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Articles 1 - 30 of 42
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Toward Democratic "No-Rule": A Conceptual Response To Contemporary Challenges To Political Freedom, Alexander W. Brockwehl
Toward Democratic "No-Rule": A Conceptual Response To Contemporary Challenges To Political Freedom, Alexander W. Brockwehl
Honors Theses
In this thesis, I argue that different conceptions of freedom yield different manifestations of governance. I demonstrate that in the United States, a private conception of freedom grounded in individual and state sovereignty has been repeated in political discourse with severe consequences for democracy. This conception of freedom derives largely from America’s founding, from a reliance on legal language, and from fundamental assumptions about the role of the people in governance. It institutionalizes social and political hierarchies through promoting and protecting individual autonomy. In contrast to this dominant form of freedom, I sketch an alternative that encourages public engagement, political …
Crisis Of Confidence: Presidential Decision-Making In The Carter Administration, Andrew N. T. Churchill
Crisis Of Confidence: Presidential Decision-Making In The Carter Administration, Andrew N. T. Churchill
Honors Theses
A play based on the life and career of U.S. President, Jimmy Carter.
The Impact Of Rap Music On White Youth, Freddie J. Dantus
The Impact Of Rap Music On White Youth, Freddie J. Dantus
Honors Theses
Music is a primary source of entertainment for American adolescents. Hip hop culture and rap music, in particular, have become the dominant genre of music among American youth. Hip hop rose primarily from the disadvantaged African American neighborhoods of New York City. Perhaps not surprisingly, though, it is White, middle class, suburban adolescents who drive the rap music industry with their disposable income and desire to resist the cultural norms of their parents’ generation. While sophisticated analyses of hip hop itself are appearing, the connection to white youth has not been well-studied. This project begins to fill this void, specifically …
A Gps Enabled Ipod Touch For Skiers, Camila Dorin
A Gps Enabled Ipod Touch For Skiers, Camila Dorin
Honors Theses
The purpose of my senior project was to design and build a system that provides GPS capabilities to the iPod touch. The system is used in conjunction with an iPod application, giving skiers the possibility to have access to the following outputs: graph of speed during run, distance skied, calories burned, and map of the slopes followed. The system consists of a GPS receiver, an Arduino microcontroller, a Wifi Shield, and iPod touch, and an iPod application. A central point during the development of the system was the transmission of data from one piece of hardware to the other and …
The Impact Of Public Approval Of Congress On Midterm Congressional Election Outcomes, Jordan L. Goldman
The Impact Of Public Approval Of Congress On Midterm Congressional Election Outcomes, Jordan L. Goldman
Honors Theses
Over the past half-century, the United States Congress has become less revered by the American people. The Constitution names Congress as the first branch of government. The framers instituted Congress in Article One of the Constitution to symbolize the importance of the rule of law of the people. Its members were to be chosen members of the public, rather than royalty or nobility, to give the branch a sense of democratic legitimacy. However, during the past fifty years, public opinion of the first branch of government has waned. The reasons for this diminished respect are complex and numerous. In general …
Culture Macroeconomics Adjustments And Economic Growth, Schuyler R. Hooper
Culture Macroeconomics Adjustments And Economic Growth, Schuyler R. Hooper
Honors Theses
This paper argues that culture is the underlying determinant causing the delays and massive social costs sometimes seen as countries attempt to stabilize after experiencing external shocks. While there have been significant ties between culture and economic performance in the past, as in Tabellini (2008) and Licht et al. (2007), this paper argues that culture matters more during periods of disequilibrium than it does during times of equilibrium. The empirical methodology for this paper closely mirrors that of Rodrik (1999), in which he proposed that latent social conflicts and poor institutions of conflict management were the reasons for delayed adjustments …
Bartenders Know Best: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Impact Of Tourism On Local Barbadian Culture, Pearl E. Jurist-Schoen
Bartenders Know Best: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Impact Of Tourism On Local Barbadian Culture, Pearl E. Jurist-Schoen
Honors Theses
The purpose of my thesis is, through my own field research, to analyze the impact of tourism on local Barbadian culture. Caribbean tourism draws strong criticisms from anthropologists due to the region’s geographical location and environmental landscape, its history of colonialism, and the economic vulnerabilities that result from the wealth discrepancy between the local people and the tourists that vacation there. On the very small and densely populated island of Barbados, nearly every person is impacted by tourism. The focus of my ethnography is the cultural exchanges between guests and hosts, most specifically bartenders. A bar harbors many important elements …
Reform In The Credit Rating Industry, Ronald D. Knox
Reform In The Credit Rating Industry, Ronald D. Knox
Honors Theses
Ninety three percent of all AAA-rated subprime mortgage backed securities issued in 2006 were downgraded to junk bond status subsequent to the financial crisis. The credit rating agencies clearly failed to give the early warning signs on these and numerous financial products that went bust. This thesis investigates the role of credit rating agencies in the functioning of financial markets and proposes policy changes to reform this industry. The sources of market failures in this industry can be traced to conflicts of interest, barriers to entry, lack of accountability, and asymmetric information. I propose three possible reforms to improve the …
Governing Religion: A Study Of Religions Function Across Three Distinctly Different Societies, Sky Kochenour
Governing Religion: A Study Of Religions Function Across Three Distinctly Different Societies, Sky Kochenour
Honors Theses
Religion’s place in political order is a controversial subject. How does the function of religion compare to that of political order? Can it support a society in the same way? My research attempts to answer these questions by investigating three distinct time periods and cultures. I first examine the primitive people of the Azande tribe in Africa, an example of a society based mainly on religion. My research then turns to the fifth and sixth century Greeks, a society in flux, attempting to hold on to religion in the throes of a logical revolution. Finally, I turn to America to …
How Soft News Affects Attitudes And Behavior In 18-24 Year Olds, Kathryn E. Leary
How Soft News Affects Attitudes And Behavior In 18-24 Year Olds, Kathryn E. Leary
Honors Theses
In today’s media environment there are two different forms of news programs: hard news—news in the traditional sense of a newscast presenting the facts of an event—and soft news. The phenomenon of soft news is a hybrid of shows that mix politics with entertainment encompassing sensationalism and human-interest components when reporting on select high-profile political issues. An early form of this news type includes daytime talk shows such as Oprah to the now popular comedic faux news programs such as The Daily Show. The age bloc of 18-24 year olds has been considered the primary viewership of some soft news …
Foreign Direct Investment Response Following Intellectual Property Rights Reform, Samuel G. Lundquist
Foreign Direct Investment Response Following Intellectual Property Rights Reform, Samuel G. Lundquist
Honors Theses
Over the past several decades, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows across the globe have increased markedly. During this same period, a large number of countries have strengthened their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) regimes in response to global legislative changes such as the Agreement of Trade-Related Aspects of IPRs or domestic policy initiatives. In this thesis, I empirically investigate the impact of IPR reform on FDI activity. I use a panel data set that consist of FDI flows from Germany and US into 15 host countries over a 24 year time period. As a proxy for IPR regime change I use …
International Aid In Afghanistan: Examining The Effectiveness Of Traditional Aid And Development Programs, Samuel A. Merlin
International Aid In Afghanistan: Examining The Effectiveness Of Traditional Aid And Development Programs, Samuel A. Merlin
Honors Theses
The US‐led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 brought to light the comprehensive destruction of the Afghan state. Twenty years of continuous war had ravaged the country, and with the Taliban’s expulsion of western aid agencies, Afghans were further deprived of their basic needs. The international community has rallied around this cause, donating nearly $40 billion in aid since 2001 to help develop Afghanistan. However, this international investment has not yielded optimal results; fundamental mistakes have limited the growth in capacity of the Afghan government and its people. Through analyzing the effectiveness of the major donor programs, a key lesson was …
Secrecy In An Open Society, Nicholas A. Poli
Secrecy In An Open Society, Nicholas A. Poli
Honors Theses
This thesis explores the difficult task of finding a balance of secrecy and openness in America. The common notion is that America is an open society; however, with an intelligence community predicated upon secrecy, an imbalance of power between the Executive and Congress, a media which does not always report objective news, and a complacent American public, openness ultimately becomes more difficult to maintain. To find a balance, I propose a hypothetical spectrum of openness in which there is a straight line with two endpoints- one endpoint representing complete secrecy, the other complete openness. I argue that both ends of …
Eminent Domain In The Wake Of The Kelo Decision, Matthew J. Rogers
Eminent Domain In The Wake Of The Kelo Decision, Matthew J. Rogers
Honors Theses
The controversial Supreme Court decision, Kelo v. The City of New London, allowed a local government to utilize eminent domain to transfer land from one private entity to another in order to enhance economic development. In response, state governments rushed to pass legislation in order to curtail the use of eminent domain. State governments, however, struggled to pass meaningful eminent domain legislation, since many powerful forces, such as major corporations, stood in their way. Opponents of eminent domain claim that the politically weakest in our society, namely the poor and racial minorities, are saddled with the resulting hardship emanating from …
From Ankara To Jerusalem: An Analysis Of The Decline In Turkish-Israeli Relations, Kama Sacajiu
From Ankara To Jerusalem: An Analysis Of The Decline In Turkish-Israeli Relations, Kama Sacajiu
Honors Theses
Turkey and Israel had been strong allies in the Middle East, however in recent years, these relations have turned sour. Turkey was the first predominantly Muslim country to recognize the state of Israel upon its creation in 1948. However, Present day Turkey has gone as far as to pull its ambassador from Tel Aviv. The importance and implication of the decline in relations between Turkey and Israel will be explained in the following chapters. The examination of Turkish foreign policy, and specifically a history of its relations with Israel, gives a basis to explain the changes that occurred with their …
Identitat-Anlage Durch Warter Und Aussehen, C. David Robba
Identitat-Anlage Durch Warter Und Aussehen, C. David Robba
Honors Theses
The identity of a person is his most important aspect. It has a big impact on the way someone sees himself, and how other people recognize him. Without a unique identity, a person has no characteristic character. In their lives, everyone creates an identity. However, identity becomes most important when one is a foreigner or visits a foreign country. Because of this, many aspects of society and everyday life could be very different, and if one lacks what he knows, he can find solace in his identity. However, if a person's identity is not certain, they may feel lost afterwards. …
The Sex Generation: The Impact Of Teen Attitudes Views And Knowledge Of Contraceptives And Sexual Activity On The Teen Pregnancy And Std Rates In The United States, Haritha Sishtla
Honors Theses
Among all industrialized nations, the United States faces the highest rates of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Previous studies have indicated that teens use engagement in sexual activity as a social mechanism to gain popularity among their peers. This paper focuses on two issues: social factors such as peer perceptions towards other peers engaging in sex and using contraceptives, and assesses the level of knowledge teens have about sex, STDs, pregnancy, and contraceptives that could have an effect on the teen pregnancy and STD rates in the United States. Cross-sectional data from Waves I and II (1994-96) National …
Rediscovering Prigg V. Pennsylvania, Andrew J. Trochanowski
Rediscovering Prigg V. Pennsylvania, Andrew J. Trochanowski
Honors Theses
The concept of federalism serves as the foundation for the American political system. The framers laid a foundation for balancing state and national tensions; and during the antebellum era American political actors wrestled with the proper application of these concepts. This paper traces the evolution of federalist principles beginning at the founding and culminating with the commonly misperceived Supreme Court case Prigg v. Pennsylvania by analyzing transformative historical moments and political regimes. Prigg v. Pennsylvania currently exists within contemporary political and constitutional scholarly literature as a slavery case decided upon moralistic bias and the Court’s commitment to the institution of …
Lyndon Johnson: A Psychological Character Study, Stephanie L. Vacchio
Lyndon Johnson: A Psychological Character Study, Stephanie L. Vacchio
Honors Theses
This thesis centers on Lyndon Johnson and his character traits and how they are translated into his leadership abilities. The ways in which he handled issues as president, his personal relationships with others, and his own personality traits all define who Johnson was as a man. These aspects combined can be viewed as “character”, or the result of the environment someone has been exposed to for a prolonged period of time. In the case of Johnson, it is his childhood that has played the largest role in shaping his character and in turn his personality. My thesis explores the psychological …
Tragically Hip: Hipsters Psychological Development Irony And The Negative Backlash, Aria D. Walfrand
Tragically Hip: Hipsters Psychological Development Irony And The Negative Backlash, Aria D. Walfrand
Honors Theses
My thesis explores the psychology of hipsters, a modern American countercultural group. I explain the phenomenon of this group by first examining how they are like and unlike previous countercultural movements, as well as which of the classic tenants of “hip” contemporary hipsters have employed as part of their existence in the modern world. Finally, I focus on hipsters’ employment of irony as a tactic to subvert the mainstream culture and why being ironic has caused such a negative backlash on the part of the mainstream culture, as well as other countercultures.
Iraqs Post-War Failure: A Result Of Special Interests, Gordon D. Butler
Iraqs Post-War Failure: A Result Of Special Interests, Gordon D. Butler
Honors Theses
This thesis explores the causation for entrance and failure of the American intervention in Iraq. While it is commonly understood that President Bush’s insistence on preventing further atrocities after September 11th was a major motivation for launching the war, there exist many more players hidden from the public eye that contributed to the decision. Collaborating as collected special interests, these individuals often manipulated the public agenda, bent factual evidence to their favor, and sold the war to an ignorant American public. As a result, proper planning for post-war reconstruction and the assurance of stable democratic growth after the fall of …
Shirking In The National Hockey League, Luke D. Cain
Shirking In The National Hockey League, Luke D. Cain
Honors Theses
Shirking has been examined in baseball and basketball, but never hockey. If Shirking is found to be evident in hockey, then management should give players shorter contracts and should pay a discount price if a long‐term contract is given. The dependent variable for this study is shirking. There are many different independent variables and they are all different measures of performance (except for dummy variables for team and position). Most studies of hockey have minimal measures of performance, which are usually offensive statistics, but I will include defensive statistics as well. The sample for the study is players who participated …
The Music Industry And The Internet: The Effects Of Online Social Networking Sites On Record Labels And Aspiring Artists, Carolyn S. Canetti
The Music Industry And The Internet: The Effects Of Online Social Networking Sites On Record Labels And Aspiring Artists, Carolyn S. Canetti
Honors Theses
This thesis explores the ways that the Internet’s social networking sites have affected the music industry and aspiring artists. In the past ten years there has been an upsurge in the use and importance of social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. This revolution in social connection has yielded drastic changes in the ways both labels and musicians share and search for music. I had internships with Universal Music Group and Smithsonian Folkways in their online marketing department and was able to study first hand the way record labels utilize social networking sites to benefit their artists. I …
The Effect Of Uncompensated Medical Care On Safety-Net Hospitals In The United States, Daniel J. Dimenstein
The Effect Of Uncompensated Medical Care On Safety-Net Hospitals In The United States, Daniel J. Dimenstein
Honors Theses
Uncompensated hospital care presents a significant problem in the United States health care system, and it is most prevalent in non-profit, “safety-net” hospitals, which make up the 10% of hospitals that provide the most uncompensated care. The incidence of uncompensated medical care stems from the inherent relationship between poverty and health in that poorer people (who tend to experience a lower health status) receive care from hospitals and are unable to pay for it, which results in these hospitals providing this care for a fraction of the charge or even free of charge. This study looks at the specific impact …
Middle Class Political Competition And Economic Growth, Jorge A. Enriquez Murillo
Middle Class Political Competition And Economic Growth, Jorge A. Enriquez Murillo
Honors Theses
Middle class individuals play a fundamental role in countries’ political and economic spheres. Their political demands for a fair tax system and public goods provisions enhance positive economic performance and development. A large share of income held by the middle class, according to Easterly (2001), is positively related to economic growth and political stability. Similarly, Alesina and Rodrik (1994) –among other political economic studies- highlight that a well-endowed median voter population influences the implementation of growth-enhancing economic policies. This study examines the interplay between political competition and a politically active middle-class and its subsequent effect on economic growth. The dependant …
Analyzing The Parallelism Between The Rise And Fall Of Baseball In Quebec And The Quebec Secession Movement, Daniel S. Greene
Analyzing The Parallelism Between The Rise And Fall Of Baseball In Quebec And The Quebec Secession Movement, Daniel S. Greene
Honors Theses
My Senior Project examines the parallelism between the movement to bring baseball to Quebec and the Quebec secession movement in Canada. Through my research I have found that both entities follow a very similar timeline with highs and lows coming around the same time in the same province; although, I have not found any direct linkage between the two. My analysis begins around 1837 and continues through present day, and by analyzing the histories of each movement demonstrates clearly that both movements followed a unique and similar timeline. The project is separated into six chapters, each containing three parts, including …
Is Turkey Turning Away From The West?, Saghar Hamidzade
Is Turkey Turning Away From The West?, Saghar Hamidzade
Honors Theses
The purpose of this thesis is to answer the question of whether Turkey is turning away from its traditional western allies and reorienting itself towards the Middle East. The first chapter examines Turkey’s past, particularly the legacy of the Ottoman era, the Kemalist period, and the Cold War era, in order to its historical foundations. The second chapter analyzes the changes on the Turkish domestic scene from 1950 up to today. The focus of this chapter is on the Kemalists’ repression of democracy and the social and political shift among much of the population in reaction to their suppressive ways. …
Sustainable Food: New York Organic Dairy Market Conditions And Recommendations For Policy Reform, Dylan H. Hawkins
Sustainable Food: New York Organic Dairy Market Conditions And Recommendations For Policy Reform, Dylan H. Hawkins
Honors Theses
This paper questions the sustainability of the American dairy industry through an examination of the current organic milk industry of New York State, with special attention paid to three interests: consumer welfare, farmer welfare, and the environment. Many consumers envision an agrarian ideal of grazing cows on pasture when they think of a dairy farm; milk-marketing companies often perpetuate this image. Unfortunately, most dairy cows in America do not enjoy such idyllic lives. History shows that consolidation of the American food system has led to major transformations in dairy farming. As a result, consumers have had limited access to high …
Broken English And Fixed Stereotypes: The Portrayal Of Asian Americans In The Popular Media, Alice C. Huang
Broken English And Fixed Stereotypes: The Portrayal Of Asian Americans In The Popular Media, Alice C. Huang
Honors Theses
Since the arrival of East Asian people to the United States of America in the nineteenth century, their portrayal in the popular media has largely consisted of stereotypes: John Chinaman, Charlie Chan, Fu Manchu, Geisha Girl, etc. To investigate if there are changes in the representation of Asian Americans in the popular media, two types of research methods were utilized: content analysis and surveys. With over 300 surveys distributed electronically on the Union College campus, 56 responses were received. The survey was composed of 30.4% Asian Americans and 69.6% Caucasian Americans. The surveys had some interesting trends, which indicate that …
After The Studio: The Politcal Influence Of Visual Imagery, Katherine A. Macewan
After The Studio: The Politcal Influence Of Visual Imagery, Katherine A. Macewan
Honors Theses
Seeking to understand the role of art outside the studio, this paper examines the political effects of visual art in public space. With four artists serving as case studies, the paper interprets these artists’ work using the text of a political theorist to understand both how the public absorbs their pieces and what importance this process has. Fist, using political theorist Hannah Arendt to examine the work of the graffiti artist Banksy, the paper explores the relevance of artist’s intention to the public understanding of an image. Moving to socially conscious photographer Aaron Huey paired with author Susan Sontag, the …