Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Searching For The Soul Of American Medicine : What Three High-Quality, Low-Cost Health Care Systems Can Teach U.S. Policymakers, Benjamin A. Paul

Honors Theses

"The United States health care system is broken." This common refrain has been echoed by policymakers and politicians, Democrats and Republicans, and liberals and conservatives alike. They point to the unacceptably high number of uninsured Americans, out of control costs, and questionable quality as just some of the problems that afflict American health care. Before the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March, 2010, over 45 million Americans were without health insurance coverage.1 Health care spending currently accounts for 17% of this country‘s gross domestic product. In contrast, most industrialized European countries cover all of their …

Rosie The Riveter Vs. Helen The Homemaker : Advertising And The Role Of Women In America After World War Ii, Christina Pfaff

Honors Theses

At the outbreak of World War II millions of servicemen left the United States to fight overseas, creating a great demand for workers in the production industries. Although the government identified women as the ideal source to fill the labor gap, a harsh stigma against the female worker existed from the Depression era. The United States government launched a recruitment campaign in collaboration with major advertising agencies and well-known artists in an effort to overcome this stigma and persuade women to join the industrial workforce. This recruitment campaign centered on the image of "Rosie the Riveter." This paper discusses the …

Presidential Leadership In Health Care Reform, Ashley G. Miles

Honors Theses

Through conducting this research, I observed that while many leadership scholars cite persuasion, imaginary communities, follower engagement, serving as a symbol, and responding to the public's distrust of authority as effective means to meet the end of effective leadership, all of these tools were methods of influencing public opinion toward a specific end, rather than educating the public about all sides of an issue. Americans' anxieties regarding security, liberty, and choice, while complex, have roots in the public lacking a clear understanding about what impacts public policy will have on their private lives. Looking back on Clinton's and Obama's reform …

Torture Cannot Be Used As A National Security Policy, Peter Moshang

Honors Theses

This paper looks at the acceptability of torture as a national security policy to combat terrorism. This paper finds that torture is an ineffective and unconstitutional practice. It also explains that torture infringes upon the most basic human rights as well as basic democratic rights. The legalization of torture for antiterrorism would lead to the expansion of torture in the future as society became more accepting of torture. The legalization of torture could increase the amount of torture that occurs across the globe because the United States often sets global precedents. Finally, this paper explains that a national security option …

Political Socialization And The Youth Vote : A Study Of Political Engagement During The 2008 Election, Meredith Hull

Honors Theses

I began my research on political socialization struck about the political apathy I was observing among my friends. Through studying those very same peers here at the University of Richmond in both a survey and interviews, I am even more determined to find ways to encourage high levels of knowledgeable engagement and volunteerism among college aged students. The United States will have to continue to compete in a global market in the future and citizens of other democracies understand and care enough to vote about the changes in that government-what is the problem here?

The results of the survey and …

Scientific Advice To The House : Who Has The Congressional Ear?, Kristen Greenholt

Honors Theses

In 2001, President George W. Bush remarked, "Science and technology have never been more essential to the defense of the nation and the health of the economy." The responsibility for formulating science and technology policy primarily falls into the hands of Congress. However, since few members of Congress possess a broad base of knowledge in either science or technology, they must rely on external sources of information. I examine the sources of information on which they rely, or the question "Who has the Congressional Ear?"with regard to science and technology issues. Using the downfall of the Office of Technology Assessment …

The Rise And Fall Of America's Education President : George W. Bush's Political Leadership And The Passage Of The No Child Left Behind Act, Ethan L. Mcwilliams

Honors Theses

On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush proudly signed the "No Child Left Behind Act," thus ensuring that H.R. 1 became Public Law 107-110. During the signing ceremony, the President triumphantly proclaimed that, "as of this hour, America's schools will be on a new path of reform, and a new path of results."1 The legislation, which totaled more than six hundred pages, was intended to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and expand its aim according to four central principles: accountability for results; state and local flexibility; focusing resources on successful methods; and expanding choice? Although substantively notable …

Deficit Reduction In The U.S. Senate : The Search For Moral Leadership In The Budget Process, David Kendall Roberts

Honors Theses

Contemporary deficit reduction and fiscal responsibility are central to the economic wellbeing of future generations as well as their ability to freely decide their own policy priorities. Many scholarly publications and popular commentary on budget policy describe the obstacles to deficit reduction and political leaders' unwillingness to address the nation's long-term fiscal problems. However, current discussions of budget deficits and the national debt have not been informed by a comprehensive empirical analysis of attempts to reduce the deficit. This thesis examines all deficit-affecting floor amendments to budget legislation from 1975 to 2005 in order to assess whether the bleak account …

The Politics Of Judicial Restraint : The Rehnquist Court And The New Federalism, Sarah J. Vinson

Honors Theses

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and the Supreme Court under his leadership have been charged, respectively, with leading and enacting a federalism revolution. From the beginning, Rehnquist, first as an associate justice and later as Chief Justice, has displayed a commitment to notions of constitutionalism, originalism, and federalism. In the years before Rehnquist joined the Supreme Court, the idea of federalism, what Felix Frankfurter described as "the happy relation of States to Nation," certainly underwent numerous transformations, altering it from what was originally intended into a doctrine far friendlier to the expansion of national power at the expense of the …

"I Respectfully Dissent" : Intellectual Leadership In The Nation's Highest Court, Alison M. Smith

Honors Theses

The right of an individual to dissent from the ideas of his or her peers, or even his or her government, has been one of the defining characteristics of American civil society. The United States itself was founded as a result of American colonists' dissenting from the British government, and our Constitution established a governmental system that would not only accommodate, but encourage a process of deliberative democracy in which the views of both the many and the few would be taken into account and considered thoroughly. A system of internal checks and balances between the legislative, judicial and executive …

Women Leaders Combining A Career In Higher Education With Raising A Family : A Study Of Leadership, Anne Simmons Williamson

Honors Theses

Much of the research within the field of Leadership Studies focuses on whether men and women lead differently and whether women can break "the glass ceiling." This study will examine women leaders in higher education administration who have children and have already broken the glass ceiling, focusing on their work-life challenges and analyzing the structural and attitudinal issues in their organization and society that impact their leadership.

Virginia Schein (1995) identified the larger challenge for society by asking,

How can we restructure work in a society in which work and family no longer are separate, but interface?...It is when this …

The Changing Landscape Of America's Societal Sector, Denise Harb

Honors Theses

This paper will outline the changes in the nonprofit sector since 1945 and will attempt to show that these changes are the result of various shifts in the contextual environment in which the sector has developed. This review of the history of the nonprofit sector will trace the influence of such factors as World War two and the controversy which surrounded foundations mainly until the 1960s. Other contextual factors include more academic transformations such as the influence of Keynesian economic theory and the 1960's research on the roles of mediating structures in American democracy.

A Comparative Case Study On Why Women Run For Public Office : Hillary Rodham Clinton & Elizabeth Hanford Dole, Ashley Elizabeth Lorenz

Honors Theses

As our political history evolves, slowly but surely more and more women are running for public office. What are the things that propel women to run for local, state, or federal leadership positions? Are there certain factors that are contingent upon their embarkment into the political arena? The answers to these questions all contribute to the "creation," if you will, of a political woman. In order to better understand these factors and their effects, I will examine case studies of two women, Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Dole, through the lenses of four such factors including the timing as it relates …

Leadership And The War Between The States, Matt Cobb

Honors Theses

The concept of a Servant Leader is fascinating because it seems to be an oxymoron. How can one be a servant if they are to lead? This seems even stranger when placed in the context of military leaders. Robert Greenleaf argued that "The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead."' Individuals such as Jesus Christ, Mohandas Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. immediately seem to fit the definition for servant leaders. Each individual involved with the military serve their respective …

Leadership, Gender, And Division I Athletics, A Study Of Athletes' Needs Based On Gender, Carol Knerr

Honors Theses

Athletics is a significant area where leadership can be observed and studied. Through my experience in athletics up to the college level, I have noticed that coaches coach differently depending on if they are coaching male or female athletes. For example, I have noticed that coaches of male sports teams sometimes yell, scream, and directly insult their players in order to motivate them. This technique seems to work for the men but generally might not be as successful for female athletes. This is simply an observation that is not backed up by research. Some research has been done on different …

Empowerment In The United States Congress, James D. Mark, Christopher J. Poulos

Honors Theses

The purpose of the forthcoming study is to gain an understanding of how empowerment is utilized in the political arena. The project will primarily deal with Congress and the relations between Members. With all of the facets of the legislative branch, it is necessary to narrow this study to several aspects of the body. Due to the diversity of Congressional Members and the formal structure of House and Senate committees, this investigation will serve to provide a concentrated, yet thorough analysis of the presence of empowerment.

Leadership And The Breast Cancer Movement, Amy Silverstein

Honors Theses

The breast cancer movement stays away from power struggles and superiority complexes. These women figured out that in order to stay organized and in control, every woman needed to feel included. The nature of the issue of the movement helps as well. Since most of these women fought the disease either themselves or with others, they understand how important a supportive environment contributes to a person's well-being. This support flows into the movement and contributes to the sense of togetherness. Some women are more prone to leadership than others, but that does not mean that they are somehow superior. Their …

The Prophet And The Preacher : An Exploration Of Charismatic Leadership In Two American Religious Movements, Stefanie R. Mathew

Honors Theses

From its very inception. the general, overarching goal of this study has been to integrate two academic disciplines that had a relatively small amount of previous scholarship uniting them. This paper has shown that it is quite possible to intermingle the fields of leadership studies and religion successfully. The specific purpose of this paper was the further exploration of the topic of charismatic leadership in a relatively untouched context, that of radical religious groups in modem America. The result of this project is a lengthy treatment of the topic of charismatic leadership in two specific case studies, and the final …

Present To Future : The Innovations Of Leadership Studies, Christopher Hartman Engels

Honors Theses

Formal leadership education is the latest craze at the secondary level of education. Private high schools have for years stated in their brochures that their school produces leaders. However, only recently are these same schools clearly articulating a more formal structure in leadership education. An in-depth case study analysis of three private high schools in Virginia will not only allow for a look at their leadership curricula, but will allow for conclusion to be made about the best possible means of teaching leadership.

Philanthropic Leadership : Comparing Historical And Contemporary Methods Of Philanthropic Giving, Patrick Rucker

Honors Theses

America has a unique tradition of philanthropy. Wealthy benefactors have created some of our most notable institutions for health, education and the arts. The level of philanthropic giving has been consistently high yet the tradition of giving has taken many shapes and assumes several forms today. One of the most interesting and currently debated forms of charitable giving is money directed towards social change or the achievement of a certain social agenda. Money is given today to support or stall legal abortions, racial integration, and a host of other social issues. This paper will examine the tradition of giving in …

Lobbyists : Leadership In A Political Context, Kelly L. Beeland

Honors Theses

Though both participation in General Assembly from a lobbyist's perspective and library research, this project addresses the question: How do lobbyists serve as leaders to interest groups and within the political process? The content of this research explores the role of lobbyists as leaders in the political context. This project tracks the lobbyist's behavior and actions (not just the evolution of a bill) at specific points in the legislative process. Finally, the tasks lobbyists perform and the role they fill in the political process are defined in terms of leadership theory. In the context of this definition, lobbyists are analyzed …

"We Shall Overcome" And Gangsta Rap : An Investigation Of The Role Of Music In The Civil Rights Movement And In Contemporary Urban Society, Christopher Yurchuck

Honors Theses

The non-violent protestors of the Civil Rights Movement found in their music, a sense of healing and of cohesion within their group, a group of blacks and whites alike, fighting the injustices of a supposedly just society. They used the Freedom Songs to express dissention with the system, to disseminate information to other movement participants, and to bind the group together. The black militants of the '60s in the Civil Rights Movement did not use music as a form of their expression; rather, their silence, an absence of music, said it all. Today, gangsta rappers are a fusion of the …

Uncharted Leadership : A Study Of Leadership In The Judicial Branch, Kevin Donnelly

Honors Theses

This paper is the final product of a research oriented project in which I studied leadership within the federal judicial system, specifically the Supreme Court of the United States. This project was an in depth study of the amount, style, and effect of Leadership in the Judicial branch. Through this study I hoped to explore a major component of government which has somehow been ignored when studying leadership at the national level.

Leadership From The Bench : Are Morals Irrelevant?, John Unice

Honors Theses

Morality, understood as the underlying beliefs and values that guide our choices, permeates our personal and professional lives. The Jepson School places a great deal of emphasis on moral leadership, for the importance of leading with a core set of values is discussed in nearly every class. Via my Jepson School experience, I have become sensitive to the issues surrounding the ethical decision-making process, and believe that this area is worthy of study. As a student leader, I have been faced with many situations that required moral or ethical decisions. As I hopefully join the legal profession, the need for …

Eleanor And Hillary : First Lady Leadership In The Contexts Of History And Contemporary Culture, Beth Allen

Honors Theses

The work of this paper is important to leadership studies for two reasons. First of all, such examination furthers the exploration of first lady leadership and interprets the lives and works of ER and HRC in a new way. Also, this paper will help test the validity of a new model of contingency theory. Wren and Swatez explain that leadership studies needs such a model, one "that identifies and affirms the various levels of historical and cultural forces that act upon the leadership process" (247).

Contingency theories of leadership examine the relationship between leaders, followers, and the situation, and often …

The Grotian Quest Revisited, Jeffrey Waggett

Honors Theses

In 1625, more than twenty years prior to the ending of the Thirty Years War with the Treaty of Westphalia, Hugo Grotius wrote De Jure Belli-ac Pacis, outlining his solutions for a troubled world. While the details and particularities of his ideas may not be compatible with today's unsettled and transitory world, what he strove and quested for is as applicable today as it was at the beginning of the modem state system. At the time of Grotius, feudalism was being replaced by statist concerns, centering around territory and a dual centralization of domestic authority and military power. The transitory …

Personal Leadership : A Course Proposal For The Jepson School Curriculum, Carrie S. Smith

Honors Theses

One growth area within the field of leadership studies is the concept of personal leadership. Personal leadership encourages identifying and living by one's own core values. It incorporates defining and adhering to a personal mission statement and vision. Teaching personal leadership means identifying specific practices, exercises, disciplines and habits that aid the individual in learning to lead a principle-centered life. Since the material is translatable into all realms of a leaders life, teaching personal leadership methods to Jepson students will aid them in gaining a better understanding of themselves and will prove to be a practical preparatory course for leadership …

Leadership : Can It Be Taught?, Edward R. Schreiber Iii

Honors Theses

This paper attempts to support the assertion that leadership can be taught. To accomplish this task I must first determine what leadership is. To assert that something can be taught I must first ascertain what the subject is. This is an issue of particular sensitivity and complexity, and will be discussed in length in this paper. From there I will attack the question of whether this thing called leadership can be taught. How can an educational curriculum actually teach people leadership? This question is actually the culmination of a number of underlying issues which must first be confronted.

Summer Leadership Seminar, Matthew Whitbeck

Honors Theses

The leadership program for rising seniors in the Hanover School District is, at this moment, tentative. The project itself is a joint program between Hanover County School District and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. ... The program has three parts; one, a summer leadership seminar preceding the senior school year; two, a senior project during the school year; and three, a mentorship program during the senior school year. It is hoped that the students will receive an experience that will stress the importance of moral courage, empathy for diverse opinions, and an understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship. While …

Is A Graduate Program In Leadership Studies Feasible?, Bill Sakkab

Honors Theses

It is the philosophy of the Graduate program in Leadership Studies that effective leadership education is built on two pillars: an interdisciplinary education and experience in leadership positions. Through an interdisciplinary degree program, students will enhance their base of knowledge about leadership and another chosen discipline of the student's interest. The Leadership Studies program is intended to be integrated with a solid grounding in another discipline of study that will include the following choices: education, history, organizational behavior, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology.