Political Science Commons^™

The Dis-United States Of Liminality: The Trump Campaign Spectacle, Joan Davison

Faculty Publications

Americans are experiencing difficult challenges during the US transition away from decades of relative primacy and prosperity. The fact is that globalization, technology, and waning unipolarity differentially impact people, with certain groups disproportionately disadvantaged. These individuals encounter diminishing likelihood of upward mobility and flagging social status. The situation and its consequences can be understood as a liminal condition in which individuals and groups transition to another identity. During this precarious time, people often embrace manipulative politicians, or tricksters, who theatricalize the circumstances, distort the real source of difficulties, and offer fixes that demonize others. Donald Trump now performs as the …

Machiavelli: Prince Or Republic - An Examination Of The Theorist’S Two Most Famous Works, Sean Mcaleer

The Corinthian

In the modern era, Machiavelli’s reputation is controversial, with some readers appreciating his pragmatism and realistic, “modern” view of people, while others are uncomfortable with some of his harsher, more infamous phrases. Most of these opinions, however, are based on Machiavelli’s most read work The Prince, which is known for its deviation from similar works at the time. Far less well-known, Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy focuses on republican government and contains the theorist’s analysis of the famous Roman historian Livy’s history of the Roman Republic.

Creating Knowledge, Volume 9, 2016

Creating Knowledge

Dear Students, Colleagues, Alumni and Friends,

Throughout my career as faculty and administrator in higher education I have been honored with the opportunity to introduce and celebrate the publication of scholarly work by colleagues and graduate students in many disciplines and institutions around the world. After more than three decades of doing so, this is the first time that I have the pleasure of introducing a formal publication of work created by a talented group of undergraduate scholars. This honor is further magnified by the fact that beyond its formal format, this is a reviewed publication of extraordinary rigor and …

The Dialectical Contrarianism Of Richard Flathman, Matthew J. Moore

Political Science

No abstract provided.

No. 23: The Food Insecurities Of Zimbabwean Migrants In Urban South Africa, Jonathan Crush, Godfrey Tawodzera

African Food Security Urban Network

This report examines the food security status of Zimbabwean migrant households in the poorer areas of two major South African cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The vast majority were food insecure in terms of the amount of food to which they had access and the quality and diversity of their diet. What seems clear is that Zimbabwean migrants are significantly more food insecure than other low-income households. The primary reason for this appears to lie in pressures that include remittances of cash and goods back to family in Zimbabwe. The small literature on the impact of migrant remittances on food …

Ben H. Bagdikian Papers And Manuscripts, Ben H. Bagdikian

Finding Aids

Ben Bagdikian (1920-2016) graduated from Clark University in 1941 before becoming a journalist. He reported on prisons, poverty and civil rights and won the Pulitzer Prize. While Bagdikian was an editor at The Washington Post, Daniel Ellsberg gave him a top-secret history of the Vietnam War, The Pentagon Papers. Bagdikian gave a copy to a senator who read them into the Congressional Record. These papers include speeches and articles and research materials and manuscripts for his books, Media Monopoly, Double Vision, In the Midst of Plenty, Caged, and The Memoir of Lydia Bagdikian.

Communication And Citizen Participation In Southern Local Politics: A Disconnect Between Municipalities And Constituents, Rachael B. Houston

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

Despite the fact that 96 percent of all political contests in the United States are for local offices, citizens are far more likely to participate in national elections and forgo exercising their voice in local politics. And, although academic literature has focused extensively on citizen participation at the national level, local-level democracy has often been neglected. This neglect may be caused by a lack of interaction between constituencies and city mayors and managers. Without effective communication between both groups, citizens will be unaware of opportunities to affect social and fiscal policies in their communities. Scholars know little about the perceptions …

Ramerican Political Science Review (Vol. 1, 2016)

Ramerican Political Science Review

Letter from the Department of Political Science -- Web of Lies: The Impact of Misinformation Found on Social Media / Travis Brandon -- The Influence of Public Opinion in the Decisions of State Supreme Court Judges / Grace Wald -- What’s Ours Isn’t Yours: Measuring the Successes of the Radical Right Across Strong and Weak Welfare States / Lindsay April -- Fear, Confidence & Corporal Punishment: An Analysis of Potential Factors Impacting Death Penalty Support Among Americans / Danielle Austen -- Maximizing Worker Productivity Through Transportation, Presented at VCU’s 10th Annual Political Science Student Research Conference by Featured Outside Scholar: …

Regulatory Coherence And Standardization In The Trans-Pacific Partnership, Phoenix X.F. Cai

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

This article posits a new taxonomy and framework for assessing regulatory coherence in the new generation of mega-regional, cross-cutting free trade agreements. Using the Trans-Pacific Partnership as the primary example, this article situates the rise of regulatory coherence within the current trade landscape, provides clear definitions of regulatory coherence, and argues that the real engine of regulatory coherence lies in the work of international standard setting organizations. This work has been little examined in the current literature. The article provides a detailed examination of the mechanics by which the Trans-Pacific Partnership promotes regulatory standardization and concludes with some normative implications …

Keynote: Encouraging This Particular Form Of (Very Fun) Madness - Roles For Deans & Faculty Members, Martin J. Katz, Phoenix X.F. Cai

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

This keynote address discusses the ways in which faculty and administrators can facilitate experiential learning in transactions classes.

2016 Forecast La Conference Book, Fernando J. Guerra, Brianne Gilbert, Berto Solis, Maia Krause, Alejandra Alarcon, Brianda Alvarez

Forecast LA

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The Judiciary And The Rule Of Law In Democratization: The Case Of Turkey And The Chances Of Democratic Consolidation, Semih Oktay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the role of the judicial system in democratic consolidation using Turkey as a case study. It reviews the theoretical literature on this topic and identifies the role played by such key elements of the political system as the legislature, the executive, civil-military relations, and party politics. The role of these factors in the development and functioning of the Turkish judicial system is then analyzed over time.

The first aspect of investigation comprised an overview of Turkish governmental development since 1920. The second period of focus was on the reforms from the foundation of the Turkish Republic to …

A Clipped Wing: An Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of The B-21, Aidan Thomas Hughes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the effectiveness of the Northrop Grumman B-21 long range strike bomber in advancing the ability of U.S. policy makers to achieve national security objectives. The operational value of the B-21 is assessed through analysing its probable role in four hypothetical combat scenarios, and the relative effectiveness of the B-21 is measured alongside the potential performance of alternative systems. This operational analysis is augmented by a consideration of the shape of recent U.S. national security strategies, as well as the anticipated future security environment, which provides the foundation of an analysis of the ability of the B-21 to …

The Effect Of Personal Economic Values On Economic Policy Preferences, Amanda Friesen, Matthew V. Hibbing

Political Science Publications

Objectives Citizens often express that the government should be run like a business or household in the way that money is saved and spent, though individuals vary in their personal financial preferences and attitudes toward money. To explore the relationship between the personal and political, we draw upon research in psychology, economics, and consumer science on personal economic values, such as materialism and the importance of saving money. Methods Using a survey of 340 adults, we test connections between political ideology, the Big Five personality traits, and money conservation and material values. Results Our data suggest that values regarding personal …

The Benefits Of Balance: Credibility, The Rule Of Law, And Investment In Latin America, Michael Touchton

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research surrounding political institutions and credible commitment to the rule of law is integral to recent efforts to tie democracy to economic development. I identify the determinants of rule-of-law perceptions in Latin America and argue that constraining elected officials facilitates a commitment to democracy that makes government policies credible. I also argue that aspects of politics leading to deadlock might have a hidden upside in generating policy credibility. I test my arguments against pooled cross-sectional, time series data for twenty Latin American countries between 1996 and 2012. Ultimately, my research demonstrates the benefits of functioning checks and balances among elected …

Govt 301 - Ancient Political And Economic Ideas (2015), Steven Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Political and economic thought of pagan antiquity, contrasting the ideas of Greece and Rome with religious precepts. The political and economic organization of European feudalism will also be examined.

Joseph Nye, Jr.: Understanding Global Conflict And Cooperation, 10th Ed., Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Govt 490 - Political Theory Syllabus, Steven Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

A critical examination of a variety of philosophical and social science models that seek to explain and evaluate political systems, behavior, ideologies, and collective decision-making. Special attention will be given to the political heritage of western/American civilization and the internal and external challenges it faces.

Mary Ann Glendon: The Forum And The Tower Study Guide, 2012-2015, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

How Partisan Identification On The Ballot Affects Individuals' Vote Choices, Jennica Petersen, Rebecca Shuel

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Political parties are both praised and criticized in our society. People acknowledge that parties serve important functions as they organize the electorate, simplify voter choices, and help voters elect leaders that will carry out their desired policies (Dalton, Farrell, and McAllister 2011). However, other people blame political parties for the increasing polarization and gridlock in our government, and some people claim that individuals rely too heavily on partisan cues and not enough on information about political candidates when determining their vote choice. Because political parties perform such important tasks, we expect individuals to vote differently in the absence of party …

Immigrants And Voting: How A Personal Relationship To Immigration Changes The Voting Behaviors Of Americans, Mandi Eatough, Jordan Johnston

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

In the last thirty years the number of immigrant voters, in the U.S. has increased from less than 5 percent of the population to more than 13 percent. With such an unprecedented increase in such a short amount of time, immigration reform has become one of the most significant and controversial issues in elections nationwide. Since the 1980s, the U.S. has faced consistently increasing levels of both legal and illegal immigration, an issue that is personally relevant to all immigrants regardless of legality (Tichenor 1994). This influx of immigrants has made immigration policy more important for politicians. Understanding the attitudes …

Freedomland, Lindsey Mantoan

Faculty Publications

Lindsey Mantoan reviews a performance of Freedomland (by Michael Gene Sullivan) for Theatre Journal.

Life In Hampton Roads Survey Press Release #6: Politics And 2016 Presidential Election, Social Science Research Center, Old Dominion University

Life in Hampton Roads Survey Report

This report examines regional perceptions of political figures and political affiliation from the 2016 Life In Hampton Roads survey (LIHR 2016) conducted by the Old Dominion University Social Science Research Center. Data from prior years is also provided when available to show comparisons in responses over time. Responses were weighted by city population, race, age, gender, and phone usage (cell versus land-line) to be representative of the Hampton Roads region.

“There Is Only Power”: Surveying The Structures And Operations Of Power In The Magical World Of Harry Potter, Aaron D. Marciniak

Departmental Honors Projects

As the internationally best-selling series Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling moves into its second generation of readers, it becomes increasingly important to analyze the assumptions it communicates about power differentials between people and belief systems. A central tenant of narrative paradigm holds that humans are innately narrative, internalizing narrative frameworks as a means to understand the world which then become externalized through human action. Thus, while the social hierarchies, collective actions, and institutional authorities in the fantasy world of Harry Potter in some ways map onto Anglo-American social and political structures, the significant differences between these textual and “real world” …

A Feuding House: An Examination Of The Causes And Effects Of The Decline Of Bipartisanship In The United States Congress, Aaron Jackson Horner

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Excerpt from Introduction

In October of 2016, a Gallup poll reported that Congress had an approval rating of 18%.[1] Compared to the President’s approval rating, Congress is seen as ineffective and too bipartisan for many Americans. While there has always been a natural tension between the opposing parties, it has magnified within recent years. Within Congress itself, many members are seeing their political opposition even more unfavorably today than their counterparts did two decades ago. Carol Doherty of the Pew Research Center claims that it is the “intensity of negativity that’s increased.”[2] The 2008 election marked a new …

What Is Fake News?, Derek Malone

Collier Library and Information Services

No abstract provided.

Hard International Law-Contributing Organizations As Networks, Charles Boehmer, Renato Corbetta

Departmental Papers (PS)

This paper explores the networks that intergovernmental organizations(IGOs) create in the international system and explore how states relate to eachother in such networks. It focuses in particular on the network of IGOs that actas creators of and agents for hard international law. We introduce new data thatallows us to investigate which institutional traits and functions are most closelyrelated to IGOs’ contribution to the implementation and enforcement of informalinternational law. We map out and explore the network of “highly legalized”IGOs for the years 1980–2005 as well as the affiliation networks emerging fromstates’ membership in such IGOs. Combining international relations theory withnetwork …

The Effect Of Group Empathy On U.S. Intergroup Attitudes And Behavior In The Context Of Immigration Threats, Cigdem Sirin, Nicholas Valentino, José Villalobos

Departmental Papers (PS)

No abstract provided.

On Community, Justice, And Libraries, John Buschman, Dorothy Warner

Library Publications

At the core of terms such as “inclusion,” “civic engagement,” “social participation,” and “social justice”—terms that this special issue is built around—are political concepts that have been plumbed deeply by political theorists. Two concepts that underwrite much of this terminology are community and justice, both robustly debated within political theory. It is the premise of this article that exploring those debates—definitions of justice and community put forward and argued—and proposing specific versions of those core concepts will provide a defensible basis for research deploying these terms and a practical raison d’état for the institutions of library and information science. Defensible …

2016 Constitution Day Essay Contest: Honorable Mention, Shawn Murphy

Constitution Day Essay Contest

No abstract provided.