Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Democratic Opposition Parties And Democratic Outcomes In Hybrid Regimes, Jeremy M. Ladd

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Leading up to and following the end of the Cold War a new wave of democratisation commenced in Sub-Saharan Africa and around the world which, in both cases, has been characterized by “blocked transitions,” the “rise of competitive authoritarianism,” and the proliferation of hybrid regimes. This thesis is primarily concerned with “democratic” outcomes within these hybrid regimes. Excluding data from prior to the end of the Cold War in global investigations of democracy, this thesis utilizes a temporally truncated dataset to reanalyse dominant theories of democratisation both at the global and regional (Sub-Saharan Africa) level, finding that when contaminating effects …

A New Civics In The Digital Age: Connecting Online And Offline Activism In Lithuania, Liepa Gust

All Dissertations

Political participation is critical for the legitimacy of democracy, yet the majority of Lithuanians refrain from participating 20 years after the restoration of independence. Low rates of participation have been reinforced by adverse mass beliefs, including deep-rooted mistrust and political powerlessness. Given that the development of civic culture in a democratic Lithuania is occurring simultaneously with the spread of new information and communication technologies, Lithuania serves as an interesting case study of the potential of online spaces for facilitating participation. Empirical knowledge regarding the relationships between online engagement, civic attitudes, and offline activism would strengthen campaigns to promote democracy through …

Ask What Your Country Can Do For You: Social Spending And Satisfaction With Democracy In Latin America, Kenneth Retzl

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Past research on social policy in Latin America has primarily focused on how each countries' policies were formed, the institutional framework that bred the policies, or the economic constraints that necessitated certain reforms. Little work has been done to examine the effects those policies have had on the populace. This thesis attempts to determine if there is a relationship between social spending and satisfaction with democracy. The research takes two forms. First I present case studies of Brazil, Ecuador, and Venezuela. The second is an ordered logit hierarchical linear model utilizing survey responses from the 2005 Latinobarometer survey. In total …

Just A Mutt: A Narrative Ethnography Of The Denver Dog Park Master Plan Process, Stephen M. Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This ethnographic study explores the phenomenon of citizen participation in the decision-making process of their local government. The researcher explored this topic by observing the Dog Park Master Plan process conducted by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City and County of Denver from June 2009 through April 2011.

The researcher attended and observed seven meetings of a citizens committee convened by the Denver Parks and Recreation Department to act as a mini-public to test the elements of the Dog Park Master Plan before presenting the Plan to the public, and the three public meetings held to allow the …

A New Crisis Of The Republic: The Erosion Of The Democratic Ideal, Michael G. Lewis

Honors Theses

The United States has long been considered one of the most successful examples of democracy, with success measured in the quality of representation, the duration of our polity, and the ease for political regime change. However, it is necessary to question whether our democratic ideals are still prevalent in today’s society. The unfortunate response is that they are not. The revolutionary notions that marked the founding of the American republic have been misplaced. Our government seems to have experienced a devaluation of its founding principles, where now, our government participates in actions that do not represent the vital tenants of …

Gaetano Salvemini: A Lesson In Thought And Action, Michael Christopher Diclemente

Graduate Masters Theses

Gaetano Salvemini was one of the earliest political exiles during Fascism. Before his exile Salvemini had the reputation of being a well-respected historian and political activist. He taught history at the University of Florence, among other universities. Salvemini was known for his intelligence, detailed research and analysis, and his unflinching ideals. After his exile Salvemini spent some time in England and France. During this time he traveled to the United States for a lecture tour and later settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts to teach at Harvard University. Salvemini's main objective in his writing and lectures was to debunk the myths of …

Challenges Of The Cooperative Movement In Addressing Issues Of Human Security In The Context Of A Neoliberal World: The Case Of Argentina, Stefan Ivanovski

Honors Theses

The response of some Argentine workers to the 2001 crisis of neoliberalism gave rise to a movement of worker-recovered enterprises (empresas recuperadas por sus trabajadores or ERTs). The ERTs have emerged as former employees took over the control of generally fraudulently bankrupt factories and enterprises. The analysis of the ERT movement within the neoliberal global capitalist order will draw from William Robinson’s (2004) neo-Gramscian concept of hegemony. The theoretical framework of neo-Gramscian hegemony will be used in exposing the contradictions of capitalism on the global, national, organizational and individual scales and the effects they have on the ERT movement.

The …

Revolution And Democratization: Can Egypt Transition To A Modern Day Democracy?, Kristin M. Horitski

Honors Theses

On January 25, 2011, demonstrations began in Egypt against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak. These demonstrations were the culmination of decades of abuses by the government such as police brutality, corruption, and the provisions of the emergency law that restricted the freedoms of the people and limited the opposition to the regime. The protests grew into a revolution that toppled the Mubarak government and put the military temporarily in charge of the country. The popular uprising and resignation of President Mubarak left the country in a state of euphoria and hope, yet there are uncertainties about the future. This …

The "Europeanization" Of The Western Balkans; Is European Conditionality Fostering Democracy?, George Kostakis

Dissertations and Theses

"This thesis analyzes the current model of European Union conditionality toward the Western Balkans, which based on a dual approach through the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP). Through SAP, the European Union (EU) is trying to stabilize the Western Balkans, while at the same time associating them with EU policies and supporting them in taking over the EU acquis. My hypothesis is that in order to promote democracy and the rule of law, the EU's policy of stabilizing and integrating should be reformed to better strengthen and clarify conditionality. In order to test my hypothesis, I focused on the three …

Paths To Democracy, The Post-Cold War And 21st Century New Standard Of Civilization, The New Wave Expansion Of International Society: China, South Korea And Iraq, Jaewon Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation, I examine two main research questions: 1. Can we regard democracy as the new standard of civilization and the new wave expansion of international society in the post-Cold War era and in the 21st century? and 2. Should we think that each path toward democracy is relatively different based on the characteristics of each international society and the internal and external variables of each state? In my dissertation, I use typology to demonstrate that each country has taken its own unique path toward democracy, and that democracy has become the post-Cold War and 21st century new standard …

The Choice Of The People: Direct Legislation, Abortion Policy, And The American Democratic Ideal, Madelin Siedler

Senior Projects Spring 2012

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

The Role Of The King In The Democratic Transition In Thailand, Elizabeth A. Van Buskirk

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the traditional role of a monarchy in processes of democratization. This thesis evaluates this theory by examining the case of the democratization process in Thailand and the role of the current King in that process.

Social Movements' Emergence And Form: The Green Movement In Iran, Afsaneh J Haddadian

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Theories of social movements suggest that 'objective' changes in the structure of political opportunities and their interaction with mobilizing and framing mechanisms render a system vulnerable to mass protest. By examining the variables relevant to such interaction, this study seeks to account for the emergence and form of the 2009 Green Movement in Iran. This research uses the congruence method and process traces the movement adherents' activities, mainly their use of Information Communication Technologies, and investigates the so-called opposition leaders' activities and statements. The study argues that in accounting for emergence and form of the Green Movement, we need to …

'Counting Votes And Bodies,' Election-Related Conflicts In Africa: A Comparative Study Of Ghana And Kenya, Ibrahim Mahama Nambiema

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Since joining the 'third wave' of democracy in the 1990s, African countries have focused on elections. Some leaders conduct elections to legitimize their authoritarian rule. Many of Africa's transitional democracies are associated with flawed elections and violent conflicts. The literature on electoral conflict places little emphasis on election governance. It is my assumption that the high rate of non-credible elections in Africa can be associated with election management that has exacerbated societal cleavages. Is an effective and independent election management body a necessary prerequisite for election results to be credible? Are credible elections correlated with lower levels of conflicts? Kenya …

The Indigenous Movement And The Struggle For Political Representation In Bolivia, Angelica T. Nieves

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The theme of ethnic identity in politics is gaining importance in countries such as Bolivia, where people recently elected their first indigenous President. The Indigenous movement has been able to incorporate themselves in the state apparatus and have produced new political policies and constitutional instruments. They represent an alternative to the "white" political elites who governed them for many decades. This study analyzes the dynamics within the Indigenous social movement in Bolivia and how they reinforced a composite vision of a participatory democratic society through political representation. The results of this participation (and, moreover, political representation) can be seen in …