental Understanding: Engaging Stakeholders Through Art, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Grounded in a case study in Barbuda in the Caribbean, this research examines sustainability from the perspective of what arts and heritage can contribute to community engagement and local and broader understandings about the environment. This article documents a growing body of literature recognizing the role of arts and culture, including local knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), in climate change endeavors. Art and TEK present expansive world views. Contextual information situates research done on the island of Barbuda pre- and post-Hurricane Irma. Visual arts workshops engaged community members in mixed methods research. Results documented cultural elements, particularly intangible and …

A Brief Look At Authoritarianism And Totalitarianism Through A Perspective Of Jewish Law And Tradition, Samuel J. Levine

Scholarly Works

A view of authoritarianism and totalitarianism through a perspective of Jewish law and tradition might take various forms and draw upon different approaches, depending on a number of components, including definitions of terms, modes of analysis, and the scope of disciplines and materials to be incorporated. Rather than attempting to present a comprehensive or determinative presentation of historical and philosophical considerations of these issues, this essay will briefly explore conceptual lessons from narrative, political, and legal sources of Jewish tradition, suggesting that Jewish thought recognizes, at once, both the importance of unity and authority and the dangers of authoritarianism and …

The Winds Of Change: How China's Focus On Rare Earth Minerals Reshapes The World, Ian Murphy, Kevin Johnston

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This article examines how rare earth minerals and the People's Republic of China's (PRC) strategic dominance in the global economy affect U.S. national security. The PRC's near monopoly on rare earth processing and its use of export controls as leverage pose significant risks to global supply chains and U.S. national security interests. This analysis explores contemporary PRC strategies in the rare earth sector and their implications for U.S. national security by explaining how the PRC's view of international cooperation differs from the United States' view. In essence, the PRC is using the transition to renewable energy to pursue its broader …

Boycotts, Backlash, And Beer: The Impact Of Brand Partnerships On Political Polarization In The United States, Elizabeth Gray Shoultz

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In an election year with political instability happening around the world, there are many lessons to be learned about businesses’ role in exacerbating or helping to calm these politically wild times. This research aims to uncover the mysteries that lie at the intersection of the corporate and political worlds by investigating if, and how, political stability is heightened by various brand practices, including but not limited to marketing efforts, social media posts, and influencer collaborations. This paper utilizes the lens of the 2023 Bud Light collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and the effects this partnership had on American political …

The Arctic Ocean Region : Biodiversity, Governance And Protective Measures, Antonios Andreadakis, Graeme Chesters, Dimitrios Dalaklis, 90 North Foundation

Reports

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• The Arctic Ocean region stands at the forefront of global environmental transformation, serving as a harbinger of climate change and a frontier for emergent geopolitical and economic interests.

• The Arctic region's economic potential, particularly in shipping and resource extraction, appears to offer shorter trade routes, reduced fuel consumption, and increased access to high-value resources. However, this analysis largely ignores the complex geo-physical, environmental and geographical limitations of the region.

• The fragility of Arctic Ocean ecosystems – characterized by slow ecological recovery, specialised biodiversity, and extreme environmental conditions – renders them especially vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. …

สำนักงบประมาณ ของรัฐสภา (Pbo) กับการปรับดุลอำนาจงบประมาณในประเทศไทย, จรัส สุวรรณมาลา, วีระศักดิ์ เครือเทพ, อุมาพร บึงมุม

Journal of Social Sciences

ประเทศประชาธิปไตยทั้งหลายถือว่า บทบาทของรัฐสภาในการจัดทำและควบคุมงบประมาณของรัฐเป็นเรื่องสำคัญและไม่อาจทดแทนด้วยกลไกอื่นได้ แต่ในช่วงกว่าหนึ่งศตวรรษที่ผ่านมา ฝ่ายบริหารมีบทบาทนำในการจัดทำงบประมาณของรัฐ เมื่อไม่นานมานี้เองที่รัฐสภาในประเทศต่าง ๆ รวมทั้งรัฐสภาไทย เริ่มตื่นตัว และปรับปรุงกระบวนการงบประมาณของรัฐสภา เพื่อกระชับอำนาจของรัฐสภาในการควบคุมงบประมาณให้มากขึ้น หนึ่งในเครื่องมือที่ฝ่ายนิติบัญญัติในประเทศต่าง ๆ นำมาใช้ในการเสริมสร้างความเข้มแข็งในทำหน้าที่ควบคุมงบประมาณของรัฐ คือ การจัดตั้งสำนักงบประมาณของรัฐสภาขึ้น บทความวิจัยนี้ต้องการศึกษาบทบาทของสำนักงบประมาณของรัฐสภาไทย ตลอดจนถึงผลสืบเนื่องที่เกิดจากการจัดตั้งสำนักงบประมาณของรัฐสภาต่อการกระชับอำนาจในการควบคุมงบประมาณของรัฐสภา ผู้วิจัยได้สำรวจเอกสารสัมภาษณ์ บุคลากรของสำนักงบประมาณของรัฐสภา สมาชิกสภาผู้แทนราษฎร ข้าราชการฝ่ายบริหาร และจัดประชุมเชิงปฏิบัติการและการสัมมนา เพื่อสอบทานข้อมูลและแปลความหมายข้อมูลร่วมกับผู้ให้ข้อมูลหลักที่เกี่ยวข้องกับกระบวนการงบประมาณของรัฐสภา บทความวิจัยนี้บ่งชี้ว่า สำนักงบประมาณของรัฐสภามีส่วนสนับสนุนให้กระบวนการงบประมาณของฝ่ายนิติบัญญัติมีความเข้มแข็งมากขึ้น และมีส่วนช่วยให้รัฐสภาควบคุมงบประมาณของรัฐได้เพิ่มขึ้นระดับหนึ่ง น่าสังเกตว่า สำนักงบประมาณของรัฐสภาได้ใช้ความสามารถของหน่วยงานในการทำหน้าที่จนถึงขีดจำกัดสูงสุดที่สามารถทำได้ แต่ก็ยังไม่สามารถทำหน้าที่ที่ได้รับมอบหมายได้ครอบคลุมครบถ้วนทุกด้าน รัฐสภาจึงควรแสวงหาแนวทางในการพัฒนาขีดความสามารถของสำนักงบประมาณของรัฐสภาให้เพิ่มขึ้น

การศึกษาภาพลักษณ์ของประเทศจีนผ่านอีสปอร์ต : การสื่อสาร กลยุทธ์การทูต และการตลาดเชิงเนื้อหา ผ่าน Honor Of Kings และ Arena Of Valor, ธีรติร์ บรรเทิง, พร้อมพรรณ แจ้งการดี

Journal of Social Sciences

การศึกษานี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ (1) ศึกษาภาพลักษณ์รูปแบบการสื่อสารกลยุทธ์การทูตของจีน และศึกษาการตลาดเชิงเนื้อหาผ่านเกม Arena of Valor และ Honor of Kings (2) เปรียบเทียบความสอดคล้อง และความแตกต่างของทั้ง 2 เกม และ (3) เสนอแนะแนวทางในการพัฒนาเนื้อหา รูปแบบการสื่อสาร และกลยุทธ์การทูตผ่านอีสปอร์ตให้หน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้องทั้งภาครัฐและเอกชน ด้วยระเบียบวิธีการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพโดย การวิจัยเอกสาร (documentary research) และการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหาที่ถูกนำเสนอบนเฟซบุ๊ก 4 เพจ ได้แก่ Honor of Kings, HoK Global Esports, Garena RoV Thailand, และ KingSauce Legends รวบรวมได้ ทั้งหมด 5,300 โพสต์  ผลการศึกษาพบว่า (1) รูปแบบการสื่อสารและการนำเสนอเนื้อหาของเกม Honor of Kings และ Arena of Valor มีความแตกต่างกันตามวัตถุประสงค์ของแต่ละเพจเกม Honor of Kings เน้นการนำเสนอให้เห็นถึงรูปแบบการเล่น การประกาศเปิดให้บริการในต่างประเทศ โดยใช้ตัวละครภายในเกมเป็นตัวนำเสนอผ่านรูปแบบวิดีโอความยาวประมาณ 1-3 นาที ด้านกิจกรรมการแข่งขันอีสปอร์ตและเงื่อนไขการแข่งขันของเกม Honor of Kings นำเสนอโดยการใช้ภาพนิ่งของนักกีฬาและภาพอินโฟกราฟิก (Infographic) ในขณะที่เกม Arena of Valor เน้นการนำเสนอเพื่อโฆษณาสินค้าและบริการของเกม รวมถึงการสร้างชุมชนผู้เล่น (communities) ผ่านการใช้ภาพนิ่งและผู้ทรงอิทธิพลออนไลน์ (influencer) (2) การนำเสนอเกม Honor of Kings สามารถสะท้อนภาพของวัฒนธรรมและความสร้างสรรค์ (creativity) เนื่องจากผู้ให้บริการเกมเป็นบริษัทภายในประเทศจีนที่ดำเนินนโยบายของบริษัทตามนโยบายของกระทรวงวัฒนธรรม (Ministry of Cultural) ของประเทศจีน ในขณะที่การนำเสนอเนื้อหาของเกม Arena of Valor ดำเนินการจากผู้ให้บริการภายนอกประเทศจีน จึงไม่ได้ดำเนินนโยบายของบริษัทตามทิศทางของกระทรวงวัฒนธรรม (Ministry of Cultural) …

Climates’ Impact On Culture: Analyzing The Adaptive Capacity Of Cultural Heritage Sites In The Global South Situated In The Scholarly And Public Spheres, Reilly Hummell

Honors Senior Capstones and Theses

This study used a qualitative case study analysis to answer the following research question: How are governments in the Global South tackling the challenge of preserving UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the face of climate change? This was done by investigating the adaptive capacity of the Chan Chan Archeological Site in Trujillo, Peru. The adaptive capacity of the site was evaluated using an adaptive capacity analytical framework that is composed of four determinants: learning capacity, room of autonomous change and access to information, access to resources, and leadership. These determinants were then sought out in State of Conservation Reports provided …

The Woman Question And State Feminism: Gender, Power, And Modernity In Pahlavi Iran, Maire Claire Dubard

Scripps Senior Theses

In 20th century Pahlavi Iran, Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Shah instrumentalized the ‘woman question’ — women’s political, economic, and professional roles in a changing society — to consolidate their power and promote a modern state. Reza Shah utilized top-down and coercive reforms, including veiling and education, to strengthen his power, weaken religious influence, and create a visible national identity. In contrast, his son, Mohammad Reza Shah, instrumentalized gender issues and tied women’s rights to his personal image of progressivism. Though it can be argued that all of their reforms supported gender equality, they were implemented, in fact, with the …

Right-Wing Populist Mobilizations And Gender: France's Rassemblement National And Italy's Fratelli D'Italia, Meredith Mckinley

Scripps Senior Theses

European right-wing populist (RWP) parties are increasingly touting their attention to women’s issues and representation, and this has coincided with stronger electoral performances. Thus, the following puzzles emerge: how have RWP parties harnessed gender frames, issue salience, and women’s representation as part of a mainstreaming process, and through what mechanisms are these strategies resonating with voters? I address these questions by comparing France’s Rassemblement National (RN) and Italy’s Fratelli d’Italia (FdI), tracing their developments from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. I find that immigrants’ perceived relationship with the welfare state, feelings of insecurity due to terrorism, and RWP …

Essays On Public And Nonprofit Financial Management In Times Of Crisis, Junoh Jeon

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation comprises three essays that examine critical aspects of public and nonprofit financial management, focusing on interorganizational relationships, local government influence, and financial reserve management in times of crisis.

The first essay examines how interorganizational relationships, specifically nonprofit organizations’ board interlocks, relate to their financial distress, depending on the temporal and spatial contexts. Organization-level fixed-effects regression analysis with Kentucky nonprofits from 2018 to 2022 shows that nonprofits with board interlocks in urban areas were less likely to experience financial distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. I suggest that board interlock acts as an adaptive buffering tool that helps manage resource …

The American Party Polarization Dilemma: Why Political Discourse Matters, Chase Beitz

Research Honors

The question pursued in my research paper is this: Does the proliferation of extreme political discourse fuel party polarization along party lines in the United States? I hypothesize that the greater the number and the more extreme the tone of political statements made by powerful figures within a party, the greater the level of polarization between and within the parties. These powerful figures stand out in this work as discursive entrepreneurs, individuals utilizing and proliferating extreme discourse for strategic and ideological gain. A thorough analysis was completed on four recent eras of Republican control in Congress: the John Boehner era …

The Paradox Of Survival: Gendered Food Insecurity, Labor Inequalities, And Coping Strategies During The 2023/4 Drought In Eastern Ethiopia, Meron E. Lemma

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

In drought-prone regions of Eastern Ethiopia, recurring droughts profoundly reshape everyday life in ways that deepen existing gendered inequalities. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Fedis district, including semi-structured interviews with women, project implementers, and government officials, as well as group discussions with community members, this study explores how women experience, navigate, and resist the gendered impacts of drought. By attending to the sociopolitical dynamics of drought and the development interventions that accompany it, I analyze how these forces restructure labor, land, food systems, and authority in ways that reproduce and exacerbate existing inequalities. Women’s coping strategies, ranging from begging and …

2025 Los Angeles County Governance Reform: Fall Registered Voter Poll, Thomas And Dorothy Leavey Center For The Study Of Los Angeles

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The 2025 LA County Governance Reform Survey conducted by StudyLA involved a 15 minute online survey of 1,004 registered voters in LA County. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish between October 16th and October 28th, 2025 and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning Los Angeles and governance reform.

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. This survey was made possible through a …

Proposition 50 Data Brief, Thomas And Dorothy Leavey Center For The Study Of Los Angeles

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The 2025 LA County Governance Reform Survey conducted by StudyLA involved a 15 minute online survey of 1,007 registered voters in LA County. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish between October 16th and October 28th, 2025 and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning Los Angeles and governance reform. This survey was made possible through a generous donation from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation.

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 …

Synthetic Statocracy - Pakistan’S Self-Created Inferno: Examining The Causes And Consequences Of Military Dominance In Pakistan, Umer Lakhani

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the history of military rule in Pakistan. Applying the framework of Johannes Gerschewski in The Three Pillars of Stability: Legitimation, Repression and Co-Optation in Autocratic Regimes, this paper looks to explain how military rulers who presided over the three periods of military rule in Pakistan consolidated and maintained their power, as well as the effects that these periods of rule had on Pakistani society. This paper will also supplement Gerschewski’s general framework by applying the findings of various established authors who have been published extensively on Pakistan’s political history, economy and relationship with the military. Such authors …

Political Cults On College Campuses: How Universities Designed To Challenge Totalitarian Thinking May Now Enable It, Ellie Lerner

CMC Senior Theses

Cults are typically associated with fringe religious or spiritual movements rather than political causes. Yet as American politics increasingly supplants religion as a central source of identity and belonging, our political culture has taken on more cult-like characteristics. This thesis develops a framework for identifying political cults by synthesizing scholarly work on ideological totalism, psychological manipulation, and group dynamics. It then applies this framework to assess the rise of anti-Israel protests on U.S. college campuses in the wake of the October 7th terrorist attack. While this thesis finds that this movement should not be classified as a political cult outright, …

Does The Relative Education Model Explain Turnout Across Racial And Ethnic Groups?, Ashley Grace Burkholder, Eric Hansen, Emily Wager

Political Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The relative education model holds that educational attainment reflects existing socioeconomic advantages that are associated with participation rather than spurring political participation on its own. Yet, emerging research on compensation effects suggests that greater educational attainment leads to increased political engagement among more marginal populations in which political socialization is less likely to occur outside of schools. We argue that the relative education model will better describe the relationship between education and voting patterns among more advantaged groups. We test our expectations by estimating the relative education model within racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. using data from the …

Cuny ’69 – Students In Social Movements. A Global Perspective, Despina Lalaki

Open Educational Resources

This teaching material was developed as a result of the CUNY 1969 Teach-in that took place in Summer 2025. Prof. Lalaki has developed a course that situates CUNY ’69 within a broader historical and global framework of student movements, and invites students to engage with sociological theory, protest texts, oral histories, news coverage, activist media, archival materials, and film.

Will Malaysia Become An Active Middle Power?, Bruce Gilley

Politics and Global Affairs Faculty Publications and Presentations

Malaysia’s economic growth and democratisation since 2003 have vaulted it into the ranks of the middle powers in the international system. However, Malaysia remains hesitant about its middle power status. It has assumed a counterhegemonic or pro-multipolarity role; it has supported some new international rules and institutions; it leads regional governance institutions; and it advocates for small countries on development issues. However, these middle power behaviours are countered by a continuation of traditional Malaysia diplomacy which is inactive in shaping the emergence of superpower China as well as being disruptive and personalistic, most recently because of its embrace of radicalisms. …

Book Review Of, Form Follows Fever: Malaria And The Construction Of Hong Kong, 1841-1849, Shawn Smallman

Politics and Global Affairs Faculty Publications and Presentations

Book Review of: Form Follows Fever: Malaria and the Construction of Hong Kong, 1841-1849. By Christopher Cowell. (Shaw Tin, NT., Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, 2024. 320 pp.)