Political Science Commons^™

Capitalism In Europe Vs. Latin America, Brandy Mace, Lucas E. Mainhart, Caleb Edwards, Dayton Lamb, Jesus Herrera-Herrera

ATU Scholars Symposium

Focusing on the years 1995 to 2023, what are the universal traits of capitalism versus the more varying or flexible traits, as demonstrated by comparing European and Latin American practices of capitalism. For the country comparisons, researchers have agreed on 3 common variables to evaluate the capitalist practices of a Latin American country with a European one. These shared variables are 1) The power of the country's currency, 2) The informal versus formal employment of the labor force, as well as unemployment rate, and 3) The income gap between the rich and poor. Each researcher will also include 1-3 additional …

Students' Thoughts On Use Of Political Violence And Other Forms Of Unconventional Political Participation, Joshua L. Hansen

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This research project is about Winona State student's thoughts on different forms of unconventional political participation such as riots and political movements where violence is used as a tool. Research was conducted through Qualtrics in a collaboration with peers in the same course. This survey was given to Winona state students and asked their thoughts on movements that have turned towards unconventional political participation methods. This project was done as a part of the Political Science and Public Administration program.

The Age Of Change? Young Adults And Third Party Politics In America, Ava M. Schroeder

Research & Creative Achievement Day

This is a capstone research poster looking at college students' opinions on political parties in America. The research focuses on third parties and more particularly why they have failed in the past and what to expect as younger generations become increasingly involved in American politics. The research was conducted, via Qualtrics, by surveying Winona State University college students as a requirement of the Political Science and Public Administration program at Winona State University.

Human Rights Abuses In Post Conflict Societies & Subsequent Case Study On Guatemala, Morgan Van Beck

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

No abstract provided.

Three Essays On Education Policy, Intergroup Relations, And Human Capital Accumulation, Wai Meng Jeremy Siow

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The impact of education on fostering the development of human capital and molding sociopolitical attitudes from an early age is a well-explored topic in the field of social sciences. This dissertation takes a broader approach by delving into the consequences of two critical components of the education system: (1) the language used for instruction, and (2) citizenship education. To accomplish this, I employ a combination of observational and experimental research methods to disentangle the causal effects of these educational factors within the contexts of Malaysia and Singapore. Chapter 2 delves into the ramifications of adopting a non-native language of instruction …

Unmasking The Holder Of The Purse Strings: Countering Chinese Economic Coercion In The Indo-Pacific, Rachel L. Davis

Senior Honors Theses

The Indo-Pacific is a key focal point of U.S.-China competition due to its geographical, economic, and military significance. China is using political warfare to achieve its strategic goals in the region, influencing other nations to align with its interests. Economic coercion is a key tool of this warfare. This is evident in the Pacific Islands, among America’s treaty allies, in Southeast Asia, and in South Asia. To prove itself the superior partner, maintain access to key points of land, and keep the Indo-Pacific open for trade, the U.S. must counter China’s activities. This can be achieved via a stronger economic …

How Social Movements Have Influenced Child Custody Standards Over Time, Victoria Miller

Honors Theses

Child custody standards have evolved over time due to societal attitude shifts regarding gender roles. The stereotypes present within the decision-making process of child custody laws have been challenged repeatedly in order to attack sexism within the laws. Child custody decisions are important for the child and family in question, because whichever parental guardian has custody over the child has the legal authority to make life changing choices for the child. These choices can include education, religion, and the environment the child grows and develops in. Parental choices can affect a child's mental and physical well-being, which makes it crucial …

The Development Of International Law In Relation To Crimes Against Humanity, Nikki Redelijk

Global Tides

This paper will look at the development of international law in relation to crimes against humanity. First, juridically applied at the Nuremberg Trials, crimes against humanity has historically offered a compelling juxtaposition between naturalist and positivist law. Hence, this paper attempts to shed light on these juxtapositions, as seen by the respective arguments taken up by the Allies and Germany at Nuremberg. Likewise, this paper will illustrate the complexities within the definition itself. Finally, this paper will clarify the differing definitions taken up at the various tribunals following Nuremberg, leading up to the Rome Statute. It is a hope, that …

British Populism: Ideals Over The Individual, David Pipitone

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

Over the course of the last decade or so, a wave of populism - especially of the right-wing type - has crashed upon many democratic countries across the globe. Through this wave, sitting governments have been ousted, the direction of policy has been turned around completely, and to this day, debates about the future of democracy continue in each of them. So too was the United Kingdom hit by this wave. A boiling of right-wing resentment of David Cameron led him to call a referendum on British membership in the European Union to placate the United Kingdom Independence Party in …

The Role Internships Play In Political Science Education, Madaline Lankford

Honors Theses

This project will explore the critical role internships play in undergraduate education, with a particular focus on political science, by examining the history and impact of Western Michigan University’s Capital Internship Program. The study aims to shed light on the diverse experiences of past participants and conduct comprehensive research into the significance of internships in shaping the academic and professional trajectories of countless students. By delving into the stories and reflections of former interns, this research will provide testimonials that underscore the value of experiential learning. These personal accounts will highlight how internships bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge acquired …

Proposed Charlotte To Atlanta High-Speed Passenger Rail Line: An Economic, Infrastructural, And Developmental Analysis In The Upstate Of South Carolina, Ian C. Macurda, Kimberly Whitehead

SC Upstate Research Symposium

This research paper is an in-depth analysis of the high-speed passenger rail line proposed between Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA and its impact on the economy, infrastructure, and future development of the Upstate of South Carolina. Currently, passenger rail service between Charlotte and Atlanta is offered on Amtrak at late hours throughout the night on its long-distance passenger rail line The Crescent from New York City, NY to New Orleans, LA. The train is often delayed and is operating at a deficit for Amtrak, like most of their long-distance routes. Traffic on Interstate 85 through the Upstate is another issue …

Political Symbolism In Literature: Themes Of Colonialism, Corruption, And Greed, Ava E. Briglevich

FUSION

This Final Essay for World Literature Section 008 compares the texts “In the Penal Colony” by Franz Kafka and “Death Constant Beyond Love” by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez while analyzing themes of colonialism, corruption, and greed. Both authors are recognized for producing works rich with political and social commentary, and reading these stories allows one to gain new perspectives on these themes. In this essay, I share insight into the events that occurred during the stories' creation that contribute to the overall themes. Additionally, I connect these themes to modern events to demonstrate how the ideas put forth by Kafka and Garcia-Marquez …

Hgs-3 The Influence Of A Tandem Cycling Program In The Community On Physical And Functional Health, Therapeutic Bonds, And Quality Of Life For Individuals And Care Partners Coping With Parkinson’S Disease, Leila Djerdjour, Jennifer L. Trilk

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Purpose Statement: Several studies have shown that aerobic exercise can have a positive impact on alleviating symptoms experienced by individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite this evidence, the potential benefits of exercise for both PD patients and their care partners (PD dyad) remain unexplored. This research project investigates the effectiveness, therapeutic collaborations, and physical outcomes of a virtual reality (VR) tandem cycling program specifically designed for PD dyads.

Methods: Following approval from the Prisma Health Institutional Review Board, individuals with PD were identified and screened by clinical neurologists. The pre-testing measures for PD dyads (N=9) included emotional and cognitive status …

Framing Contestation And Public Influence On Policymakers: Evidence From Us Artificial Intelligence Policy Discourse, Daniel S. Schiff

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

As artificial intelligence (AI) policy has begun to take shape in recent years, policy actors have worked to influence policymakers by strategically promoting issue frames that define the problems and solutions policymakers should attend to. Three such issue frames are especially prominent, surrounding AI’s economic, geopolitical, and ethical dimensions. Relatedly, while technology policy is traditionally expert-dominated, new governance paradigms are encouraging increased public participation along with heightened attention to social and ethical dimensions of technology. This study aims to provide insight into whether members of the public and the issue frames they employ shape—or fail to shape—policymaker agendas, particularly for …

What Are The Demographic Characteristics Of Us State Legislatures That Introduce Anti-Transgender Legislation?, Sophie Christensen

Student Research Symposium

Do demographic factors of state legislatures such as proportion of female members, proportion of LGBTQ+ members, proportion of POC, etc., effect how much anti-trans legislation is introduced by the legislature? Do these effects vary based on the party composition and control of the legislature?

The Effects Of Un Peacekeeping Missions On Human Rights Protection During Armed Conflict, Mahtab Shafiei

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation explores the effectiveness of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations (PKOs) and special political missions (SPMs) in reducing conflict-related violence. Utilizing monthly data on battle deaths and peacekeeping missions from 1987 to 2014, the research applies the bargaining theory of war and liberal peace theory, finding that both PKOs and SPMs effectively reduce battle deaths. SPMs are particularly effective due to their collaboration with local authorities and emphasis on promoting democracy, human rights, and development. The study also highlights the role of UN radio stations in mitigating violence but finds no substantial evidence linking disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) …

Evaluating Macro-Policy Attitudes About Abortion In The United States, Christopher Olds, Miriam Guadalupe Benavides-Ortega, Madison May Albers, Rocio Figueroa-Castro

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Prior research on public opinion demonstrates attitudes about major issues often shift/move together. In other words, public support for government involvement in domestic affairs across multiple policy areas can be indicative of the general policy sentiment or public mood at any given point in time. In exploring specific issue areas in isolation, researchers can assess whether change in opinion on an issue area is significantly linked to fluctuations in views about macroeconomic conditions. The current research project will contrast quarterly public support for government involvement in the issue area of abortion through vector autoregression time series techniques examining whether prior …

Beaver Fever: An Oral History Of Beaver Mountain Resort, Mia Shumway, Drake Hansen, Rory Olsen, Melanie Kimball

Student Research Symposium

Research Question: What does Beaver Mountain mean to the people of Cache Valley?

The Influence Of Social Media On The Political Identification Of Generation Z, Addison Cates

2024 Student Academic Showcase

The purpose of this research is to determine the impact that social media plays in people’s political identification. Today, children have access to politics through multiple social media platforms. While this could be a good way for children to grow into mature, individualistic adults, it could also expose them to aspects of politics they may not yet understand. Generation Z is the first adolescent generation to navigate social media as a source of political knowledge. It has been previously found that, yes, people usually follow in their parents’ footsteps when it comes to politics. However, with the recent surge of …

To What Extent Did Karl Marx's Political Thought Influence The Occupy Wall Street Movement In The 21st Century?, Madalyn Schroeder

2024 Student Academic Showcase

The research will investigate the influences of Karl Marx’s political thought and the Occupy Wall Street movement in the 21st Century. The study looks to measure the depth and significance of Marx’s influence on a modern sociopolitical movement driven by economic inequality and social justice concerns. By taking a multidisciplinary approach that combines political theory, social activism analysis, and historical context, this investigation shows the extent to which Marx’s ideas informed the ideological foundation and strategies of the Occupy Wall Street movement. By looking through primary sources, protest literature, and the discourse of the movement, this research provides a variated …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald: Big Red By Ai, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period March 3 - April 8, 2024.

• Big Red, Is That You?
• Anderson, Alexandria. Letter from the Editor - Artificial Intelligence
• Phelps, Maggie. What is AI? - Artificial Intelligence
• AI’s Impact on Higher Education
• Reed, Bailey. Students Share Opinions on AI
• Abney, Shayla. WKU Faculty Discuss AI in Courses
• Hawkins, Kaylee. AI’s Impact on Blackboard Ultra
• Randolph, Eli. AI Recreates a WKU Tour
• Shaw, Cameron. WKU Department of Political Science Hosts Dead President’s Tour

Presidential Unilateralism In Contemporary U.S. Trade Policymaking: An Analysis Of The Section 232 Tariff Exclusion Process By The Trump Administration, Miao Wang

Political Science ETDs

On March 1, 2018, President Trump declared a 25% tariff on certain steel imports by invoking Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act. Despite the extraordinary tariff measure, my research with logit regression and negative binomial regression analysis finds that the Trump Administration in its tariff exclusion process favored constituencies with a higher share of the president’s supporters and allowed import products from China more likely to receive the exclusions. I argue that the Trump Administration took these contradictory trade actions to achieve multiple goals at the same time: to pressure foreign trade partners and to protect vulnerable domestic …

Textual Assessment Of Leaders Individual Differences: Exploring Talid, Michael Young

Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity Faculty Scholarship

The Textual Assessment of Leader Individual Differences (TALID) is a growing archive of leader speech and a dataset of individual difference scores for more than 750 global leaders. TALID includes texts accumulated by Social Science Automation, Inc and Margaret G. Hermann during a variety of research projects conducted since 1997. Recent additions to TALID include documents for Joseph Biden and Donald Trump contributed by the Xiamen University Digital Presidents Project. The scores in the data set are all generated using automated coding schemes running on Profiler Plus (Levine & Young, 2014). Variables included in TALID are for Leadership Trait Analysis …

A Power Elite Alliance And Local Environmental Policy: Elon Musk In Cameron County, Michelle Keck, Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

Political Science Faculty Publications

The present work analyzes several aspects related to the environmental impacts that Elon Musk’s company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has had on Cameron County, Texas. Utilizing prior studies, we will focus on how the power elite impact policy at the federal, state, and local levels, specifically regarding SpaceX’s arrival to Cameron County as well as environmental policy concerning the activities at the SpaceX Starbase facility, located on Boca Chica Beach, Texas. The present analysis uses data from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including government officials, developers, environmentalists, and other activists in order to understand the connections between the global and …

What Can We Learn About Teaching Excellence From Our Students? Lessons From Six Years Of Teaching Award Data, Christopher Shortell, Kris Henning, Carl Christiansen

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Teaching excellence in higher education can be defined and studied in different ways, but research efforts to date have often focused on institutional or instructor perspectives. This article uses a data set of over 500 open-ended comments submitted by Political Science undergraduates as part of a teaching award process to identify themes that matter most to students. We find that being supportive, bringing humor, enthusiasm, and passion to the classroom, and engaging students with relevant, challenging, and exciting activities are what defines teaching excellence from a student’s perspective. Building on these themes and using quotes to illustrate key concepts, we …

Impact Of Snap On Food Insecurity: A Michigan And Indiana Case Study, Cecelia Chapleau

Honors Theses

Food insecurity is one of the most pervasive and concerning problems in the United States. Approximately 1 in every 13 households within the United States was food insecure at some point during 2022 (Rabbitt et al., 2023) Food insecurity occurs when households have a limited ability to access nutritious foods, there is a limited supply of safe, healthy foods, or they are unable to obtain food in socially acceptable ways (Anderson, 1990). Low food security is associated with adverse health outcomes like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and poor mental health, which contributes to the severity of the problem (Thomas …

Navigating Murky Waters: State-Level Strategies For Wetland Preservation And Tile Drainage Regulation After Sackett V. Epa, Caleb M. Swanson

Honors Thesis

Wetlands are some of the world’s most valuable ecosystems, serving as provisioners of species habitat, carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, water quality purification, and other ecosystem services. Human development has resulted in substantial wetland loss the world over. In the 1970s, the United States Congress passed the Clean Water Act, giving the EPA broad authority over wetland protection. However, in the summer of 2023, the United States Supreme Court decided Sackett v. EPA, limiting the EPA’s jurisdiction over wetlands to those indistinguishably connected to generally recognized “Waters of the United States” and removing federal protection for millions of acres of wetlands, …

U.S. Government Agency Podcasts, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Presents podcasts from U.S. Government agencies which can be discovered through the U.S. Government Publishing Office's Catalog of Government Publications. Agencies whose podcasts are presented include the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Peace Corps, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Government Accountability Office (GAO), National Park Service, Department of Justice, Federal Reserve System, and U.S. Naval War College.

The Effective Of The Chinese Position Towards The Achievement Of Palestinian Political Goals, Alaa Aldeek, Jun Ding

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

The political process between the Palestinians and the Israelis did not lead to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state in accordance with the settlement option that led to the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, or as stipulated in international legitimacy. Accordingly, there has been a great debate within the Palestinian arena about the effectiveness and importance of the negotiating option in achieving Palestinian political goals in the future. China supports a negotiated political solution, provided the firm and consistent implementation of international law and international resolutions towards resolving the Palestinian issue, and that Israel and …

Uncharted Territory: Researching The Effect Of Implicit Bias On The Political Attitudes Of Black Participants, Briona Young

Scholars Week

Extant research suggests that implicit bias can predict behavior such as voting, policy preferences, and assessment of government performance (Pérez 2010). Yet, research on implicit bias has largely excluded people of color, leaving a wide gap in our understanding of implicit bias and its effects on society (Orey, 2013). In this study, we research implicit bias within the black community and test its effects on political attitudes. We administer Harvard’s Implicit Association Test (IAT) and a survey to measure levels of implicit bias and subsequently policy preferences and trust in government. We expect to find that the black participants with …