Political Science Commons^™

C-Dem Advisory Council Meeting May 12, 2025, Laura Stephenson, Allison Harell

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.

Nato’S Nuclear Strategy Post Russia’S Ukraine Attack: Shaping Global Nonproliferation Talks, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

This document examines NATO's nuclear strategy in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, exploring the implications for global security and nuclear nonproliferation. It discusses the enduring reliance on nuclear deterrence within NATO, the challenges of transitioning toward disarmament, and the role of treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Highlighting regional perspectives, strategic policies, and the potential risks of nuclear conflict, the study emphasizes the urgent need for diplomacy, international cooperation, and renewed commitments to global disarmament efforts.

Polisci 3210f: Feasibility Of A National Disability Insurance Plan (Ndip) In Canada, Twana Hassan, Aditi Priya, Dylan Poole, Samantha Rubin, Ethan Chen

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

This research report presents an overview of the feasibility and reliability of a National Disability Insurance Plan (NDIP) in Canada. Several Global North countries are leading the way in disability legislation and disability funding in comparison to Canada's inaction on the matter. A National Disability Insurance Plan in Canada will have social and economic benefits for everyone in Canada. The report concluded that Canada is capable of implementing a NDIP and doing so is the right choice.

The Inclusion Of Gender Minority Communities In Survey Research: A Report For The Consortium On Electoral Democracy, Quinn M. Albaugh

Reports

No abstract provided.

When Planning Nuclear Waste Sites In Canada, Consider Ukraine’S Potential Nuclear Crisis, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The article "When planning nuclear waste sites in Canada, consider Ukraine’s potential nuclear crisis" by Erika Simpson discusses the implications of nuclear waste management in Canada in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The author emphasizes the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, particularly regarding the vulnerabilities of nuclear power plants during conflicts, such as the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The article highlights the challenges of safely storing and managing high-level nuclear waste in Canada, proposing sites near significant water basins like the Great Lakes and Hudson’s Bay. The author stresses the importance of involving local communities and …

Issue Salience And Ownership In The 2019 And 2021 Canadian Federal Elections, Maxime St-Jean

Reports

This report uses the 2019 and 2021 Canadian Election Study (CES) to explore how political issues and social cleavages are perceived by the electorate in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. We focus more specifically on three dimensions: first, what issues were most important in electors’ minds (which we refer to as issue salience); second, which parties were seen as best able to handle various issues (which we refer to as issue ownership by parties); and finally, the social bases of party perceptions.

Social Capital, Institutional Rules, And Constitutional Amendment Rates, William D. Blake, Joseph Francesco Cozza, David A. Armstrong Ii, Amanda Friesen

Political Science Publications

Why are some constitutions amended more frequently than others? The literature provides few clear answers, as some scholars focus on institutional factors, whereas others emphasize amendment culture. We bridge this divide with new theoretical and empirical insights. Using data from democratic constitutions worldwide and U.S. state constitutions, we examine how social capital reduces the transaction costs imposed by amendment rules. The results indicate that constitutional rigidity decreases amendment frequency, but group membership, civic activism, and political trust can offset the effect of amendment rules. Our findings have important implications for scholars in public law, constitutional and democratic theory, and social …

C-Dem 2023 Partners' Meeting Notes, Consortium On Electoral Democracy

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.

C-Dem 2023 Partners' Meeting Agenda May 5, Consortium On Electoral Democracy

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.

C-Dem 2023 Partners' Meeting May 5 Powerpoint Presentation, Consortium On Electoral Democracy

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.

Nato Allies Should Take Canada’S Lead And Spend Less On Defense, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

In the article "NATO allies should take Canada’s lead and spend less on defense," Erika Simpson discusses Canada’s defense spending in relation to NATO’s two-percent-of-GDP target. Although Canada appears to lag in military spending when expressed as a percentage of GDP, it ranks high on a per capita basis. Simpson argues that NATO should consider Canada's broader contributions to peace and security, beyond just military expenditures. She highlights Canada’s new military spending commitments, including the purchase of F-35 fighter jets, and critiques the pressure from the U.S. for allies to meet the spending target. The article advocates for a reevaluation …

Nuclear Waste Abandonment Risks The Dangers Of Amnesia, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

This abstract discusses the proposed plan by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to store Canada's nuclear waste in a deep geological repository (DGR) in northern Ontario, highlighting significant safety concerns. The NWMO's current strategy involves burying high-level nuclear waste underground at a site near Teeswater, Ontario, potentially impacting nearby communities and raising questions about long-term environmental and human health risks. Alternative approaches, such as a rolling stewardship model that allows for periodic retrieval and repackaging of nuclear waste, are proposed as safer alternatives. The abstract also addresses regulatory processes, public consultations, and international comparisons, underscoring the complex considerations involved …

Categorizing Written Responses With A Dictionary Approach, Maxime St-Jean

Reports

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Electoral Research In Canada: Feedback From Electoral Management Bodies And Researchers On Key Issues For Canadian Electoral Research, Katie Campbell

Reports

No abstract provided.

Luck Egalitarianism And Non-Overlapping Generations, Elizabeth Finneron-Burns

Political Science Publications

This paper argues that there are good reasons to limit the scope of luck egalitarianism to co-existing people. First, I outline reasons to be sceptical about how “luck” works intergenerationally and therefore the very grounding of luck egalitarianism between non-overlapping generations. Second, I argue that what Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen calls the “core luck egalitarian claim” allows significant intergenerational inequality which is a problem for those who object to such inequality. Third, luck egalitarianism cannot accommodate the intuition that it might be required to leave future generations better off than we are, even if it would come at no cost to ourselves. …

3201g: London Cycle Link, Alec M. Gelz

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

No abstract provided.

Political Participation Among Canadians: Are Young People Disengaging? Public Report (8) 2023-03-30, Maxime St-Jean

Reports

No abstract provided.

C-Dem Advisory Council Meeting February 15, 2023, C-Dem Research Project

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.

La Liberté D'Expression Et Les Propos Haineux: Les Attitudes Des Canadiennes Et Canadiens, Antoine Thériault

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Biometric Border Systems On Trans Travelers, Madison Binder

2023 Undergraduate Awards

The Canada-United States border is the longest land border in the world, stretching more than five thousand miles. The narrative of the Canada-United States border as the “longest undefended border in the world” was reliant on racist images of Canada as a white state. Following the attack on September 11, 2001, this narrative was disrupted and the border became the site of a massive security reconstruction project. Not in the physical sense, but in the scale of funds allocated and technology implemented to control and monitor the flow of movement across the border. Canada’s 2001 budget allocated $1.2 billion towards …

Are Saviour Siblings A Special Case In Procreative Ethics?, Elizabeth Finneron-Burns, Caleb Althorpe

Political Science Publications

Children conceived in order to donate biological material to save the life of an already existing child are known as 'saviour siblings'. The primary reasons that have been offered against the practice are: (i) creating a saviour sibling has negative impacts on the created child and (ii) creating a saviour child represents a wrongful procreative motivation of the parents. In this paper we examine to what extent the creation of saviour siblings actually presents a special case in procreative ethics. Although we do not deny that there is a unique feature present in the saviour sibling case—namely, that the child …

Motivated To Forgive? Partisan Scandals And Party Supporters, Amber Hye-Yon Lee, Allison Harell, Laura B. Stephenson, Daniel Rubenson, Peter Loewen

Publications

In this study, we investigate how partisan motivations shape voters’ reactions to a political scandal by drawing on a unique survey experiment fielded immediately after Justin Trudeau’s brownface/blackface scandal broke during the 2019 Canadian election. We thus explore motivated reasoning in real time in a competitive and highly partisan election context. Are voters more willing to forgive politicians for past behavior when their own party leader’s impropriety is cued? To what extent do personal interests, such as cross-pressures or electoral concerns, affect the motivation to forgive? Our findings show that partisan-motivated reasoning is overwhelmingly powerful, producing politically biased judgments of …

Faith, Source Credibility, And Trust In Pandemic Information, Jianing Li, Amanda Friesen, Michael W. Wagner

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

The Chips And Science Act: The United States’ Race For Semiconductor Sovereignty, Jenna Kawar

MA Major Research Papers

This paper explores the CHIPS and Science Act in the United States. The microchip is extremely crucial to the function of technology as a whole, and its global supply chain is monopolized by countries such as the US, China, Taiwan, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan. The industry is fierce in competition, and holds many implications within political science, and international relations. The CHIPS Act is an Act that allocates funding toward the re-shoring efforts to manufacture and research the microchip on US territory. This paper explores the history leading up to the CHIPS Act, as well as the reasoning …

The Ambiguity In International Law And Its Effect On Drone Warfare And Cyber Security, Amina Khan

MA Major Research Papers

Drone warfare and artificial intelligence have considerably shaped cybersecurity and international law over the years. The rapid growth of technology has slowly forced entry into the international and domestic affairs of states. How countries conduct surveillance and practice defence does not look the way it did many years ago. One must observe how the rule of law is affected by technological advancement at the international level where many complexities are seen to rise to the surface. Balancing domestic and international law comes into question when drones and artificial intelligence become key components in state affairs that transcend geographical borders. This …

Introduction To The Special Issue -- Science In Politics: Methodological Innovations And Political Issues, Amanda Friesen, Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz, Rose Mcdermott

Political Science Publications

We introduce the Special Issue on Life Science in Politics: Methodological Innovations and Political Issues. This issue of Politics and the Life Sciences is focused on the use of life science theory and methods to study political phenomena and the exploration of the intersection of science and political attitudes. This issue is the third in a series of special issues funded by the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences that adheres to the Open Science Framework for registered reports. Pre-analysis plans are peer reviewed and given in-principle acceptance before data are collected and/or analyzed, and the articles are published …

The Global Implications Of Xi Jinping’S Formidable Power, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

This abstract examines recent developments within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, highlighting its trajectory towards enhanced surveillance capabilities and centralized control. The CCP's emphasis on maintaining internal stability and ideological purity, exemplified by Xi's consolidation of power and suppression of dissent, raises concerns about the party's commitment to political reform and economic openness. The narrative explores implications for China's domestic governance, international relations—particularly regarding Taiwan—and global technological competition. It argues that while China's economic prowess continues to expand, its increasingly authoritarian governance under Xi Jinping poses challenges to global norms and multilateral institutions. …

Russia-Ukraine War Brings Nuclear Risk To Level Not Seen Since Cuban Missile Crisis, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The current Russian-Ukraine crisis is marked by escalating tensions and heightened nuclear threats, reminiscent of Cold War anxieties. Vladimir Putin's strategic maneuvers, including partial mobilization and veiled nuclear warnings, underscore a perilous geopolitical standoff. The risk of nuclear use, potentially greater than during the Cuban missile crisis, looms amid fears that Russia might resort to tactical nuclear weapons. International responses, from stark warnings by Western leaders to diplomatic appeals from global powers like China and India, emphasize efforts to prevent catastrophic escalation. Amidst military developments and societal opposition within Russia, the crisis underscores the delicate balance between deterrence and conflict …

Objectified And Dehumanized: Does Objectification Impact Perceptions Of Women Political Candidates?, Claire M. Gothreau, Amanda Milena Alvarez, Amanda Friesen

Political Science Publications

Objectification and dehumanization are topics often discussed within the social psychology and feminist theory literature. Research on objectification has largely focused on the sexual objectification of women’s bodies, whereas the dehumanization literature has focused on dehumanization in the context of racial and ethnic groups. Extant political science research has only recently begun to engage with these concepts. In this manuscript, we build upon these literatures and apply these insights to questions relevant to politics. In particular, we argue that objectifying and dehumanizing portrayals of women impact how voters evaluate women politicians and how much they support gender parity in politics. …

Nato’S New World Order Relies On Multilateralism To Strengthen Its Nuclear Defense Posture, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The recent NATO Summit in Madrid focused on countering Russia's threats involving weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) like nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, as well as cyber attacks. NATO reaffirmed its role as a nuclear alliance and emphasized a strategy combining nuclear, conventional, and missile defense capabilities, along with space and cyber defenses.

NATO aims to prevent nuclear use and enhance readiness against chemical and biological threats while supporting efforts for global nuclear disarmament under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. International efforts through NATO, the EU, and the UN are addressing nuclear proliferation and strengthening arms control agreements.

With over 12,700 …