Political Science Commons^™

"La Vida Es Un Carnaval": An Exploration Of Cuban Identity And Nostalgia Through Dance/Movement Therapy - A Community Engagement Project, Maria Fernanda Mendez Mendoza

Expressive Therapies Theses

“La Vida Es Un Carnaval” is a community engagement project and thesis that explores how identity and nostalgic resilience show up through dance/movement therapy with Cuban immigrants living in the United States, specifically Massachusetts. This project brought together six Cuban-born participants, ages 26 to 67, each with their own unique migration stories; from the Rafter Balsero Crisis of 1994, to the “Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot” policy, and family reunification. Through a mix of in-person and online sessions, participants explored their experiences using intermodal activities including dance/movement therapy techniques, conversation, journaling, artwork, and music. Themes of cultural pride, “Cubanía” – Cuban-ness, culture shock, and …

Does Choice Of Media Amplify Support For Political Violence?, Nathan Palomares

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Acts of political violence have increased in frequency and exposure to American society via news media. Violent rhetoric is a common theme among many forms of media Americans consume, including social media, which has become an essential platform where Americans increasingly get political news information. The events of the January 6 Capitol Riots and the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in late 2024 show how urgent the rise of political violence is and its destabilization of American Democracy. In this paper, I examine the relationship between the types of news media people consume and their potential to increase people’s …

To What Extent Is Social Media A Tool For Political Mobilization?, Bridget Westrum

Political Science Theses and Capstones

This study looks at the potential impacts of social media advocacy on mobilizing the pubic. Drawing from the Pew Research Center’s 2018 American Trends Panel, I look at Americans’ views of technology, political involvement, and their perceptions of social media and online engagement. I found that younger respondents view social media as more important to their political engagements. I find a significant relationship between census region and perceived importance of social media on issue involvement, as well. Respondents from the southern United States who consider themselves to be "very liberal" report a greater influence of social media on their involvement …

When 'Weird' Means 'Dangerous': Viruses And Firewalls In Affective Polarization, Nathan J. Locke

All Theses

As traditional sources of epistemic authority face declining trust, alternative narratives have gained prominence - often leveraging the emotional and cultural resonance of seemingly simple terms. In the 2024 election cycle, the term “weird” emerged as a potent meme in American political discourse. Using a memetic perspective that incorporates elements of framing theory and Social Judgment Theory, this thesis investigates the use and reaction to “weird” and its role in shaping perception of Donald Trump, his political allies, his followers, and his opposition during and immediately after the 2024 Presidential election. The memetic perspective, which views ideas as units of …

Epistemic Dysfunction In American Politics: The Impact Of Misinformation On Knowledge Acquisition., Megan Crowley

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Political misinformation has become an increasingly prominent topic of discussion among scholars across disciplines, particularly in the wake of the 2020 American presidential election. Despite growing scholarly interest in this phenomenon, however, contemporary research has yet to examine misinformation alongside traditional epistemological theory. This thesis aims to remedy this gap by synthesizing classical epistemology, journalism and media research, and political science to investigate the impact of misinformation on political knowledge acquisition. To accomplish this goal, the analysis will focus on the justification condition, conceptualized according to both internalist and externalist perspectives. The internalism section will cast misinformation as a form …

Populism And Religious Rhetoric In Spain's Right-Wing Vox Party, Ainsley Taylor

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This thesis examines the intersection of populism and religious rhetoric in Spain’s right-wing political party, Vox. By analyzing Facebook posts from Vox’s national and regional accounts in the months leading up to the 2019 and 2023 national elections, as well as key regional elections in Andalusia and Cantabria, this study explores how the party strategically employs religious themes to shape its populist discourse. The findings indicate that Vox primarily uses religious rhetoric to construct an exclusive national identity, framing perceived external threats such as immigration, secularism, and leftist politics. While the party's use of religious rhetoric declined slightly between 2019 …

Dekonstruktion Der Afd: Eine Analyse Der Rechtspopulistischen Deutschen Partei Der„Alternative Für Deutschland”, Elizabeth A. Breckenridge, Elizabeth Breckenridge

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Die Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) ist eine rechtsextreme populistische Partei, die innerhalb eines Jahrzehnts rasch an Macht gewonnen hat, insbesondere in den ostdeutschen Bundesländern, aufgrund ihrer Betonung der Nationalisierung, ihrer populistischen Rhetorik und ihrer Anziehungskraft auf Wähler, die Ängste vor Einwanderung und kulturellem Wandel hegen. Die AfD hat es innerhalb von fünf Jahren geschafft, eine starke Wählerschaft zu mobilisieren, 2017 Sitze im Bundestag zu erringen und gilt nun als wichtigste Oppositionspartei zu den etablierten Parteien. Die AfD ist die erste rechte Partei seit 1945, die aufgrund des Aufstiegs rechtspolitischer Ideologien bedeutende Wahlerfolge erzielen konnte. Aufgrund des reaktionären Pendelschwungs nach dem …

Do Voters Shake Off Policy Stances? A Look Into The Impact Of Celebrities On Policy Recall, Alyssa A. Noe

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

Celebrities try to influence politics by leveraging their ability to command attention. But does a celebrity’s endorsement of a policy impact citizens’ ability to recall the policy? This paper examines if people’s information processing, specifically policy recall, is impacted by a celebrity’s endorsements. Data was collected at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during the fall 2024 semester using a student sample. Participants were randomly assigned into three experimental groups. I hypothesize that the more recognizable a celebrity is the more likely people are to be able to recall the policy they posted. By using Taylor Swift as the well-known celebrity and …

The Effects Of Artificial Intelligence On Trial Courts, Alexys Zellner

Honors Projects

Artificial Intelligence has quickly entered the realm of everyday life. Without extensive testing, there have been issues surrounding transparency, accountability, and biased decisions made by Artificial Intelligence decision-making algorithms. When a political institution—such as the courts—uses these types of tools, there is a chance that the negative attributes will impact the institutions and actors using them. The court system relies on legitimacy and public approval to enforce its laws and decisions. This study aimed to determine whether the use of Artificial Intelligence would lead to a decrease in public approval and legitimacy of the courts, as well as diminish perceptions …

Democracy In Discourse: Presidential Addresses And The Public's Understanding Of Governance In The 21st Century, Knole Ihle '25

Honor Scholar Theses

This thesis explores how presidential crisis rhetoric shapes public understanding of democracy in the twenty-first century. Through a comparative analysis of George W. Bush’s address following the September 11 attacks and Donald Trump’s speech at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it examines how presidents construct national identity, justify political action, and frame civic participation. Drawing from classical rhetorical theory, Bitzer’s rhetorical situation, Burke’s dramatistic pentad, and McGee’s theory of “the people,” the study argues that crisis rhetoric is not simply a reaction to events but a means of redefining the crisis. It also considers demagogic rhetorical strategies—such as emotional …

Inciting Action By Analyzing Pachirat, Rhi N. Soto

Amplify: A Journal of Writing-as-Activism

The book Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight by Timothy Pachirat explores “the politics of sight”, or the intentional invisibilizing or transparentizing of repugnant acts in order to encourage or limit them, through the case study of a beef slaughter house in Omaha, NE. While also utilizing the politics of sight, Pachirat hopes for great political and social change concerning the immoral acts that happen at meat plants through a radical act of transparency: a narrative ethnography. Writers with similar goals of great change in social and political issues can make use of Pachirat’s techniques, which …

Cpec In The Shadows Of Fifth Generation Warfare And The Dynamics Of Propaganda Model, Muhammad Usman Sahibzada, Wenshan Jia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose – The clear patterns of bias and propaganda such as narrative framing and selective reporting are severely affecting the public opinion and policymakers. Overall, the study shows that media depiction of CPEC conditioned by the propagandistic model and 5GW strategies carries deep meanings for global politics. In addition, there is the necessity to increase media literacy and strategic communication so as to direct the complications of these projects. Transparency and international cooperation become important for regional stability as well as informed public discourse.

Design/methodology/approach – The qualitative analysis of media content is carried out for this research across the …

Attitudes Towards Political Censorship In Eastern And Western Germany, Brandon Pionk

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Recently there has been a lot of coverage on political censorship in Germany. Censorship has an important role in Germany due to WWII. In Germany support for freedom of the press has been declining in recent years. Right leaning political parties are emerging which has caused opposition parties to try and ban them. I analyze data in this study from the Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (GESIS). I analyze different political culture variables in western and eastern Germany for their impact on views on censorship. I incorporate multiple variables including education, gender, age, political affiliation, and living location. Early …

1st Place Contest Entry: "The Chip Off The Block": The 21st-Century Legacy Of Schoolhouse Rock!, Megan Lewandowski

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Megan Lewandowski's submission for the 2025 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a summary of their research project on the legacy of Schoolhouse Rock! in the 21st century.

Megan is a fourth-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Music and Psychology. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Carrie Dike.

Holding Ground In The Cerulean Tide: Minority Party Legislators' Strategies For Advancing Climate Policies In Landslide States, Sukjae Lee

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation addresses a key puzzle: Why do states sometimes adopt nationally polarized policies, such as climate change legislation, even when doing so does not align with strict partisan interests? The analysis focuses on “landslide states,” where a single party overwhelmingly dominates, and the minority party cannot realistically expect to gain a majority. In these environments, reduced partisan conflict allows minority party legislators to break from traditional partisan paths. As a result, I argue that electoral motivations drive them to signal moderation by advancing liberal policy agendas or incorporating provisions that minimize backlash from their core constituents in landslide states. …

Ethical Ai Use And Classroom Integration Training Modules, Daniel Boudon

Open Educational Resources

This project focuses on developing comprehensive training modules to equip students and faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to ethically and effectively use AI tools in academic settings. The training consists of interconnected modules that cover a wide range of topics, including the ethical use of AI, evaluating AI-generated content, integrating AI tools into curriculum design, and creating AI-enhanced classroom activities. Additional modules emphasize fostering digital literacy, staying updated with AI advancements, and collaborating on best practices for AI in education.

Designed for flexibility, the modules cater to diverse academic disciplines, making them suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses, …

Review Of Algorithms Of Resistance: The Everyday Fight Against Platform Power, John G. Mcnutt

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Fratelli Tutti And Social Media: Solidarity And Social Networks Among Locals And Urban Refugees In Kampala, Uganda, Augustine Bahemuka

The Journal of Social Encounters

Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis’ social encyclical, exhorts all Christians and people of good will to cultivate a spirit of fraternity and solidarity with all people in need, regardless of socio-cultural or creedal or racial differences. He challenges us to broaden our perception of “neighbour” to even include those people whose plight we encounter via social media – our digital neighbours. This paper shows how the Association of Refugee Women in Uganda (AORW- U) has used social media to amplify the voices of urban refugees living in Kampala, thereby raising public awareness; attracting global and local partnerships; and creating healthy social …

Review Of Sudan, Remember Us, Esther Sprague

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Institution Of Motherhood: Shifting The Paradigm, Gabrielle Wilson

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

This paper explores declining birth rates as a global act of resistance and reclamation by women and birthing individuals against hyper-masculinized institutions, using South Korea's 4B movement as a case study. The 4B movement, which rejects marriage, childbirth, romance, and heterosexual relationships, represents a paradigm shift challenging entrenched gender norms, state control, and systemic inequities. It exemplifies a global phenomenon as similar movements gain traction in the U.S., Japan, and beyond, amidst rising conservatism and declining fertility rates. Framing this analysis with intersectionality, Feminist IR theory, and Kuhn’s paradigm shift model, the paper argues that this resistance signifies a transformative …

Modeling The Impact Of Nato Policy Actions On Taliban Disinformation Campaigns With Lotka-Volterra Models, Timothy Tarter, Bella Santos

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

In this paper, we use an adaptation of the Lotka-Volterra Predator-Prey framework (via Affilit Et. Al.) to model the relationship between Taliban disinformation campaigns and NATO’s attempts to counter them. We find that aggression is a significantly preferred strategy over stagnation; this result should prompt decisionmakers to take strong stances against disinformation campaigns while maintaining a healthy defense against retribution. This leads us to propose the NATO Afghan Youth for Change program, which provides scholarships to individuals throughout the Afghan diaspora to become NATO influencers - a role which will both advance their personal goals and mitigate the spread of …

Truth Subversion And The Challenges To International Order, David Acosta

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

This essay explores the increasing prevalence and impact of truth subversion on the liberal international order (LIO). It examines how modern disinformation campaigns seek to undermine shared epistemological foundations critical for international cooperation, and looks to answer the question: what impact does truth subversion have on international order? Furthermore, it investigates how truth subversion creates uncertainty, challenges alliances, and exacerbates security dilemmas. The essay identifies four core truth subversion tactics: disinformation, double speak, conspiracy theories, and flooding, and applies them to the 2014 Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 tragedy, where Russian actors employed these techniques to distort facts, challenge investigative findings, …

Tekotok’S Digital Satire And Public Sentiment In Response To The Realities Of Work In Indonesia, Ahmad Farid Fanani

Jurnal Politik

Inequities within Indonesia's labor system remain a prominent issue, particularly in terms of fair access and protection for all segments of the workforce. As digital media continues to evolve, critiques of labor policy are increasingly expressed through new mediums, including satirical animations. This study aims to explore how the satirical animated videos from the YouTube channel Tekotok represent critiques of labor policy using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and public sentiment analysis. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining Fairclough’s three-dimensional model for narrative analysis with the IndoBERT model to classify sentiment in 875 YouTube comments. The results demonstrate that Tekotok’s animations …

Stochastic Gradient Descent-Based Inference For Dynamic Network Models With Attractors, Hancong Pan, Xiaojing Zhu, Cantay Caliskan, Dino P. Christenson, Konstantinos Spiliopoulos, Dylan Walker, Eric D. Kolaczyk

Business Faculty Articles and Research

In Coevolving Latent Space Networks with Attractors (CLSNA) models, nodes in a latent space represent social actors, and edges indicate their dynamic interactions. Attractors are added at the latent level to capture the notion of attractive and repulsive forces between nodes, borrowing from dynamical systems theory. However, CLSNA reliance on MCMC estimation makes scaling difficult, and the requirement for nodes to be present throughout the study period limit practical applications. We address these issues by (i) introducing a Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) parameter estimation method, (ii) developing a novel approach for uncertainty quantification using SGD, and (iii) extending the model …

The Presidency, Press, And Public Opinion: Has The Relationship Between The Press And The Office Of The Presidency Shifted Since Trump’S Administration?, Jonas Kammeyer-Mueller

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

In political science, studies focusing on the relationship between the press and the president have a long and rich history. However, few presidents have fought the press as strongly as Donald Trump. Given that many of these attacks utilized the influence afforded to Trump by occupying the Office of the Presidency, and that the press has long been noted to have influence over the public, it is worth examining if the relationship between the Office of the President and the press has shifted as a result of these attacks. Because the ability of the Presidency to govern as they wish …

Not My Daughter: The Symbolic American Child And Cinematic Potential, Jacob Campbell

CLAMANTIS: The MALS Journal

No abstract provided.

I Love You, But I’Ve Got To Cancel You: Psychological Determinants And Consequences Of Cancel Culture Participation, Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster, Daniel H. Spitz

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study explores how individuals react to celebrities who take a political stance that contradicts and threatens their social identity. An online experiment examines these questions in the context of the Israeli war against Hamas in the wake of the October 7 terror attack. Israeli Jewish participants who were led to believe that a beloved celebrity fully embraced the Palestinian’s narrative and condemned Israel experienced more negative and less positive emotions and had a greater intention to cancel the celebrity. However, writing a comment or a social media post (particularly if the comment bashed the celebrity) partially buffered these emotional …

An Analysis Of The Media’S Coverage Of The Kenyan 2022 Electoral Tallying Process: A Case Of Nation Media Group, Wanjiku Ruth Munyi

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

In Kenya, the electorate has always turned to the media for information and clarity, especially in political processes such as elections. This is more vital for the citizenry when they feel their democratic rights are being suppressed. This study was limited to the 2022 presidential election tallying process and gathered information from the relevant stakeholders involved, including the NMG, the IEBC, political coalitions, and media and communication scholars. As a case study, the research was also limited to the case of NMG and used a variety of sources of information through triangulation of both methods and sources. To this end, …

Meme Wars As Socially Situated Learning: Learning In Online Communities Of Hate, Conspiracy, And Insurgency, Kevin M. Clark

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Learning is important in a pluralistic democracy, to enable citizens to make informed decisions. However, with the rise of the internet and social media, we need more than ever to understand how learning is shaped by social context and intertwined with issues of identity and belonging. One theoretical framework that addresses these social aspects of learning comes from the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger on socially situated learning in communities of practice. This article focuses on what many would consider to be the darker side of learning—the rise of hate, disinformation/conspiracy, and insurgency in online communities. Specifically, it …

A Geopolitical Economy Analysis Of China And India’S Approaches To Transnational Data Governance, Yujia He, Ka Zeng

Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Faculty Publications

Recent literature on the behavior of rising powers in digital trade and data governance highlights their discourses of data sovereignty and desire to preserve domestic policy autonomy. This article contributes to the literature by employing a political economy lens that shifts the focus from the nation-state/inter-state framework towards the dynamics of state–capital relations, allowing for a more historical and contextual understanding of the geopolitics of data governance in emerging economies. Using China and India—two of the largest emerging economies—as comparative cases, and drawing on secondary data from government documents and other sources, the article argues that the interplay between the …