Political Science Commons^™

Women's Political Participation Aided By Constitutional Provisions In Post-Conflict African Nations, Roksana Gorgolewski

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

After two major continental conflicts, many African countries were forced to re-evaluate their constitutions and inherent political structures. This left a window of opportunity for greater female political participation as political leaders and members of the peacemaking process. This project will focus on selected African post-conflict states during the 1970’s to 2000’s that have re-written their constitutions. The general query asks whether those rewritten constitutions have contributed to greater gender equality in the legislature of those states and which constitutional provisions work best at promoting and maintaining gender equality. By studying Geisler’s book Women and the remaking of politics in …

الصناعة الصهيوينة في فلسطين, Zakaria Sinwar, Ruba Alzahar

Al Jinan الجنان

No abstract provided.

Failure To Protect: Why The International Community Will Fail To Respond To The Cultural Genocide Of Turkish Cypriot People, Hilmi Ulas

Peace Studies Faculty Articles and Research

The international community has time and again committed to never let genocide occur again – however, multiple bouts of genocide have occurred since the Holocaust. This, in addition to the current quandaries surrounding the Uyghurs of China, points to the fact that the international laws and institutions have loopholes that allow for genocides – especially those that enact structural and cultural violence without necessarily employing direct violence – to ‘slip through’.

This has been the case in spite of R2P policies being in place. In this paper, I examine the inability of international systems to capture ‘cultural genocide’ or intervene …

The Impact Of Political Culture On Political Reactions: A Case Study Of Eu Sanctions On Russia, Kenzie Robin De Keyser

Masters Theses

The political impact of European Union (EU) sanctions on Russia is complicated by the political culture of the Russian state and the economic interdependencies of the EU bloc and the Russian Federation. This study explores the impacts of European Union sanctions on Russian politics, using economic interdependence and the political culture of Russia to help explain both the political effects of the sanctions on Russia and the overall Russian political reaction to the scenario that is unfolding. The foundations of government, political society, and political norms within Russia can be found throughout the different bases of Russian political culture which …

Internal And External Determinants Of The Adoption Levels Of Sustainable Development Policies In The Energy, Industry And Agricultural Sectors Of Turkey, The United States, The Russian Federation, And The People’S Republic Of China, Onur Kolcak

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

Our planet's natural resources have helped humanity advance and build countless civilizations. We are a fossil fuel civilization and have evolved so that today's production and energy use has become the most crucial part of all modern economies. We cannot function without reliable, resilient, and secure energy sources that help us continuously produce. Human history is full of important events that have tremendously shaped our experience on this planet. These experiences have sometimes forced us to make quick decisions and change our ways, but some of these changes occurred gradually and gave us time to plan and adapt. Adaptability is …

A Rivalry Of Necessity: An Analysis Of Mechanisms Of Contention Between The Islamic Republic Of Iran And The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Aras Syahmanssuri

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution that extremely concerned the Saudis leaders culminated after the overthrow of a monarchical regime of the Iranian Shah and the power rise of a theocratic Shia government led by Ayatollah Khomeini. From the early days of this revolution, Khomeini raised a unique slogan, which was “exporting the revolution” to neighboring countries. Through targeting the Shia minority in neighboring countries, this slogan highly concerned the Gulf countries including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Examining four decades of hostility, which starts from the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran, this study indicates that the rivalry between the Islamic …

The Path To Victory: A Comparative Analysis Of Mena Region Countries, Negar Moayed

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

During the “Arab Spring” the Arab world witnessed a wave of uprisings. As a result of these anti-government movements, four governments of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen were overthrown, three governments of Bahrain, Jordan, and to some points Saudi Arabia were faced with critical difficulties, and one government ,Syria, experienced domestic war. All these happened while some other Middle Eastern countries remained stable. Yet, the remaining questions are: how did these protests emerge? How was the collective identity which is essential for the social movements created? Why were some of these movements successful in overthrowing the regime while the others …

Social Housing And The Affordability Crisis: A Study Of The Effectiveness Of French And American Social Housing Systems In Meeting The Increasing Demand For Affordable Housing, Claire Sullivan

Honors Theses

The demand for affordable housing across OECD countries has sky-rocketed as the number of those cost-burdened by housing continues to increase each year. Social housing has been the traditional means by which governments have provided affordable housing to citizens, however in recent years the social housing systems of many countries have been strained to meet the rising demand for affordable housing. While this has consistently been an area of concern for major metropolitan areas, areas outside of cities are being impacted by the lack of affordable housing, as well.

This study seeks to address the impact of social housing systems …

India’S Nuclear Energy Conundrum: An Assessment Of The Country’S Energy Futures, Sneha Thomas

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis will assess the practicality of implementing nuclear energy into India’s power system by considering different security risks, political factors, and COVID-19 complications. Access to energy is essential to modern survival because it contributes to the safety, success, and overall well-being of individuals; allowing for a better acquisition of food, education, and industry necessities. A big concern for India has been the inability to give energy access to millions of citizens that live in no proximity to a power grid, and this has shown to correlate with a lower quality of life. Another concern for India is the search …

Human Migration Rates In Relation To Hdi Scores Of States, Amy E. Docter

Honors College Theses

Migration is a human phenomenon impacting various factors of society, politics, and cultures today that will continue to grow in both domestic and international importance. Despite this profound significance, there are numerous challenges for migration with little control of the flow of populations and limited understanding of the changing trends of migration. Historically, migration has been defined by South-to-North movements, with the main motive being economic opportunities with the allure of developed countries, but many articles today have found more South-to-South movements and myriad other factors influencing migratory decisions. By examining net migration population from 2014 and 2015, in conjunction …

What Makes Green Parties Successful: A Comparative Analysis Of Germany, Austria, And France, Macy Miller

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Starting in the 1980s, green parties began to make their debut. Their establishment was considered to be largely in response to environmental and anti-nuclear movements. Although their history has been quite brief, these parties have been making waves throughout the world. Throughout this research, a pattern arises between economic stability and quality of life, mainstream party competition, policy positions, and green voters themselves when examining the success of the green parties. In particular, they have demonstrated great success in the European Union. In an attempt to explain this success, this research explores three specific green parties: the German, the Austrian, …

Muslims’ Religious Freedom And Religiosity: Measurement And Impact, Hannah M. Ridge

Political Science Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Multiple measures of religious freedom and states’ regulation of religion are at work in sociology of religion. These scales apply one score to a country or to a subset of its policies. A uniform state score conceals the internal religious diversity and the heterogeneous experiences of religious freedom that can result. These, in turn, encourage ecological fallacies and mask the disparate impact that religious freedom for one’s own community and for other groups can have on individuals’ preferences and decisions. To demonstrate the value of measuring and studying religious freedom at the individual level, this study applies individual-level assessments of …

Table Of Contents, Rory J. Conces

International Dialogue

Table of Contents for Volume 10

Notes From The Editor, Rory J. Conces

International Dialogue

Notes from International Dialogue's Editor-in-Chief, Rory J. Conces for Volume 10.

Aspects Of Counterterrorism: New Approaches To Countering Terrorism: Designing And Evaluating Counter-Radicalization And De-Radicalization Programs; Hacking Isis: How To Destroy The Cyber Jihad; Inside Al-Shabaab: The Secret History Of Al-Qaeda’S Most Powerful Ally, Kenneth Christie

International Dialogue

Terrorism and the term ‘jihadism’ have become a global phenomenon, a product of modernity and globalization which shows no sign of abating. The number of radicalized young people in Western and non-Western countries who are willing to travel overseas in the cause of jihad and violent extremism has increased significantly since 9/11. In the 20 years since the largely driven U.S. counter-terrorism efforts began in response, jihadism in force and numbers has risen at least by fourfold in terms of the numbers of Sunni jihadist fighters in the field from the Middle East to North Africa, Afghanistan and beyond according …

Das Emanzipatorische Potenzial Der Performance Art (The Emancipatory Potential Of Peformance Art), Gwyneth Cliver

International Dialogue

Sophia Firgau’s Das Emanzipatorische Potenzial der Performance Art (The Emancipatory Potential of Performance Art) is both a helpful introduction to performance art that could be well employed in both undergraduate and graduate classrooms, and a convincing scholarly argument for the transformative power of performance aesthetics. Firgau defines the genre of performance art, distinguishes it from both theater and public ritual performance, and explains the potential for personal, community, and civic transformation inherent in its formal characteristics. Firgau demonstrates that performance art transforms by crossing a number of conventional formal boundaries—for instance, those separating artist and audience and separating art and …

Being Unfolded: Edith Stein On The Meaning Of Being, Robert Mcnamara

International Dialogue

What is the meaning of being? More concretely, “What do human beings and quarks, ideal geometrical shapes and possible worlds, ‘sickness’ and ‘health’, the number three and gravity all have in common that allows us to say that each of them is?” (xvii). In Being Unfolded, Thomas Gricoski attempts to get to the bottom of this perennially valid question by exploring the question of the meaning of being in one of Edith Stein’s later philosophical works, the phenomenological and Scholastic study, Finite and Eternal Being: An Attempt to Ascend to the Meaning of Being [Endliches und ewiges Sein: Versuch eines …

A Savage Order: How The World’S Deadliest Countries Can Forge A Path To Security, Thomas Manig

International Dialogue

Rachel Kleinfeld studies international conflicts and methods of reducing violence. Previously she published Advancing the Rule of Law Abroad: Next Generation Reform (2012). She is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She has advised government officials on problems of international security. Kleinfeld’s new book, A Savage Order: How the World’s Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security, is characterized by social scientific methodology rather than abstract theorizing. This book disposes of simplistic generalizations, like the belief that violence is inevitable in certain ethnic groups or localities, or the contrary belief that we can end violence …

Das Emanzipatorische Potenzial Der Performance Art (The Emancipatory Potential Of Peformance Art), Gwyneth Cliver

International Dialogue

Sophia Firgaus Das Emanzipatorische Potenzial der Performance Art ist sowohl eine hilfreiche Einführung in die Performance Art, die im universitären Unterricht didaktisch gut anwendbar wäre, als auch ein überzeugendes wissenschaftliches Argument für die transformative Macht der Performanceästhetik. Firgau definiert die Gattung Performance Art, unterscheidet sie von dem Theater sowie dem öffentlichen Ritual und erklärt ihr Verwandlungspotenzial für Individuen, das Gemeinwesen und die Gesellschaft. Firgau zeigt, wie Performance Art transformierend wirkt, indem sie gebräuchliche formale Begrenzungen überschreitet—zum Beispiel, die, die die Künstlerin vom Publikum oder Kunst vom Alltag trennen—und wie sie daher eine Schwellenerfahrung schafft, die emanzipatorisch wirkt, indem sie den …

When Montezuma Met Cortes: The True History Of The Meetings That Changed History, Maria S. Arbeláez

International Dialogue

November 8 of 1519, Moctezuma II, Mexica Tlatoani, the “one who speaks,” leader and emperor, and Hernan Cortes, head of the invading Spanish military force, met on what currently is downtown Mexico City. A memorial plaque marks the site of the meeting alongside a colonial church and the remnants of a hospital. There is a tile picture with a representation of the event. The Spanish conquest of Mexico and the fall of Tenochtitlan is one of the most studied and controversial episodes in the history of Mexico and the Americas. It is a story never settled. Matthew Restall's book is …

The Morals Of The Market: Human Rights And The Rise Of Neoliberalism, Shane Darcy

International Dialogue

There are no doubt human rights advocates who would baulk at the claim that somehow human rights serves to advance the cause of neoliberalism. An important tool for protecting human dignity, advancing equality and supporting demands for justice cannot surely be complicit in the evident harms of neoliberal economic policies? Such harms are increasingly recognized by human rights practitioners, including non-governmental organizations and United Nations experts. To take a recent example, Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, described on a country visit to Spain in February 2020, how the country’s self-image as “a close family-based …

Trust, Ethnicity, And Political Approval In 21st Century South Africa, Alecia Anderson, Jonathan Bruce Santo

International Dialogue

Trust is a requirement for state legitimacy, however, the relationship between trust and political approval in South Africa is under-investigated, leaving the legitimacy of the South African state questionable. In this study, we use Afrobarometer data from 2004, 2008, and 2012 to investigate citizens’ perspectives on trust and political approval. Using structural equation modeling, we analyze the impact of ethnicity on the relationship between trust and political approval in South Africa. The results are clear that ethnic identity continues to influence the relationship between trust and approval of political offices and policies in South Africa.

For A Left Populism, Emma Murphy

International Dialogue

Chantal Mouffe’s brief work For a Left Populism sets out to tackle the issue of how left politics should respond to the global trend towards populism. While elections in recent years have ushered in populist leaders in states ranging from the Philippines to the United States, Mouffe focuses her analysis on Western European populism specifically. Her argument centres on the importance of recovering democracy in an increasingly “post-democratic” world; to successfully radicalise democracy, Mouffe argues, leftists must first reform existing political institutions. While Mouffe makes an original argument for a reclamation of the term ‘populism’ by a leftist audience, the …

Uk Think-Tanks, The War On Terror And The Radicalisation Debate, Hadi Enayat

Abdou Filali-Ansary Occasional Paper Series

This paper maps the discursive and ideological habitus in which UK think-tanks operate in connection with the ‘war on terror’. It discusses how UK think-tanks have both shaped and been shaped by this habitus and the impact their work has had on counter-terrorism policy in the UK. It begins by discussing the concept of think-tanks and their role and input into politics. It then sketches the rise of ‘terrorism’ as both an academic object of study, from the mid-1970s onwards, and as an increasingly vital policy area for governments and the military-security establishment, especially after 9/11. The paper then focuses …

Table Of Contents, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Self-Control Measures And Drug And Alcohol Use Among College Students, Brooke E. Mathna, Jennifer J. Roberts, Marthinus C. Koen

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Research has shown a link between drug and alcohol behaviors and self-control; however, much of the research focuses on only the general theory of crime (Gottfredson and Hirschi 1990), without regard to Hirschi’s (2004) self-control theory. The purpose of the current study is to examine three measures of Hirschi’s self-control theory and to understand the link between Hirschi’s self-control theory and drug and alcohol behaviors. This study draws from a sample of undergraduate college students (N = 640) to examine the role of Hirschi’s self-control in the explanation of drug and alcohol behaviors. The current study uses a previous measure …

Diabetes Care In An Urban Indigenous American Community: Challenges And Suggestions For The Future, Margaret Pollak

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Indigenous Americans living with type 2 diabetes in urban areas like Chicago face significant challenges to meeting the care recommendations of their medical providers. Based upon mixed-methods research, including both qualitative and quantitative measures, in Chicago’s Indigenous community, I have found that diabetes-care and -prevention challenges faced by individuals in this community include (1) the high financial and time costs of care, (2) lack of recognition of or response to acute symptoms of high glucose levels, (3) prioritization of other life responsibilities, (4) distrust of western medicine, and (5) fatalistic views about diabetes development and prognosis. If we are to …

Michael Lewis’S The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds, David Mcclough

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

The Undoing Project examines the relationship between two psychologists, Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, whose work altered how we understand the functioning of the mind. In this book, Lewis embarks on a journey to understand and explain psychological research to a popular audience. Lewis is an expert writer who knows what sells books. The Undoing Project is an informative, entertaining, and quick read. Lewis has produced a well-researched book that is accessible to a broad audience.

Volume 23, Full Contents, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Senior Editor's Note, Kenneth D. Colburn Jr.

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.