Political Science Commons^™

Book Review: Dream Of Ding Village By Yan Lianke, Mike Frick

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Unsurprisingly, the Chinese government levied a “three nos” ban—no sales, no distribution, and no promotion—against Dream of Ding Village after its publication in 2005. Though the storytelling relies heavily on dream sequences, Yan takes little poetic license when exposing the depth of the state’s culpability in spreading HIV among poor, medically-naïve farmers. He is just as uncompromising when detailing how officials denied responsibility for the ensuing AIDS epidemic, even as they profited from its human tragedy. No one in Ding Village receives medical care, mental health counseling, food assistance, or a chance to hold the blood heads legally accountable. Cast …

It Takes The Whole Village: Assisting Socially And Economically Marginalized Women In African Refugee Camps And Post-Displacement Venues, Patricia Fabbri Forbes

Boise State Graduate Student Projects

The purpose of this project is to lay the foundations for the launching of a non-government organization (NGO) focused upon providing marginalized Sudanese women and their children with means whereby to reintegrate into their communities following long-term residence in refugee camps. The guiding premise is that the determination of those needs must arise out of the experiences they have had in the process of their displacement to camps, in the camps themselves, and in the communities to which they have returned. Consequently, this study entails visits to Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya and South Sudan, the prospective venues for such …

Breaking Free Of Managed Democracy In The United States, Sean Cunningham

Senior Honors Projects

Breaking Free of Managed Democracy in the United States Sean Cunningham Sponsor: Eske Møllgaard, Philosophy

In the last four years I have had a number of opportunities to write about democracy in the United States and around the world. In this four year period there have been major democratic movements in North Africa, the Middle East, the United States, and elsewhere. Whether or not these democratic growths can remain is an important political and philosophical question that needs addressing. So it is only fitting that I dedicate my Honors Project to collecting my previous work on democracy in my philosophy …

Justifying Peacemaking In Afghanistan, Ethan Taylor

Honors College Theses

The situation in Afghanistan seems to be about as dire as it was in the 1980s. One major difference, though, is that Soviet forces no longer occupy the country, and at least the United States/NATO occupation is under the pretext of a humanitarian effort. Even so, the tragic process of U.S.-led state-building that has unfolded these last ten years has yielded little in terms of an effective government or infrastructure of any kind. If anything, the terrorist threat that the U.S. hoped to quell has become more elusive and determined than ever. Ethnic rivalry and warlordism are as prevalent as …

American Propaganda, Popular Media, And The Fall Of Jacobo Arbenz, Zachary Carl Fisher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In June 1954, President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman of Guatemala resigned in the face of a coup led by Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas. While the United States publicly denied involvement, the coup was in fact the culmination of a plan called PBSUCCESS (CIA codeword), led by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Although PBSUCCESS lived up to its namesake, it was aided (both intentionally and unintentionally) by various U.S. media outlets. For the duration of Arbenz Guzman's regime, he and his country had been the subject of U.S. suspicions of undue Communist and Soviet influence. A general anti-Communist attitude permeated virtually all …

The Problem With Nuclear Diplomacy: Jimmy Carter And Pakistan's Nuclear Program, Brittany Raymer

Masters Theses

A detailed history of Pakistan's attempt to build the atomic bomb in the 1970s and Jimmy Carter's reaction to the tense diplomatic situation.

Jlia Editorial Board & Staff

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

A Blue Thai Affair: The Blue Diamond Affair's Illustration Of The Royal Thai Police Force's Standards Of Corruption, Meghan A. Mcclincy

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

The Blue Diamond Affair, an international jewelry heist, captivated the world’s attention because of its unresolved murders, its implication of law enforcement and public officials from two divergent countries, and the resulting diplomatic tensions between Thailand and Saudi Arabia. The crime also demonstrates the inadequacy of the policies that governed the conduct of the Royal Thai Police Force and how the policies allowed, if not perpetuated corruption within the Royal Thai Police Force. This comment provides an overview of the Blue Diamond Affair, analyzes the Thai criminal statutes and policies, and explores possible remedies for police corruption in Thailand and …

Stop The Money, Stop The Attacks: A Categorical Approach To Achieving An International Terrorist Financing Sanction Regime, Vietlong Nguyen

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

Money allows terrorist organizations to continue their day-to-day operations. Stopping the flow of financial support to terrorist organizations will diminish the intensity and frequency of the attacks and ideally lead to a cessation of such attacks. One country may be able to establish barriers to terrorist financing through government sanctions. These barriers will not stop terrorist financing; but rather, it will divert it to another country. The only way to effectively stop such financing is to implement international standards for terrorist financing sanctions. But as countries differ economically and politically, a solution must accommodate each countries’ unique situation. This comment …

China And The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement - Acta Faith, Or Act Futility?: An Exposition Of Intellectual Property Enforcement In The Age Of Shanzhai (山寨), Leroy J. Pelicci Jr.

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

This comment presents a snapshot of the current state of intellectual property (“IP”) enforcement in China in light of a controversial new treaty designed to address the illicit, yet by all accounts thriving, industry of trade in pirated and counterfeit goods. Beginning with an overview of IP-intensive industries, this comment highlights the significance and value of this unique form of property, both to individuals and to national economies. This comment then shifts in focus to the areas of commerce most affected by counterfeiting and piracy, discussing China’s prevalent role in the epidemic, and its copycat subculture known as “Shanzhai.” Thereafter, …

Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves: What Europe's Romanies Can Teach The United States About Crime-Motivated Immigration Reform, Allie Sievers

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

This comment proposes that the United States could learn a great deal about the dangers of extreme immigration policy-making by looking to the European states and their dealings with the Romani, specifically the French expulsions of the Romani in 2010. Through this lens, this comment analyzes flaws in the U.S.’ crime-motivated immigration enforcement programs, and argues that the U.S. needs to move quickly to remedy flaws in immigration enforcement before it repeats many of the mistakes that led to the current condition of Europe’s Romanies and creates its own class of un-integrated ethnic minorities.

Breckinridge, William Campbell Preston, 1837-1904 (Sc 2521), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2521. Letter, 17 July 1888, from William Campbell Preston Breckinridge to an unknown correspondent. He advises of his intention to seek reelection to Congress and asks friends in his district for support.

Changsha: Photographs By Rian Dundon, Rian Dundon

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Rian Dundon, whose photographs have previously appeared at China Beat, will soon be releasing a new book of photography on China, Changsha. Dundon’s book will feature a forward written by friend of the blog Gail Hershatter and includes his photos of and essays on the Hunan province city of Changsha. For more information, and to pre-order a copy of the book, see the book’s website (pre-sales of the book are part of a crowd-funding campaign raising funds for its first run with the publisher, Emphas.is). Below is a special teaser of Changsha material that Dundon has prepared for China Beat …

Camden, Johnson Newlon, Jr., 1865-1942 (Sc 2520), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2520. Letter, 25 June 1914, from Johnson N. Camden, U.S. Senator (Democrat) from Kentucky, in Washington, D.C. to Cicero Coleman, Lexington, Kentucky, asking for support in the upcoming election. Camden filled a vacancy caused by the death of William O. Bradley

Brown, Eugene Scott, 1846-1892 - Letters To (Sc 2519), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2519. Letters of a political nature addressed to Eugene Scott Brown, a prominent attorney and Republican from Scottsville, Allen County, Kentucky. Several contain precinct election results for Allen and contiguous counties.

James, Addison Davis, 1849-1910 (Mss 400), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Mansucripts Collection 400. Photocopy of a letter press book kept by Addison Davis James during the time he was U.S. Marshal for Western Kentucky. James was a physician and a prominent Republican from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.

Fraught With Zigzags: A Realist Examination Of Evolving Great Power-Iraeli Relations, Macy Ayers '12

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

Civility And American Democracy: A National Forum, Barbara L. Graceffa, Center For Civil Discourse, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

At a time when political discourse seems to be on the path to paralysis, this forum brought together prominent humanities scholars, political thinkers, and journalists to explore the meaning of civility and its role in American democracy. The forum holds the following sessions: Civility in American History; Civility and Morality; Civility and Culture; Civility, Politics, and the Media.

Richard Rudgley, Lost Civilisations Of The Stone Age., Laina Farhat-Holzman

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Latent Crusaders: Narrative Strategies Of Survival In Early Modern Danubian Principalities, 1550-1750, Caius Dobrescu, Sorin Adam Matei

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The essay concentrates on a master narrative strategy presiding over the early emergence of modernity in the area in which contemporary Romania is situated. This narrative strategy richly illustrates the neoByzantine survival strategies of the Greek elites who ruled the Danubian Principalities (Moldova and Valahia) during the earlier stages of Romanian modernization (18th century). Early modem Romanian political and intellectual elites borrowed from the post-Byzantine political theology a set of Gnostic-inflected narrative strategies to explain their subordination to alien powers (Turkish, Ottoman, Russian, Austrian, or Hungarian). These strategies operated a reversal of "real" and "unreal" or of "essential" and "fleeting" …

Imagine This: An Object Starting A Revolution: The Radio, Exiled Voice, And The Mute Poet In Communist Romania, Irina Popescu

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper analyzes the role played by Radio Free Europe in redistributing sound inside Romania, a country which experienced one of the most repressive communist regimes in Eastern Europe. By following the work of Monica Lovinescu, a cultural critic and writer, and Ana Blandiana, a poet, and leaning heavily on the theoretical framework provided by Giorgio Agamben, this paper uncovers the potential of disembodied voices. Voice, therefore, drives the revolution, providing the Romanian population with a means of escape, a means with which to reclaim their words and thus begin making demands for change. Two types of sounds/voices will be …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Transitional Effect Of Democratic Regime Change On Human Rights Development, Alana Mcelhinney

Political Science Theses and Capstones

It has been a long-standing topic of discussion within the field of political science on the extent to which the establishment of democratic regime characteristics influences the development of human rights. While there is considerable research in the areas of democracy and human rights, what the literature lacks is research towards the growth of democratic regime characteristics being causal to the development of human rights practices. This analysis shows that a transition in democratic regime characteristics is directly linked to the development of human rights. After completing case-study analysis and developing causal theory I take data from the years 1981 …

The Effects Of Tribal Governments On Reservation Poverty Rates, Heather Raisch

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Poverty rates on Indian reservations are far higher than the national average. Since Tribal Governments have at least some control over these reservations, to what extent are they to blame for these higher than average poverty rates? I look at each reservation and their type of government, constitution, policies and demographics to analyze the causes of their poverty as it relates to tribal government. There are many other pieces of research that are similar to this, but none looking specifically at the overall effects the government has on its community. My hypothesis is that communities with higher poverty rates tend …

How Blacks Became Blue: The 1936 African American Voting Shift From The Party Of Lincoln To The New Deal Coalition, Daphney Daniel

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Despite the vast research done on the African American influence in the Democratic Party, comparably little has been done on what led them to become part of the Democratic Party in the first place. This study offers an overview of the rich political history of the African American experience from the 15th Amendment’s ratification in 1870 to the 1936 presidential election. My research will reveal how Republican apathy, depression era desperation and Roosevelt’s charismatic message of relief and hope played a vital role to the historical shift of the African American voting bloc from the Republican to the Democratic Party.

South Africa, Multilateralism And The Global Politics Of Development, Eduard Jordaan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

South Africa was recently included as a member of the BRICS grouping. South Africa's formal association with the powerful original members suggests that it possesses some international clout. Although South Africa pursues an active foreign policy, for example, as a region organizer, notably through New Partnership for Africa's Development, and as an issue leader championing development-related concerns, the normative direction of South Africa's international involvement has been unclear and often contradictory. This article illustrates how South Africa adheres to and departs from liberal principles when involved in the global politics of development. Middlepowership and domestic politics are identified as two …

An Examination Of The Varying Role Of The United Nations In The Civil Wars Of Rwanda And El Salvador, Vanessa Jaramillo-Cano

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this work is to examine the efforts of the United Nations in the Post-Cold War era with special emphasis on peacekeeping missions. A comparative study of recent United Nations peacekeeping operations will be completed to identify the variables that encourage or discourage international (UN) involvement in cases of civil conflict. For the purpose of this work, civil conflict will be narrowly defined as a domestic conflict with two major armed groups (ie: civil wars). Two countries will be studied to explore the nature of the respective conflicts, the transitional methods used by the peacekeeping mission to return …

Naccs 39th Annual Conference, National Association For Chicana And Chicano Studies

NACCS Conference Programs

NACCS@40 Celebrating Scholarship and Activism
March 14-17, 2012
Palmer House Hilton

Only One Surprise In Russian Election: Putin's Tears, Nicholas Hayes

University Chair in Critical Thinking Publications

No abstract provided.

Imf: Predatory Lender Or Latin America’S Best Chance?, Paul Thomas Smith

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Recently, there has been heated debate as to whether or not assistance from the International Monetary Fund has proven to be a great humanitarian effort or a scheme by Western governments to keep emerging Latin American countries in debt. The IMF partners with numerous governments in order to create a collective monetary community from which all may benefit in times of need. These partnered countries are also able to apply for assistance if they find themselves in monetary hardships. Some studies have shown that the IMF has been too heavy handed, while other studies have shown that recipient governments may …

Underwood, Oscar Wilder, 1862-1929 (Sc 372), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) of Manuscripts Small Collection 372. Letter, 26 August 1912, of U.S. Representative Oscar W. Underwood, Washington, D.C., to John M. Bogart, New York City, declining an invitation to a dinner honoring Kentucky governor Augustus Wilson because of matters of importance requiring his return to Alabama.