Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Political Science Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 22 of 22

Full-Text Articles in Political Science

Citizen Trust In Civil Servants: A Cross-National Examination, David J. Houston, Nurgul R. Aitalieva Ph.D., Andrew L. Morelock, Chris A. Shults Nov 2016

Citizen Trust In Civil Servants: A Cross-National Examination, David J. Houston, Nurgul R. Aitalieva Ph.D., Andrew L. Morelock, Chris A. Shults

Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Ph.D.

How trusting of civil servants are citizens in North America and Europe? What individual-level and national-level attributes correlate with trust in civil servants? To answer these questions, data from national samples across 21 countries are taken from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) 2006 Role of Government module and are analyzed by estimating multilevel binary logistic regression models. Trust is correlated with both subjective (at the individual-level) and objective (at the national-level) indicators of performance. The quality of institutions also matters as countries with lower levels of public sector corruption experience higher levels of trust in the civil service.


America’S Legendary Ignorance About Africa Persists, Julius A. Amin Sep 2016

America’S Legendary Ignorance About Africa Persists, Julius A. Amin

Julius A. Amin

In an increasingly interconnected and technological global environment, ignorance of Africa is no longer acceptable. This, especially from major political leaders. Yet, examples of such ignorance are evident in the current American presidential campaign. Neither the Republican nominee Donald J. Trump nor the democratic nominee Hillary R. Clinton has articulated any concrete vision for an African policy.


The Subterranean Counterrevolution: The Supreme Court, The Media, And Litigation Retrenchment, Stephen B. Burbank, Sean Farhang Aug 2016

The Subterranean Counterrevolution: The Supreme Court, The Media, And Litigation Retrenchment, Stephen B. Burbank, Sean Farhang

Sean Farhang

This article is part of a larger project to study the counterrevolution against private enforcement of federal law from an institutional perspective. In a series of articles emerging from the project, we show how the Executive, Congress and the Supreme Court (wielding both judicial power under Article III of the Constitution and delegated legislative power under the Rules Enabling Act) fared in efforts to reverse or dull the effects of statutory and other incentives for private enforcement. An institutional perspective helps to explain the outcome we document: the long-term erosion of the infrastructure of private enforcement as a result of …


Litigation Reform: An Institutional Approach, Stephen B. Burbank, Sean Farhang Aug 2016

Litigation Reform: An Institutional Approach, Stephen B. Burbank, Sean Farhang

Sean Farhang

The program of regulation through private litigation that Democratic Congresses purposefully created starting in the late 1960s soon met opposition emanating primarily from the Republican party. In the long campaign for retrenchment that began in the Reagan administration, consequential reform proved difficult and ultimately failed in Congress. Litigation reformers turned to the courts and, in marked contrast to their legislative failure, were well-rewarded, achieving growing rates of voting support from an increasingly conservative Supreme Court on issues curtailing private enforcement under individual statutes. We also demonstrate that the judiciary’s control of procedure has been central to the campaign to retrench …


Class Actions And The Counterrevolution Against Federal Litigation, Stephen B. Burbank, Sean Farhang Aug 2016

Class Actions And The Counterrevolution Against Federal Litigation, Stephen B. Burbank, Sean Farhang

Sean Farhang

In this article we situate consideration of class actions in a framework, and fortify it with data, that we have developed as part of a larger project, the goal of which is to assess the counterrevolution against private enforcement of federal law from an institutional perspective. In a series of articles emerging from the project, we have documented how the Executive, Congress and the Supreme Court (wielding both judicial power under Article III of the Constitution and delegated legislative power under the Rules Enabling Act) fared in efforts to reverse or dull the effects of statutory and other incentives for …


From Paper To Electronic Order: The Digitalization Of The Check In The Usa*, Benjamin Geva Jul 2016

From Paper To Electronic Order: The Digitalization Of The Check In The Usa*, Benjamin Geva

Benjamin Geva

No abstract provided.


The Geopolitics Of Global Climate Change., Rodger A. Payne Jul 2016

The Geopolitics Of Global Climate Change., Rodger A. Payne

Rodger A. Payne

No abstract provided.


The Illogic Of The Biological Weapons Taboo., Phillip M. Mccauley, Rodger A. Payne Jul 2016

The Illogic Of The Biological Weapons Taboo., Phillip M. Mccauley, Rodger A. Payne

Rodger A. Payne

No abstract provided.


Ambivalence About Social Welfare : An Evaluation Of Measurement Approaches., Jason Gainous Jul 2016

Ambivalence About Social Welfare : An Evaluation Of Measurement Approaches., Jason Gainous

Jason Gainous

Research across disciplines, including political science, has embraced the idea that individuals often possess ambivalent attitudes, but there is considerable disagreement about how to measure ambivalence. Determining an effective way of capturing such phenomena is important to our understanding of politics and public opinion. The literature offers several meta-attitudinal and operative measures of ambivalence. I discuss strengths and weaknesses of each of these approaches and conduct a test of the relative construct validity of two meta-attitudinal and two operative measures of social welfare ambivalence using data from a statewide survey of Florida residents in 2004. The findings suggest that one …


China's Contradictory Grand Strategy Manifestations: Examining The Rare Earths Export Restrictions And The One Belt, One Road Initiative, Lukas K. Danner Jun 2016

China's Contradictory Grand Strategy Manifestations: Examining The Rare Earths Export Restrictions And The One Belt, One Road Initiative, Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

In the past few years, China has exhibited a rising assertiveness in international relations, including trade, although its official grand strategy remains "Peaceful Development." Examples of this contradictory trajectory are China's rare earth elements export restrictions (assertive) and the One Belt, One Road initiative (peaceful). This article seeks to establish, on the one hand, whether or not these examples are conforming to or diverging from "Peaceful Development," and therefore actually a manifestation of the alleged rising assertiveness on China's part, and on the other hand, identify the reason why China is acting ambivalently. To accomplish this, this article gives historical-cultural …


Legitimacy Of Taiwan's Trade Negotiations With China: Demystifying Political Challenges, Pasha L. Hsieh May 2016

Legitimacy Of Taiwan's Trade Negotiations With China: Demystifying Political Challenges, Pasha L. Hsieh

Pasha L. HSIEH

The article analyzes Taiwan’s legitimacy debate over trade negotiations with China. The theoretical concept of legitimacy is used to assess Taiwan’s cross-straits negotiation mechanism and trade agreements. This article argues that Taiwan’s current legal framework governing congressional supervision of cross-straits agreements falls short of procedural legitimacy and performance legitimacy.  By explaining the constitutional design for Taiwan’s “white glove” mechanism, the article explores the initial procedural legitimacy deficit.  As cross-straits negotiations involve increasingly substantive obligations, the legitimacy of bilateral agreements has changed fundamentally. The massive protest in the Sunflower Movement due to the Services Trade Agreement reinforced legitimacy concerns. Taiwan’s ambiguous …


A Cross-National Examination Of Citizen Trust In The Public Service In New And Established Democracies, Nurgul R. Aitalieva May 2016

A Cross-National Examination Of Citizen Trust In The Public Service In New And Established Democracies, Nurgul R. Aitalieva

Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.


Citizen Perceptions Of Public Policy Success: A Cross-National Analysis, Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Andrew L. Morelock May 2016

Citizen Perceptions Of Public Policy Success: A Cross-National Analysis, Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Andrew L. Morelock

Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.


Slavery And Freedom In Theory And Practice, David Watkins Apr 2016

Slavery And Freedom In Theory And Practice, David Watkins

David Watkins

Slavery has long stood as a mirror image to the conception of a free person in republican theory. This essay contends that slavery deserves this central status in a theory of freedom, but a more thorough examination of slavery in theory and in practice will reveal additional insights about freedom previously unacknowledged by republicans. Slavery combines imperium (state domination) and dominium (private domination) in a way that both destroys freedom today and diminishes opportunities to achieve freedom tomorrow. Dominium and imperium working together are a greater affront to freedom than either working alone. However, an examination of slavery in practice, …


Public Confidence In Government: Public Service Motivation And Political Ideology, Diana Bernal, Stephanie Bixler, Nurgul R. Aitalieva Ph.D. Mar 2016

Public Confidence In Government: Public Service Motivation And Political Ideology, Diana Bernal, Stephanie Bixler, Nurgul R. Aitalieva Ph.D.

Nurgul R. Aitalieva, Ph.D.

A collection of surveys taken over the past several decades indicates that trust in government has been declining. One of the surveys is the General Social Survey (GSS). The GSS collects information from the general public on a wide variety of subjects, including attitudes toward government, politics, and policy issues. 
The 2014 GSS finds that only 11 percent of Americans have a great deal of confidence in the executive branch. Political trust is a crucial element of representative governance. With the upcoming Presidential election, it is critical to understand what explains public confidence in the executive branch of the federal …


The Political Activities Of American Corporate Leaders, Nurgul Aitalieva, Anthony Nownes Feb 2016

The Political Activities Of American Corporate Leaders, Nurgul Aitalieva, Anthony Nownes

Nurgul Aitalieva

What is the nature and extent of corporate leader involvement in American national politics? The results of a mail survey of nearly 100 such individuals show that leaders are quite active, devoting an average of nearly 1 hour per day to national political activity. We also show that corporate leaders engage in a wide range of advocacy activities. Monetary activities loom particularly large in the political lives of American corporate leaders, as large numbers are approached by members of Congress for contributions, and many who are approached answer the call. In addition, we find that corporate leaders, unlike advocacy professionals, …


The Role Of The Common Core In The Gubernatorial Elections Of 2014, Jonathan Supovitz, Bobbi Newman, Ariel Smith Feb 2016

The Role Of The Common Core In The Gubernatorial Elections Of 2014, Jonathan Supovitz, Bobbi Newman, Ariel Smith

Bobbi Newman

After the Spring 2014 primaries, the Common Core State Standards were viewed as a political hot potato. As former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said, “the Common Core has become toxic, I think it’s radioactive…It has become an incredibly controversial topic on both the left and the right.” Even so, the Common Core turned out to play a role in some of the governor’s races in November 2014. In this analysis of candidate positions and the role of the Common Core across the 36 gubernatorial races of 2014, CPRE researchers Bobbi Newman, Jonathan Supovitz and Arial Smith used campaign websites, debate …


Extending The Fundamental Right Of Marriage To Same-Sex Couples: The United States Supreme Court Decision In Obergefell V. Hodges, Donald H. J. Hermann Jan 2016

Extending The Fundamental Right Of Marriage To Same-Sex Couples: The United States Supreme Court Decision In Obergefell V. Hodges, Donald H. J. Hermann

Donald Hermann

No abstract provided.


Can Deliberative Democracy Work In Hierarchical Organizations?, Jason Pierce, Grant Neeley, Jeffrey Budziak Jan 2016

Can Deliberative Democracy Work In Hierarchical Organizations?, Jason Pierce, Grant Neeley, Jeffrey Budziak

Grant W. Neeley

Some measure of equality is necessary for deliberative democracy to work well, yet empirical scholarship consistently points to the deleterious effect that hierarchy and inequalities of epistemological authority have on deliberation. This article tests whether real-world deliberative forums can overcome these challenges. Contrary to skeptics, it concludes that the act of deliberation itself and the presence of trained moderators ameliorate inequalities of epistemological authority, thus rendering deliberative democracy possible, even within hierarchical organizations.


Implications Of The Dragon’S Rise For South Asia: Assessing China’S Nepal Policy, Bibek Chand, Lukas K. Danner Dec 2015

Implications Of The Dragon’S Rise For South Asia: Assessing China’S Nepal Policy, Bibek Chand, Lukas K. Danner

Dr. Lukas K. Danner

China has always been an important neighbour to Nepal which has otherwise historically been heavily influenced by India. The ‘rise of China’ has created a more outward-looking Middle Kingdom and so its influence in Nepal has significantly increased within the last decade. As a consequence, Nepal is experiencing growing interest from China. This article aims to give some historical background to Sino-Nepalese relations and to measure the most recent impact of the ‘rise of China’ on Nepal, particularly on its economic, military and political fronts. This is followed by a broader look at China’s policy towards Nepal, also taking into …


Distributive Conflict And Regime Change: A Qualitative Dataset, Stephan Haggard, Terence Teo, Robert Kaufman Dec 2015

Distributive Conflict And Regime Change: A Qualitative Dataset, Stephan Haggard, Terence Teo, Robert Kaufman

Terence Teo

No abstract provided.


Incumbent Landscapes, Disruptive Uses: Perspectives On Marijuana-Related Land Use Control, Donald J. Kochan Dec 2015

Incumbent Landscapes, Disruptive Uses: Perspectives On Marijuana-Related Land Use Control, Donald J. Kochan

Donald J. Kochan

The story behind the move toward marijuana’s legality is a story of disruptive forces to the incumbent legal and physical landscape. It affects incumbent markets, incumbent places, the incumbent regulatory structure, and the legal system in general which must mediate the battles involving the push for relaxation of illegality and adaptation to accepting new marijuana-related land uses, against efforts toward entrenchment, resilience, and resistance to that disruption.

This Article is entirely agnostic on the issue of whether we should or should not decriminalize, legalize, or otherwise increase legal tolerance for marijuana or any other drugs. Nonetheless, we must grapple with …