Political Science Commons^™

A Sense Of Place: An Analysis Of The Role Of Environmental Factors In Presidential Speeches, Timothy Michael Mccue

Honors Program Theses

My research will address some of the unspoken communication that happens when presidents give speeches. In particular I will be addressing environmental factors encountered when presidents give speeches. I have identified a few components that are most important to the environment when a president gives a speech. First I will look at the topic of the speech and the peripheral factors that influence what a president talks about in public. I will only be looking at topic and some of the factors such as timing and other political climate factors that influence topic selection rather than what the president says …

The History And Evolution Of Traditions And Norms In The Appointment Of Federal Judges, Dustin Wray Rook

Honors Program Theses

This thesis attempts to answer questions in three separate but related sections surrounding the Senate's role in the judicial appointment process. The first portion of this paper asks, what are the traditions and norms that affect the appointment of federal judges? The second portion addresses the changes that have taken place in these traditions and norms, and why this has occurred. Finally, the third portion of the paper asks, why is the process ineffective and inefficient; what will the future process look like without reform; and how should reform in the future process be administered?

Too Many Bad Cooks Spoiling The Broth? Effectiveness Of Ngos In Addressing Child Labour In El Salvador, Ivica Petríková

Honors Theses

The reaction of the first world to the persevering plight of a large part of the third world varies. In response to the sometimes glaring disparities, many international organizations and multinational corporations have recently adopted a pro-development rhetoric with relation to the problem of global poverty. However, the rhetoric rarely translates into action. As David Bacon discusses, leaders of corporations and organizations now tend to conclude their speeches by expressing a desire to reduce the suffering of the third world. However, when it comes to agreeing on specific concessions that could indeed improve the world-wide economic situation, first world countries …

Mccarthy Hearings, Paul Achter

Rhetoric and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

What have become known as the “McCarthy hearings” refer to 36 days of televised investigative hearings led by Senator Joseph McCarthy in 1954. After first calling hearings to investigate possible espionage at the Army Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, the junior senator turned his communist-chasing committee’s attention to an altogether different matter, the question of whether the Army had promoted a dentist who had refused to answer questions for the Loyalty and Security Board. The hearings reached their climax when McCarthy suggested that the Army’s lawyer, Joseph Welch, had employed a man who at one time …

The State Of The Parties (Fifth Edition), John C. Green, Daniel J. Coffey

The State of the Parties Fifth Edition

Every four years, The State of the Parties brings readers up to date on American party organizations and activities. The fifth edition considers the impact of the 2004 election and offers insight into the “state of the parties” now that the twenty-first century is under way. The research effort that produced this book is the product of more than a decade of scholarship. Our goal has been to bring together party scholars from around the nation to discuss the state of U.S. party politics and new avenues of research. The contributor team for this edition includes a mix of veteran …

Three Decades Of Protest In Berlin Land-Use Planning, 1975-2005, Carol Hager

Political Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

Protest mobilization is often assumed to be temporary. This is not the case in Germany, as a look at grassroots mobilization in Berlin reveals. Protest arose there in the 1970s, as in Germany generally, over siting of a large energy project. Activists attacked not only the project itself, but also the legitimacy of the technocratic policymaking that produced it. Subsequent government efforts to streamline land-use planning have kept the legiti mation issue alive. Lacking an institutional home for citizen participation in planning, protesters in Berlin and elsewhere continue to play a vital role in forcing policymakers to take residents' views …

Connecticut Government And Politics: An Introduction, Gary L. Rose

Sacred Heart University Press Books

Connecticut Government and Politics: An Introduction is a thoroughly revised and updated version of the author’s book, Connecticut Government at the Millennium (Sacred Heart University Press, 2001). Like the first edition, it is intended to introduce students and general readers to the historical development and current operation of Connecticut’s political system. Individual chapters explore constitutional history in “The Constitution State,” the transformation of Connecticut politics, the various mechanisms through which citizens can participate in political affairs, the structure and powers of the three branches of government, and the pivotal role of the mass media, newspapers in particular, in protecting the …

Let Privateers Marque Terrorism: A Proposal For A Reawakening, Robert P. Dewitte

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Venezuela In The Times Of Chavez: A Study On Media, Charisma, And Social Polarization, Jorge Capetillo-Ponce

Sociology Faculty Publication Series

My main objective in this study is to deepen the reader's understanding of Venezuela's ongoing socio-political conflict by focusing on the struggle for control over one of the key agents of mobilization and politicization in the country: the media outlets, and particularly television. My methodology strives to interweave the chronological record of events with analysis of the equally relevant theoretical, institutional, political, economic, and cultural components that helped to create those events. Central to my presentation is its analysis of the decline of Venezuela's two traditional parties and the emergence of a charismatic and populist form of leadership.

John Rawls’S Proffer To Believers: A Bargain Called, ‘The Idea Of Public Reason’, William J. Wagner

Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Ideological Drift Among Supreme Court Justices: Who, When, And How Important?, Lee Epstein, Andrew D. Martin, Kevin M. Quinn, Jeffrey A. Segal

Faculty Articles

After reviewing the relevant commentary in Part II, we deploy state-of-the ­art methods to address these questions. The results, as it turns out, could not be clearer: contrary to the received wisdom, virtually every Justice serving since the 1930s has moved to the left or right or, in some cases, has switched directions several times.

Finding that ideological drift is pervasive, in Part IV we develop the implications of our results for two moments in the Justices' career cycle: the events surrounding their appointments to the Court and the doctrine they develop once confirmed. As to the first, we show …

Majority Politics And Race Based Remedies, Darren L. Hutchinson

Faculty Articles

This Essay applies the principles of social movement theory and analyzes the legal status of race-based remedies. Many scholars have debated the constitutionality and efficacy of affirmative action, the appropriateness of race-consciousness (from legal and social perspectives) and the legitimacy of structural judicial remedies for various types of discrimination. This paper will add to this literature by demonstrating the influence of conservative race politics and ideology on Court doctrine concerning affirmative action and other race-based remedies. In particular, this Essay will demonstrate that, consistent with broader political trends, the Court disfavors governmental usage of race as a remedy for discrimination …

Environmental Security In The Global Capitalist System: A World-Systems Approach And Study Of Panama, Mark Allen Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current global capitalist system is at odds with environmental protection and the protection of indigenous people that are directly linked to the land on which they live. In environmental security literature, many have argued that, theoretically and functionally, it is possible to link national security with environmental security. However possible this may be on paper, in practice, the global capitalist system prevents this from becoming a reality. Using a world-systems approach, this thesis will show that core countries seeking to expand capital by tapping into new markets, locating new sources of raw materials and even forming strategic military partnerships …

A Microeconomic Model Of Healthcare Systems: From Theoretical To Practical, Jesse Helligso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a microeconomic market analysis of healthcare systems. Different countries use various forms for financing and providing healthcare, and the effects of market forces on the quality, access and economic efficiency of these divergent healthcare markets is the primary subject. The purpose of this thesis is to describe the forces working in the healthcare market. Free-market healthcare systems allow medical providers to become price-setters. Price-setting by medical providers creates an economically inefficient system which decreases public access to healthcare but creates a high quality system. Single-payer systems make government the price-setter which creates a system in which medical …

Soft Power And Hard Power Approaches In U.S. Foreign Policy: A Case Study Comparison In Latin America, John Weinbrenner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of soft power versus hard power in U.S. policy towards Latin America. In recent years America's unipolar moment has been challenged from populist leaders in the region to its inability to get a handle on the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs that reach its shores. This thesis is a step to understanding the difference between power and influence as well as the effects of hard power and soft power in U.S. foreign policy. A historical comparative case study analysis has been conducted utilizing the cases of FDR's Good …

Theorizing Threat: An Investigation Of Contentious Embodiment, Jennifer Musial, Emily Van Der Meulen

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

In early summer 2006, we had a phone conversation that generated interest in this topic. Emily was reminiscing about her experiences at the Washington, D.C. March for Women's Lives in April of 2004. The March, a demonstration for reproductive justice, brought out feminists and anti-abortion protestors alike. Emily remembered seeing African-American men holding signs that equated abortion to the airplane attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001. This sparked curiosity: how does abortion become equated with "terrorism"? [1] One answer to this question is that a woman who has an abortion is said to commit "body-terrorism" …

Beyond Westphalia: Competitive Legalization In Emerging Transnational Regulatory Systems, Errol E. Meidinger

Contributions to Books

Published as Chapter 7 in Law and Legalization in Transnational Relations, Christian Brütsch & Dirk Lehmkuhl, eds.

This paper analyzes several emerging transnational regulatory systems that engage, but are not centered on state legal systems. Driven primarily by civil society organizations, the new regulatory systems use conventional technical standard setting and certification techniques to establish market-leveraged, social and environmental regulatory programs. These programs resemble state regulatory programs in many important respects, and are increasingly legalized. Individual sectors generally have multiple regulatory programs that compete with, but also mimic and reinforce each other. While forestry is the most developed example, similar …

Constitutional Reforms To Enhance Democratic Participation And Deliberation: Not All Clearly Trigger The Article V Amendment Process, Carol Nackenoff

Political Science Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Can The United States Export Democracy?, Mary Fran Malone

The University Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Kill The Messenger: Why The Living Arts Reflect The True State Of A Democracy (A Play In One Short Act), David J. Kaye

The University Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Reforming Politics: The Covenant Device In Anglo-American Political Theory, Glenn A. Moots

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation provides an historical and theoretical inquiry into “covenants” as a device within Anglo-American political theory. It includes an overview of Biblical covenants which are the source of the covenant device, together with an analysis of subsequent application by early modern and contemporary political theorists. I demonstrate that this revealed political theology, moderated by the political traditions of salus populi and natural law, provides support for contemporary political imperatives of liberty while avoiding both the terrors of gnostic political religion and the inevitable moral and political failure of natural political theology. The argument begins with an examination of contemporary …

Financial Performance In Connecticut’S Municipalities: A Comparison Of Manager, Mayor-Council And Selectman Forms Of Government, Lesley A. Denardis, A. E. Rodriguez

Political Science & Global Affairs Faculty Publications

This paper assesses the relative performance of the council-manager versus the two predominant political models of government in Connecticut: Mayor-Council and Selectman forms of government. All three will be assessed in terms of their capability to provide for greater efficiency in Connecticut’s municipalities.

Published in New England Journal of Political Science, Volume 2, Number 2, Spring 2007.

Democracy In Action For God, Adam Holland

The Christian Librarian

A recent graduate reflects on becoming involved in a socially aware and progressive profession. This involvement leads to a conclusion that Christian librarians can share professional activities despite having distinct motivations.

Linking Public Opinion To State Legislative Behavior: The Partial Birth Abortion Issue, Michael Bruce, Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

The effect of public opinion on state legislative behavior has been an important and extensively explored topic. However, not much research has been conducted regarding public opinion on the abortion issue and how it influences state legislative behavior. Previous theory suggests that highly salient and controversial issues increase the probability that state legislators will respond to public opinion when voting. Arguing that issue salience and interest groups act as facilitating factors, I hypothesize that public opinion plays a significant role in determining whether or not state legislatures pass bans on partial birth abortion. Using Brace et al (2002) state-level opinion …

Multidimensionality Of Partisan Identification Revisited, Amanda Swanner

LSU Master's Theses

In this paper I retest the assertion that party identification is multidimensional by using the 2000 American National Election Survey. Variables relevant to partisanship are used to examine how voters connect their evaluations of the two parties. The findings support the theory of multidimensionality. The data show that the multidimensional conceptualization of party identification is better for understanding the attitudes and behavior of partisans.

Can I Play Too? A Look At Minor Party Entrance And Success In U.S. Gubernatorial Elections, Jay Douglas Ducote

LSU Master's Theses

New minor political parties and their candidates face many challenges. Most of challenges have been examined on the national level in the previous literature. By examining ballot access laws and campaign finance regulations in all 50 U.S. states, this thesis argues that differences in the restriction to ballot access and campaign finance laws account for some of the variation in the number of new minor party candidates who run for governor in each state as well as the percentage of the vote they receive. Using a coding for ballot access laws and campaign finance stringency, as well as several control …

The Resurgence Of The Far-Right In European Politics: Analysis Of The French, Italian, Austrian, And Belgian Cases, Nathan Donald Price

LSU Master's Theses

The resurgence of the far-right in European politics has been cause for alarm on a continent which so recently suffered the consequences of the rise of fascism in the early twentieth century. Political observers have looked on anxiously while far-right parties in Austria and Italy have participated in the governing coalitions of those countries. In 2002, Jean Marie Le Pen stunned the world with his advancement into the second round of the French Presidential election. Why is the radical-right so strong right now? Why do voters cast their ballots in support of far-right parties? In this thesis, I have examined …

Prospects For Democratization In The Oil Monarchies Of The Persian Gulf, Julie Gauthier

LSU Master's Theses

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (G.C.C.) represent a unique subset of the Arab world, with many common cultural, political, and economic characteristics. This research project is designed to assess the prospects for future democratization in these oil-rich monarchies. Contrary to many other Arab States, these nations have several advantages that bode well for future liberalization, including small, highly educated populations and vast resources. Several have young, progressive-minded rulers who are competing against each other regionally to be more modern and prestigious and enjoy increased influence. Further, these rulers face tremendous pressure to create jobs and opportunity for their …

[Introduction To] The Values Of Presidential Leadership, Terry L. Price, J. Thomas Wren

Bookshelf

In this volume, presidential scholars from communication, history, law, philosophy, political science, and psychology explore the broader phenomenon of leadership. Like leadership more generally, presidential leadership is a value-laden activity, an exercise in communication, and a collective enterprise. It is also subject to psychological and historical barriers to interpretation. Finally, presidential leadership is instrumental: presidents must achieve their valued ends. Contributors address each of these aspects of leadership in essays on how presidential values are determined or constructed, how they are condoned and criticized, how they are packaged and conveyed, and how they are interpreted and acted upon.

[Introduction To] Inventing Leadership: The Challenge Of Democracy, J. Thomas Wren

Bookshelf

The tension between ruler and ruled in democratic societies has never been satisfactorily resolved, and the competing interpretations of this relationship lie at the bottom of much modern political discourse. In this fascinating book, Thomas Wren clarifies and elevates the debates over leadership by identifying the fundamental premises and assumptions that underlie past and present understandings.