Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Policy Dissemination: Public Administration Theory And International Organizations | A Case Study On The Convention On The Rights Of Persons With Disabilities In The Kingdom Of Morocco, Rachelle Ann Wilson

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

With the advent of international organizations comes international law. Unprecedented at such a global and influential level, there is no theoretical framework within public administration explicitly focused on administrative structure and strategies for the implementation of international law. Consequently, the current administrative literature and theoretical framework must be looked to and transposed, as much as possible, to the international stage. This paper explores public administration theory and how it would manifest if applied to international policy implementation. By taking a closer look into the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its implementation strategy within the …

Hannah Arendt And Natives As Extras: Towards An Ontology Of Palestinian Presence?, Francesco Melfi

Cultural Encounters, Conflicts, and Resolutions

The essay grew out of Hannah Arendt’s reflection on the roles and uses of the mask, a meditation on the ontology of the transient public figure or persona vs. one that restitutes the person to the unadulterated Selbstdenken dimension of the Epicurean philosopher-in-hiding. The author individuates in the resulting caesura between the donning and the taking off of the mask the primal source of that paradox in Hanna Arendt’s political behavior that alternately compelled her to confront the ontological presence of the Palestinian people, and made her withdraw into philosophical hiding without ever really coming to terms with it. In …

Fearless Friday: Anya Jameson, Anya Jameson

SURGE

This Friday we are celebrating the work of Anya Jameson ’17, a senior at Gettysburg College who is originally from Gettysburg, PA. Anya is a Political Science major and a Middle Eastern/Islamic Studies minor, whose most active involvement at Gettysburg is as co-founder and President of Refugee Action Committee. This group, which is only in its second year at Gettysburg, runs many fundraisers to raise money for various organizations that aim to support refugees. This spring, the group will be running a Refugee Rights week, with a CUB table and events including a movie night and a guest speaker. As …

Department Of History And Political Science Registration Newsletter Fall 2016, Department Of History And Political Science, University Of Southern Maine

Department of History and Political Science Registration Newsletter

In this issue:

• New Race and Ethnic Studies Minor
• Ron Schmidt in the news
• Robert Klotz and Dmitry Bam lecture
• Maine Model United Nations Conference
• HTY/POS Courses Offered Fall 2016
• HTY/POS Internships Offered Fall 2016
• HTY/POS Courses Offered Summer 2016
• Student appreciation
• Libby Bischof presenting at the Third Annual Historians forum at the Maine Historical Society
• Eileen Eagan at the annual national Council on Public History conference in Baltimore, Maryland

Self Sufficiency In Refugees, Sarah Zayed

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Syrian refugee crisis has taken the world by storm as it is not only a Jordanian issue or a Middle Eastern issue but rather it is a humanitarian crisis. The intent of this research is to study Syrian refugees living in Jordan whom are living outside of refugee camps and their level of self-sufficiency. A few ideas the researcher has kept in mind throughout this study are: Are refugees working in the same fields as they did in Syria? Does Jordan really invest in these workers? What is the Syrian point of view? What is the Jordanian government point …

Nothing Is The Matter With Kansas: White Southern Exceptionalism In American Politics, Paul White Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

There are two research questions at the heart of this dissertation: Does the American South have a distinct political environment in comparison to other regions? If so, how does this distinction influence American politics? I argue that the American South has long been politically distinct from other regions in the United States. This southern ethos, this southern way of agrarian politics, is predicated on three factors- State Centered Federalism, Racial Conservatism, and Religious Conservatism. I consider these factors in a model I call “The Determinants of Southern Exceptionalism” or the D.S.E. Model. It views the American South as remaining distinctive …

The Lcw Political Update April 5, 2016, Lander College For Women

Yearbooks and Newsletters

"...Bi-weekly newsletter about politics and current events written and compiled by students at the Lander College for Women...committed to producing an honest news source and educating our student body. The writers and editors ...seek to fulfill the highest standards of academic integrity."

Perceptions Of Dignity In Humanitarian Aid: A Postcolonial Critique Of Syrian Refugee Response, Jonathon Burne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research investigates the perception of dignity and sustainability from Syrian refugees and local aid workers in the Jordanian towns of Karak and Mafraq, through semistructured interviews conducted in Arabic and facilitated by a local translator. The study explores how these conceptions of dignity and sustainability differ from those that currently guide the international and Jordanian response to the Syrian refugee crisis, in the hopes of investigating a broader relationship between the international human rights industry and modern iterations of Western imperialism. An additional focus is the recommendations provided by refugees and aid workers on how the humanitarian response might …

Democratization In The Arab World: A Moroccan Case Study Of Culture, Religion, And Governance, Marwah Al-Jilani

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Democracy and Islam are generally assumed as incompatible, which leads to further assumptions towards the notion that democracy in Muslim majority states can not be reconciled. The presence of a religious political culture appears as the main hindrance for sound democratic structures. However, it appears that the absence stems from other prominent factors. This paper extends the rhetoric that Islam and democracy can be compatible and a lack of democracy is dependent on specific authoritarian structures. Morocco, a Muslim majority state that is going through democratization offers data to gauge whether or not democratic practice is present within the general …

Department Of History And Political Science Registration Newsletter Spring 2016, Department Of History And Political Science, University Of Southern Maine

Department of History and Political Science Registration Newsletter

In this issue:

• Exhibition co-curated by Libby Bischof, "Picturing Maine
• History Student Named UNUM Scholar
• Exhibit: "Visualizing Uncle Tom’s Cabin"
• Adam Tuchinsky named interim Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
• New faculty: Timothy Ruback
• Maine Model United Nations Conference (MeMUNC)
• Leroy Rowe class visit to Augusta
• “Social Media and Revolutions,” talk by Adeline Koh, Director of the Center for Digital Humani-ties at Stockton College
• HTY/POS Courses Offered Spring 2016
• HTY/POS Internships Offered Spring 2016

Educating Global Citizens: Moroccan University Students’ Global Awareness And Perceptions, Julia Ohanyan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Globalization has affected the world in many ways: socially, economically, and culturally. It has also affected the education system as well as the daily life of individuals across the world, including the Kingdom of Morocco in North Africa. This paper will explore the success of a globally focused education in the Moroccan context, as well as, analyze the affect that globalization has had among the Moroccan youth, specifically university students. Additionally, how aware are the students of the current events that are unfolding in our global community. How has globalization affected their preferences and their perceptions towards global issues and …

Laughing It Off The Role Of Comedy And Humor In Combating Extremist Ideals In Jordan, Juan Nunez Ledesma

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research focuses on comedy in Jordan, and whether it plays a role in the larger fight against extremist ideals in the region. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of how comedy is used in Jordan for a purpose other than merely making people laugh. Through this research, I study whether Jordanians believe that comedy has a role in combating extremism and if so, whether it is systematically employed for this specific purpose. The hypothesis of this study states that most Jordanians believe that comedy is a powerful weapon in the fight against extremism and as …

Flip Cup: Problems Related To Alcohol Consumption In Modern China, Helen Lamm

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The habits and attitudes surrounding the consumption of alcohol, in any culture, are just another lens through which we can look to better understand social life. The hierarchical social systems in China, which dictate common behavior, are unique. Much work has been written on the topic of guanxiand face: the defining factors for China’s ubiquitous, self-affirming system of relationships. Drinking culture is perhaps more interesting to travel bloggers than academics, but I believe that China’s drinking culture is a direct practice in guanxi production. The darker side of China’s drinking culture is anexercise in preserving face.

The gap in …

A Formative Evaluation Of The Bloomington-Normal Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Emily Rego

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

This study serves as a formative evaluation of the Bloomington-Normal-McLean County, IL region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which the development thereof is a tactical strategy outlined in the recently created Bloomington-Normal economic development plan (also known as BN Advantage). An entrepreneurial ecosystem is a network comprising of entrepreneurs, supporting organizations and entities such as investors, governments, universities and various other organizations with a focus on economic development. Vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems strengthen local entrepreneurial capacity, which then spurs economic development through job creation and growth, economic diversity and increasing a region’s competitive advantage. The methodology of this study involved combining qualitative and quantitative …

Evolving Standards Of Decency: The Intersection Of Death Penalty Theory And Supreme Court Jurisprudence, Rachel S. Sullivan

Senior Independent Study Theses

The American death penalty must be abolished in order to establish a more just system of punishment. This thesis examines the arguments of eight political theorists and their connections with five essential Supreme Court cases on capital punishment in order to determine the Court's theoretical view of the American death penalty. This theoretical view is that justices who affirm the constitutionality of capital punishment use philosophical theories, while justices who critique capital punishment rely upon context-dependent analyses. If the Court ever rules that capital punishment is unconstitutional in all circumstances, these latter theories will be dispositive.

The Dis-United States Of Liminality: The Trump Campaign Spectacle, Joan Davison

Faculty Publications

Americans are experiencing difficult challenges during the US transition away from decades of relative primacy and prosperity. The fact is that globalization, technology, and waning unipolarity differentially impact people, with certain groups disproportionately disadvantaged. These individuals encounter diminishing likelihood of upward mobility and flagging social status. The situation and its consequences can be understood as a liminal condition in which individuals and groups transition to another identity. During this precarious time, people often embrace manipulative politicians, or tricksters, who theatricalize the circumstances, distort the real source of difficulties, and offer fixes that demonize others. Donald Trump now performs as the …

Chinese Soft Power Promotion In The United States: 2005-2014, Martin Daniel Kalfas

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on two research questions regarding the impact of economic crises on states' soft power strategies. Specifically, can economic crises lead states to abandon generating soft power within countries affected by the resulting economic changes? And, does a shift away from soft power promotion policies represent a change in a state's foreign policy strategy? To answer these questions, this thesis utilizes a case study focusing on the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2005 to January 1, 2015, investigating soft power generating efforts by China in the United States before and after the 2007 Financial Crisis. Research into …

Presidential Power In Foreign Policy: Richard Nixon And The Era Of Détente With The Soviet Union And China, Gregory Donald Drilling

Senior Projects Spring 2016

This project analyzes the role and limits of the presidential policy-making in foreign policy through an examination of President Richard Nixon’s policy of détente with the Soviet Union and China during the 1960s and 1970s.

I will ultimately present a set of four components that I argue played a role in enabling Nixon to pursue détente at the time he did. The four consequential factors include the following: First, domestic conditions exist in which the general public is focused primarily on domestic policy. Second, the existing international conditions allow for a change in foreign policy. Third, when a president is …

The Somewhere We Wish Were Nowhere: Dystopian Realities And (Un)Democratic Imaginaries, Benjamin B. Taylor

Senior Independent Study Theses

How do political practices influence mass culture? Conversely, how does mass culture influence political practice? This project addresses these questions by turning to the concepts of utopia and dystopia. Imagined utopic and dystopic visions express both the hopes and anxieties of the societies producing them. Dystopias also highlight the mechanisms of power that function within particular social orders. Through readings of Lois Lowry’s The Giver and Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, I demonstrate how utopia and dystopia function and how we can respond to dystopic realities by theorizing solutions that are more conducive to the …

"Hello My Name Is Inigo Montoya, You Killed My Father, Prepare To Die!" Messaging Effects On Support For Violent Non-State Actors, Alexandra D. Haines

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

Creating The Middle-Class: The Impact Of Class Based Identity Appeals In Presidential Campaigns, Lois Kimmel

Senior Independent Study Theses

This paper investigates the effect of class-based identity appeals in presidential campaign speeches on voters’ subjective class-based identities and attitudes toward economic policies. Many scholars argue that the relevance of class is declining in contemporary American politics; however, I maintain that class persists as an influencing identity in American political behavior. I argue that recent presidential candidates make more appeals to class-based identities due to the heightened salience of economic inequality in America. Relying on Social Identity Theory, from research in political psychology, I find that more voters who receive a middle class-based identity appeal identified with the middle class, …

The Puzzle Of Post-Conflict Justice: Identifying Factors That Influence State Selection Of Mechanisms, Taylor V. Knoop

Senior Independent Study Theses

The period of post-conflict is wrought with frustrations, broken trust and intense hurt as a state works to bring its society out of internal conflict. Post-conflict justice mechanisms are designed to provide tools to move a state towards stability. While scholars have evaluated the different post-conflict justice mechanisms in reaching their goals, there is limited research into understanding why a state may implement one post-conflict justice mechanism over another. Specifically, what factors impact the form of post-conflict justice mechanisms in states? This research presents six post-conflict justice mechanisms through three theoretical-derived categories, retributive justice, restorative justice and immunity measures, before …