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International Relations: A Self-Study Guide To Theory, Manuela Spindler

Textbooks

PS 251 - Global Politics and Society

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Ethnicity And Voting Behavior In The Ashanti And Volta Regions Of Ghana: A Cramp In The Wheel Of A Fledgling Democracy?, Joseph Kingsley Adjei

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper discusses the substance and potential impact of ethnic block voting in two of Ghana's 10 political regions: Ashanti and Volta. Using the Electoral Commission of Ghana's dataset for five Presidential election results from 1992 to 2008, the paper confirms ethnic block voting in the two regions. The paper views the phenomenon as detrimental to Ghana's evolving democracy as it is a potential trigger for civil war, and recommends vigorous education, equitable distribution of resources, and comprehensive development to curb the problem.

In Support Of Corporate Social Responsibility In Developing Countries By Western Multinationals: An Illustrative Case In Ghana, Hope Torkornoo

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The global economy offers opportunities for businesses to integrate business units and processes into seamless value-creating engines that can bring their global strength and capabilities to bear within each local market. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that proactive corporate social responsibility (CSR) by Western multinational enterprises op-erating in developing countries, such as those in Africa, not only serves to soften the Ja-nus-face of globalization but enhances their long-term economic interests as well. The paper posits that CSR provides a framework for a thoughtful modus operandi that wins the trust of local customers, employees, business partners, and the …

Adequate Attribution: A Framework For Developing A National Policy For Private Sector Use Of Active Defense, Shane Mcgee, Randy V. Sabett, Anand Shah

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

Thinking Together About The Common Good: The Political Implications Of Thomas Aquinas's Theory Of Conscience, Angela Concetta Miceli

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the problems confronted by claims of ‘freedom of conscience’ in contemporary political society, and argues that freedom of conscience is a critical foundational component of any free political regime. Yet, conscience is often invoked as the final authority or justification for any choice, regardless whether the action or choice violates the common good. In this case, there is a risk that conscience can become identified with subjectivism, radical individualism, or autonomy. I suggest that a re-examination of the theory of conscience found in Aquinas, especially as it relates to human reason, natural law, and prudence, contributes toward …

Case Study Of 2008 Beijing Olympics, Gina-Marie Dipierro

Whittier Scholars Program

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was one of the most highly anticipated mega sporting events of the last century. Three billion people worldwide were expected to watch the opening ceremonies. In an international poll, 90% of adults planned on turning their television sets to games. Tourism experts predicted that approximately 2 million tourists would flock to Beijing within the two-week time period of the games, with an estimated 500,000 of these visitors coming from overseas. China invested $42 billion dollars, and time into preparing the city for the competition. China looked to use the games to catapult them into being …

Bureauspeak: Discovering How Elected Officials Perceive Municipal Employees' Dis/Respectful Rhetorical Practices, Teresa Quezada

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Bureauspeak analyzes bureaucrats' rhetorical practices within municipal governments. This project asserts that respectful rhetorical practices have always been implicit in traditional notions of rhetoric, but have not been explicitly addressed. This project describes the political epistemic field (PEF), formed by discourse, audience, reality and rhetor, that is created within a municipal environment where policy deliberations occur. The PEF allows for interactions among the four elements and results in changes to all the elements as the interactions occur. The policy-making audience in the PEF expects their bureaucrat-rhetor to enact respectful rhetorical practices, but in many instances those expectations are also implicit …

Sarah Palin And The Media During The Elections, Angelica Olmos Urbina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze former candidate Sarah Palin's portrayal by the media during the 2008 political campaign for vice-president of the United States. Through media framing, political communication, politics and the media, the study will present a qualitative study on her portrayal through two different media sources. The presidential elections of 2008 involved two women, a first in American history, and made waves for varying reasons. The purpose of the study is to build a greater understanding between the unique relationship between the media and political candidates.

Political Corruption: Accountability And Party System Institutionalization, Susan Achury

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Providing a definition built on the agency relationship between voters and public officials, this study presents an institutional approach to the causes of political corruption. I argue that higher levels of political party institutionalization reduce political corruption. Institutionalized political party systems help to overcome collective problems among voters within democracies. By increasing levels of accountability, institutionalized political party systems alter public officials' incentives towards a cleaner exercise of the public power. Focusing on different strategies adopted by political parties, I analyze the effectiveness of the constraints imposed on public officials' corrupt behavior within democracies. On the one hand, institutionalization of …

Operation New Dawn: Rhetoric Or Real Policy Change?, Josiah Thomas Barrett

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Scholars have long explored questions concerning presidential foreign policy decision making as well as military performance in conducting operations. Studies have covered a wide variety of topics, including the organizational dynamics of the military bureaucracy, the effectiveness of military operations, how presidential rhetorical strategies influence the public agenda in foreign affairs, and, in turn, how public opinion influences presidential foreign policy decision-making. Despite these advances, there remains a notable gap in the literature with respect to the relationship between presidential foreign policy objectives and military bureaucratic responsiveness. In particular, when presidents use rhetoric to introduce key shifts in foreign policy …

Exploring The Determinants Of Gay Rights Policies At The State Level: A Mixed Methods Approach, Daniel Elton Call

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Much of the literature on gay rights has focused broadly on identifying the causal factors that influence general public perceptions. To date, although scholars have conducted case studies at the state-level or looked at aggregate public opinion trends and their effects at the national level, no work has empirically examined state-level gay rights trends across numerous states. This study fills that gap by assessing the key relationships on the issue of same-sex marriage at the state-level, both systemically with aggregate data and across key states. Using 2007 data from the SurveyUSA polling firm, the American Community Survey (US Census Bureau …

Victims Or Criminals? The Effects Of The Media On The Public Perception Of The Role Of Children In The Mexican Drug War, Stephenie Michel Falcon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With the evolution of war, new international norms have been created. Boys were once groomed for war, but the laws of today aim to protect children. I address the issue of the role of children as victims or criminals to the ongoing violence of the war on drugs in Mexico. I look at the different international conventions where children's rights are defined, and whether they can be held responsible for their actions during times of war. I hypothesize that the framing of media coverage affects the public perception of children involved in this conflict, in regards to their core beliefs …

9/11 And The War On Terror: Iraq War Narratives And The Sacrifice Model, Janette Galvan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

What are Americans willing to sacrifice for war and during war? In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, American citizens weighed a trade-off between their security and their civil freedoms because of fear of another terrorist attack. The reasoning was that United States citizens were patriotic and in being so they were willing to sacrifice some civil liberties to win the war on terror to prevent future terrorist attacks, thereby ensuring their future safety and then, perhaps, recover the sacrificed civil freedoms. This thesis project focuses on the sacrifices Americans willingly made for and during the war on terror, sold …

The Threat Of Domestic Bioterrorism: Fact Or Fiction, Stacy M. Langston

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The threat of a domestic bioterrorist attack can be a daunting issue to cover. Using the analytic technique What If? Analysis a scenario was created for a domestic bioterrorism attack in Houston, TX. Indicators were developed to determine how to mitigate and respond to the attack. Recommendations were provided following the attack that can be used to prevent future attacks that were conducted in the scenario. Having a hindsight view of an attack is the best way to prevent and respond to the attack.

Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Al Qaeda's Online Influence Operations By Means Of Propaganda Theory, David K. Lyons

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis sought to explore the use of propaganda by al Qaeda through the lenses of established propaganda theorists and theories. Through analyzing former al Qaeda releases and case studies in the context of propaganda theory this thesis established a clearer understanding of the effectiveness of al Qaeda's propaganda. After analyzing the propaganda and case studies it was discovered that the rate of those engaging in attacks based on al Qaeda's online influence operations is insignificant. The concerns that al Qaeda is recruiting numerous individuals to engage in attacks based on its online propaganda operations might be overstated and while …

Understanding Local Political Participation In West Africa, Kelly Ann Krawczyk

Wayne State University Dissertations

A growing body of research suggests that institutional performance affects citizen participation (see Holzner 2010; Bratton, Mattes et al 2005; Hiskey and Bowler 2005). But despite this recognition of the importance of institutions, there is relatively limited research into the institutional determinants of political participation, particularly with respect to developing countries. This dissertation fills this gap by examining local political participation in Ghana and Liberia using an institutional approach. I employ qualitative analyses based on field work and primary source documents, as well as quantitative analyses at both the individual and contextual level.

At the individual leveI, I find the …

More Than Just A Meal: The Economic Utility Of Social Capital In The Lives Of The Poor, Benjamin Higby Strange

Senior Independent Study Theses

No abstract provided.

The Dao That Can Be Spoken Is Not The Eternal Dao: National Role Conceptions And The Effects On Chinese Foreign Policy Behavior, Adam Stephan Jankowski

Senior Independent Study Theses

Chinese foreign policy is an extremely dynamic factor in today's world. One way of trying to describe Chinese foreign policy is by determining national role conceptions of Chinese leaders. The national role conception that Chinese leaders have plays an essential part in the development and implementation of Chinese foreign policy. The different conceptions of China's role in the international system, as determined by Chinese leaders, gives an important contribution to understanding the rise of China as a leading world power. It is obvious that different leaders have had different views regarding what China's position should be in the global community. …

Who Is Riding Shotgun? The Influence Of Multinational Corporations On International Negotiation Outcomes, Isabelle Fourcroy Howes

Senior Independent Study Theses

This study seeks to determine if multinational corporations attempt influence the outcome of international negotiations. In order to examine this, I conducted two case studies pertaining to international trade negotiations between the United States and the European Union. The results from my analysis indicate multinational corporations do attempt to influence international negotiation outcomes through various methods.

Punishment First: A Study Of Juvenile Pretrial Detention, Richard V. Foster, David Tanenhaus, Heather Lynn Lusty

McNair Poster Presentations

How society and the legal system should respond to youth crime is a volatile issue. Much research exists on this topic broadly. A largely overlooked subset exists regarding the rights of juveniles in the United States who face pretrial confinement, specifically how juveniles accused of delinquency are treated by the courts. Delinquency or a delinquent act, in the context of this study, is “an act that would be considered a crime if committed by an adult.”7. Adults and children are processed by the courts differently, each with their own rights and court mandated procedures to follow. This report analyzes …

Is The Motherist Approach More Helpful In Obtaining Women's Rights Than A Feminist Approach? A Comparative Study Of Lebanon And Liberia, Crystal Marie Whetstone

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The theory that women gain rights during the social upheaval of war has not held universally. While the debate has traditionally centered over women's participation in fighting and entry into the workforce this paper explores the topic from the form of mobilization, motherist or feminist, that women's organizing takes during war through the use of a longitudinal, comparative study of Lebanon and Liberia. Lebanese women's organizations overwhelmingly employed motherist mobilization and tackled practical gender interests that made no attempt to end women's subordination. In contrast, during the Liberian civil war women's groups were more apt to focus on strategic gender …

Political Party Transitions In Post-Conflict States: How Political Parties Reacted And Adapted During Democratic Transitions In Cambodia, El Salvador And Mozambique, Rachel L. Miller

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study argues that political parties in the post-conflict period are adaptable to and capable of changing roles as states transition to peacetime settings. In the aftermath of war in El Salvador, Cambodia and Mozambique and during a democratic transition, changes in political party structures and attitudes, and the influence of external actors emerged as significant factors in the way political parties adapted. National and international political contexts, ideological differences and war time political party origins played a part in incumbent and insurgent political parties' behaviors and electoral successes in the aftermath of war, which has ultimately affected the democratic …

Indiana, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Provides an overview of key Civil War developments in Indiana and how this conflict impacted Indiana.

Morton, Oliver Hazard Perry Throck, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Biographical portrait and analysis of Indiana Civil War Governor Oliver Morton.

Reading The Tea Leaves: The Media And Sino-American Rapprochement, 1963-1972, Guolin Yi

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation aims to find out what role(s) the media in the United States and China played in their historic rapprochement from 1963 to 1972. In order to examine how they covered the major events that affected Sino-American relations, I select seven elite U.S. media and two Chinese official newspapers to study. These media include: the New York Times, Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, CBS, ABC, NBC, People's Daily, and Reference News,

The study is based on the assumption that media, instead of reporting the information "objectively," have the ability to affect the content they deliver and set the agenda for …

Issue Publics Gone Wild Or The End Of Narrow Interests, Michael Calton Bowen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Issue public theory holds that individuals are more likely to base political judgments, such as the decision of who to vote for on election day, on issues that are particularly important to them. This subset of issues is presumed to be relatively small in quantity for most individuals, allowing them to specialize in information gathering and attention. There is reason to believe the nature of issue publics has significantly changed in recent years as a result of profound shifts in the information environment. Many of the traditional findings within the literature are reassessed using data primarily from the 2008 Presidential …

Religious Politics: An Individual Level-Examination Of The Political Implications Of Faith In Brazil, Thatianne A. Moreira

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although Brazil is, historically, a catholic country, the Catholic Church is losing its members to the Protestant churches, mainly Pentecostal ones. Between 1940-2010, the number of Protestants increased from 2.6% to 20.2%. On the other hand, between the same period, the number of Catholics decreased from 95% to 68.5%. One of the consequences of this shift in the religious marketplace has been its impact in the political realm; more specifically, in the number of political candidates that have identified themselves as evangélicos. The presence of evangélicos in power seems to be the most studied facet of the growth of Pentecostalism …

The Politics Of Atheism In The West, Daniel Ryan Blazo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though the term "atheism" encompasses all persons without belief in god(s), more people claim unbelief in god(s) than describe themselves as "convinced atheists" in every society on earth. While the extant social science research on religion and secularism rigorously explores the nuances of the religion/nonreligion divide, the scholarship largely ignores the complexity of irreligion, or the rejection of all religious truth claims involving supernatural phenomena. In this dissertation, I argue that a cross-national, comparative analysis of nonbelievers and avoatheists provides an ideal opportunity to gain leverage into the poorly understood political dynamics of irreligion, particularly in the context of Western …

Government Regulation: From Independence To Dependency, Part One, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

What Robert Bellah calls "expressive individualism" has led to unprecedented social legislation in America and expanded government employment since the 1960s, helping to produce a generous supply of public services, policy entrepreneurs, and clientele groups. The legal scholar Lawrence M Friedman notes that "the right to be 'oneself,' to choose oneself, is placed in a special and privileged position." As a consequence, "achievement is defined in subjective, personal terms, rather than in objective, social terms." When the claims of expressive individualism are considered in tandem with the increasing reach of the modern social service state, a case may be made …

Alan Ryan: On Politics, Book One Study Guide, 2013, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.