International and Area Studies Commons^™

Conflicting Thoughts: The Effect Of Information On Support For An Increase In The Federal Minimum Wage Level, Joshua Cooper, Alejandra Gimenez

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

In March 2014, President Obama urged Congress to approve a minimum wage hike from $7.25 to $10.10. As expected, a debate sparked from both sides of the aisle about whether it should be increased at all and if the proposed jump was too large. Following this debate, a flurry of public opinion polls entered the field to measure how Americans felt on this issue. Research firms from the Washington Post to Pew fielded basic surveys asking how Americans felt about the potential wage hike. However, none of them looked at how the levels of information about the minimum wage increase …

Research Project: Children In Agriculture, Rachel Milliron

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

The concept of the “American dream” lures many immigrants to the U.S. each year. Patterns of immigration to the U.S. throughout history may be categorized into waves, including major waves from Asia, Europe, and Latin America (Nelli 1987: 200–01). American industries have welcomed and capitalized from the influx of cheap labor in the workforce. The agricultural industry employs many immigrants, and, more specifically, child immigrants or children of immigrants (Human Rights Watch 2014a). The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 exempts minors in agricultural jobs from the maximum-hour and the minimum-age requirements that apply to other working minors (Human Rights …

Back Cover

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Predictive Ability Of Political Psychological Theory: A Case Study Of President Clinton’S Behavior In Bosnia, Madeline Ary

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Why does the U.S. sometimes choose to intervene in international conflicts? Can the political decisions of a leader be profiled? In order to address these questions, this study analyzes the case study of the Bosnian civil war and the decisions President Bill Clinton made to escalate intervention measures in the region until the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995. To accomplish this analysis, the psychological theory of international relations, specifically operational code theory, will be applied. Overall, this analysis concludes that the psychological and instrumental beliefs held by President Clinton had an impact on U.S. foreign policy pertaining to Bosnia.

Trust And Scandal: A Tale Of Two Theories, James Martherus

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

“I am not a crook.” Those five words are burned into the nation’s memory. President Nixon was under investigation after five men were arrested trying to break into the Watergate office complex, where the Democratic National Committee was headquartered. Evidence was found that the burglary was funded using money from Nixon’s re-election campaign. This led to cover-ups at high levels within the FBI, CIA, and the White House. Nixon was implicated in these cover-ups and was eventually charged with obstruction of justice, abuse of authority, and defiance of committee subpoenas. It was then that Nixon uttered the infamous phrase, “I …

Letter From The Editor, Alan Hickey Editor-In-Chief

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

United States—Chile Bilateral Free Trade Act, Jake Berlin

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Since the formation of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) in 1947, world trade has increased exponentially, leading to unprecedented economic growth and prosperity throughout the world. The elimination of nontariff barriers (NTB’s) and the reduction of tariffs throughout the world have allowed world trade and wealth to flow effectively from one country to another guided by the “invisible hand” of economic liberalism. The Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations, which led to the creation of a formal World Trade Organization (WTO), was seen by many as evidence pointing to continued progress toward trade liberalization throughout the world. In …

The Iconography Of The Turkish Lira, David Covey

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

This is an original manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Southeast European and Black Sea Studies on 4 April 2022, available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2022.2054171.

Turkey seems to forever be at a balancing point—between East and West, secular and Muslim, autocratic and liberal, ancient and modern. As a rising economic power in a region plagued by turmoil, it has enormous strategic importance as both a center of power and a model for others. Pulled in multiple directions by its diverse population, few outcomes seem implausible for Turkey. In the coming decades, it could become a model …

Gender, Corruption, And Culture: Evidence From The American States, Luke Bell

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

In recent years, several influential studies have reported that high levels of female representation in national legislatures seem to correspond with low levels of countrywide corruption. Scholars have expressed excitement at the prospect that simply adding women to government will “diminish the need for a painful, expensive, and politically difficult process of rooting out corruption via oversight and prosecution” (Esarey and Chirillo 2013: 364). Some governments have launched initiatives to increase the number of women in positions of public responsibility as a means of combating corrupt behavior. Peru, for example, recently created an allwomen police division in an attempt to …

Sigma 2015

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Blue-Green Divide: The Role Of Environmental Ngos In Tackling Environmental Problems In Taiwan, Yttrium Sua

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis attempts to provide a brief historical outline of the environmental movement in Taiwan and the unique political situation that has directly affected how the movement has progressed. Thereafter, it looks at some examples of environmental disputes that have occurred in recent years, paying special attention to the ways the environmental movement has interacted with the government. This provides the background to frame the analysis, which will shed light on the reasons for the current state of distrust and antagonistic interactions between the environmental movement and the government. Finally, the thesis evaluates whether such interactions with the government is …

Botswana And Mauritius: A Comparative Analysis Of An Economic And Political Success Story In The Most Unlikely Region, Richard Armah

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The African continent is the last place to consider seeking case studies for political and economic success. In the midst of this gloomy picture, Botswana and Mauritius have emerged as two of the most stable democracies with the most politically and economically advanced economies in the world. In conducting a careful and critical analysis of the reasons for their success, there is often the temptation of labeling the achievements of these two nations as political and economic "miracles". This study seeks not to single out these two countries as unique cases, but as models of growth for the rest of …

Problems Of Teaching Religion In Public Schools In Bulgaria Today: Retrospective And Prospective, Nonka Bogomilova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Projecting Power In The Arctic: The Russian Scramble For Energy, Power, And Prestige In The High North, Shane C. Tayloe

Pepperdine Policy Review

The Arctic is currently the setting for a high stakes power play between the liberal, Western order and a revisionist Russian state, that desperately seeks great power, claiming nearly half the Arctic in a ploy for energy, power, and ultimately prestige. In recent years geography has jumbled previously staid geopolitical dynamics with substantial implications on sea trade, energy, and security. This article explores the motivations of expansionary Russian foreign policy and U.S. responses to it.

The Increase On Nonconsensual Bride Kidnapping In Kyrgyzstan, Amna Nawaz

UROP Posters

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the country of Kyrgyzstan has had an unprecedented jump in bride kidnapping. The number of occurrences has skyrocketed and with that so has the severity of the violence. In this time women are taken, with no prior indication of when or how, and forced to marry their kidnappers. This non-consensual practice has morphed for reasons unknown. To stop the increasingly abysmal state of women’s rights in Kyrgyzstan, and in countries all of over the world, we must discover why people turned towards violence and lack of consent in the 1990’s.

To determine the …

Government Senior Executives' Perceptions Of Brain Drain On Leadership In The United States Virgin Islands, Shurla Jeffers-Knight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly qualified individuals are leaving the Caribbean and relocating to the United States and other developed countries. Researchers describe this resulting flight of human capital, or brain drain, from the Caribbean as a problem which has no clear definition or immediate solution. This phenomenological study explored perceptions of government senior executives in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) of the cause and impact of brain drain. Burns' and Bass's transformational and transactional leadership theories were used as the framework for this study. Data were collected through a demographic questionnaire and semistructured interviews with a snowball sample of 10 participants. Data …

Creating Knowledge, Volume 8, 2015

Creating Knowledge

Dear reader,

I am delighted to introduce this eighth volume of Creating Knowledge: The LAS Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship. This volume features 19 essays and 14 art works, representing advanced coursework produced in twenty different departments and programs during the 2014-2015 academic year. Several of the essays have been honored with department awards and several draw on research supported by undergraduate research grants. Many were originally written in senior capstone seminars, research-intensive seminars, and independent studies, and many were presented in some form at one of the numerous conferences and showcases sponsored by departments and programs throughout the year. All …

Ethnicity, Tribalism And Racism: A Global Challenge For The Christian Church And Its Mission, Boubakar Sanou

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"Ethnic, tribal, and racial differences have been successfully used either to build up or tear down communities and neighborhoods. the purpose of this paper is to explore issues related to ethnicity, tribalism, and racism and the consequent challenge they pose to the christian church in general. Because mission always involves the crossing of ethnic and cultural boundaries, it is important that the issues related to ethnicity, tribalism, and racism be addressed and put into the biblical perspective."

Migration, Security And Development: Reflections On Integrating Migration Into Border Studies, Thanh-Dam Truong

Asian Review

Discerning the interfaces between migration studies and border studies in the globalizing process is necessary for interdisciplinary cooperation to achieve a productive integration of common concerns. Seeing the transformations of migration and of borders as a twin process would be helpful in building a unified approach to cross-border movements, their plural forms and contextual significance for border regions—both at the frontier as well as inside a society. A unified approach can help shed more light on the limitations of current practices of governance of cross-border movements. Processes of identities constructions and diverse experiences of human security among people on the …

"Reaching The Unreached": The Role Of Civil Society In Providing Access To Education For Migrant Children From Myanmar In Thailand, Kristine Stenbeck

Asian Review

In the last twenty years, the focus on human rights has only increased, resulting in a series of international and regional agreements for countries to take responsibility to improve their citizens' lives. Marginalization is often the result of political, social or cultural disparities, and the issue of human rights evolves into complex and diverse tendencies. Studies have been done to find obstacles in gaining equality; the issues have been recognized and acknowledged and awareness that the goal of Education for All cannot be achieved without collaboration between governments and non-governmental institutions has taken place. In 1990 the Thai government ratified …

Replacement Migration And Governance: Migrant Domestic Workers In Egypt, Akm Ahsan Ullah

Asian Review

The paper examines how migrant domestic workers, children and adults, make their ways to Egypt and secure employment. The paper also analyzes international legal instruments that constitute the international legal framework governing migration and trafficking to draw connections between these legal instruments and the status of Asian migrant domestic workers in Egypt. This paper is based on qualitative research conducted between 2012 and 2013 with 16 child migrant workers and 25 adult migrant workers selected using snowball sampling. This study analyzes the circumstances of child and adult domestic workers. Adult domestic workers are generally freelancers, and usually stay in Egypt …

A Study Of Skilled Labor Migration From The Philippines, Gamolporn Sonsri

Asian Review

The purposes of this article are to study policies and regulations relating to skilled labor migration in the Philippines, and to study the roles of various sectors in the Philippines in encouraging and supporting labor migration to international labor markets, especially to Thailand. The study uses desk review of documents and qualitative research methods through in-depth interviews with representatives from government agencies, the private sector, and civil society in the Philippines. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive induction to identify the key mechanisms used in the Philippines to govern migration overseas to work, namely the Migrant Workers …

Contributors

Asian Review

No abstract provided.

Notes To Contributors Of Asian Review

Asian Review

No abstract provided.

Remarks By Professor Arnoud De Meyer, Smu President At The Launch Of Smu Grow, 6 January 2015, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Embarking on GROW advocates the start of a new dimension of growth for SMU, especially as we start SMU’s 15th year. We believe that in a transformative education, social good and all-rounded learning is at the heart of academic pursuit; and ‘U’ includes not just the University campus and students, but many individuals and organisations that matter and transform ‘U’. Knowledge and growth have no boundaries and everyone is a student in society. Growing a garden physically and in your heart brings the community back to fundamental basics that are important to life. We need to produce food for our …

Rosenberg Institute For East Asian Studies At Suffolk University Annual Report For 2014-2015, Rosenberg Institute

Rosenberg Institute Annual Reports

These reports summarize the activities of the Rosenberg Institute during the academic year, including information related to public programming, visiting scholars, cooperation with the Asian Studies program at Suffolk College of Arts & Sciences, promotion of Suffolk's Asia-related activities, community outreach, and funding. Most reports also contain photographs of scholars, staff, and events.

Deviant Politics: Hip Hop As A Form Of Resistance Against Hypercriminalization And Structural Violence, Selene Ines Diaz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Deviant Politics: Hip Hop As A Form Of Resistance Against Hyper Criminalization And Structural Violence

The New Dynamics Of El Paso's Post Industrial Development: An Analysis Of The El Paso Chihuahua's Ballpark Controversy, Alan Matthew Serna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis has sought to highlight a controversial event that occurred in El Paso, Texas when a wealthy group of local business interests, entered into a public/ private agreement with the City of El Paso to bring Triple-A baseball to the city. In doing so, the partnership drew large amounts opposition to their plan, when it was revealed that the city hall building would be demolished to make way for a new stadium, and that the issue would not be put to a vote. After analyzing all of the behaviors utilized by both opponents and proponents of the ballpark during …

Short-Term Forecasting Analysis Of Municipal Water Demand In El Paso, Texas, Alejandro Ceballos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Short-term water demand forecasts inform decisions regarding budgeting, rate design, water supply system operations, and effective implementation of conservation policies. This study develops a Linear Transfer Function (LTF) forecasting model for El Paso, Texas, a growing city located in the desert Southwest region of the United States. The model is used to generate monthly-frequency out-of-sample simulations of water demand for periods when actual demand is known. To measure the accuracy of the LTF projections against viable alternatives, a set of benchmark forecasts is also developed. Both descriptive accuracy metrics and formal statistical tests are used to analyze predictive performance. The …

La Lutte Pour L'Azawad: Mnla Public Relations Responses To Conflict In Northern Mali, 2011-2014, Sean Neil Curtis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis examines the Internet public relations content of Mali's Tuareg rebel group, the Mouvement National de la Liberation de L'Azawad (MNLA). Content analysis grounded in speech act securitization theory is applied to the 259 posts on the MNLA's primary French language website in order to determine if MNLA website posts correlate with the events occurring in the northern Mali conflict. The data reveals that various characteristics of MNLA statements do correlate with events in the conflict. What the MNLA says provides important insight into the organization and the conflict itself. The identified correlations allow for MNLA rhetoric and activity …