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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Transnational Political Involvement Of Nigerian Immigrants In New York City: Motivations, Means And Constraints, Leila Rodriguez Ph.D. Nov 2014

The Transnational Political Involvement Of Nigerian Immigrants In New York City: Motivations, Means And Constraints, Leila Rodriguez Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Africans represent a small but rapidly growing immigrant population in the United States. Nigerians, who constitute the largest group, form a well-organized community with numerous ethnic, hometown and social associations. Through some of these organizations, many Nigerians have successfully intervened in the economic and social development and the political processes of their hometowns. Their political involvement in the U.S. is less. In this article I use quantitative and qualitative data to analyze the motivations that Nigerian immigrants have for political involvement in Nigeria or the U.S., the means that enable this participation, and the constraints to participating. Findings suggest the …


Politics Of Technoscapes: Algorithms Of Social Inclusion & Exclusion In A Global City, R. Swaminathan Nov 2014

Politics Of Technoscapes: Algorithms Of Social Inclusion & Exclusion In A Global City, R. Swaminathan

Journal of International and Global Studies

Social media and the Internet are seen as Siamese twins. The discursive architecture of social media is so tightly coupled with the various imaginaries of the Internet that the distinct spatiality, territoriality, and relational power dynamics of each is often simplistically blurred and merged. This paper makes the case that the sociality and spatiality of social media is not only different from that of the Internet but is increasingly becoming part of our contemporary built environment in a manner that confers social media a high degree of relative autonomy in its relationship with the Internet. The paper further argues that …


Political Attitudes Towards The Bush Administration By Ethnic And Racial Groups, Amber Elzen, Mai Inoue, Julianna Koomen Aug 2014

Political Attitudes Towards The Bush Administration By Ethnic And Racial Groups, Amber Elzen, Mai Inoue, Julianna Koomen

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This project analyzes the attitudes towards political statements according to a person’s ethnic and racial groups. The statements relate to the Bush administration and some of its policies. The different responses are categorized by age, gender and location as well. It is hypothesized that Caucasians would have a more positive outlook on the administration and its policies while racial and ethnic minorities would have a less positive response to the questions. Overall, a total of 219 participants were surveyed from Minnesota State University, Mankato and from communities of southeastern Minnesota through questions asking them to indicate their political attitudes. When …


The Decision To Run: The Stories Of Women In The Minnesota Legislature, Danielle M. Thomsen Aug 2014

The Decision To Run: The Stories Of Women In The Minnesota Legislature, Danielle M. Thomsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The underrepresented status of women in legislative positions is an entrenched flaw in the American political system. Although past research has investigated the obvious gender gap, the spotlight has recently shifted toward the preliminary factors affecting a candidate's political ambition. It has been noted that women have little aspiration to run for office, and are unlikely to even consider themselves as viable candidates. Encouragement offered by political parties and external supporters such as family, friends, coworkers, and community organizations plays a vital role in creating a female candidate. This paper evaluates the impact of outside forces on the female candidate …


Social Welfare Policy Reform Since The 1990s: Comparison Of The United Kingdom And The Czech Republic, Rebekah Buege Aug 2014

Social Welfare Policy Reform Since The 1990s: Comparison Of The United Kingdom And The Czech Republic, Rebekah Buege

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Many European countries, including the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, have developed reputations for innovative social policies. Since the creation of the European Union (EU), many national policies have remained in place while others have continued to evolve at a much faster pace, including means-tested forms of assistance such as a minimum income guarantee. The economic crisis in 2009 caused this particular benefit to attract more attention across Europe. These two countries, the UK in the capitalist West, and the Czech Republic, a formerly communist, young democracy in East-Central Europe, have been considered leaders in welfare, anti-poverty reform. More …


An Ordinary Congressman And An Extraordinary Scandal: Alex Mcmillan And Iran-Contra, Rob Matsick Aug 2014

An Ordinary Congressman And An Extraordinary Scandal: Alex Mcmillan And Iran-Contra, Rob Matsick

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Iran-Contra Affair was an infamous soap opera that pushed the Reagan Administration to the brink of annihilation. The repercussions to the main players of this and other tantalizing political affairs have been regurgitated ad nauseum. However, the effects on the more general political scene are often ignored. This paper is a case study that examines the diversionary political route that Alex McMillan, a Congressman unknown outside of North Carolina, takes to handle the negative effects of a Republican crisis to a Congressman that shares the party, but not the blame, for a national scandal. This case study aims …


Watch Closely And Pay Attention, Kevin Cool Jul 2014

Watch Closely And Pay Attention, Kevin Cool

Colby Magazine

Stuart Rothenberg '70 has what Washington wants- information and lots of it.


In The Loop, Outside The Beltway: When The National Press Wants Perspective And Insight, It Turns To Colby's Political Pundits, Gerry Boyle Jul 2014

In The Loop, Outside The Beltway: When The National Press Wants Perspective And Insight, It Turns To Colby's Political Pundits, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

It was the opening night of the Democratic Convention and Anthony Corrado, headphones in place, was seated in a soundproof cubbyhole on the fourth floor of the Eustis Building at Colby awaiting a call from National Public Radio's Scott Simon. The NPR host was at the convention in Los Angeles. The interview was to be broadcast live. When Simon came on the line, his first question was whether the entertainment industry is more likely to give to the Democratic Party than to Republicans. "They certainly are," Corrado said, without missing a beat. "In fact, one of the groups that the …


The Impact Of Politicized Churches And Party Contact On African American Voter Turnout, Randolph Burnside, Stephanie A. Pink-Harper Jun 2014

The Impact Of Politicized Churches And Party Contact On African American Voter Turnout, Randolph Burnside, Stephanie A. Pink-Harper

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

- 3 - The Impact of Politicized Churches and Party Contact on African American Voter Turnout Randolph Burnside Southern Illinois University Carbondale Stephanie A. Pink-Harper Southern Illinois University Carbondale The African American community has faced a myriad of challenges regarding their quest for social equity and social justice in America. Among the challenges is the fight for their right to vote. Researchers document numerous factors that have impacted the voting behavior of African Americans. Underexplored, however, is the historical role and impact that the African American church has had on this process. This article examines the impact of politicized churches …


Perfect Timing: The Rise Of Women’S Political Leadership During Cultural Shifts, Christie E. Pearce May 2014

Perfect Timing: The Rise Of Women’S Political Leadership During Cultural Shifts, Christie E. Pearce

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

America has fallen behind in women's leadership, especially in politics. In the approaching era, there will be more viable female political candidates than ever in the past, but will the public be prepared to elect a woman to high office? Studies suggest that mentalities toward female leadership have taken a shift in a positive direction. The idea of what an 'ideal' politician must offer is more feminine in the modern era than ever before. In the age of social media, female politicians have opportunities to reach more constituents through social media in a more effective way than has been offered …


The Partisanship Spectrum, Justin Levitt May 2014

The Partisanship Spectrum, Justin Levitt

William & Mary Law Review

In a polarized political environment, allegations of excessive partisanship by public actors are ubiquitous. Commentators, courts, and activists levy these allegations daily. But with remarkable consistency, they do so as if “partisanship” described a single phenomenon. This Article recognizes that the default mode of understanding partisanship is a descriptive and diagnostic failure with meaningful consequences. We mean different things when we discuss partisanship, but we do not have the vocabulary to understand that we are talking past each other.

Without a robust conceptualization of partisanship, it is difficult to treat pathologies of partisan governance. Indeed, an undifferentiated approach to partisanship …


Zero-Sum Politics As A Trust Dilemma? How Race And Gender Affect Trust In Obama’S And Clinton’S Representation Of Group Interests, Shayla Nunnally Apr 2014

Zero-Sum Politics As A Trust Dilemma? How Race And Gender Affect Trust In Obama’S And Clinton’S Representation Of Group Interests, Shayla Nunnally

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

- 103 - Zero-Sum Politics as a Trust Dilemma? How Race and Gender Affect Trust in Obama’s and Clinton’s Representation of Group Interests Shayla C. Nunnally University of Connecticut This analysis deploys multiple regression Models and uses embedded survey experiments from a 2007 national web-based survey to determine African American, Latino, and Caucasian Democrats’ trust in Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to represent racial, gender, and intersectional interests. Three hypotheses are tested to discern whether respondents’ trust varies based on their: 1) race trumping gender, 2) gender trumping race, and/or 3) intersectionality enhancing trust, when their race and gender mirror …


The Primary Colors Of Political Dysfunction, Dillon Nichols Apr 2014

The Primary Colors Of Political Dysfunction, Dillon Nichols

Ex-Patt Magazine

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Daily Life In Denmark In The 19th Century, Sofie Krogh Nielsen Jan 2014

Daily Life In Denmark In The 19th Century, Sofie Krogh Nielsen

The Bridge

The 19th century entailed a lot of change in Denmark. For instance, industrialization broke through and changed the landscape, society, and conditions of life; the 1849 Constitution abolished absolute monarchy so that the political scene was changed. The 19th century was also the century where nationalism started to blossom and the idea of one nation with one people and one language developed. Moreover, Denmark was reduced from a great power to a small state with the loss of Norway in 1814 and the duchies of Slesvig, Holstein, and Lauenburg in 1864. Finally, it was also a century of emigration, especially …


Excerpts From The World At War By Georg Brandes, Catherine D. Groth Jan 2014

Excerpts From The World At War By Georg Brandes, Catherine D. Groth

The Bridge

Dear Friend:

Your remark about the Danes, that they are a nation without pride, has made bad blood in this country and has wounded me personally. A writer of your rank should refrain from derogatory expressions about a whole nation, especially since such generalisations never hit the truth, no more than one strikes a butterfly with a club. You doubtless remember Renan's words on the subject.


Politics Then And Now: Introduction, Richard Barringer, Kenneth Palmer Jan 2014

Politics Then And Now: Introduction, Richard Barringer, Kenneth Palmer

Maine Policy Review

This article is an introduction to several articles and excerpts published in this issue of Maine Policy Review based on a series of related lectures. One set of lectures, “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation,” was presented by the Muskie School and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine in the fall of 2013, and the other was the William S. Cohen lecture held at the University of Maine. Most of the speakers are prominent public office holders who were asked to address the issue of political polarization and dysfunction, comparing how politics was …


Productive Partisanship, Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell Jan 2014

Productive Partisanship, Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell

Maine Policy Review

This article is an excerpt of a lecture given in a lecture series, “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation,” presented by the Muskie School and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine in the fall of 2013. Speakers were asked to address the issue of political polarization and dysfunction, comparing how politics was played in the past with


Governing For The People, Kenneth Curtis Jan 2014

Governing For The People, Kenneth Curtis

Maine Policy Review

This article is an excerpt of a lecture given in a lecture series, “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation,” presented by the Muskie School and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine in the fall of 2013. Speakers were asked to address the issue of political polarization and dysfunction, comparing how politics was played in the past with the current situation, and discussing what Maine can offer based on experiences here.


Enough Is Enough, Bill Cohen, Alan Simpson Jan 2014

Enough Is Enough, Bill Cohen, Alan Simpson

Maine Policy Review

This is an excerpt from the 2013 William S. Cohen Lecture delivered at the University of Maine, featuring former Secretary of State Bill Cohen and Senator Alan K. Simpson, on “The State of Our Nation: Hardball vs Civility.” The full version was published in “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation," edited by Richard Barringer and Ken Palmer


It's Not The System, It's The Voters, Barney Frank Jan 2014

It's Not The System, It's The Voters, Barney Frank

Maine Policy Review

This article is an excerpt of a lecture given in a lecture series, “Politics Then and Now, in Maine and the Nation,” presented by the Muskie School and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine in the fall of 2013. Speakers were asked to address the issue of political polarization and dysfunction, comparing how politics was played in the past with the current situation, and discussing what Maine can offer based on experiences here.