Political Science Commons^™

Why The U.S. Government Failed To Anticipate The Rwandan Genocide Of 1994: Lessons For Early Warning And Prevention, Matthew Levinger

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

During the months leading up to the Rwandan genocide of 1994, cognitive biases obstructed the capacity of U.S. government analysts and policymakers to anticipate mass violence against the country’s Tutsi minority. Drawing on recently declassified U.S. government documents and on interviews with key current and former officials, this essay shows that most U.S. government reporting on Rwanda before April 1994 utilized a faulty cognitive frame that failed to differentiate between threats of civil war and genocide. Because U.S. officials framed the crisis in Rwanda as a potential civil war, they underestimated the virulence of the threat to Tutsi civilians and …

Dangerous Speech And Dangerous Ideology: An Integrated Model For Monitoring And Prevention, Jonathan Leader Maynard, Susan Benesch

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

There is considerable agreement amongst scholars and international actors that ideologies and speech play a critical role in the path of escalation towards mass atrocity crimes. Speech features prominently in the jurisprudence of the U.N. war crimes tribunal for Rwanda, for example, and in historical accounts of the months and years preceding many other genocides. Nonetheless, this is one of the most underdeveloped components of genocide and atrocity prevention, in both theory and practice. This paper draws together the authors’ independent past work on dangerous speech and the ideological dynamics of mass atrocities by offering a new integrated model to …

The Impossibility To Protect? Media Narratives And The Responsibility To Protect, Kjell Føllingstad Anderson, Ingjerd Veiden Brakstad

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The media plays an important role in communicating mass atrocities to audiences across the globe. This article critically examines how journalists’ framing of mass atrocities may contribute to public discourse on the responsibility to protect principle, in particular the perceived obligation to intervene in cases of mass atrocities. It will draw from a broader conceptual framework on bystander responses to mass atrocities and utilise evidence from the analysis of newspaper accounts of the Rwandan and Bosnian genocides. It will argue that, in some cases, media narratives may actually erode political will and encourage passivity in response to mass atrocities.

More Lessons Learned From The Holocaust - Towards A Complexity-Embracing Approach To Why Genocide Occurs, Timothy Williams

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Why do genocides occur? This paper applies qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to revisit this question, and analyses 139 cases of genocide and non-genocide. The paper demonstrates the importance of both priming, contextual conditions which provide a political opportunity structure conducive to genocide, as well as triggering, more proximate conditions which constitute immanent motivations. Most centrally, sufficiency is demonstrated for genocide occurrence when an autocratic regime and the salience of an elite's ethnicity are present, and are combined with either an exclusionary ideology or political upheaval. As such, the autocratic nature of the state provides an opportunity structure allowing genocide to …

Book Review: The Structural Prevention Of Mass Atrocities: Understanding Risk And Resilience, Rhiannon S. Neilsen

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Scholarship on the structural prevention of genocide and mass atrocities is, for the most part, saturated with identifying the ‘root causes’ of deadly violence. Conversely, the causes of peace and the processes that de-escalate tensions – in effect, “what goes right” – remain comparatively under researched. In his book The Structural Prevention of Mass Atrocities, Stephen McLoughlin contends that positioning prevention simply on identifying and ameliorating risk factors erroneously assumes a linear inevitability between cause and outcome, and thus “fails to explain why some at-risk countries experience mass atrocities, yet others do not” (3). McLoughlin convincingly advocates an …

Political Psychology (Annotated Bibliography), Ingrid J. Haas

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

The field of political psychology explains political behavior as a function of both individual- and group-level psychological processes. While the field is interdisciplinary, political psychologists tend to work in either psychology or political science departments. Although the overall aim is often similar, researchers from each discipline approach the same questions in different ways, and interested scholars are encouraged to examine literatures from both fields. The general approach to research is to focus on individual political attitudes, emotion, beliefs, and behavior, and attempt to explain these phenomena using psychological research and theory. Historical approaches to research in this field often relied …

The Thai Military, Coups, And The False Hope Of Professionalism, Jacob Ricks

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Thailand is one of the most coup-prone countries in the world, having experienced no less than 19 coup attempts since 1932. The prevalence of military interventions casts doubt on whether Thai politicians will ever be able to reign in their armed counterparts. One prominent response to this concern claims that through increasing the level of military professionalism, or expertise, social responsibility, and organizational unity, Thai troops could be tamed and the Army’s propensity to intervene in politics curbed. This, though, is a false hope.

Legislator Responsiveness, Age, And Internet Proficiency, Sean Stephenson, Michael Barber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Elected officials should try to establish a relationship with their constituents and keep them well informed by responding to any questions they may have regarding political issues. One way legislators can do this is by responding to emails. Some legislators choose to respond to emails themselves, while others choose to hire people who respond to the emails sent to their campaign email address. Age may be one of the factors that affect the likelihood of whether a legislator chooses to respond to questions from his/her constituents. The purpose of my research is to determine whether a legislator’s age affects her …

A Tall Tale: How Story Frames Can Shape U.S. Public Opinion, Matthew Young, Darren Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Presently, U.S. foreign aid only represents about 1% of the total US budget, but according to the Kaiser Family Foundation the majority Americans believe foreign aid to be 28% of the national budget. If that were the case, foreign aid would be more expensive than Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or all defense spending1. As of 2014, the U.S. Agency for International Development only used data heavy stories when communicating with the public. With such a large public misperception of aid a new method of communication must be found.

Overcoming Cultural Barriers In Thai Elections, Carly Madsen, Joel Selway

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As I finish my undergraduate education at Brigham Young University I am filled with gratitude for the many experiences I have been privileged to have. The climax of my studies in political science occurred this summer as I participated in a mentored research project in Thailand. This experience was particularly special for me, as I served as a missionary in Thailand just over a year ago. Being able to return to Thailand and be with people that I love, doing research on a topic of great interest to me, was the best part about my mentoring experience.

Interpreting China’S New Urban Spaces: State, Market, And Society In Action, Shenjing He, Lily Kong, George C. S. Lin

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Chinese urbanism has long historical roots and has profoundly influenced world civilizations. Yet, the Chinese city has not, until very recently, attracted sustained or intense global attention. In the post-reform era, especially after 1992, the scale and speed of China’s urbanization, and the intricacy of its dynamics and socio-spatial consequences have dwarfed those of other countries in the world. The latest reform era of urban China is characterized by a renewed and thriving urbanism, which manifests itself in the sheer scale of new urban space (re)production and the intricate interrelationships among the state, market, and society. The proliferation of new …

Research In Brief - Can They Teach Each Other? : The Restructuring Of Higher Education And The Rise Of Undergraduate Student “Teachers” In Ontario, Jennifer Massey, Sean Field

Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs

Changes to public funding regimes, coupled with transformations in how universities are managed and measured have altered the methods for educating undergraduate students. The growing reliance on teaching fellows, teaching assistants, and increasingly undergraduate peer educators (administering Supplemental Instruction [SI] programs) is promoted as a means toachieve a greater “return on investment” in the delivery of postsecondary education. Neoliberal discourses legitimating this downloading of teaching labour suggest it offers a “win-win” solution to the “problem” of educating growing numbers of undergraduate students. It proposes universities can deliver the same curricula, and achieve the same “outcomes” (primarily measured through grades and …

A Precautionary Tale, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

Engaging In Politics: Christian Leadership In Every Capacity, Steve Kelly

Student Work

"Just as we apply our Christian principles to our families, academics, athletics, and churches, God also calls us to do the same in government."

Posting about how to get involved in the political process ­­­­­­­­from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/engaging-in-politics-christian-leadership-in-every-capacity/

Ideological Movement In House Party Leadership A Difference In Difference Model, Hayden Galloway, Michael Barber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I hypothesized that the party leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives converges their roll call voting behavior to the median of their parties after being selected as party leaders. This measured through ideological differences in congressional roll call voting behavior.

The Effects Of A Recruitment And Mobilization Experiment On Caucus Meeting Dynamics, Alejandra Gimenez, J. Quin Monson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Studies on political recruitment have increased over the past few years, and specifically that of female recruitment in regards to political candidacy. Studies have shown strong evidence that recruitment increases participation, both in activism and candidacy. However, much of this work focuses on the effects of recruitment among a pool of subjects who are already more likely to run than the average citizen. What is unclear is whether recruitment deepens the pool of potential candidates or simply triggers those who are already in the pool to run. In this paper, I argue that political recruitment does not increase the number …

Analyzing The Costs Of Voting: A Voter Turnout Experiment, Katherine Westmoreland, Christopher Karpowitz

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the 2014 presidential election, only 36% of eligible voters cast a ballot on Election Day. Voter turnout is especially low in non-presidential elections and the already bleak number of voters is heightened when examining young voters, withonly 21.3% of 18-19 year-olds voting in 2014.

Gun Politics Aren't About Guns, Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Gun control is one of a handful of issues that seems to stir up so much passion on both sides of the aisle that it’s almost impossible to have a rational conversation on the topic."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the gun violence debate from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/gun-politics-arent-about-guns/

Gender And Nationality On The Receptiveness Of Nongovernmental Organizations, Laura Boyer, Joel Selway

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in international development. While the NGO sector addresses hundreds of issues and annually administers millions of dollars in aid (Hall-Jones 2006, Djelic 2006), these organizations are often Western based, which generates debates regarding the appropriateness of Western-based interventions in developing countries. One side argues that these foreign NGOs often use a one-size-fits-all approach, which fails to effectively help the community and only perpetrates cultural imperialism; the opposing side argues that Westerners have skills and resources that can provide invaluable assistance to impoverished communities (Easterly 2006, Sachs 2005). Unfortunately, these arguments mainly focus on …

Motivating Transparency In Non-Governmental Organizations, Robert Francis, Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A recent trend in both development research and practice has dealt with increasing the transparency of government and international development institutions. While donors and stakeholders are able to put significant legal and social pressure on large development organizations, this same pressure has not materialized in regards to NGOs. They are not legally required to make publicly available information on activities and finances, which means that such transparency must be exogenously motivated. The research question behind this project is therefore to investigate what factors could motivate NGOs to act transparently.

Natural Law And Agonistic Pluralism, Daniel E. Young

Northwestern Review

John Rawls’ account of political liberalism posits the necessity of a metaphysically neutral “public reason” to avoid privileging any comprehensive doctrine in the public square. The natural law tradition has been claimed by some as meeting this standard. However, thinkers such as Tracey Rowland criticize the attempt to make natural law a secular, neutral ground; she believes it must be rooted in an overtly Trinitarian and Christological theology. However, such theological assumptions are not shared by those of other comprehensive doctrines. Chantal Mouffe has also challenged Rawls’ consensus conception, focusing rather on the inevitable ideological conflicts to be found in …

Paper Trails: Following The Money, Jonathan Beltman

Student Work

"In many recent elections, the candidates who raise the most money have a better shot at winning, so candidates must raise millions of dollars to win an election. A top question to consider in all elections: Where is the money coming from?"

Posting about the financing behind federal elections from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/paper-trails-following-the-money/

Extending The Fundamental Right Of Marriage To Same-Sex Couples: The United States Supreme Court Decision In Obergefell V. Hodges, Donald Hermann

College of Law Faculty

No abstract provided.

Blog Consumption And International Relations, Michael A. Allen

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

International relations professors have sought to incorporate current events into their curriculum through various mechanisms. A traditional way to incorporate the news into the classroom is to have students either subscribe and read a particular newspaper, or watch the nightly news, and hold them responsible for that information. However, with the growing body of professional political science blogs available to the general public, we now have access to immediate current event updates framed through the lens of political science. This manuscript tests to see if having students regularly read professional political science blogs increases student achievement on multiple choice exams …

First In The Nation: New Hampshire's Changing Electorate, Kenneth M. Johnson, Dante J. Scala, Andrew Smith

Carsey Publications

In this brief, authors Ken Johnson, Dante Scala, and Andrew Smith discuss demographic forces that are reshaping the New Hampshire landscape. They report that the voting population of New Hampshire is among the most mobile in the United States. More than 30 percent of the potential voters are new to the state’s electoral process since 2008. These younger voters and recent migrants have the potential to change the political landscape of the state in the coming presidential primary and November election. The new young voters tend to be more liberal than their older contemporaries. These younger voters also identify less …

Religious Freedom And Presidential Politics, Chelsea Maxwell

Student Work

"Considering religious freedom within the context of politics is important because of its implications on individuals, organizations, and society overall."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­engaging in the political process from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/religious-freedom-and-presidential-politics/

The Degree Of Civilian Control And Military Effectiveness In Combating Insurgency: A Case Study Of Turkey And Pakistan, Ahmed Elbohy

Capstone and Graduation Projects

This research studied the relationship between the degree of civilian control, in military dominated political systems, and military effectiveness in combating insurgency using comparative case study analysis of Turkey and Pakistan and their conflict with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) and the Taliban Movement in Pakistan (TTP) respectively. In contemporary world, many states e.g. Ukraine, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Yemen and Saudi Arabia are involved in irregular warfare with insurgencies which are threatening domestic security and disturbing global peace. On another front, many states, especially in the Middle East and Africa, are facing the problem of disturbed civil-military relations or weak …

Promoting Corporate Intelligence In Italy To Improve Stability In The Middle East, Antonio Giuseppe Di Pietro

Capstone and Graduation Projects

Most national and international legislative instruments impose a duty to conduct appropriate due diligence when doing business, in order to hold each company accountable for the malicious activities of its partners. This project’s main argument is that formal due diligence is not enough when it comes to preventing corrupt business behavior, particularly when dealing with highly corrupt environments. Starting with an analysis of the Italian legislative efforts, this project demonstrates how the promotion of corporate intelligence into standard business practice could fill the gaps left by due diligence. Emphasis is placed upon the adoption of corporate intelligence among SMEs, given …

Who Wants The Right To Know? An Analysis Of Gmo-Labeling In California, Sylvia M. Xu

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

There are many studies that have been done to examine what types of voting behavior or patterns are present when voting for environmental ballot measures. This paper examines what characteristics of people are likely to cause them to support Proposition 37 in California, an initiative that, if passed, would require GMO-labeling on all genetically modified foods. Using voting data at a zip code level, I use OLS regression to identify specifically what type of political party, education, occupation, household status, and income levels are more likely to support the bill. I also run weighted regressions by population and number of …

Chris Christie, Ryan G. Mueller

Rhetorical Analyses of the Announcement Speeches of Presidential Hopefuls

No abstract provided.