Political Science Commons^™

Defining 'Good': Exploring The Meaning Of Politics And Its Relation To The Personal, Tarai Zemba

Scripps Senior Theses

The US is currently experiencing a confusing and problematic shift in politics under Donald Trump, who continues to disrupt the status quo of American democracy. Such a reality begs us to ask the question of what politics means, and what it should mean for the future. Throughout history, many philosophers and theorists, such as Thomas Hobbes and Max Weber, have identified the meaning of politics as obedience and domination over others. However, such an interpretation is incredibly dangerous, closely aligning with the historical values of authoritarian and totalitarian governments.

Political theorist Hannah Arendt provides a solution to this dilemma, exposing …

The Tourist Destination From Hell: An Exploration Of The Multi-Jurisdictional Set-Up Of Vista Point Parking Lot, Genna Gores

Scripps Senior Theses

The Golden Gate Bridge, and the surrounding national parks, are one of the most iconic tourist destinations in the world. Although this area is idyllic in many ways, its underlying governmental set-up creates traffic problems on the US-101 highway that angers tourists and commuters alike. One piece of land that exacerbates the increasing congestion on this section of US-101 is the Vista Point parking lot that is just North of the Golden Gate Bridge. This parking lot’s entrance is just off of the Northbound side of US-101, and during summer and holiday weekends cars will queue onto the freeway completely …

Compliance With Imf Austerity: Labor Rights, Protest, And Repression, Brendan Skip Mark

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation explores the domestic consequences of International Monetary Fund (IMF) program lending. It argues that when governments implement austerity reforms attached to IMF loans it increases human rights violations and violence in borrower governments. A new measure of IMF compliance is developed and used to explore the consequences of IMF lending in the 21st century. Past research exploring IMF lending consequences has assumed compliance away. While IMF program lending is largely seen as a failure there is significant debate about the causes of failure. Human rights scholars have argued that austerity policies impose significant hardships on citizens in borrower …

The Framers’ Coup: The Making Of The United States Constitution, By Michael J. Klarman, John Patrick Coby

Government: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evangelizing Neoliberalism Through Megachurches In Latin America And The United States, William O. Collazo

Dissertations and Theses

The most prominent and influential feature of worldwide Evangelicalism, is the megachurch. In Latin America megachurches have proliferated and grown in political influence when they first came into contact with neoliberalism during Pinochet's dictatorship in Chile. As Latin America's poor first migrated out of rural areas into Latin American cities, then north, to the United States, they have brought with them their religion. Increasingly, this religion is Protestant, evangelical, and for many, it is Pentecostalism. Misunderstood by the early literature on Pentecostalism, is the strain of neoliberalism that has become infused in the religion's most powerful institution - the megachurch. …

Res Publica Cover 2018, Anneke Nilles

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Title Page

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Political Science Department Chair, Kathleen Montgomery

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Editors' Introduction, Brianna Bacigalupo, Zoe Bouras

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Author Biographies

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Partisanship On The Passage Of Environmental Legislation, Samantha Yoest

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper addresses the question of how partisanship plays a role in congressional productivity by looking at the number of environmental laws passed each year. This includes analysis of anti-environmental legislation and the connection to party. It was found that, on average, Democratic majorities produce more environmental laws than Republican majorities. Not only that, but polarization has the largest influence on environmental legislation. With an increase in polarization on environmental issues, more anti-environmental legislation is being voted on in Congress, and fewer environmental laws are being passed per year. Ultimately, the conditions producing the lowest number of roll-back environmental bills …

The Other Women’S Movement: Analyzing Women’S Support For Populist-Radical Right Parties And Candidates, Katelyn Schwiderski

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study seeks to answer the question of why women vote for populist-radical right (PRR) parties or candidates, which are often depicted as uniquely sexist “men’s parties.” Using survey data from the 2014 European Social Survey (ESS Round 7), a binary logistic regression analyzes the relationship between PRR attitudes, individual demographic characteristics, and the probability of expressing affinity with a PRR party. This study ultimately finds that women who hold a traditional gender ideology and strong populist anti-elite views are more likely than other women to support a PRR party. The findings also show that low levels of education are …

Critical Discussion: Civil Disobedience - Note Of Introduction, James Simeone

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

PSCI 315 Classical Political Thought: Democracy in Athens and America is a foundational course in the political science major, and one option in the required political theory sequence at Illinois Wesleyan. One of the goals of the course is to introduce students to some of the fundamental problems in political thought. The issue here was the nature and extent of civil disobedience. This assignment began with the queries: when are we justified in disobeying the law? Do democratic lawmaking procedures and the opportunity to dissent before the law is passed make a difference in assessing the warrant of disobedience? Students …

In Between The Lines, Hannah Lyons

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Is respect for the law valuable when it infringes upon human rights? At first glance, Howard Zinn’s passion against injustice seems to override Fortas’ reserved and technical argument. This essay will show that the position of Judge Fortas is superior to that of Howard Zinn because he proves there are sufficient legal means to successfully propagate change in the modern American system. Furthermore, his distinction between protesters and revolutionaries provides unexpected space for the dictates of individual conscience.

The Duty To Disobey, Megan Baker

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

America is a country founded on revolution. In fact, our founding fathers valued this right to dissent so highly, that they wrote it into our first amendment. In recent years, America has come to fear the very same kind of civil disobedience on which the country was founded. Now, citizens are expected to balance their dissent within the parameters of law, and this is exactly the view of past Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas. He stands for civil disobedience that follows the processes outlined in the Constitution and expects that dissenters accept their punishments when they step out of the …

The Dichotomy Of Justice, Yovana Milosevic

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The history of disobedience is as lengthy as the history of legislation. For as long as there have been laws, there have been those who oppose them. Civil disobedience, as Howard Zinn defines the term, is the “deliberate violation of law for a vital social purpose” (Zinn 2002) - a definition broader than that of Abe Fortas. Fortas’ definition of civil disobedience is the “peaceful, nonviolent disobedience of laws which are themselves unjust and which the protester challenges as invalid and unconstitutional." (Fortas 1968). The dilemma of which conditions under which dissenters against democratic states are justified lies precisely within …

The Persuasive Brilliance Of Fortas, Ethan Pogge

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The central question of this piece is how to strike a balance between radical civil disobedience and adherence to the laws put in place by government. Multiple schools of thought on how to obey and protest laws are discussed. Abe Fortas contends that peaceful, non-violent measures must be taken to protest and remedy laws that people support. Howard Zinn argues that more radical measures need to be taken in order to remedy unjust laws. Ultimately, Zinn’s concept of radical disobedience misses its mark because the concept of justice is too subjective. The breaking of laws requires a punishment which lends …

Civil Disobedience: A Necessary Evil, Benjamin Nielsen

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

As Socrates sits awaiting his death, he argues with Crito about the cons of escaping this punishment. Socrates argues that escaping without the consent of Athens would be trying to have two wrongs equal a right, which he explains to Crito only puts Athens in greater danger, even though Socrates admits that this ruling is unjust because it is the popular majority that wishes to see him put to death. “What we ought to worry about is not so much what people in general will say about us but what the expert in justice and injustice says, the single authority …

Dom Pérignon Vs. Miller Lite: Investigating Anti-Elite Sentiment At The Individual Level, Zoe Bouras

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

As right-wing populism has gained a stronger footing globally, so have the ideas that right-wing populists support. Developed democracies are exhibiting high levels of political distrust and anti-elite sentiment, which pose a serious threat to the health of democracy and existing political systems. While there are system-level trends that contribute to anti-elitism, there remain variations in individual anti-elite sentiment. Two broad schools of thought suggest explanations; one contending that the way an individual perceives and responds to their economic situation leads to anti-elite sentiment, and the other, that anti-elite sentiment has risen as a reactionary undercurrent to the “silent revolution” …

The Role Of Social Integration And Anti-Immigration Attitudes In Motivating Support For Brexit, Olivia Heffernan

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Right-wing populism has experienced a surge in popularity among advanced democracies around the world. The success of right-wing populism has changed the course of history for the United Kingdom, which, due to the success of Brexit, will become the first state to ever leave the European Union. Recent research has identified several potential grievances that have motivated support for right-wing populism. The first theory points to the economic grievances that result from the economic displacement that accompanies modernization. The second theory emphasizes cultural grievances, with those that feel their traditional values have been challenged and displaced taking part in a …

Blaming Mr. Taxman Do Regressive State Tax Codes Impact K-12 Education Spending Per Student?, Alex Stogin

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper seeks to understand the impact that state tax code structuring has on a state’s ability to fund K-12 education using a multiple regression model to evaluate the regressivity of a state’s tax code on it’s per student funding for K-12 education. Using empirical data collected and analyzed by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), this paper first utilizes a bivariate correlation matrix and then an ordinary least squares regression model to explain if tax code regressivity, or any other controlled variables, have any impact over spending per student in K-12 education by the state. The findings …

The Judicialization Of Peace, Courtney Hillebrecht, Alexandra Huneeus, Sandra Borda

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

As international courts gain in influence, many worry that they will impoverish domestic politics— that they will limit democratic deliberation, undermine domestic institutions, or even thwart crucial political initiatives such as efforts to make peace. Indeed, many states are in the midst of withdrawing, or actively considering withdrawal, from international commitments presided over by international courts. The Article focuses on the currently unfolding Colombian peace process, the first to be negotiated under the watch of not one but two international courts, to show that these concerns misconstrue the way international courts actually work.

Throughout four years of peace talks, many …

Genetic Attributions: Sign Of Intolerance Or Acceptance?, Stephen P. Schneider, Kevin B. Smith, John R. Hibbing

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Many scholars argue that people who attribute human characteristics to genetic causes also tend to hold politically and socially problematic attitudes. More specifically, public acceptance of genetic influences is believed to be associated with intolerance, prejudice, and the legitimation of social inequities and laissez-faire policies. We test these expectations with original data from two nationally representative samples that allow us to identify the American public’s attributional patterns across 18 diverse traits. Key findings are (1) genetic attributions are actually more likely to be made by liberals, not conservatives; (2) genetic attributions are associated with higher, not lower, levels of tolerance …

Bold Executive Action And False Equivalence, Stephen H. Legomsky

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

[Chapter 1 From] Realignment, Region And Race: Presidential Leadership And Social Identity, George R. Goethals

Bookshelf

The Trump presidency may well be the first phase of a new American political alignment deeply rooted in identity politics. Now more than ever, it seems especially important to understand how leaders compete to engage different human motivations—how presidents, presidential candidates, and other political leaders appeal to potential followers' needs for economic well-being, safety, self-esteem, and a sense of significance. It is time to come to terms with the roles of race and region in US political history.

In Realignment, Region, and Race, George R. Goethals addresses this challenge head-on, exploring the place of racial dynamics in American politics …

The Subjective Well-Being Of Ethnic Albanians In Macedonia, Peggy Brozi

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Macedonia is a multiethnic country that gained independence peacefully from Yugoslavia. Tensions between the Albanian minority (which represents approximately a quarter of the population) and Macedonians led to an eight-month insurgency in 2001 started by a group of Albanian insurgents. The conclusion of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, designed to improve minority rights, ended the conflict. Besides ethnic tension, Macedonia has faced other challenges like grand corruption, unemployment, brain drain, and more. This study examines demographic and socio-economic variables affecting the subjective well-being (SWB) of eight well-educated and well-connected Albanians from Macedonia. Through a qualitative (i.e. Skype interviews) and quantitative (i.e. …

Quality Journalism In The Digital Age: Strategies To Adapt And Remain Profitable, Jack Brewster

Honors Papers

In the United States, the news media is commonly referred to as the “fourth estate” because we rely on it to fulfill a variety of functions essential to a healthy democracy. We trust the media to, among other things, tell us what is going on in the world, contextualize and provide historical background on current events, filter politicians’ spin, fact-check, be a “watchdog,” promote robust civil discourse, and enable understanding of complex issues.

Up until the last decade or so, the media could meet this “standard” without sacrificing its financial well-being. The internet and the smartphone, however, changed everything. The …

Forecasting Changes In Religiosity And Existential Security With An Agent-Based Model, Ross J. Gore, Carlos Lemos, F. Leron Shults, Wesley J. Wildman

VMASC Publications

We employ existing data sets and agent-based modeling to forecast changes in religiosity and existential security among a collective of individuals over time. Existential security reflects the extent of economic, socioeconomic and human development provided by society. Our model includes agents in social networks interacting with one another based on the education level of the agents, the religious practices of the agents, and each agent's existential security within their natural and social environments. The data used to inform the values and relationships among these variables is based on rigorous statistical analysis of the International Social Survey Programme Religion Module (ISSP) …

Adaptation Of Customary Quechua Indigenous Political Organization In The Face Of Modern Resource Extraction: A Case Study In The Apurimac Region Of The Andes Of Peru, Yojana Miraya Oscco

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This research focused on the forms and structure of customary political organization in Quechua indigenous communities of the Peruvian Andes that extend from the villages to their associated migrant communities in the capital. As the mining industry has been expanding rapidly throughout the Andes in recent decades, describing the political organization of these remote communities is a key aspect of their negotiation practices with these external industries. This research was conducted utilizing grounded theory in a comparative case-study format by analyzing two villages and their associated migrant communities from the Andean District of Juan Espinoza Medrano. This research utilized a …