Political Science Commons^™

Ramerican Political Science Review (Vol. 9, Feb. 2025 Special Edition)

Ramerican Political Science Review

France's Strategic Dynamics: Power, Partnerships, and Prospects / Marie Cox -- The Contribution of the United Kingdom to the Security of Europe / Kelly Williams -- Poland: A Pivotal Actor for the Future of European Security / Zack Kloman -- The End of Finlandization / Natasha C. Smith -- A New Age: Turkish Security in a Changing World / Alexandra Pabon

Panem Et Circenses: Entertainment And Empires In The Hunger Games Series, Sydney G. Hudson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Governments have long employed entertainment as a tool of distraction. Recognized as the concept of panem et circenses or “festivals and spectacles,” governments manipulate entertainment so that citizens often willingly exchange their power for distraction and comfort. In The Hunger Games, author Suzanne Collins revises this narrative and uses entertainment as a tool for education.Achieving wide-reaching popularity, Collins leveraged both print and screen media to empower a generation. Collins warns against the dangers of panem et circenses and underscores the importance of hope as a force that counters societal despair and distraction. I argue that throughout The Hunger Games …

How Did A Democrat Win In Deep Red Kentucky? A Study Of Andy Beshear's 2019 And 2023 Electoral Victories, Edwin Wilborn

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Democrat Andy Beshear won his first election as governor of Kentucky in 2019, surprising many by defeating an incumbent Republican governor in a GOP-dominated state and a state that Donald Trump had won handedly in 2016. While Democrats had historically been the dominant party in the commonwealth, by the time of Beshear’s 2019 gubernatorial campaign, that was no longer the case. Beshear’s ability to not only win again but to win by a larger margin against a Trump-backed candidate in 2023 begs two questions: how did Beshear win, and is his success replicable for future Democrats?

Following a discussion of …

C-Dem Advisory Council Meeting May 12, 2025, Laura Stephenson, Allison Harell

Meeting Notes

No abstract provided.

Public Support For War And Desertion, Joshua Delaigle

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

Since the beginning of war, soldier desertion has been an issue for military leaders and the politicians supporting them. Desertion from the United States Military is defined in Title 10 of the U.S. Code Article 85 as a member of the armed forces who goes or remains absent from his or her unit or place of duty with the intent to remain away permanently (“10 U.S. Code § 885”). Desertions lessen both unit cohesion and combat readiness, potentially changing the tide of a war. For these reasons, military leaders and academic researchers have been concerned with understanding the phenomenon of …

Covid-19 In The History Of Capitalism, Victor Wallis

Faculty Works

The obvious role of capital in generating poverty, war, and environmental breakdown has not led to a parallel recognition of how deeply it shapes the ideology and practice of healthcare. Progressives view access to healthcare as a matter of “right,” but with rare exceptions they do not focus attention on the wider determinants of health policy – from the life-conditions that shape public health to the prevalence, in capitalist countries, of market-inspired remedies. Looking at the US experience and noting how capitalist priorities have permeated official policies toward Covid-19, this essay discusses how medical objections to these policies have been …

What Causes Democratic Backsliding In Latin America? A Comparative Case Study Of Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, And Costa Rica, Samantha Foshee

Honors Program Theses

This study examines the causes of democratic backsliding in Latin America, comparing Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. Events like the January 8th, 2023 riot in Brazil and the use of intimidation tactics by President Bukele in El Salvador demonstrate the erosion that these two countries have faced. On the other hand, Chile and Costa Rica have maintained stable democracies. This study aims to understand what caused these countries’ different paths by examining the levels of political polarization, party deterioration, citizen dissatisfaction, and the presence of populist leaders. Overall, it was found that polarization and party deterioration increase the …

An Examination Of Donald Trump And Young Evangelical Voters, Kevin Finn

Honors Theses and Capstones

The relationship between Donald Trump and religious voters is often discussed, but much less attention has been directed to the connection between Trump and young voters, particularly young evangelicals. This paper attempts to provide the reasoning behind why despite his unconventional character, Trump maintains a strong base of support from young evangelical voters. After examining the theories of previous scholars, it hypothesizes that support is shaped by religious elites, who exploit the strong connection that young evangelicals have to their community. The argument is separated into three phases: first, that evangelical leaders and elites have proven to be consistently in …

Estimating The Effect Of Positivity About Immigrants On Vote Choice In The 2020 Us Presidential Election, L.J. Zigerell

Faculty Publications – Politics and Government

Much of the research that estimates how attitudes about immigrants affect outcomes uses a measure that ranges from a lack of negativity about immigrants to a high level of negativity about immigrants. But this overlooks the effect of positivity about immigrants. The present study illustrates a method that uses a neutral point of indifference about immigrants to separate the effect of positivity about immigrants from the effect of negativity about immigrants. Analysis of data from the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group VOTER Survey suggested that positivity about immigrants was an important predictor of vote choice in the 2020 US presidential …

Ordering Effects In Stereotype Scales, L.J. Zigerell

Faculty Publications – Politics and Government

Stereotypes about groups are commonly measured by asking participants to rate the groups on a scale. However, the percentage of participants who stereotype a group can be affected by the order in which participants are asked to rate the groups. Data from a randomized experiment in the American National Election Studies 2022 Pilot Study indicated that a group was more frequently positively stereotyped relative to another group when the group was asked about first in the pair of groups, compared to when the other group in the pair was asked about first. Researchers are therefore advised to randomize the order …

Connecting Classrooms To Communities: A Practical And Effective Guide For Involving Community Development Practitioners In Graduate Seminars, Michael Hendricks

Faculty Publications – Politics and Government

This article examines the pedagogical impact of a strategically structured guest speaker series in a graduate-level community development seminar. Drawing on four cohorts of qualitative student feedback and utilizing an inductive thematic analysis, the study explores how guest speakers influence student learning, professional development, and civic engagement. Findings reveal that guest speakers effectively bridge theory and practice, enhance classroom engagement, and foster critical thinking, career exploration, and long-term civic involvement. Students reported that interacting with diverse professionals helped clarify real-world applications of course content and inspired volunteerism, internships, and employment opportunities. The paper also identifies conditions that enhance the effectiveness …

Strategic Ambiguity Or Strategic Clarity: China’S Rise And Us Policy Towards The Taiwan Issue, T.Y. Wang

Faculty Publications – Politics and Government

Observers have noted that Washington’s policy of ‘strategic ambiguity’ aims not only to deter China from attacking Taiwan but also to keep Taipei from taking actions that may be deemed provocative by Beijing leaders. Remarks and actions taken by former United States President Joseph Biden seem to place America’s long-held ambiguous policy in doubt. It has been argued that a clear security commitment from Washington is likely to bolster Taiwan citizens’ unrealistic expectations of America’s defence support and their calls for independence, which will certainly invite Beijing’s violent responses. Employing the theory of deterrence and survey data collected in Taiwan …

Cover Art, Vân Lê

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Dim Theory Applied To Law: The Disintegration Of American Law, Tristen Fleig

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Plato, Aristotle, and Montesquieu each argued the importance of law to political regime and Constitution. The ancients emphasized the law as the rational component of the regime and Montesquieu applied some of the first political science to show how political regimes rely upon law. Still, the exact connection between law and politics, and law and philosophy more broadly has remained largely obscured. In my account, legal system ought to be understood as the institutional framework that supports and protect a particular kind of life accepted by the intellectuals and the people of a nation. Using DIM theory from The DIM …

Maritime Industry Cybersecurity Threats In 2025: Advanced Persistent Threats (Apts), Hacktivism And Vulnerabilities, Minodora Badea, Olga Bucovetchi, Adrian V. Gheorghe, Mihaela Hnatiuc, Gabriel Raicu

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: The maritime industry, vital for global trade, faces escalating cyber threats in 2025. Critical port infrastructures are increasingly vulnerable due to rapid digitalization and the integration of IT and operational technology (OT) systems. Methods: Using 112 incidents from the Maritime Cyber Attack Database (MCAD, 2020-2025), we developed a novel quantitative risk assessment model based on a Threat-Vulnerability-Impact (T-V-I) framework, calibrated with MITRE ATT&CK techniques and validated against historical incidents. Results: Our analysis reveals a 150% rise in incidents, with OT compromise identified as the paramount threat (98/100 risk score). Ports in Poland and Taiwan face the …

The Women’S Legal Rights Index: A New Approach To Measuring Women’S Autonomy, Mona Shadia

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Existing indicators of women’s empowerment focus on women’s educational attainment. Yet theories of women’s empowerment in politics, in particular their role in democratization, extend beyond the consequences of education to require agency and autonomy in their lives. In the first chapter of this dissertation, I argue that in an effort to measure women’s citizenship and standing in their respective societies, access to legal rights should be measured and considered. My theoretical framework builds on literature that demonstrates that while education is critical to women’s prosperity in many facets of life, other measures related to their legal rights can provide a …

Postsecondary Enrollment Demand-Gap Estimation Model: Projecting The Postsecondary Demand-Gap For California By 2035, Manish Ranjan Shrivastav

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The postsecondary education system in California has been under the pressure of expansion by the means of opening a new campus for several years. The Legislative Analyst’s Office has been recommending whether to open new campus or not as a part of its mandate. In 1990, it recommended opening up of one campus of CSU, however, its projections grossly underestimated the future demand. In 2017, the LAO in its report recommended that given the demand projections there is no need for a new campus. The study commissioned by the Chancellor’s office of California State University also made the same recommendation. …

Building The Beast: The Evolution Of Mara Salvatrucha (Ms-13) From Street Gang To Transnational Criminal Organization, Marisa Mendoza

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the evolution of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) from a social stoner group in Los Angeles to a feared transnational criminal organization (TCO). Through a longitudinal study of literature and opensource materials spanning over 50 years, this study examines suppression and policy reforms enacted in the United States, Mexico, and Northern Triangle region of Central America that have catalyzed shifts in the criminal ecosystem, and vice versa. By exploring the genealogical makeup of TCO networks, particularly La Cosa Nostra, Mexican Mafia prison gang, and Los Zetas drug trafficking cartel, it will provide a better understanding of how an anomaly …

Essays On Political Factors, Exchange Rate Regimes, And Economic Growth, Kunchun Chu

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores the relationship among political regimes, regional initiatives, and exchange rate regimes in East and Southeast Asian countries, with a particular focus on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The work is structured around three interrelated essays, each addressing a critical aspect of the relationship.

The first essay examines how the political regime of a country influences its choice of exchange rate regime. Focusing on East and Southeast Asian countries, this study utilizes a comparative analysis to determine the extent to which political regime type shape monetary policy decisions. The findings provide new insights into the political economy …

Innovating Government The Open Way: Modeling The Open Data Ecosystem, Jeanne Holm

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Governments around the world are releasing open data with the aim of stimulating innovation, driving economic development, and advancing social good. Despite significant investment in data infrastructure and technology, many open data initiatives struggle to effectively engage stakeholders or deliver on their intended outcomes. Thus, this dissertation targets the research question: How can a human-centered open government data ecosystem be modeled to ensure that stakeholders are engaged and find data? It also explores which stakeholders should be engaged and what methods are most effective in engaging them. To address the research questions, this dissertation adopts a design science methodology and …

Bridging Science And Sustainability: Palestinians’ Perspective On Examining The Role Of Stem Education In The West Bank’S Development, Amir Rashed

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the transformative potential of integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education as a catalyst for sustainable development in the West Bank, Palestine, amid the constraints of Israeli occupation. It explores how structural barriers—including restricted movement, inadequate infrastructure, limited resources, gender disparities, and sociopolitical instability—undermine access to quality education and impede efforts to build a knowledge-based society. Employing a qualitative research design, the study draws on interviews with college professors and NGO professionals to investigate how integrated STEM education can foster critical thinking, innovation, and problem-solving skills that address pressing local challenges such as water scarcity, renewable …

Living Networks: Reimagining Social Capital Beyond Institutions, Meghna Pamula

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the decline of social capital in the United States and explores how community connection can be rebuilt outside of traditional government institutions. Motivated by the question of whether social capital can be rebuilt within bureaucratic structures, the research evaluates the role of alternative, agile models such as local volunteer organizations, mutual aid networks, third spaces, and NGOs. Using a comparative case study approach and qualitative analysis, I examine initiatives across different cultures that foster social trust and connection beyond the limitations of formal systems. The findings illustrate that adaptive models of social capital that are not based …

Methodological And Data-Driven Approaches For Analyzing And Enhancing Campus Camera Coverage At The University Of Akron, Aj Stewart

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This Honors Project presents both a methodological and data-driven approach to analyzing, calculating, and enhancing the camera coverage on The University of Akron's (UA) campus using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The project uses spatial crime mapping with camera coverage analysis to support The University of Akron Police Department (UAPD) in determining surveillance gaps and suggesting strategic improvements. The goal is to develop a replicable framework for evaluating and improving camera coverage in crime hotspots using spatial analysis and viewshed analysis. The findings in this project give a usable guide for using data to improve security camera placement according to maps …

Church Attendance, Gender Roles, And Human Sexuality, Derek D. Goodrich

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

This research examines how the frequency of religious attendance impacts views on gender roles and sexuality in Christian subgroups in the United States. Prior research on the varying worldviews of American Christians has revealed a diverse group of opinions that cannot be explained solely by denominational affiliation. Based on social identity theory, this study explores whether the frequency of attendance at religious services influences congregants’ beliefs on six issues: legalization of gay marriage, the acceptance of homosexuality in society, the acceptance of transgender people, whether a parent should stay home with the children, which parent should stay home, and women …

Balancing Profit And Principle: How Firms Navigate The Rise Of Authoritarianism, Spencer Fraseur

Business Administration Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of my dissertation is to contribute to the growing discussion on the intersection of totalitarianism and business practices, highlighting the need for leaders to navigate the seismic shifts in global commerce and make ethical decisions in an increasingly complex landscape. Specifically, it examines the decline of the Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) and Liberal International Order (LIO) as well as the rise of totalitarianism across the globe, and the challenges these trends pose for businesses and managers. The first study constructs a comprehensive framework delineating the diverse responses of businesses to authoritarian regimes, ranging from resistance to accommodation. This …

Critical Approaches To Climate-Induced Migration Research And Solutions, Rosalyn Negrón, David Hernández, Hossein Ayazi, Pablo Shiladitaya Bose, Nyingilanyeofori Brown, Elora Chowdhury, Janelle Knox-Hayes, Rajini Srikanth, Banu Subramaniam, Farhana Sultana, Patrick Sylvain, Carlos Vargas-Ramos, Charles Venator-Santiago

Sustainable Solutions Lab

In this commentary we explore the confluence of factors shaping climate-induced migration and the need for comprehensive solutions grounded in historical and systemic understandings. We argue that climate change, colonial legacies, and geopolitical policies significantly influence migration patterns, particularly for historically marginalised communities. We call for scholars to develop holistic frameworks that consider environmental, political, historical, and economic factors while advocating for the legal recognition and protection of migrants and people displaced by climate impacts. Drawing on examples of internal migration and displacement in the United States and refugee camps globally, we highlight the complexities of resettlement. We propose integrated …

Where’D You Go, Ohio: Progressive Ohio Ballot Initiative Passage In A Republican Aligned State, Colin D. Swearingen, Elizabeth A. Stiles, Barrett Scheatzle*

2025 Faculty Bibliography

Over the span of just three months, Ohio voters went to the polls to weigh in on three issues concerning the threshold needed to amend the state constitution, abortion, and marijuana. Despite being a Republican-leaning state – per an author’s calculations, its Cook’s Partisan Voter Index is R+6 – the more progressive position won all three votes handily. In August, the coalition supporting the status quo of requiring a simple majority to change the state constitution, a longheld progressive position, won 57.1% of the vote (“The New York Times,” 2023a). In November, voters approved a constitutional amendment to give individuals …

Assessing Best Practices Of Facilitation Of The Free Exercise Of Religion By Army Chaplains Utilizing The Success Case Method, Geoffrey N. Bailey Phd

Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined how U.S. Army chaplains experience and facilitate the free exercise of religion. The research explored compelling narratives of best-case facilitation experiences, identified leadership qualities associated with successful religious support, and analyzed similarities and differences between best and worst-case scenarios. Using Brinkerhoff's Success Case Method, the study distributed a quantitative survey to 1,478 active-duty chaplains (achieving a 23% response rate) followed by twelve guided interviews with participants representing diverse ranks and faith traditions. The research revealed six major themes: significant gaps in education for pluralistic ministry, tension between personal religious convictions and professional duties, crucial impact of …

Ai And Strategic Power: An Analysis Of Ai In Cyberwarfare, Krystal J. Correal

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intertwined in nearly all aspects of civilian life and is becoming progressively embedded into global conflict in novel ways. AI’s role in cyberwarfare is altering the structure of strategic power. This paper explores how the weaponized application of AI in cyberwarfare, both in military and public use, work to benefit states with advanced AI capabilities in kinetic and non-kinetic forms while undermining those without. With the focus on superpowered states, such as the U.S., China, and Russia, and a representative non-superpower, Ukraine, the study examines the basic requirements for AI dominance: resources (financial and other), technological …

Racial Capitalism: The Political Economy Of American Punishment, Naomi Barbour

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

This research examines how the criminal justice industrial complex and existing political incentives have shaped American penology, ultimately contributing to the disenfranchisement and unequal representation of marginalized groups. It identifies a significant historical shift in U.S. penal philosophy, moving from rehabilitation to retribution, arguing that this shift coincided with the rise of economic interests in the criminal justice system, facilitating the emergence of the criminal justice industrial complex. The research further examines the effects of this changing environment, arguing that the growing influence of profit-driven entities, including private prison companies, has played a crucial role in radicalizing criminal justice policies, …