Political Science Commons^™

Hydroelectric Power, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides a historical overview and contemporary analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of federal government support for hydroelectric power in the American West.

Oil Industry, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides an overview of the historical and contemporary development of the American oil industry and how it has impacted U.S. natural resources policies in the American west.

Kyl, Jon, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides an summary of the political career of Arizona Senator John Kyl who served in the Senate from 1995-2013 and as a congressional representative from 1987-1994.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S., Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides a historical overview and contemporary analysis of the energy policymaking role played by the Energy Department's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC responsibilities include regulating the prices and interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. Its responsibilities also include reviewing proposals to build and locate natural gas terminals, interstate natural gas pipelines, licensing hydropower projects, and regulating relevant mergers and securities acquisitions in these areas.

Mining, Uranium, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides an overview of uranium mining's role and influence in the American West with comparative information on uranium mining in foreign countries.

Subsidies, Agricultural, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides historical and contemporary information on U.S. Government agricultural subsidies and how they affect agricultural policy in the Western U.S.

Specialists, Generalists, And Policy Advocacy By Charitable Nonprofit Organizations, Heather Macindoe, Ryan Whalen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Previous research finds modest levels of engagement in policy advocacy by charitable nonprofits, despite legal regulations permitting nonprofit advocacy and the significance of public policy to nonprofit constituencies. This paper examines nonprofit involvement in policy advocacy using survey data from Boston, Massachusetts. Nonprofit participation in policy advocacy is associated with professionalization, resource dependence, features of the institutional environment, and organizational characteristics such as size and mission. Drawing from population ecology theory, we examine an additional aspect of organizational mission: whether a nonprofit serves a specialized or general population. We find that nonprofits serving specialized populations are more likely to participate …

Department Of Defense Resource Allocations And Progress Toward U.S. Foreign Policy Objectives In Latin America, Melissa Rene Rodriguez

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This research addresses the issue of insufficient or stagnated progress toward U.S. foreign policy objectives for Latin America through an analysis of Department of Defense resource allocations toward the region. These resources are critical to achieving progress toward U.S. foreign policy objectives because the relationships and engagements the DOD establish with Latin American partner nations largely precede and characterize the role of the U.S. in the region.

First 'efficiency' is defined, and then U.S. foreign policy objectives for the region and the regional issues are outlined. Next, Department of Defense resources are characterized and their posture and allocations in the …

Presidential War Powers, Matt Scott Formisano

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Even before the framing of the Constitution, the Framers feared an executive power that would grow too strong. This fear was reflected throughout debates held before, during, and after the American Revolution. Even today, debate still continues as to what the executive power entails when it comes to acts of war and treaties. The United States Constitution was framed with the purpose of dividing power between the branches of government in order to avoid abuse and tyranny. “The Constitution bestows enormous power and responsibility on the President to protect the nation’s security and safeguard the people’s liberty” (Matheson 1). Throughout …

The Cost Of Primacy: The Potential Impacts On American Domestic Health, Peter James Crosby

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

While scholars, soldiers and politicians have argued about the international consequences of American grand strategy, relatively little attention has been paid to the potential domestic consequences of American hegemony versus isolationism. This paper is an effort to start the process of understanding the relationship between American primacy (the current strategy) and its domestic impact. It looks at general areas of measurement, economic and social indicators, to determine if primacy has a positive or negative impact on the American people. Though additional research is necessary, this paper suggests primacy has not had the negative consequences suggested by proponents of isolationism.

Death By Bullet, Fire, Or Vapor: Examining The Decision To Use The Atomic Bomb To End World War Ii In The Pacific Theatre, Jonathan Keenan

The Exposition

The atomic bomb is one of the most destructive devices man has created for warfare. Able to wipe out entire city blocks and dissolve a person’s body leaving only a shadow behind. How can any good be found in such a weapon? The paper will evaluate the process Americans went through to create this weapon and then use it. It will convey how different key players felt about the Bomb, such as politicians, scientists, and military figures. Both sides of the argument will be looked at whether the Bombs should have been dropped or if there was a way around …

A Style Of His Own: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama, Victoria West

Hollins Student Conference (2012-2016)

This paper analyzes President Obama’s rhetoric in his two inaugural addresses in order to determine how his presidential rhetoric conforms to and violates current rhetorical traditions in inaugural addresses. For this paper a rhetorical analysis of Obama’s addresses was performed using a form of genre criticism. The components for this genre criticism were drawn from Vanessa B. Beasley’s work on presidential rhetoric in her book You, the People: American National Identity in Presidential Rhetoric. Anticipated results of this analysis will show that President Obama’s presidential rhetoric is more secular than previous presidents. The results will also illustrate that President Obama’s …

Parks, Sherman, B. 1890? (Sc 1006), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 1006. Letters, 1933 (2), written by Sherman Parks, Madisonville, Kentucky, to Joseph F. Garnett, Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Parks, as an officer in the Hopkins County and Kentucky Colored Independent Voters Leagues, requests assistance, including monetary aid to promote the recruitment of African- Americans to Kentucky’s Democratic Party.

Home Rule And Environmentalism: The Adoption Of Green Initiatives In U.S. Municipalities, Luke Eastin

2013 Awards for Excellence in Student Research & Creative Activity - Documents

In recent years there has been a movement in academia from studying environmental policy on the national level to a much narrower examination of local municipalities and their respective green initiatives. The implications of this research reach well beyond the borders of academics and hit squarely municipalities and their corresponding local policy makers. We, as political scientists, must ask what particular characteristics of municipalities play the most significant role in green initiative adoption. Recent urban scholarship has suggested several variables that influence the adoption of environmental policies, but one specific variable, municipality home rule status, has had little to no …

Report On The Media’S Affect In Relation To The Creation Of Optimism Or Pessimism About The United States, Spencer Brown

College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs Poster Presentations

In recent years, the United States news media has grown more partisan and thus more biased. This has led some people not to trust the United States news media. Others have embraced the new partisan United States news media. However, by embracing a United States news media that is more partisan and in a way commercial has this led the American public to be exposed to more negative stories about the United States and thus to become more pessimistic about the United States? The United States media’s impact as a source of information has an important affect on how United …

Carter, Chillon Conway, 1830-1891 (Mss 112), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and typescripts of selected material for Manuscripts Collection 112. Correspondence, chiefly written by Monroe County, Kentucky native Chillon Conway Carter, to his wife, Lucinda E. and his two daughters Nancy G. and Louisa A., during the Civil War. Also includes letters written to Carter by his brother, John B. Carter, who lived in White County, Illinois.

How To Know If You're An Extremist, Katherine M. White

SURGE

I’m a serious West Wing fan. I love it because it not only gives me a little insight into what is obviously a totally accurate depiction of what life is like working in the White House (right?) but it also makes me think. Take this scene from season 3 as an example:

Josh Lyman, the Deputy White House Chief, is stuck in the White House cafeteria with a group of high school students while the White House is under emergency lockdown. Since the students have been promised the opportunity to speak to influential people in D.C. during their visit, Lyman …

Explaining Political Activeness And Attitudes Toward Unionization Among Nurses In The United States., Crystal L. Lesmeister

Political Science Theses and Capstones

There is no question; nurses play a key role in healthcare. Nurses provide direct care, coordinate health promotion activities, educate, and provide support and advocacy to patients. Today, there are over two million registered nurses in the United States. My research aims to determine the variables that influence some nurses to be more politically active and more engaged in unionization than their counterparts. I analyze The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 2004 looking at a variety of potential explanations for union participation. Findings show a strong regional variation in the percentage of unionization, however, some of the conventional explanations …

Underwood, Henry Lewis, 1848-1925 - Collector (Sc 936), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 936. Letters kept by Henry Lewis Underwood, 1848-1925, a Bowling Green, Kentucky native, which include an 1800 letter of Henry Clay written to Robert Craddock; an 1875 letter of Jefferson Davis addressed to Underwood; an 1894 letter of Theodore Roosevelt addressed to C.R. Breckinridge; letters, 1885 (15), pertaining to a National Soldiers Reunion and Encampment; and miscellaneous items.

Natcher, William Huston, 1909-1994 (Sc 938), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 938. Letters, 1986, 1987 (2), written by William Huston Natcher, Washington D.C., to Dr. and Mrs. William R. McCormack, Bowling Green, Kentucky; photocopy of letter from Ann Landers to Natcher, 1988; photocopies of letters Natcher wrote to his grandsons 1985-1987; and newspaper clippings, 1987-1988.

The Effectiveness Of Targeted Political Advertisements, Vincent P. Malainy

Senior Honors Theses and Projects - Political Science

Political campaigns are increasingly turning to Internet advertisements to reach potential voters. These advertisements are designed to target a person's specific policy preferences. A series of three surveys were administered to students at EMU. The purpose was to determine the effects of targeted Internet-style advertisements on a person's perception of a candidate, their motivation to vote, and their knowledge of the candidate's platform. The results show that targeted advertisements tend to be more effective than non-targeted advertisements in improving a voter's perception of a candidate and increasing their motivation to vote. The results also shed light on the inferences that …

Anachronistic Policies In The United States: What All Policymakers Need To Know About Marijuana, Alex Riggs '13

Honor Scholar Theses

The following paper contains vital information for policymakers in the United States who wish to take first steps to challenge antiquated laws surrounding marijuana. It includes essential information concerning the history of the drug, the drug’s biology, the potential medical and nonmedical uses of the drug, genuine health concerns associated with its use, marijuana myths, and the many costs to society as a result of its prohibition. Ultimately, this paper argues why a United States without a federal ban on marijuana would improve economic conditions and personal liberty for its citizens, governs itself more transparently, and abides more closely to …

Women's Monumental Fund (Sc 2694), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2694. Certificate of The Women’s Monumental Fund Fund (no recipient named) acknowledging a contribution for the erection of a monument in Frankfort, Kentucky honoring Governor William J. Goebel. The monument was dedicated in 1910.

America's Electoral Dilemma: A Case Study Of Political Participation At St. John Fisher College, Jacob Morley

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

In lieu of an abstract, below is the first paragraph of the paper.

Freedom and opportunity, the greatest virtues of American idealism, are now cornerstones of democratic and capitalist philosophies throughout the world. These ideals have impacted the collective social psyches of generations of Americans, providing them with hope for the future and goals for which to strive. Throughout its young history, Americans have seen their nation as a beacon of these virtues and have sought to spread American-style democracy throughout the globe.

American Government In Action, Cynthia Suarez, Lea Elizabeth Allen, Mary Ford

Arthur Vining Davis High Impact Fellows Projects

This AVD project will focus on the development of student-centered learning activities and instructional strategies for a secondary government and economics teacher, Mary Ford, at Southside High School in Greenville, SC. The materials were created to provide more opportunity for students to be involved in their own learning process, analyze primary sources, and participate in self-guided learning in an effort for Government and Economics to be understood by students with varying interests and learning styles. This project was completed in three separate sections which each provide diverse lessons and address varying standards. The first section contains multi-purpose supplementary materials for …

King, Stephen Lynn, B. 1954 (Sc 920), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 920. Photocopy of letter Stephen King, Bowling Green, Kentucky, wrote as a high school student to former President Truman, Truman’s 11 January 1972 reply and letter 24 July 1981 related to the authentication of Truman’s signature. Also, 20 July 1981 letter from the office of former President Carter, Atlanta, Georgia, in answer to a previous letter from King, and an autographed card from Omar N. Bradley.

Hallam, Theodore F., 1844-1905 (Sc 955), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 955. Letter, 21 August 1899, written by Theodore F. Hallam, Covington, Kentucky, asserting a true record of the facts concerning the gun battle between William Goebel and John Leathers Sanford, which resulted in Sanford’s death in Covington, 1895.

Qualitative Meta-Analysis On Three Aspects Of The Federal Budget: The Process, Politics And Policies, Morgan B. (Hittinger) Weiss

Selected Honors Theses

Over the last few years, policymakers and the media have paid special attention to the federal budget, deficits and the national debt as the recent recession plunged the nation into the red. In response, some called for fiscal tightening while others simultaneously advocated for further stimulus spending to accelerate the recovery. Beyond the debate on how to respond to the short-term deficits caused by the recession and a sluggish recovery are discussions of looming budgetary struggles. The medium to long-term budget concerns are driven primarily by the United States’ rapidly aging society and rising health care costs. These two factors …

The Ministry Of Economic Warfare: Anglo-American Relations 1939-1941, Jonathan Davis

Masters Theses

An exploration of Anglo-American relations beginning in the interwar period to American involvement in World War II. This thesis explores the actions of the Ministry of Economic Warfare and how it affected Anglo-American relations before American commitment to the allied cause. It highlights the existing economic contention that existed between Great Britain and America before the conflict and acknowledges that the Britain and American alliance that is enjoyed today was not inevitable or necessarily desired by either nation. It demonstrates through the actions of the British Ministry of Economic Warfare the paradigm shift in Great Britain concerning the preservation of …

Emotion And Public Attention To Political Issues, Michael W. Gruszczynski

Department of Political Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Which mechanisms underlie the orientation of public attention to political issues? Though research on media agenda-setting has been one of the most successful enterprises in political communication and behavior, little is known of the actual processes that drive this phenomenon. I hypothesize that inherent in all environmental stimuli is emotional information, and that it is this information that drives the linkages between media and public agendas. Using a combination of large-scale automated content analyses of several political issues in the New York Times and public search attention data, I demonstrate that negatively-valenced and arousing coverage work concurrently with the volume …