Political Science Commons^™

Foreword, Claudio Grossman

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

The Causes Of Vigilantism And Other Sacrificial Behavior, Skye Herrick, Dr. Joshua Gubler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2004, immigration issues surged to the center of national attention and 10% of Americans rated immigration as the number one issue facing America1. Since 2004, the economic downturn and healthcare reform have increased the discussion of immigration and its economic impact on average Americans and the economy as a whole. Hypotheses for opposition to immigration have included economic2, political, racial, and psychological cues3. None however, have focused on the effects of fear or hopelessness on a population’s mobilization against an outgroup. In addition to the lack of experimental research on the causes of opposition to illegal immigration, no experiment …

Status On The Street: A Field Experiment On The Effect Of Signaling Socio-Economic Status On Pro-Social Behavior, Madeleine Gleave, Matthew Brigham, Dr. Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Helping behavior in a given society provides an interesting measure of social trust and prosociality. Whether individuals will assist strangers in need should indicate baseline levels of empathy, perceived social obligation, and generalized trust. But to date few studies have explored experimental interventions that might affect the rate of helping in a developing-country context. In particular, we sought to explore the effects of social status on pro-sociality in a poor country; i.e., would individuals respond differently to those of higher status? To men or women? To foreigners? We explored these questions through a field experiment where we randomly assigned the …

The Effect Of Identity: Explicit Source Cues’ Influence On Independent Expenditure Committee Ads, Kyrene Gibb, Dr. Christopher Karpowitz

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the 2012 Presidential election cycle, independent expenditure committees, or Super PACs, had spent a more than $237 million advocating for one or the other presidential candidate (OpenSecrets.org, 2013). Given the large sums of money that independent expenditure committees are raising and spending to influence the outcome of presidential elections, it is worth investigating how the source of Super PAC ads affects the way they are received. As such, the purpose of this ORCA project was to investigate whether voters provided with specific identifying information for the source of an advertisement will evaluate a message differently than voters given less …

Using Census Bureau Data For Current And Historical Gis Research, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides examples of how geographic information system (GIS) data can be used to conduct historical and contemporary research using Census Bureau data and mapping and other resources. Such data and mapping can enhance understanding of historical and contemporary subjects in a multidisciplinary variety of topics.

Who Can We Trust? How Information Sources Affect Political Attitudes In Peru, Lucas Brook, Dr. Darren Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Peru has long been afflicted by corruption and political malpractice. As a result, Peruvian citizens have become disenchanted with their government. In recent years, the Peruvian government has employed internet transparency campaigns in an attempt to improve these sentiments. But what if Peruvians feel they cannot trust the information? Does the source of the information have an influence on their attitudes? In July 2013, I conducted a field experiment in Lima, Peru aimed at answering this question.

Defining Ngo Efficiency In The Developing World, Ryan C. Bakow

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Billions of dollars each year are spent on foreign aid projects, much of which ends up in the hands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) all around the world. NGOs are involved in many phases of development and have often accomplished great things; however, despite a long history of NGO work, there have been very few studies which consider the actual effectiveness of this process. In this study we hypothesize that because NGOs work outside of the traditional market, and because of a lack of accountability, there may be significant inefficiencies at the project level. To test this hypothesis, we perform a …

This Wall Speaks: Graffiti And The Location Of Transnational Space Palestine, Ashley Toenjes

Theses and Dissertations

Extant literature on the Palestinian-Israeli separation wall privileges the wall's function in border-making, while ignoring other discursive and spacial functions it fulfills. My thesis reaches beyond the border-making function of the wall, resituating it as a node among different spacial networks of activism, tourism, and electronic media. My paper argues that Palestinian tactical use of graffiti on the separation wall traverses these spatial networks and provides a case for us to consider graffiti not only as a process which links these networks, but also as a discursive tool through which Palestinians appeal to transnational actors, particularly those who are complicit …

Political Third Parties' Representation In"The Big Three": 24-Hour Cable News Networks' Ideological Construction Of The American Political Duopoly, William Breault

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis conducts content and functional analyses to investigate the amount and functions of third-party mentions in 24-hour cable news networks. Additionally, this thesis applies framing tactics, ideographs, and other rhetorical theory to examine strategies utilized to ideologically construct cognitions regarding the current American political duopoly.

Communitarian Religiosity And Political Behavior, Matthew Frei, Dr. J Quin Monson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Some political science and sociology scholars distinguish between two dimensions of religiosity or religious commitment: individualism and communitarianism. The former means that individuals are motivated toward piety with an emphasis on an intrinsic or individual-level religious practice and belief (Allport and Ross 1967). The communitarian perspective, by contrast, claims that religiosity is driven by communal experience, with an emphasis on religion’s social and group-based rituals. Political scientists regularly measure religiosity with an almost exclusive focus on individualistic beliefs and behaviors such as whether the individual survey respondent believes in God, attends church, or believes the Bible to be the word …

To Thine Own Self Be Cruel: An Analysis Of The Use Of Self-Deprecating Humor As A Rhetorical Strategy By Figures In Positions Of Authority, Brian Sorenson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the use of self-deprecating humor as a rhetorical strategy by figures in positions of authority. A close textual analysis is performed on eight White House Correspondents' Dinner speeches by U.S. presidents. Two speeches are analyzed from each of the four chosen presidents. The presidents whose respective uses of self-deprecating humor will be analyzed are Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

Don’T Blame The Messenger! Political Advertising, Voter Attributions, And The 2012 Presidential Election, Karen M. Lancendorfer

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

Over the last twenty years, political advertising has surpassed news and other traditional political sources as the most important source of voting information. Its role has been increasingly critical to election outcomes, as party-based campaigns have been transformed into media-based ones. Political ads work to set the public agenda for a campaign and help candidates shape the impressions voters have of them. Given the effect on public policies and elected officials that voting decisions have, it is important to understand how campaign advertising influences voter attitudes and behaviors.

As political advertising has grown, a substantial body of research has considered …

Terrorism: Libya’S Role In The Instability Of The Region, Cara Rabe-Hemp, Cayla Comens

Graduate Research - Criminal Justice

When media focuses its attention on the subject of terrorism, the country of Libya is not typically at the forefront of the discussion. However, Libya has a deep hand in terrorism dating back to when Colonel Muammar Qaddafi took control of the country in 1969. During the years that Qaddafi was in control, he financially backed terrorist organizations, who repeatedly aimed their sights on the United States and their allies. Even after the fall of Qaddafi’s regime, terrorism is still a part of the governmental strategy in the country. The attack in Benghazi against an American compound, which resulted in …

Living Up To The Legacy, Evan Barrett

Highlands College

A Montana Public Radio Commentary by Evan Barrett.

Published newspaper columns written by Evan Barrett on this topic, which vary somewhat in content from this commentary, appeared in the following publications:

Missoulian, April 18, 2014

Havre Daily News, April 21, 2014

Montana Standard, April 21, 2014

Independent Record, April 23, 2014

Billings Gazette, April 23, 1014

Solving The Puzzle Of The Black Vote: Is Education Really The Missing Piece?, Xavier Robert Brown

Honors College Theses

Given the popular knowledge that with greater education comes the likelihood of higher voting participation rates among Americans, it is puzzling that African Americans have not been subject to a rise in voting participation that is equivalent to the increase in the rate of education attainment over the last four decades. This study is dedicated to explaining why education is a weak predictive factor for voting participation among African American voters. It ventures to suggest and support that communal factors tied to group membership exert a strong force on whether or not African American citizens vote.

Montgomery Named Kemp Teaching Award Winner, Kim Hill

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Naccs 41st Annual Conference, National Association For Chicana And Chicano Studies

NACCS Conference Programs

Fragmented Landscapes in Chicana and Chicano Studies: Deliberation, Innovation or Extinction?
April 9-12, 2014
Hilton Salt Lake City Center

Finding A Frame That Fits: Analyzing Rival Framing Of American Gun Control Policy In 2013, Alexander Booker

Featured Research

This paper uses political framing theory to analyze the messages employed by different gun lobby groups during the early 2013 debate on gun control legislation proposed in the United States Congress. I asked two questions with my research. First, what type of political action frames did gun interest groups use in the debate over expanded background checks in the spring of 2013? Second, which frames affected public opinion regarding expanded background checks for gun purchases? I use a mixed-methods research approach to answer these questions. First, I conducted a content analysis of both pro- and anti-gun control messaging that came …

How Judges Decide: James Wilson's Theory Of Constitutional Interpretation, Geena Bournazian

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Sex (Still) Sells: How Sex Trafficking In The United States And Thailand Perpetuates Minority Repression, Emily B. Hulsey

Honors College Theses

Human trafficking is the third most profitable illegal international trade behind drug and arms trafficking. Sex trafficking is the second largest subset of this illegal enterprise and soon may equal or surpass labor trafficking as the prominent subset. This research aims to address four integral components of the sex trafficking and forced prostitution trade: (1) to show how sex trafficking in Thailand is being used perpetually to repress minority women and their communities; (2) to show how sex trafficking of minors (ranging in age from 8-17) in Atlanta, Georgia is shockingly similar to sex trafficking practices in Thailand; (3) to …

We The Evangelicals: Religion’S Effect On Individuals’ Populist Attitudes, Erin Lee Wells, Dr. Kirk Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Populism is a set of ideas that sees a strict dichotomy of corrupt elite suppressing the unified will of people (Hawkins 2009). From the Populist Party of the 1890’s to the current day Tea Party, populist ideas have a long history of use in America and have been used in a number of pressing political arguments (Kazin 1995). While populist attitudes have been very well documented and frequently studied in countries outside the United States, (Hawkins 2009) few scholars have documented populist attitudes in America. Further, little work has been done to explain where populist ideas come from. Despite all …

Barriers To Civil Society Activity, Taylor Malia Richards, Dr. Darren Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Foreign aid, and aid effectiveness, has been one of the most heated debates in international relations and US foreign policy in the past several decades. Is aid ever effective? Under what conditions? At stake are billions of dollars and, potentially, millions of lives and livelihoods. The most frequently cited concern is that much aid is “lost” in countries with poor governance; used up in corrupt, inefficient, and unprepared bureaucracies. The governance condition, while empirically contested, has nonetheless become conventional wisdom among donors. To avoid this loss, donors increasingly bypass poor governments by subcontracting projects to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). NGOs are …

Does Money Matter? A Case Study Of The Effect Of Economic Disparity On Support For Separatist Political Parties, Paul Russell, Dr. Wade Jacoby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I was awarded an ORCA grant to study the causes of support for separatist political parties in Belgium. In January of 2011, I had the opportunity to travel to Belgium as an intern for a political party at the European Parliament in Brussels. The grant that I received helped to make this possible and gave me the chance to see the conflict between northern Belgium (Flanders) and southern Belgium (Wallonia) first hand. During my time in Belgium – and for months afterwards – the country had no viable central government. Political parties from the two main regions were unable to …

Do Aid Donors Plant The Grassroots? Evidence From A Randomized Field Experiment In The Us And Uganda, Daniel Walker, Dr. Michael Findley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent literature dealing with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) claims that NGOs have little incentive to base their decisions and strategies on local needs and instead are governed largely by their current and prospective donors (McGann and Johnstone 2006; Prakash and Gugerty 2010; Bollen et al 2005). To test this claim, I used my ORCA grant to create a quantitative experiment in the US and Uganda in which organizations were randomly assigned to a control group or one of four treatment groups based on the main stakeholders of the NGO market—donors, local government officials, project beneficiaries, and NGO peers. In each group, …

Are There Cracks In The Democratic Peace?, James Farmer

Honors College Theses

The Democratic Peace Principle is both a well-documented and a heavily scrutinized element of International Relations theory. My research aims to further analyze the principle to determine more precise conditions under which conflict can arise between democratic states. More specifically, my research analyzes the amount of conflict between democratic states of differing military and economic capabilities in order to see if such dyads have different dynamics than dyads with comparable military and economic might. If there are differing degrees of the democratic peace based on factors such as military and economic strength, this could indicate where future wars between democratic …

A Universe Of Conspirators, John Mcadams

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Is Increasing The Quality And Availability Of Career And Technical Education In Secondary And Post-Secondary Schools A Viable Step Towards Closing Achievement, Income, And Educational Attainment Gaps Between The Haves And Have-Nots Of The United States?, Quantasia Islam

Washington Semester Program

No abstract provided.

Forgotten Amid The Cheering, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

French, Richard, 1792-1854 (Sc 2825), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2825. Letter of U.S. Representative Richard French, 29 December 1844, written from Washington, D.C. to his wife in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. He expresses regret for the time spent away from home, acknowledges the need to consult with her about their future after his return, and discusses apparent tensions between her and a farm manager.

Pathways To Political Leadership For Women Of Color Leaders, Center For Women In Politics And Public Policy, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Women's Pipeline For Change

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

This research partnership was formed to better understand what motivates and sustains−as well as prevents−Asian American women, Latinas, and African American women from achieving greater rates of political leadership in Massachusetts. Five women of color leaders became research fellows and explored pressing issues such as family and cultural expectations, financial resources and fundraising, and the potential for compromised values. After two years of training, data collection, and analysis, online resources were developed and are now hosted on UMass Boston’s website.