Political Science Commons^™

The Lives Of Late Soviet Science, 1945-1991, Grégory Dufaud, Ksenia Tatarchenko

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This study explores the multifaceted landscape of Soviet science from the end of World War II to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. It examines the interplay between scientific innovation and political ideology, highlighting how the state shaped research agendas and scientific practices during a period marked by both significant achievements and profound challenges. Through an analysis of key scientific institutions, prominent figures, and pivotal projects, the study illustrates the tensions between ideological constraints and the pursuit of knowledge. Additionally, it addresses the impacts of international collaboration and competition during the Cold War, revealing how these dynamics influenced scientific …

Book Review: Political Argument In A Polarized Age: Reason And Democratic Life By Scott Aiken And Robert Talisse, Brandon W. Kliewer

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

Book Review NA

Does A District Mandate Matter For The Behavior Of Politicians? An Analysis Of Roll-Call Votes And Parliamentary Speeches, Andreas Born, Aljoscha Janssen

Research Collection School Of Economics

In most democracies, members of parliament (MPs) are elected either through a party list or by a district. We use a discontinuity in the German electoral system to investigate the causal effect of a district election on an MP’s conformity with the party line. A district election does not affect roll-call voting behavior causally, possibly due to overall high adherence to party-line voting. Analyzing the parliamentary speeches of each MP allows us to overcome the high party-line discipline with regard to parliamentary voting. Using textual analysis and machine learning techniques, we create two measures of closeness of an MP’s speeches …

A Harbour In The Country, A City In The Sea: Infrastructural Conduits, Territorial Inversions And The Slippages Of Sovereignty In Sino-Sri Lankan Development Narratives, Orlando Woods

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper adopts infrastructure as a lens through which new understandings of the inter-relationships between territory and sovereignty can be advanced. It argues that inverting the terrestrial assumption of territory can lead to “slippages” of sovereignty in which territorial sovereignty is indirectly claimed through the assertion of governance rights. For the purposes of this paper, I explore these inversions through the reclaiming of land from the ocean, and the removal of land by the ocean. Drawing on ethnographic research exploring the effects of China-backed infrastructure megaprojects in Sri Lanka, these territorial inversions are explored, respectively, through the Port City Colombo …

Nato And The Swedish Churches: Dealing With Defence Policy In The Midst Of A European Crisis, Erik Sidenvall

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Just like the rest of the population, Swedish Christians remain fundamentally divided in their opinions about the best way to arrange Sweden’s relationship to NATO. But the responses on the part of the churches also seem to hark back to bygone ages. National defense and foreign policy remain, in a country for centuries fundamentally shaped by Lutheran doctrine concerning the division between faith and politics, a matter for the political realm. A tense and potentially threatening geopolitical situation tends to reinforce long cherished views."

Beyond Diversion: Regime Security And The 1990–91 Gulf War, Drew Horne

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Whether and to what degree internal threats could indeed lead to external conflict has been the focus of great swaths of International Relations scholarship. In their seminal work on International Relations, Haas and Whiting (1956) argue that state leaders “may be driven to a policy of foreign conflict—if not open war—to defend themselves against the onslaught of domestic enemies” (62). The default explanation for this connection, it seems, has been the widely touted diversionary war hypothesis, which supposes that domestically embattled leaders will seek to divert the public’s ire from their failures by provoking foreign conflicts (see Levy 1989; Oakes …

Poll Booth Proximity, Tribal Id, And Bilingual Accessibility: Three Provisions To Increase Native American Turnout In The Native American Voting Rights Act Of 2019, Grant Baldwin

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

On March 12, 2019, Senator Udall (D-NM) and Representative Lujan (D-NM- 3) introduced the Native American Voting Rights Act of 2019 (S.739; HR 1694) to both chambers of the United States Congress as a proposed solution to problems concerning low voter turnout among Native Americans and Alaska Natives. (While I recognize there are notable differences between Native American groups and Alaska Native groups, for the remainder of this analysis I use the terms Native, Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native interchangeably.) If enacted, the bill would provide voting assistance to Native communities by bringing poll booth and voter registration …

Censorship Sensing: The Capabilities And Implications Of China’S Great Firewall Under Xi Jinping, Emily Quan

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Totaling over 989 million users at the end of 2020, Chinese Internet users interact with unprecedent amounts of data, communication, and media (Xu 2020). It is a far cry from 1987, when the first email was sent from China to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The message in the email, later popularized on QQ desktops, was this: “Across the Great Wall, we can reach every corner of the world” (越过长城，走向世 界, Yuèguò Chángchéng, Zouxiàng Shìjiè) (Internet Archive 2013).

President Trump’S 2018 Tariffs On Steel, Davis Forster

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

In the aftermath of the Great Recession, much of the United States working and middle class found themselves struggling. The factory, manufacturing, and metalworking jobs they had been doing for decades continued to move overseas, where others could do it cheaper and faster. The US steel industry, in particular, had been contracting steadily since the 1990s with no signs of stopping, despite several previous government revitalization efforts, such as Bush’s steel tariffs in 2002 (York 2018). As the 2016 election approached, America’s middle and working classes were looking for someone who would bring their jobs back.

Party Institutionalization And Public Confidence, Blake West

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Confidence in America’s government institutions has continually decreased over the past decade. In the year 2020, this growing lack of public confidence in government became apparent as the government failed, in the public’s eye, to solve numerous problems over the course of the year. The 2020 election showcased suspicions and fears directed at the American electoral system and the validity of America’s constitutional institutions. In recent polling data by the Hill, it was revealed that 33% of United States citizens believed that the Presidential Election in 2020 was unfair (The Hill 2021). Within the Republican Party alone, Forbes magazine …

Covid-19 Isolation Mandates Decrease Out-Group Hostility In The Mena Region, Annie Gold

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the global economic landscape, leading to unprecedented unemployment spikes, supply chain standstills, and small business shutdowns. From a healthcare perspective, national governments have struggled to provide sufficient care and vaccination to citizens, often requiring strict curfews to remedy the lack of available healthcare provisions. The MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region has especially suffered during the pandemic. However, despite the challenging fiscal climate and underprovision of healthcare services, results from the 2021 Arab Barometer survey indicate that citizens’ tolerance of different ethnic and religious groups has increased since the onset …

Full Issue

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

A Letter From The Editor, Zeke Peters, Editor-In-Chief

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

This past year has proven to be different than expected. The COVID-19 pandemic still looms in the background of a domestic inflation crisis and international peace conflicts throughout EUrope and Asia. Uncertainty is high and the view of what tomorrow will bring consistently shifts, but there are some things that remain constant. Our interactions with one another—whether digitally or in person—matter. Our ability to sympathize and to come together in troubled times is what makes us human.

Harry Redner. Beyond Civilization: Society, Culture And The Individual In The Age Of Globalization. Routledge, 2014., Mariana Tepfenhart

Comparative Civilizations Review

Harry Redner was a reader at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and a visiting professor at Yale University, University of California-Berkeley and Harvard University. His book has three parts: An Overview of History, The Present Predicament of History, and The Future Prospects of Civilization.

The book addresses two major issues affecting our society today. One of them is globalization and its effect on civilization. The topic is analyzed not only from a cultural perspective but also from a political and cognitive standpoint. The second issue is technology and its place in a global society. Redner argues Western civilization’s development of …

China Rising, 2000-2010, William A. Callahan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Shifting Strategies: The Politics Of Radical Change In Provincial Development Policy In China, John A. Donaldson, Xiaotao Yang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Why do provincial governments change policy, even when those policies have proven successful? This paper explores a debate regarding the determinants of provincial policy choice and the degree of discretion provinces are permitted in this area. It does so by scrutinizing the shift in Guizhou's development policy from a poverty reduction orientation to a wholehearted pursuit of economic growth, urbanization and industrialization. In contrast to those who argue that central experience, prospects for promotion or local conditions are key factors explaining policy choice, the paper concludes that Guizhou's shift in policy had more to do with the backgrounds and experiences …

Public Health And Civic Engagement, Bryan M. Bulger

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The research seeks to answer the question does civic engagement affect public health outcomes. Scholars have been theorizing and testing various ideas in this field for some time. Yet, much of the work is general in nature and does not look into a specific argument regarding a causal relationship between civic engagement and public health. A Cost of Voting Index (COVI) with state specific values is used as a measure of civic engagement in this study. The thesis draws from individual level survey data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with respondents from all 50 American states. …

A Threat To Participate: The Impact Of Status Threat On Political Participation - Republicans In 2016, Cassandra Epping

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Social changes such as an expansion of minority rights, demographic shifts that effectively create a majority-minority nation, along with concerns related to America’s immigration practices and increasing globalization pose threats to the established status hierarchies in the United States, or, at least, some citizens perceive this to be the case. Status threat occurs when members of a dominant group believe their privilege, dominance, or way of life is under threat.

Perceived status threat has been shown to trigger conservative views and behaviors, including vote choice and policy preferences, especially among White Americans. However, much remains unknown regarding the influence of …

'Black Knight' Effect: The Role Of Russia In Countering Democratization In Montenegro And Serbia, Danilo Kalezic

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Russia’s growing presence in the Balkans represents a rising concern for the region’s democratic performance. Recent years witnessed series of events impeded by Kremlin to influence the political dynamics and internal affairs of Montenegro and Serbia. Thus, Russia exhibits all the features of ‘black knight’ for democracy in the region. The thesis looks at the impact on democracy performance of the Kremlin involvement within the two countries. It presents an analysis of the activities and strategies that are utilized to undermine democratization of the countries and how they relate to each other. Furthermore, the thesis argues that Kremlin influence in …

When Sanctions Can Benefit The Target: State Strategic Adjustment To Multilateral Sanctions In Russia And Beyond, Anna Marie Zapolska

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The study analyzes how external threats in the face of multilateral sanctions can contribute to the sanctioned (target) state’s strategic adjustment in Russia and beyond. In 2014, the United States and the European Union, along with other Western allies, imposed severe economic sanctions in response to Russia’s military intrusion into Ukraine. In the Russian case, the sanctions failed to achieve their objectives and change the target state’s behavior. As a result, the country could strategically adjust its domestic and foreign policies to mitigate the damage. The key mechanisms that help explain Russia’s strategic adjustment to sanctions are an elite coalition, …

Educating The Policy-Makers: Analyzing The Effectiveness Of State-Level Discipline Policy In K-12, Alexandria Valkner

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

School discipline practices are an often debated topic in the field of education. In recent years, zero-tolerance policies and the use of consequences such as out-of-school suspensions have been routinely criticized. It is argued that those practices limit in-school instructional time and, therefore, directly affect student performance and achievement. Moreover, such discipline policies have also been known to disproportionately affect students from racial and/or ethnic backgrounds, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families compared to their peers. As a result, other disciplinary practices that focus more on restorative communication have been pursued. But little work has been done to …

Cambodian Government’S Responses To The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Success Story, Sopheachanboramey Tuon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis addresses why the Cambodian government could handle the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigates the factors that contribute to the government’s success. I argue that Cambodia’s success in tackling the COVID-19 crisis depends on the state’s possession of infrastructural power, which effectively enabled the government to mobilize resources, surveil people, disseminate information, and roll out vaccination across the country. Furthermore, I argue that Cambodia’s success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic also links to the government’s longing to enhance its legitimacy. These arguments are supported by the empirical findings from the interview of 25 respondents and the review …

Marx, Critical Theory, And The Treadmill Of Production Of Value: Why Environmental Sociology Needs A Critique Of Capital, Alex Stoner

Journal Articles

This chapter explores the domestication of Marx’s critique of political economy within Marxist-oriented environmental sociology, and treadmill of production (ToP) theory, in particular. The aim is to explicate the theoretical resources for a rigorous critique of capital-induced planetary degradation. Shortcomings of ToP theory pertaining to the conceptualization of capital and value are identified. The reasons for these shortcomings, including how they might be addressed, are elaborated by reconsidering key aspects of Marx’s critical theory of modern capitalist society. The chapter contributes to current discussions in both critical theory and environmental sociology by demonstrating the continued relevance of Marx’s critical theory …

An Appeal Of Covenant, Mustafa Ceric

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti Emeritus of Bosnia, calls on Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious leaders in Russia to oppose the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Clergy From The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Uoc) Want Patriarch Kirill To Appear Before An Ecclesiastical Court

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"More than 400 clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), who belong to the Moscow Patriarchate, have signed a call, to put Patriarch Kirill before an Ecclesiastical Court. What they have in mind is a gathering of the leaders of the ancient eastern churches, also the heads of the Orthodox churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The heads of the ancient Patriarchates, during church history had exercised numerous times the function of a supreme ecclesiastical court for Orthodoxy."

Translated by Walter Sawatsky

Best Practices In Protestant Aid For Ukrainian Refugees: 2022, Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, dramatically accelerated Moscow’s military campaign against its southwestern neighbor which had begun in 2014. This unprovoked invasion managed to generate an equally dramatic displacement of Ukrainian civilians, some 13.5 million and counting.

"Paradoxically, the humanitarian response has been both phenomenal and inadequate. It has been phenomenal in its prodigious marshalling of resources and in its determination to alleviate enormous human suffering, calling forth impulses of generosity on a massive scale on the part of the UN, the EU, numerous individual European and North American governments, businesses, foundations, relief and development …

Reconciliation Attempts And The Return To Conflict In The Balkans, 2010-2022 (And Parallels To The Russian War On Ukraine), Vjekoslav Perica

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"Hopefully there will be soon peace in Ukraine, and another attempt at reconciliation in Western Balkans. Even as mostly symbolic and commemorative practices, these endeavors proved that they improve social trust and reduce interethnic tensions. There still remains the question about the purpose and long-term goals of such reconciliation efforts. In my 2021 book, Reconciliation and Last Days, published in Belgrade, Serbia, I argue that postwar reconciliation projects make sense, provided there is a new beginning for wartime enemies, that is, the peoples, faiths, and states in the region. In other words, the purpose of a longer period of peace …

Successful Strategies To Drive Change Management Initiatives Within Global Organizations, Vickey John-Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIneffective change management initiatives can negatively impact organizational performance and profitability, leading to a lack of adaptation and business collapse. Business leaders are concerned with formulating and implementing strategies needed to drive successful change management initiatives for improving organizational performance. Grounded in Lewin's theory of change, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that some business leaders used to successfully implement change management initiatives for improving organizational performance. The participants included four business leaders from four organizations in St. Lucia, Caribbean, with at least five years of experience in leadership who successfully implemented organizational change …

Abstract Immigration Policies Of The Obama And Trump Administrations Focused On Alien Arrests, Levino Lorenzo Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractImmigration policy has been a growing concern for the United States, but it was unknown what differences had been experienced between President Trump and President Obama’s implemented immigration policies. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to determine if any statistically significant differences existed between the number of “criminal aliens” arrested for removal versus non-criminal aliens arrested with victimless crimes during the Obama and Trump administration. This cross-sectional study was guided by punctuated equilibrium theory and data were gathered by available public, archival data. The total number of documented/undocumented non-criminal alien arrests during the Obama Administration from January …