Political Science Commons^™

Mcmanus Studies, Teaches International Conflicts., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

Sometimes people in academia get their inspiration from unsuspected sources. That is the case with political scientists such as Dr. Roseanne McManus. “While in middle school I started reading novels by Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler. Reading about the strategic interaction of countries in these books made me interested to learn more both about the former Soviet Union and about how countries interact with each other and how they choose their strategies to get what they want,” she says.

This native of Towson, Maryland, went on to obtain a master’s degree in government and politics at the University of Maryland …

A Mission To Mali Is Already A Lost Opportunity, So Let’S Focus On Afghanistan’S ‘Forgotten War, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

Erika Simpson and Sakhi Naimpoor argue that Canada's defense efforts should shift focus from a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali to revitalizing its role in Afghanistan. They criticize the Canadian government for delaying its commitment to Mali and suggest that Canada should instead concentrate on training Afghan soldiers and police to ensure stability in a war-torn country. They highlight the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, with the Taliban and ISIS gaining ground since Canada's combat mission ended. The authors contend that re-engaging in Afghanistan would honor the sacrifices made by Canadian forces and help rebuild critical institutions in the region.

Cameras As Weapons Of Resistance: Refugees Disrupting The Colonial Narrative Through Photography, Shannon Elder

Cultural Studies Capstone Papers

This project analyzes the photography project “#RefugeeCameras”, where German photojournalist Kevin McElvaney gave disposable cameras to refugees to document their own experiences. The project includes close examination of the photography collection and considers the photographic depiction of landless people by other landless people in juxtaposition to the concept of the refugee as a ‘terrorist’. The examination of these images will reveal how photographs become a tool that can disrupt ideological stances that harm innocent people such as Islamophobia and fear mongering towards refugees that are deemed a threat by the Trump administration’s Executive Order, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist …

Bringing The State Home: Neoliberalism In Global Models Of Public Housing, Nicholas Alfino

Cultural Studies Capstone Papers

Global public housing authorities in state versus market capitalism take different approaches to provide housing for multicultural demographics. This capstone project looks at that of New York City and Singapore as case studies of ideologies of welfare, multicultural national identity and public policies representative of their political economies. With special attention paid the spatial relations of ethnic enclaves in both urban environments, focus is placed on a social, lived experience shaped by both 'productivist' versus 'cynical' ideology and privatization versus state authoritarianism. Each political economic system of welfare reaches from larger concepts of national and global economy to the local …

Town Hall Drama: What's All The Gossip About?, Mckay Randall

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

When the new Congress took their seats at the beginning of 2017, Republicans were on a mission to replace Obamacare. To gear up for the legislative struggle, legislators took to the streets and towns of their districts to speak to constituents about Obamacare and other policies. During the first town halls in January and February, Republican legislators found themselves confronted with rowdy and raucous crowds who nearly shouted them down every time they had chance to speak. The News took note of this phenomena in late February and started reporting on the story. The popular headlines from The Washington Post, …

Papers Please: Immigration, Enforcement, And Remittances, Jose A. Rojas-Fallas

Student Research Symposium

Immigrants are an understated agent in local economies. Whilst legal immigrants may be accounted for in the macro realm, illegal immigrants are very much an externality. Immigrant agents participate heavily in local economies, almost exclusively, due to their status and the implicit risks associated with it. Immigrants’ decision to migrate towards better economies come with the goal of achieving prosperity that more than likely would not have been possible in their location of origin. A majority of immigrants are heads of households that migrate alone seeking greater wages to support their household. They do this through remittances. These are capital …

Has Party Identification Changed In Utah?, Devin Johanson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Three weeks before the 2016 election, Utah was labeled as a swing state by most main-stream media outlets. The offensive rhetoric from both the Trump and Clinton campaigns and the rise of a popular independent candidate increased the potential for changes in the party identity of the Utah electorate. My research question is as follows: How has party identification changed in the state of Utah between the 2012 and 2016 elections?

A Shot In The Dark: Public Opinion On Gun Control In The United States, Mollie Cameron

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Gun violence is a leading cause of death in the United States. The present study uses data from the Chapman Survey of American Fears where people were asked about how afraid they are of the government regulating firearms. It will be compared to data regarding gender, age, political party, race, education, and location. This will help to provide an in-depth exploration of who is in favor of gun control and why. In the United States right now there is an overwhelming support for moderate gun control, even by current gun-owning citizens. It is important to focus on the public opinion …

Who’S Afraid Of The Big Bad Bot? The American Fear Of Technology In The 21st Century, Callan Keeter

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The growth and integration of new technology into lifestyles worldwide have many Americans asking questions about privacy and security. Although there are high rewards at stake for governments, corporations, and individuals who embrace technological changes, the risks of these developments are also at the forefront of people’s thoughts. Using the recent data of the Chapman University National Survey of Fears, I examine correlations and means to determine the specific populations in America that fear technology. I go on to detail possible causes of this fear using the available research on the subject. As we move forward further into the 21st …

Man V Nature: American Fears Of The Environment, Hannah Brower

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This paper will explore how fearful Americans are about the state of the environment and how concerned they are with a plethora of environmental issues, including air pollution, water pollution, and global warming. Relying on the Chapman Survey of American Fears data on the environment, I will examine how fearful about an environmental issue an individual is and how their age, income, education level, preferred news channel, and political party affiliation correlate with their level of fear. I expect to find strong correlations between younger people, Democrats, those who prefer liberal news providers, people with higher incomes, and people with …

Democracy At Stake: Which Media Outlets Are Harming Voter Turnout?, Ryan Shiri

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The consensus of research literature dealing with the usage of new forms of news outlets and their effects on voter turnout rates has shifted overtime from having no clear correlation into having a differing correlation depending on which media outlets. Originally, the research about media usage and voter turnout was unclear and showed no evident correlations. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, most research assured the fact that new media outlets, like the Internet, had become a huge source of news content for many citizens, however there was no evidence of a strong correlation between those new news outlets and …

The Secret Users Guide For Liberals, Independents, And Conservatives To Win The White House: Demographics And Political Ideologies, Cassandra Medina

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

I consider that understanding political ideology is of most importance but we must consciously understand the demographics behind it. I will be approaching this issue by looking at the set of demographics that range from gender, income, education, ethnicity, religion, and age. While observing if these demographics influence party identity, ideology, and strength of partisanship in these cases. The key issues that I am focusing on, how do certain demographics influence the party ideology that a person chooses? Utilizing cross-national level data from the 2012 ANES election study I will be analyzing multivariable, and frequencies to be able to assets …

Partisanship And Fear Of Terrorism, Jake Bishop

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Terrorist groups carry out horrific attacks that harm and kill innocent citizens almost every week worldwide. These attacks incite fear no matter how powerful a person may be, because terrorism affects everyone. Citizens, interest groups, and politicians all have different responses to terrorist organizations and how to handle their fears. Attitudes change, policies are affected, and political parties shift their ideologies to please their electorate. Using data from Chapman University’s Survey on American Fears, I looked at the correlation between political ideology and fear of terrorism. The survey finds that there is a strong correlation between the two and that …

Abortion In The Court: The Impact Of Abortion Views On Public Opinion Of The Supreme Court, Robert Heins

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Abortion has long been considered one of the most controversial topics the United States Supreme Court has ruled on. My research examines how one’s opinion on abortion impacts their view of the United States Supreme Court. This analysis will show how much of an impact one policy stance has on the public’s overall view of a much larger institution. To analyze my question, I will utilize American National Election Studies Time Series data from the years 1976, 1988, and 2016. These years will allow me to study the role abortion plays in crafting opinion of the court before the politicization …

The Man Behind The Curtain: Who Is Really Pulling The Strings?, Josie Chan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Did a member of Senate filibuster a bill because of an influential billionaire behind the scenes? As politics continue to play a huge part in everyone’s daily lives, whether we realize it or not, the general public’s fears of the government continue to grow stronger. Whether it is trepidation that the government is filled with corrupt, yet highly influential officials, or that regular civilians lack privacy due to drone usage by governmental agencies; the general public has genuinely started to fear the government.

According to Chapman’s Survey of American Fears, about 60.5% of those who participated in the survey, were …

Indonesia's One Map Policy: A Critical Look At The Social Implications Of A 'Mess', Kaitlyn Justine Bretz

Senior Theses

In December 2010, a cabinet meeting between the Indonesian President and REDD+

agency led to the realization that spatial data does not match between government agencies. The

comparison of two forestry maps catalyzed the publication of Presidential Decree No. 4/2011,

better known as the One Map Policy. This policy is aimed at standardizing and unifying spatial

data across the Indonesian archipelago, creating a base map for all agencies to use, and making

spatial data free and readily accessible for Indonesian citizens. The One Map Policy is a direct

move to centralize national power and give the state more control over …

A Comparative Program Analysis Of The Safe And Successful Youth Initiative In The Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities Of Brockton And New Bedford, Adam J. Costa

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In the summer of 2016, I participated in an internship with the Massachusetts Department of Correction Program & Reentry Services Division. I worked with state policy analysts to research and implement new reentry program initiatives in state facilities. The responsibility of these state employees was to identify key areas of research and evaluate program effectiveness through statistical analysis. I learned it was possible to compare and contrast public programs through comparative analytical study. The purpose of this honors thesis is to research violence reduction programs under the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) in Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities. This paper will …

Do Municipal Officials Represent The Views Of Their Constituents?, Steven Jamieson

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Municipalities make decisions that effect millions of Americans every day. Research has been done to assess the link between citizen’s preferences and municipal policy (Tausanovitchand Warshaw2014). However, the link between the policies and the officials who make them is missing.

The Dream Act: A Retrospective On Immigration Policies Across Time And Nations, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

The United States has a long tradition of assimilating diverse peoples into a shared culture and thus developing a transformative, holistic national identity. Despite this historical affinity for immigration, there have also been points during which rose issues with migrants entering the country illegally. Once this happens, politicians must decide how to deal with an influx of undocumented aliens. This paper focuses on amnesty acts, particularly ones past through the American Congress in the past century. The relationship between amnesty legislation and immigration flow will be investigated. Also, an exploration of European policies towards immigration will all be conducted in …

How Priming Innocence Influences Public Opinion On Police Misconduct And False Convictions: A Research Note, Kathleen M. Donovan, Charles F. Klahm Iv

Political Science Faculty/Staff Publications

Issues of innocence have become more salient to the public in recent years, including the problem of police misconduct. However, citizens also tend to be supportive of the police, perceiving them as ethical, honest, and trustworthy. Using a survey experiment with a nationally representative sample, we explore the degree to which public opinion toward police misconduct is influenced by priming respondents on the issue of innocence. We find that reminding citizens of these issues increases their willingness to admit police misconduct that contributes to this problem by roughly 7 percentage points overall. Moreover, this effect is driven by conservatives and, …

The Fourth Wave Of Democratization: A Comparative Analysis Of Tunisia And Egypt, Ariel M. Dunay

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In the years following the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, Tunisia and Egypt began the process of creating a new government and constitution made by the people and for the people. However, their differing democratic outcomes begs the question of what factors led Tunisia to become a democracy and Egypt to remain stagnant. This thesis analyzes the democratic transition process through a side-by-side comparison of Tunisia and Egypt in the years since the Arab Spring. It will explore the thin lines between the military, economy, and social movements that all affect the state-building process. It will argue that Tunisia has achieved …

Latin American Gender Politics: Examining The Relationship Between Gender And Political Participation, Haley B. Lawrie

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Political participation highlights a great deal about the political system in a given country and how the system responds in turn. Women have a distinct way of participating in politics, particularly in the culture of machismo in contemporary Latin America. In this thesis, I examine the relationship between gender and political participation within two Latin American countries, Peru and Argentina. Through an analysis of voter turnout, political interest, cabinet participation, and political movements, I examine how gender impacts the political sphere. I ultimately argue that gender by itself is not distinctly tied to levels of participatory action for the average …

Politics V. Religion: A Theory Of The Christian Right, Lucas G. Nordyke

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

I would like to thank my committee for assisting me with this project in whatever way they could. Dr. Cohen, Dr. Lubert, and Dr. Gelfand were extremely generous with their expertise and time, always sending helpful comments and insights. I would like to especially thank Dr. Cohen for being my chair and guiding me through every step of this project. This was no small task and I certainly could not have done it on my own.

From Malta To The United States: Addressing Refugee Needs, Elizabeth L. Brannon

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

There are currently 21.3 million refugees worldwide, who have been driven from their homes and are searching for a new life. The current refugee crisis has created a sense of controversy over the integration of refugees, making it further imperative to determine what leads to effective integration of refugees into host societies and how organizations can aid in this process. To determine these factors, I completed field research in Malta and Harrisonburg, Virginia, interviewing a total of ten refugee organizations. In this study, I explore the how community connections, adaptability, and funding constraints determine the effectiveness of organizations in aiding …

News Media Bias And The Syrian Refugee Crisis, Marisa S. Campanella

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Since 2011, turmoil has erupted in Syria causing the displacement of many individuals now seeking refuge. It has impacted other areas of the world, filling the media with stories of daily events surrounding the initial attacks. The increase in media coverage of the Syrian refugee crisis led me to question whether the stories in the news were accurate representations of what was actually happening. I chose to compare two distinct sources of news in a content analysis, Fox News and CNN, to see whether there was a discrepancy in how they reported the same topics. After analyzing seven articles from …

Colombian Peace Process Likely To Succeed, Kayla D. Graves

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

On 2 October 2016, Colombians voted on a referendum to “end the conflict and establish stable and enduring peace” between Las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC, and Colombia’s democratic government. The referendum was rejected by a narrow margin―49.8% of voters in favor of the peace deal and 50.2% opposed. Following the referendum several terms were revised and the peace accord was approved by Colombian Congress on 30 November 2016. Now, the transition to peace begins.

Structured Analytic Techniques including Analysis of Competing Hypotheses, Scenario Generation, and Red Team Analysis support the conclusion that the Colombian peace process will likely …

Judicial Corruption In Eastern Europe: An Examination Of Causal Mechanisms In Albania And Romania, Claire M. Swinko

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Judicial corruption is a complex phenomenon that continues to be an endemic problem in many countries around the world today. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in particular have struggled to curb their judicial corruption levels since the fall of communism. Their systemic corruption problems are a hindrance to their respective democratization processes, including many countries’ prospective accessions to the European Union (EU). This paper seeks to examine causes of judicial corruption in Albania and Romania in an effort to better understand how and why corruption has become widespread. Additionally, this paper traces causal mechanisms over a seventeen-year …

A Demanding Office: Agency And Authority Of The House Speakership, William G. Snoeyenbos

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

From the early Republic to modern times, the Speaker of the House of Representatives has been the single greatest source of legislative authority within the United States government. Often considered the second-highest ranking U.S official after the President, the Speaker utilizes the distinct tools at their disposal to guide the entire legislative process towards the direction they desire. Broadly, these tools include the ability to set the legislative agenda, control debate, and appoint committee chairs. However, the vastly complex set of rules, guidelines, and procedures which govern the modern House were simply not present when Congress first met in 1789. …

The Role Of Ngos In International Climate Governance: A Case Study Of Indian Ngos, Lucas J. Giese

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are ubiquitous in international negotiations on climate change governance, participating in framing issues, providing information and expertise, and lobbying government delegates. NGOs are said to supplement the democratic legitimacy and technical capabilities of intergovernmental organizations, yet their actual political influence is more difficult to empirically ascertain. This paper will use a qualitative framework to determine the influence of NGOs in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), focusing on a case study of Indian NGOs. Using data collected at two UN conferences, including interviews with NGO and government representatives and participant observations, the influence of …

Domestic Violence Against Women In Peru: An Analysis Of Individual, Cultural, And Structural Factors, Hanna M. Pioske

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Violence against women, despite decades of activism on the subject, remains a problem for women around the world. By one measure, over 35% of women globally have experienced either physical or sexual violence. The vast majority of this abuse occurs within the home. Although development programs often focus on women’s empowerment as a way of freeing women from the cycle of domestic abuse, research on this issue has been more mixed, finding that in some cases, women’s work outside the home or higher status relative to their husband can catalyze abuse. Peru is a particularly relevant case study for this …