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Illinois Wesleyan University

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Articles 31 - 60 of 306

Full-Text Articles in Political Science

Table Of Contents Jan 2024

Table Of Contents

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Letter From The Chair Of Political Science, William Munro Jan 2024

Letter From The Chair Of Political Science, William Munro

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Editors' Introduction, Chase Beitz, Melinda Burgin Jan 2024

Editors' Introduction, Chase Beitz, Melinda Burgin

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Narco Service Provisions In Tierra Caliente: La Familia Michoacana, Los Caballeros Templarios, And Los Zetas, Itzel Mendoza Jan 2024

Narco Service Provisions In Tierra Caliente: La Familia Michoacana, Los Caballeros Templarios, And Los Zetas, Itzel Mendoza

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

This article analyzes the mutual relationship of dependency between civil society and narco cartels in Tierra Caliente, focusing on civilian experiences in Michoacan, Guerrero and el Estado de México. This paper will examine the functions of La Familia Michoacana, Los Caballeros Templarios and Los Zetas through community service provisions and cartels’ governance. Additionally, socioeconomic factors of Tierra Caliente will be examined to determine which types of communities lend themselves to cartels to provide community provisions as I argue that socioeconomic factors drive cartels’ operations and behaviors.


American Political Engagement: Does Food Assistance Affect Political Participation?, Maya Patterson Jan 2024

American Political Engagement: Does Food Assistance Affect Political Participation?, Maya Patterson

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

This research paper examines the role of how program participation in food access programs influences political participation in the US, specifically “Does program participation in food access programs, such as receiving benefits from SNAP or WIC, influence political participation?” Using a self-reported, weighted 2017 survey of Rural America, this study demonstrates how people receiving food benefits within the last year affect their political participation, specifically how they voted in the 2016 presidential election. This survey was collected by the Roper Center's iPOLL databank, after searching for questions about receiving food assistance. By focusing on the last decade, this research paper …


The Effects Of Sat And Act Scores On State Education Spending: A Study Of Scores And Per-Pupil Spending Over Time 2005-2020, Cade Herrmann Jan 2024

The Effects Of Sat And Act Scores On State Education Spending: A Study Of Scores And Per-Pupil Spending Over Time 2005-2020, Cade Herrmann

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

State education spending for K-12 students is an essential component of the state and local government fiscal budget, and in the United States, education spending varies by state, with some states spending much more than others. The SAT and ACT standardized tests have been in use since the early to mid twentieth century and have long been the standard testing metric for college admissions. In the past twenty years, many states have begun requiring their students to take one of these tests as a graduation requirement. With half of states now requiring one of these standardized tests, it seems that …


Cubans In The Political Arena: Engagement And Influence Of Expatriates In The United States, Zoe Hovde Jan 2024

Cubans In The Political Arena: Engagement And Influence Of Expatriates In The United States, Zoe Hovde

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

For decades, the United States government has imposed travel and trade restrictions on Cuba. However, it is possible that representatives support these policies as they are meeting the demands of the Cuban-American expatriates (ex-pats). The Cuban expatriate community has become a politically organized group that has been able to persuade U.S. policy for years. How did this come to be? This essay recognizes not only the political influence of the community but also their ways of political mobilization. Additionally, this essay acknowledges how the younger generations stray away from the hardline perspective of their Cuban elders. To conduct this research, …


Voting Behavior And Primary Elections, Amber Anderson May 2023

Voting Behavior And Primary Elections, Amber Anderson

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The United States of America has become increasingly polarized, so elections are more important than ever. This research paper analyzes voting behavior in primary elections throughout the United States. The four most recent Presidential primary election cycles are used as case studies. The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which voters are more concerned with issues and ideology over electability in primary elections and how changing polarization and the timing of primary elections affects these results. The hypothesis argues that in increasingly polarized eras, voters become less concerned with voting based on issues and ideology; instead, …


Title Page May 2023

Title Page

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Table Of Contents May 2023

Table Of Contents

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Letter From The Department Chair, Greg M. Shaw May 2023

Letter From The Department Chair, Greg M. Shaw

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Editor's Introduction, Isaac Rubenstein, Emma Stroh May 2023

Editor's Introduction, Isaac Rubenstein, Emma Stroh

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Authors' Biographies May 2023

Authors' Biographies

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


Religious Accommodations From The Contraceptive Mandate: Sincere Belief Or Political Statement?, Rachel A. Williams May 2023

Religious Accommodations From The Contraceptive Mandate: Sincere Belief Or Political Statement?, Rachel A. Williams

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2014, the Supreme Court made a controversial decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, ruling that for-profit businesses were entitled to religious protections under the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and could seek and receive a religious accommodation from the contraceptive mandate of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA). This decision split legal scholars who have since debated whether corporations may even qualify as persons under RFRA and what motivated Hobby Lobby and its litigating peers. Why did 48 other businesses litigate alongside Hobby Lobby for a religious accommodation? Should we believe the sincerity of their beliefs or consider …


Combating Inequality: The Value Of Acknowledging Gender In Transitional Justice, Zoe Hovde May 2023

Combating Inequality: The Value Of Acknowledging Gender In Transitional Justice, Zoe Hovde

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Patriarchal inequalities have become exacerbated in nations occupied by mass violence, conflict, and violations of human rights, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Colombia. Gender-based violence is often not adequately recognized in processes transitional justice. In this essay, I observe and analyze sexual and gender-based violence in several countries and the ignorance or attention they were given by truth commissions, reparations, and other aspects of transnational justice. I also explore data regarding the aftermath of such violence, including the feminization of poverty and political insecurity. I discovered that recognizing gender when attempting to build reconciliation is a hesitant task …


Shaping Chilean Feminism, Itzel Mendoza May 2023

Shaping Chilean Feminism, Itzel Mendoza

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The early 1990s are marked by worldwide feminist movements and women’s suffrage. Women mobilized through feminist groups that demanded political rights, marital rights and labor rights. In the case of Chile, advocating for women’s suffrage was an extensive process that required mass unity and mobilization through agitative media. By 1935, one of the most prominent feminist leaders, Elena Cafferena, co-founded The Movement for the Emancipation of Chilean Women (MEMCH) which became a critical actor in the Chilean women's rights battle. This case demonstrates how working women and “elite women” worked in collaboration for diverse demands within the movement. This paper …


Brass’S Model And The Surat Riots Of 1992, Melinda Burgin May 2023

Brass’S Model And The Surat Riots Of 1992, Melinda Burgin

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Intercommunal violence in India, especially between the Muslim and Hindu communities, has been a constant cause of conflict within the nation since it achieved independence in 1947. Social scientists have attempted to understand what makes certain communities in India more and less vulnerable to this conflict. Paul Brass’s theory of an institutionalized riot system which involves every level of society in the construction of politically motivated violence, and Ashutosh Varshney’s theory of an integrated civil society being crucial to keeping ethnic conflict at bay are two of the strongest in the field. This paper applies these theories to the 1992 …


German Energy: The People’S Transition, Morgan Tadish May 2023

German Energy: The People’S Transition, Morgan Tadish

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

After decades of polluting the earth with fossil fuels, our reckless behaviors have finally caught up with us. Among few others, Germany leads the world in unique renewable energy transitions and sustainability solutions to best suit their country and protect the environment. Through scholarly articles, past & current news sources, and various national & world databases, this paper discusses the question: how much of Germany’s energy policy success rests on the back of civil society? In addition to following a strict set of national and international environmental policies and targets, Germany’s strategy towards renewables and sustainability comes from their German …


Cover Art, Sami Curtis May 2023

Cover Art, Sami Curtis

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.


March 10th: The Tibetan Peoplehood Movement, Adrianna E. Helstad Apr 2023

March 10th: The Tibetan Peoplehood Movement, Adrianna E. Helstad

Honors Projects

Tibetans have been internationally displaced for over 60 years; following the failed Lhasa Uprising that began in the spring of 1959. Yet, despite being internationally displaced, Tibetans appear to construct and sustain their peoplehood movement around the annual commemoration of the events that took place in the Lhasa Uprising on March 10th. The paper shows how the March 10th protests have been institutionalized and used by Tibetan leaders and their followers to durably change their demands. This research demonstrates how Tibetan leaders frame their peoplehood movement through different mechanisms. In order to do this, the paper will build upon the …


The United States After The Third Religious Disestablishment: A Case Study Of The Adf’S Strategies In Prolonging Culture Wars, Rachel Williams Apr 2023

The United States After The Third Religious Disestablishment: A Case Study Of The Adf’S Strategies In Prolonging Culture Wars, Rachel Williams

Honors Projects

In the early ‘90s, several conservative Christian legal organizations (CCLOs) sprung up in the United States in response to pluralism. These CCLOs sought to match the strategies and power of long-standing liberal public interest groups, like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Much literature has been produced on the activities of CCLOs, but few have considered the CCLOs’ lasting impact on the nation. Using Willamette University College of Law Professor Steven K. Green's framework of religious disestablishments across U.S. history, this paper proposes that the country has entered a prolonged period of moral reestablishment partly thanks to CCLOs. With a …


Policy Type And Presidential Messaging As Factors Of Legislative Productivity, Madison Garofalo Apr 2023

Policy Type And Presidential Messaging As Factors Of Legislative Productivity, Madison Garofalo

Honors Projects

This paper attempts to settle scholarly debates around significant legislation’s passage rates within the context of presidential mentions and influence amongst legislation. The first section of this paper will lay out significant literature surrounding topics such as: quantifying congressional-presidential relations, scholarly investigations centered around divided and unified government, works concerning institutional effects on legislative productivity, as well as investigations into legislative success by policy type. Secondly, the paper will discuss the methodological processes and standards used to determine if presidential mentioning is influential on legislative success. The next section will identify key findings to determine if the hypotheses of the …


Motives For Independence: The Case Of Spain’S Catalonia, Emma Stroh Apr 2023

Motives For Independence: The Case Of Spain’S Catalonia, Emma Stroh

Honors Projects

After decades of struggling for autonomy, Catalonia, Spain has initiated a renewed independence movement. This paper seeks to answer the question: what economic motives are driving the possibility of Catalan secession from Spain, and how have these motives affected Catalonia’s economy and ways of life? I will focus on the politically and economically significant timeline of 2008-2019, analyzing indicators of economic health such as Gross Domestic Product, Foreign Direct Investment Rates, Unemployment, and the actions of Ibex-35 Businesses within Catalonia. Further, I will use public opinion polls on independence and national identity to gauge support for independence within the region, …


‘Vox Populi?:’ Assessing Nato Popularity Relative To Political And Economic Indicators In Selected Member Nations, Zachary W. Cheek Apr 2022

‘Vox Populi?:’ Assessing Nato Popularity Relative To Political And Economic Indicators In Selected Member Nations, Zachary W. Cheek

Undergraduate Economic Review

This paper seeks to identify the impact of political and economic conditions on a nation’s popularity/favorability ratings towards North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the world’s most powerful military alliance. It is found that in random-effect models there exists a significant positive relationship between a country’s democratic strength and favorability, as well as a negative relationship regarding unemployment. In fixed-effect models, however, there is slight evidence of a positive relationship with per-capita GDP, as well as negative relationships with the unemployment rate and the trade index. Overall, differences in member-nations largely account for whether democratic or macroeconomic conditions influence support.


Socioeconomic Factors In Wrongful Convictions, Melinda Burgin Jan 2022

Socioeconomic Factors In Wrongful Convictions, Melinda Burgin

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Wrongful convictions once thought of as a rarity barely worth investigating, have been a far more prevalent issue than previously believed. According to recent research, the overall wrongful conviction rate is around six percent in the United States and, based on data specific to certain crimes, can be even higher. (Loeffler et al., 2018). High-profile cases such as the Central Park Five have allowed the issue to gain traction and credibility in the eyes of the public. Many organizations, such as the Innocence Project and the Exoneration Project, are working to free victims of these injustices. However, the question remains: …


How The United States And Russia Have Interacted With Syria Since Its Use Of Chemical Weapons, Brynn M. Mitoraj Jan 2022

How The United States And Russia Have Interacted With Syria Since Its Use Of Chemical Weapons, Brynn M. Mitoraj

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Syria has been locked in a civil war for over a decade, with thousands of people dead, many of them civilians. The Syrian Civil War has caused a humanitarian crisis, drawing the attention of international humanitarian aid actors and now the United States. After a chemical weapons attack against the Syrian civilians by the Assad Regime, former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump led punitive strikes against the Syrian government. After years of the United States weaving in and out of the Syrian crisis, the time has come for international actors to carefully analyze the intentions of the United States.


Urgenda Foundation V. State Of The Netherlands (2015) And Associated Policy Impacts, Emile C. Ottinger Jan 2022

Urgenda Foundation V. State Of The Netherlands (2015) And Associated Policy Impacts, Emile C. Ottinger

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Climate change is a global issue that calls for global responses. It is also crucial to address regionally, according to each state’s best ability, and respond to regionally-felt impacts. Often, this regional change must begin with individual and community action. The Urgenda Foundation v. State of the Netherlands case is a crucial example of how individual interests and community actions can create regional change and result in global change through concentrated effort. The Urgenda Foundation was created to promote national shifts toward sustainable societies. It facilitates the integration of individuals’ sustainable interests into community action. As the first legal success …


Election Laws And Voter Turnout In The United States, Sofia Papoutsis Jan 2022

Election Laws And Voter Turnout In The United States, Sofia Papoutsis

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the last decade, electoral reform has become a topic of intense controversy in the United States. While Republicans highlight the need for strict voting laws to prevent voter fraud and maintain election integrity, Democrats argue that these laws create barriers to voting and decrease voter turnout. How have U.S. voting laws evolved over the last decade? How do these changes affect voter turnout? Which voting laws have the greatest impact on voter turnout? Researchers Larocca and Klemanski (2011) provide answers to some of these questions through an empirical analysis on the effects of state-level election laws and reforms on …


Racial Party Polarization Under Donald Trump, Kate Berman Jan 2022

Racial Party Polarization Under Donald Trump, Kate Berman

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Growing party polarization directly results from increasing economic inequalities, racial tensions and the idea that the white majority is now a minority. This paper identifies the sources of party polarization. Combining social, economic, and racial factors, it builds on popular scholarly works that show white people feel left behind. Acknowledging that income inequality is the root of polarization, the paper argues that the interaction between race, economics and social status provides a more well-rounded look at party polarization. Party polarization has caused an increase in non-college-educated people participating in voting. This, in turn, led to Donald Trump’s popularity. This study …


Title Page Jan 2022

Title Page

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.