Political Science Commons^™

The Cost Of Voting Categorized: A Comprehensive Review, Landon Brady

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this paper is to analyze the research field of cost of voting and review the relevant literature on voter participation. After reviewing the literature, a development of a theoretical framework to categorize multiple variables associated with the cost of voting will be completed. The goal is to create clear, concise, and simple categories that define the cost of voting. This should add conceptual clarity to the field by linking variables into a common foundation. The research also connects the sociological and psychological category of intrapersonal to concepts of social group needs, sense of achieving a greater …

Political Rhetoric And Latino Public Opinion: A Study Of Abortion In The U.S., Fernanda Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies political rhetoric and Latino public opinion on abortion in the United States. Mainly, this thesis asks: Is political rhetoric on abortion shaping the Latino vote? This thesis conducted a content analysis of political rhetoric through speeches, interviews, debates, political advertisements, and social media accounts from Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates. The gubernatorial races studied in this thesis are those from California and Texas from 2010 to 2022. In the content analysis, this research accounted for words and phrases that referenced abortion and the type of arguments (reproductive rights-based and moral-based arguments) made in those references. Then, this …

A Narrative Analysis Of The January 6th Capitol Riot: Melodramatic Political Discourse, Joel Corte

Theses and Dissertations

The riot at the United States Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump shocked the American political system and represented contemporary politics’ shift toward more reactionary, populist politics. Attempts to explain the events of January 6th, 2021, have focused on the role of conspiracy theories, white supremacy, toxic masculinity, and the violation of norms. This thesis argues that January 6th can be explained by a case study of narrative and the style of discourse. More specifically, I conducted a qualitative narrative analysis of Trump’s election fraud narrative in the 2020 election by completing a close reading of his campaign …

The Influence Of The “Hayah Karima” Initiative On The Standard Of Living Of Egyptian Citizens: Evidence From The Menofia Governorate, Merihan Sharara

Theses and Dissertations

Social protection programs have been used in several developing countries in order to aid in their development efforts. In Egypt, “Hayah Karima”, an initiative which represents a developmental initiative endorsed by Egypt’s President Al-Sisi, aims to minimize the developmental gaps among citizens in terms of standards of living. “Hayah Karima” is based on governmental finance in partnership with the private sector. This paper covers this initiative and its different aspects as well as their possible impact on the standards of living for citizens in El- Menofia Governorate. The paper also includes 71 surveys conducted with different partners and beneficiaries of …

A Comparative Measure Of Judicial Legitimacy, Rahul Hemrajani

Theses and Dissertations

In the Federalist papers, Hamilton emphasized the vulnerability of courts as the weakest branch of government, lacking both the power of the "purse" and the "sword." Consequently, courts can secure compliance with their decisions only if people believe in the legitimacy of their actions. Courts that are seen as legitimate by the public can better prevent governmental overreach, enhance the rule of law, and protect democratic rights. However, there is no consensus on how to validly measure the legitimacy of courts. Additionally, existing research on legitimacy focuses on courts in the United States; we know little about judicial legitimacy in …

Where The Constitution Is Silent: Indigenous Rights Jurisprudence In The United States, Anthony Wayne Hobert Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation examines the citation of a pair of contradictory Supreme Court decisions penned by Chief Justice John Marshall—Johnson v. McIntosh (1823) and Worcester v. Georgia (1832)—to answer questions in three distinct realms. First, it answers whether and to what degree the Doctrine of Discovery, as presented by Marshall in Johnson, is fundamentally Lockean. Second, it answers the question of whether the Court acts as a majoritarian institution with regards to its indigenous jurisprudence. Third, it answers questions regarding strategic behavior in the American judicial hierarchy, focusing on the precedents’ citation in lower federal courts, state supreme courts, and tribal …

Prosecutorial Discretion: District Attorneys, Public Opinion,And The Localized Rule Of Law, Yu-Hsien Sung

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses three fundamental questions regarding the politics of prosecutorial behavior. Specifically, it examines how the selectors of prosecutors influence prosecutorial decision-making under different selection methods, including electionbased systems and appointment-based systems. By using a political responsiveness framework and utilizing empirical strategies, including an experiment and the construction of prosecutor policy position data, this study offers novel insights into the subject. First, I find that voters care about prosecutors’ issue positions and rely on various cues to identify candidates whose policy positions align with their preferences, even in low-information elections. Second, elections show promise as a mechanism for holding …

International Human Rights Through Queer Theory: A Discursive Analysis Of The Russian, Lithuanian, And Kyrgyz Lgbtq+ Lived Experience Within The Global Paradigm, Mariem Youssef

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to shed light on the subordination of international human rights law to that of the paradigm of international relations through asserting the existence of US Empire i.e., that emulates historical empires, British and French, which aims to emancipate subjugated minorities, formerly women and presently LGBTQ+ individuals from their national oppressive regimes. This is achieved through a discussion of pervious literature that discusses queer theory with a special focus on Russia, Lithuania, and Kyrgyzstan as the main case studies. While the overt intentionality of the “empire” is to protect LGBTQ+ individuals through perpetuating the prototype of the “International …

The Fall And Rise Of Bengali Muslim Conciousness: Conceptualising The Identity Of The Bangla Universal, Habib Khan

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of modern-nation states saw the end of the empirical era of exploitation and exercise of inherent racist tendencies towards the 'other'. However, the effect of that colonial system is still ever-present in the creation and governance of these newly independent states. While every new state aims to be 'modern', they adopt the international legal framework of the West as their own - a system they had initially wanted to escape. The concept of Muslim universality in the form of the ummah should have freed Pakistan from the shackles of its former colonial masters. Instead, this phenomenon was replaced …

Historical Trauma: Literary And Testimonial Responses To Hiroshima, Mariam Ghonim

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of trauma is controversial in literature. While one may be able to come up with ways to describe trauma in fiction, representing historical trauma is a hard task for writers. Some argue that trauma can not be described through those who did not experience it, while others claim that, provided some elements are added, one can represent trauma to the reader. This thesis focuses on twentieth-century historical traumas related to a nuclear catastrophe and explores the different literary and testimonial responses to the catastrophic man-made event of Hiroshima (1945). In this thesis, Kathleen Burkinshaw’s historical fiction The Last …

Pathways To Post-Liberal Peacebuilding: A Reconceptualization Through Comparative Analysis, Norhan Ahmed Amin

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to evaluate the sustainability of peacebuilding through DDR implementation, and the merit of adopting post-liberal peacebuilding approaches to practical interventions in a “New Wars” era, and rapidly changing conflict landscape. It focuses on the evolution of DDR as a response to changing conflict dynamics and as an integral component for peace processes and peacebuilding efforts, amidst a changing theoretical narrative on peacebuilding. As such, it seeks to answer the following questions: Can the theoretical shift to post-liberal peacebuilding invigorate localized peacebuilding processes, and thus reshape the tools applied to become more effective in achieving sustainable peace? Consequently, …

The Rise Of Right-Wing Populism And Foreign Aid In Electoral Democracies: The Case Of Us Trump, Ahmed Hamdy

Theses and Dissertations

Populism has always been controversial in academia despite being undertheorized. The 21st century has witnessed a global trend of the rise of right-wing populism in electoral democracies that led to major consequences including regional disintegration as the case with Brexit in Europe and rising anti-multilateralism in the United States under the Trump administration. Whereas academic literature attempted to scrutinize correlation between the rise of populism and its effect on foreign policy, the literature on populism and foreign aid is quite scarce. This study aims to appraise the rise of right-wing populism on foreign aid in electoral democracies, focusing on the …

The Black Sea Matters Too: Understanding Türkiye’S Role In The Black Sea Region Through The Turkish Straits According To Regional Security Complex Theory, Allison Hart

Theses and Dissertations

This paper first establishes the Black Sea as a region according to regional security complex theory then defines Türkiye’s role within the region and the impact that the Turkish Straits have on maintaining regional security. Through constructivist approaches and regional security complex theory the paper critiques previously defined concepts pertaining to Türkiye’s role in the region and outlines perceived security threats within the Black Sea region. The use of threat perceptions as a means for analysis provides a unique constructivist approach on regional security complex theory allowing for a grounded research approach to regionalism in the Black Sea. The threat …

Education And Authoritarian Consolidation In Egypt Post 2013, Rola Tarek

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines how educational changes in school textbooks during a moment authoritarian rebuilding aim to politically demobilize students. This paper investigates how education is a sphere of influence for politics, and how authoritarian consolidation efforts manifest themselves in public and religious education. Focusing on the curricular and textbook changes in Egypt, and using secondary and primary sources the study traces the changing nationalist and religious narratives and how it aids in authoritarian rebuilding.

Revolution In Cuba And Iran: Toward A Unified Theory Of Analysis, Mason Sims

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to fill a small gap in the study of revolution through unifying approaches and theories utilized to explain the complex social phenomenon. To facilitate this, a large portion of the work focuses on revolution literature which has been chosen to represent authors from the earliest generations covering the subject to the more recent. In compiling and reviewing these works, it can be seen that there exist common lines of not just explanation, but also a continuous series of critiques resurfacing within each generation. Within this compilation lies the roots of the theory presented in this thesis, that …

The Organization Of Islamic Cooperation (Oic): Opportunities And Challenges For Practicing Culturally-Sensitive Mediation In Intra-Muslim Conflicts, Nirvana Ahmad

Theses and Dissertations

Established in 1969, the OIC sat a unique paradigm in the international order as an intergovernmental organization that claims a religious identity and mandate: working for Muslim unity and interests. In that pursuit, it has assumed the function of the peaceful settlement of disputes as one of its primary roles. Over half a century of its existence, not only did the OIC drift away from its founding principles and commitments; it is now condemned for turning into an arena for polarization among Muslims, where unchecked geopolitical competition has aroused rampant violence of all sorts.
The literature on the OIC extensively …

Security Governance Strategies: Comparing Rebel Groups In Lebanon And Syria, Nourhan Samir Ibrahim

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of civil wars especially after the end of the Cold War led to the rise of rebels who control parts of national states in the absence or weakness of the central government. Therefore, scholars who are interested in studying civil wars started to give more attention to how these rebels function after controlling a territory. It is substantial to study rebels who govern since they influence the post conflict peace-building. This study aimed at exploring the different factors that contribute to the sustainability of rebel governance during civil wars, and how this sustainability might lead to inclusion in …

Impact Of Social Media  On Public Perception Of Government Covid-19 Response Efforts, Taher Taher

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to understand this phenomenon to provide insights into how governments can perform better in times of crisis regarding social media and its impact on public opinion. This research aims to understand how social media impacts public perception of government COVID-19 response efforts by studying Facebook comments, likes, and reactions (emoticons).

The study was based on data gathered from Facebook comments on the daily infographic COVID-19 statistics from the official site of the Ministry of Health and Population. The sampling frame is the 52 weeks of 2020, January to December, through random sampling resulting in 546 comments. The …

Is State Feminism The Key To Gender Equality?, Nadine Mohamed Kamaly

Theses and Dissertations

“The male point of view forces itself upon the world as a way of apprehending it. Perspectives from the male standpoint enforces a woman's definition, encircles her body, circumlocutes her speech, and describes her life” (Mackinnon, 1983, 636). How the world views women is sometimes out of their hands. Ogasawara (1999) explains that “there is a multiplicity of socially acceptable images of Japanese women today” (pg.87). Throughout this thesis, I will explore the several, but limited, images that Japanese society has rendered acceptable for women. I will also examine how Japanese State Feminism aims to give women the opportunity to …

The Cultural Diplomacy Of U.S. Peace Corps: Understanding The Role Of Peace Corps Volunteers As Strategic Geopolitical Assets, Corey B. Miles

Theses and Dissertations

Beginning in the Summer of 1961, the United States government has deployed volunteer humanitarians around the world to serve the mission of U.S. Peace Corps and has since contributed to communities in 143 partner countries while enjoying widespread popularity. Its mission of promoting world peace and friendship is pursued through three operational goals: technical training, cultural exportation, and cultural importation. Since 2016, with the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, and continuing through the Covid-19 pandemic, which produced the first global service interruption in agency history, the value of the Peace Corps service model has been fundamentally challenged. As a …

Slava Ukraini: A Psychobiographical Case Study Of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’S Public Diplomacy Discourse, Amber Brittain-Hale

Theses and Dissertations

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's public diplomacy during the Russo-Ukrainian conflict was examined in this dissertation. Zelenskyy’s discourse emphasized his action-oriented traits, Ukrainian identity, and nationalism. The study employed LTA, and LIWC-22, for natural language processing analyses of Zelenskyy's public speeches and diplomatic discourse. Zelenskyy demonstrated agency, adaptability, collaboration, and positive language patterns, suggesting confidence and optimism, according to the data. In addition, the research emphasizes how domestic and international factors influence state behavior, as well as how political demands, cultural, historical, and political factors influence Zelenskyy's decision-making.

This dissertation sheds light on a global leader's psychobiographical characteristics, beliefs, and motivations during a …

Interiorization And Localization: An Analysis Of Immigration Enforcement In Local Contexts, Manuel N. Leiva

Theses and Dissertations

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal agency that plays a large role in surveilling, apprehending, detaining, incarcerating, and deporting undocumented immigrants in the United States. Due to constraints on the number of ICE’s available personnel and resources, the agency relies on deputizing, or devolving to local law enforcement agencies the authority to enforce federal immigration policies. Prior to the 1990s, the enforcement of policies directed at controlling flows of undocumented immigrants was generally under the purview of federal law enforcement agencies and administrators, not state or local ones. The attacks on September, 11^th 2001 represented a flashpoint, …

Fascism In Sci-Fi: "Mobilizing Passions" In Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, Alton C. Ayers

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis responds to criticism of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (1959) as a “fascist” novel by further investigating the claim through a close reading of the novel that applies political theory scholarship on fascism. Chapters I and II introduce the novel along with its general reception and controversy. These chapters consider the accusations of “fascism” given to the novel while at the same time understanding that a clear, exact definition of “fascism” has long been grappled with by scholars since the rise of the regimes in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Chapters III and IV apply political theory to …

United We Stand? Investigating The Impact Of Unified Dues Agreements Between State And National Career & Technical Education (Cte) Professional Organizations On Cte Funding In The Southern States, Justin Ryan Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers have long been active in lobbying the federal and state governments in support of CTE through their professional organizations, but these are not traditionally considered interest groups. This study sought to determine if the formal relationships—dues agreements—between the two largest national professional organizations, and their state affiliates had an impact on state funding for CTE. The impacts of professional organization unity, membership rates, and lobbying expenses on state-level CTE funding were analyzed through the lens of interest group theory, a subfield of political science. Within this population (N = 13), 1) a link …

Liminal Beings Are We, John Kenneth Froozan Ii

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis establishes a foundation for liminality in political theory. Liminality, a concept mostly developed in anthropology, is used by them to describe middle periods in rites of passage. Unlike the anthropologists, I argue that liminality should be theorized phenomenologically. Utilizing the history of political philosophy, liminality is defined as a dialectical phenomenon that acts between and beyond the limits of things, Self, and Other. I describe liminality as an ontological-epistemological or existential condition that acts as a connecting tissue to both define what is and the space between things. This requires that notions of power, politics, and their ends …

'Good Food’ And Food Sovereignty In The South Texas Borderlands: A Qualitative Investigation Of Alternative Retail Food Outlet Managers And Owners, Kanyanat Lertkhonsan

Theses and Dissertations

This case study describes how Alternative Retail Food Outlets (ARFOs) managers and owners in a county in South Texas near the U.S. – Mexico border I am calling Esperanza County, decide what food to eat and to sell. Data from qualitative interviews reveals that the South Texas socioeconomic – cultural context and informants’ economic constraints shaped two different conceptions of good food. At the same time, informants’ socioeconomic backgrounds and sources of good food reveals that the power to define good food – as organic, local, and seasonal – and those that can access it tend to be the educated …

Women In Politics: An Examination Of Hispanic Undergraduate Students' Perspectives And Attitudes, Saliha Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

The lack of female representation in politics has long been established, as over the years there has been a rise in political participation that still fails to be representative of the general population. Women that seek positions in office often fail to garner the support that many male candidates quickly get, as women face gender stereotypes and sexism at almost every turn. Many studies have failed to look at how the Hispanic population evaluate women seeking political leadership and how engrained gender roles and stereotypes are when it comes to the evaluation of female and male candidates. This thesis examines …

Assessing New Wars Theory In The Post-Arab Spring Era: The Libyan And Yemeni Wars (2011-2020), Shady El-Sherif

Theses and Dissertations

Mary Kaldor’s “New Wars” theory which was first published in 1991 argues that warfare has changed after the Cold War with the growing globalization and the rise of violent non-state actors. According to the theory, globalization augmented certain problems that are considered the main causes of these “new wars” such as; state fragility/failure, identity politics, and war economy methods which all account at present for the continuation of conflicts, especially in the MENA region with more civilian casualties. To assess this theory, I am using a comparative case study methodology with a historical process-tracing approach for the Yemeni and Libyan …

Cities Of God Under Occupation: Settler Colonial Practices And Pacification In The Favelas Of Rio De Janeiro And The Occupied Palestinian Territories, Amanda Pimenta Da Silva

Theses and Dissertations

The 2002 film ‘City of God’ tells an anecdotal story of violence in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, and is a reminder that the societies we tend to take for granted can actually be a luxury. The film portrays the daily life of the peripheries of Rio and its relation with drug trafficking, crime, and poverty, and how it has deteriorated into a war zone so dangerous that anyone risk being shot to death. Thousands of miles away from the Brazilian slums there is another so-called city of God, or the city chosen by God to be the home’s …

The Violence In Our Humanity: Principles, Action, And The Erosion Of State Sovereignty, Rasheed Idou

Theses and Dissertations

The past two decades have witnessed an increasing number of armed conflicts, both inter- and intra-nationally, and an even more increasing number of multilateral military interventions without UN Security Council authorization. Central to the discussion of these interventions are the themes of humanitarianism and state sovereignty. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between humanitarian imperatives and principles of sovereignty within the context of armed conflict to better understand the tensions that have led to the current global outcomes. In so doing, it identifies how humanitarian principles, imperatives, and actions have affected the contemporary conception of state …