Political Science Commons^™

The Predictors Of Self-Censorship On College Campuses, Henry I. Long

CMC Senior Theses

Across U.S. colleges, speech climates are poor. Self-censorship and discomfort expressing views are common. At the same time, we find wide variation in speech climates across different institutions. This study is the first to identify factors that predict variation in speech climates. Drawing on data from multiple sources, including a survey of 58,807 undergraduates across 257 colleges and universities from the Foundation from Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), this study constructs a first-of-its-kind dataset to test three core theories of self-censorship found in the literature—student-centric theories, faculty-centric theories, and administrator-centric theories. We find moderate evidence to support each theory. Overall, …

The Pen Is The Sword: A Re-Examination Of Chinese “Wolf Warrior” Diplomacy, 2009-2024, Margo E. Cohen

CMC Senior Theses

During and for some period after the COVID-19 pandemic, there was considerable international recognition of the phenomenon dubbed “wolf warrior” diplomacy, where Chinese diplomats acted in an unusually unprofessional manner, often leveraging ad hominem attacks, violent rhetoric, and occasionally physical aggression to communicate specific points. In this paper, I question the fundamental assumptions that we make of “wolf warriors” – that they are young, early-career professionals that acted only during and after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic – and find instead that “wolf warriors” are often mid-career professionals. I also note that there are occurrences of “wolf warrior” diplomacy …

Procedural Reform And One-Sided Litigation: Evaluating The Impact Of California’S Fair Debt Buying Practices Act, Kaitlyn Seever

CMC Senior Theses

This study evaluates whether California’s Fair Debt Buying Practices Act (CFDBPA), effective January 2014, improved litigation outcomes in consumer debt lawsuits. The CFDBPA sought to curb abusive practices by imposing heightened documentation requirements on debt buyers. Using a dataset of 535,766 limited-jurisdiction debt collection cases filed in Los Angeles County between 2012 and 2022, a constrained difference-in-differences event study design compares outcomes between secondary and non-secondary debt buyers before and after the law’s implementation.

The analysis finds modest changes: dismissals for secondary buyers increased slightly relative to non-secondary buyers, but default judgment rates remained high. Defendant response rates declined for …

Analyzing Political Sentiment On Micro-Blogging Data: A Lexicon And Machine Learning Approach To The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, Ava Grey

CMC Senior Theses

This paper explores the trends in sentiment towards U.S. presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump through micro-blogging social media text during the five months leading up to the election. Two datasets of varying sizes and origins were used to contextualize and validate analysis findings. The analyses include both a lexicon-based approach and a machine learning predictive method. Common sentiment analysis techniques like term frequency, term frequency inverse, various lexicons, and n-grams were utilized during the lexicon approach. During the modeling, a random forest was utilized in addition to the methods used during the lexicon approach. Results showed that overall …

Invisible No More: Looking And Listening Locally To Build Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Resilience, Anjali Thakore

CMC Senior Theses

The ubiquity of sexual violence, with its devastating physical and psychological consequences, has rendered conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) one of the most effective and enduring “invisible crimes” of war. Despite receiving growing attention across academic, political, and activist circles, wartime sexual violence remains pervasive in contemporary conflict zones. Against the backdrop of these frequent and recurring violations, this thesis explores the dissonance between high-level rhetorical commitments to preventing and punishing CRSV and on-the-ground realities. What soon emerges is a troubling pattern in which gendered violence—and women’s lived experiences more generally—while increasingly visible in theory, remains marginalised in practice. By investigating …

A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Realism In U.S. Foreign Policy, Olivia M. Licata

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the influence of realist theory on U.S. foreign policy from 1776 to 2025. Through a temporal analysis of policy across three international power systems – multipolarity, bipolarity, and unipolarity – this paper determines that U.S. foreign policymakers follow realist prescriptions for state behavior given their perception of the United States’ status within the international balance of power system. As a result, the U.S. foreign policy has become rooted in realist assumptions and constrained to realism-prescribed behavior, which will ultimately lead to hegemonic decline. This paper calls for the reexamination of realist influences on foreign policy decision-making.

Consolidating The Carbon Trade: Policy Recommendations To Promote Standard Convergence Among The Vcm, Article 6, And Regional Pricing Instruments, Jack M. Barrett

CMC Senior Theses

Efforts to construct robust international carbon markets have repeatedly fallen short of their climate and sustainable development objectives. From the Clean Development Mechanism’s collapse under the weight of non-additional credits to the Voluntary Carbon Market’s recent legitimacy crisis, structural flaws and fragmented standards have undermined offsetting systems for more than two decades. Today, the emergence of the Paris Agreement's Article 6 mechanisms, alongside initiatives like the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), offer a critical but fragile opportunity to rebuild market credibility. The proliferation of diverging standards across Article 6, voluntary markets, and regional carbon pricing instruments risks …

Beyond The Bank Account: Financial Inclusion And Maharashtra's Microenterprises, Kyra F. Variyava

CMC Senior Theses

Financial inclusion has evolved from mere bank account ownership to a broader imperative that encourages the active and consistent use of financial services to cultivate practices of savings and better financial management. Focusing on the underserved communities of Maharashtra’s microenterprise sector, this thesis evaluates the effectiveness of four central financial inclusion schemes: Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises, Stand-Up India, and Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi. This thesis develops a four-dimensional evaluative framework, assessing each scheme’s performance in accessibility, awareness and financial literacy efforts, adoption of digital services, and accountability and oversight …

Pacification In Rio De Janeiro Comunidades: Perceptions Of Militarized Public Security, Ilma Turcios

CMC Senior Theses

Brazil’s history of militarization in public policy has led to the adoption of new models centered around crime intervention and community growth. Rio de Janeiro’s 2008 Comunidade (Favela) Pacification Program was one of the most notable policies reflective of these goals. Rio’s state government implemented Pacifying Police Units (UPPs) that would be permanently stationed in comunidades, driving out criminal organizations and promoting socioeconomic development.

The program was recognized as a symbol of reform in urban security thanks to initial crime reductions in pacified communities. However, testimonies reveal patterns of physical and institutional violence at the hands of UPPs and continued …

Scaling Social Impact Bonds In The United States: Barriers, Incentives, And Policy Solutions, Angelique M. Rivanis

CMC Senior Theses

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are a form of outcomes-based financing that fund social programs by shifting financial risk from the government to private investors. While SIBs have gained international traction, their long-term viability in the United States depends on structural reforms. This thesis examines two completed U.S. SIB projects, Rikers Island in New York and the Just-in-Reach project in Los Angeles, through an analysis of their design, implementation, and outcomes. While both projects focus on criminal justice, they provide context about the scalability of SIBs across multiple social policy areas.The three primary constraints are high transaction costs, limited investor interest, …

Selective Sisterhood: Power, Race, And The Internal Division Within Feminist Waves In The United States, Aara Nanavaty

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the complex power dynamics within the United States feminist movement across its four waves, focusing on the persistent marginalization of Black women. Challenging the notion of a unified feminist agenda, it applies Steven Lukes' three dimensions of power to analyze how dominant narratives, often centered on the experiences of White, upper-middle-class women, have shaped feminist discourse and outcomes. Through case studies of the division within the suffrage movement, the President's Commission on the Status of Women, and the “Lean In” phenomenon, this research reveals how power operates not only between men and women but also within feminist …

Two Paths, One Paris Agreement: Global South Development And Diplomacy In A Changing Climate, My Fu

CMC Senior Theses

Climate action, development, and technology have grown intertwined in the international struggle against climate change. When the Paris Agreement was developed in 2015, it bridged these commitments together and encouraged the international community to collaborate in reducing global temperatures. Historically, international agreements have excluded Global South countries from benefits when it was implemented. Is the Paris Agreement the same? How effective has the Paris Agreement been in fostering the international community to support Global South countries in their economic, technological, and sustainable development? By assessing the cases of Bhutan and Kenya, the answer to this question appears to be complex. …

Alliance In Flux: Oil And The Us-Saudi Strategic Bargain Reconsidered, Austin Andersen

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the historical development and future trajectory of the longstanding relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It traces its roots back to the early twentieth century, during which the Kingdom was established officially and the United States was on the hunt for a substance that quickly became one of the world’s most precious commodities–oil. Since then, oil has both acted as a binding force and a point of contention between the two nations. However, through ups and downs in the partnership, oil has remained at the heart of the arrangement. This study follows …

Powering Understanding: Cultural Underpinnings Of U.S.-China Competition In The Green Energy Transition, Bryan J. Soh

CMC Senior Theses

Rejecting the structural determinism of contemporary IR theories that neglect diverging epistemic predispositions in different states, this paper traces the cultural rationalization of green transition policies in the U.S. and China, thereby paving a way towards a positive understanding of how bilateral climate diplomacy can be better adapted for cooperation, rather than antagonistic competition, on an issue that transcends borders.

Isegoria In Crisis: Hong Kong's Innovation System And Articulating The Right To Be Heard Using Deliberative Democratic Theory, Bhanu Cheepurupalli

CMC Senior Theses

I argue that Hong Kong maintains democratic deliberation through its innovation policy apparatus despite lacking traditional democratic processes. Using deliberative democratic theory and the concept of isegoria (speech of equals before equals), I demonstrate how Hong Kong's innovation governance sustains meaningful consensus outside conventional democratic frameworks.

My analysis shows that while Hong Kong lacks free elections, democratic deliberation persists through alternative channels within science and technology governance. Innovation policy functions as a vehicle for justice-advancing deliberation despite institutional constraints, as deliberative bodies operate within limited time, authority, and resources.

I trace how Hong Kong's innovation policy apparatus developed through the …

The Inextricable Link Between Gendered Security And State Stability: Strategic Costs Of U.S. Humanitarian Retrenchment, Kirby Eh Kimball

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the strategic consequences of the 2025 U.S. foreign aid freeze on gendered security in conflict-affected states, focusing on Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine. It argues that gendered security—the protection, empowerment, and rights of women and girls—is not a peripheral humanitarian concern but a foundational determinant of state stability, development, and democratic resilience. Through a qualitative comparative case study methodology, the research synthesizes empirical literature, United Nations reports, human rights documentation, and cross-national statistical analyses to demonstrate how the collapse of gender-focused humanitarian programs following the aid freeze will critically exacerbate conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), weaken state institutions, and …

Towards A New Paradigm Of Ownership: Employee Share Ownership As A Tool For Governance And Csr, Zyed Achour, Mark J. Kaswan, Wajdi Ben Rejeb

Political Science Faculty Publications

Employee Share Ownership (ESO) is emerging as a model redefining corporate ownership and labor relations, within the broader context of “shared capitalism.” Despite growing research, gaps remain in understanding its relationship with corporate governance and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This chapter explores how ESO aligns employee interests with organizational goals, enhances governance, and fosters sustainable business models. It examines the theoretical foundations of ESO, its impact on governance, and its role in promoting CSR, addressing both benefits and challenges. The chapter also considers how ESO redefines capitalism and property rights, pushing towards more inclusive economic models. Finally, it discusses the …

In Search Of The Rational Voter In The 2020 Presidential Election: Understanding The Impact Of Voter Costs And Benefits On Turnout, Norou Diawara, Tiffany Henley, Samuel L. Brown, Md Iqbal Hossain

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The ability to vote is one of the most valuable rights and privileges afforded by the Constitution of the United States to its citizens. For many, voting is not just a civic duty; it is also a choice. Voting is crucial to our democracy, and any changes to it may affect the efficiency of the democratic process. The bigger question is whether voters behave rationally by engaging in a cost-benefit calculus in deciding whether or not to vote. Using data science, this paper will examine the probability of voting and investigate its impact via cost and benefit among other variables …

The Luxury Belief: How Casual Political Labeling Harms The Lower Classes, Yan Lei

A with Honors Projects

This essay argues that casual political and moral labeling, when used as a luxury belief, misleads followers, fosters intellectual complacency, and amplifies misunderstandings about complex issues such as race.

Cold War Karl Mundt: The Utility Of Anticommunism During The Eightieth Congress, Wattier Zachary

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines South Dakota House Representative Karl Mundt during the Eightieth Congress and his role in helping to build a movement and consensus over domestic and international communism. I argue that not only did Mundt help facilitate the Second Red Scare that allowed for the “McCarthyism” of the 1950s to thrive, but Mundt also aided in selling a combative diplomacy towards the USSR which intensified relations into a Cold War. As a ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mundt advocated for the use of soft power, education, information, and propaganda to sell his idealized Americanism to …

The Role Of Economic Sanctions In Shaping International Trade Relationships Case Study: Russia, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Economic sanctions play an influential role in international relations by shaping the behavior of states. To address security threats and uphold international norms, countries seek to punish those responsible in violating these principles through the use of economic sanctions. The paper examines the impact of economic sanctions on trade relationships and its consequences on the Russian Economy. It also seeks to analyze the evolution of trade embargo during the post-cold war era to a more resilient and sophisticated measures in the age of globalization. Through this historical perspective, this analysis examines an important case study such as Russia by evaluating …

Nuclear Disarmament And The Erosion Of Deterrence Effectiveness Case Study: Ukraine, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The invasion of Ukraine demonstrates an interesting security paradox between nuclear disarmament norms, territorial integrity and deterrence in a self-help unpredictable international environment. Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons under the Budapest Memorandum in order to receive security guarantees resulting in brutal betrayal by nuclear armed Russia. The research investigates how Russia maintains an effective nuclear deterrence capability against other nuclear powers in the region through threats despite challenges on the battlefield. Through the combination of military resistance, strategic partnerships and robust combat methods, Ukraine has established an unmatched ability to deter a nuclear-armed enemy - Russia. This research ponders …

Upending The International Order: Russia’S War Against Ukraine, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shook the foundations of the global order. It exposed just how fragile international security, economic stability, and old geopolitical alliances really are in a tense self-help security environment. This analysis looks at how the conflict started, tracing it back to years of tension between Russia and NATO, especially around Ukraine’s desire to move closer to the West. The war has made it clear that international rules are only as strong as countries are willing to follow them, and that global organizations like the UN often fall short in preventing these wars as Russia ignored …

Challenges Of The Opposition In Cameroon Multipartism, Chick Edmond, Nkenglefack Dessailly Forku

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The main goal of this study was to explore the challenges faced by Cameroon opposition political parties and how these challenges affect presidential electoral outcomes since 1990. We employed both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data for the study. The research design was the case study design, and the sampling technique was nonprobability sampling (precisely purposeful sampling). We employed the constructivist research philosophy to show that reality resides in the different views of people. Consequently, it finds out that the opposition in Cameroon lacks credibility and vision to achieve victory in presidential elections. They also face challenges of suppression, …

[Review Of The Book Alternative Politics In Contemporary Japan: New Directions In Social Movements, By D. H. Slater And P. G. Steinhoff (Eds.)], Charmaine N. Willis

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Scholars have characterized Japan’s civil society as having been in an “ice age” for several decades, especially when focusing on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Robert Pekkanen, Japan’s Dual Civil Society: Members Without Advocates, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006). This is in stark contrast not only with the vibrant civil societies in most Western democracies but with prominent social movements in Japanese history, such as the anti-Anpo protest movement that began in the late 1950s. This movement opposed the renewal of the US-Japan security treaty (Anpo), which permitted the US its massive military base presence in Japan. There were strikes, mass …

Ethnic Insurgency Of Myanmar: Resilience And Fragility, Lei Tong

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research studies insurgent resilience in the context of Myanmar’s civil conflicts. In the face of repression, some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) continued to mount significant resistance to the state and even grew their territorial control and capacities. Others merely survived, but lost their operational functionality, while others still were forcibly disarmed and disbanded. What explains this variation in the resilience of Myanmar’s EAOs? To answer this question, I build on conflict scholarship that highlights the importance of lootable resources to armed insurgent organizations. However, I extend this work by showing that access to resources alone is insufficient. To maintain …

Nexus Of Fear, Deterrence, And Prestige: The Role Of Russia's Exotic Nuclear Toolkit, Ryan Christenson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines Russia’s development of “exotic” nuclear weapon systems, specifically the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo, the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, and the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, to determine how and why Russia diverged from traditional nuclear platforms. Drawing on open-source data and comparative analysis against the standard nuclear triad, it investigates the doctrinal, technical, and political motivations driving Moscow’s nuclear modernization, including paranoia over U.S. missile defense, aspirations for great-power status, and domestic economic influences. Scenario-based assessments illustrate the potential destabilizing effects of these systems, which compress decision-making time and raise risks of inadvertent …

Caregiver Policies In The United States: A Systematic Review, Makenna R. Green, M. Courtney Hughes, Sadia Afrin, Erin Vernon

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

In the United States, there are nearly 53 million informal or unpaid caregivers, many of whom experience mental and physical stress related to their caregiving duties and increased financial responsibility. We identified federal and state informal caregiver support policies authorized by specific legislation along with their key provisions and conducted a systematic review of the academic literature related to quantitative evaluations of these policies. Twenty policies, eight academic studies, and four gray literature reports were included in the study, with half of the policies introduced since 2000. Our study criteria yielded few academic valuations tied to caregiver policies and few …

Polarization And Civil Discourse In America: A Case Study Of Respectful Dialogue As A Moderating Influence On Generation Z, Liane Weintraub

Theses and Dissertations

Animosity between opposing political parties is longstanding, but the phenomenon is now acutely pervasive and dangerous. Today, polarization is further fueled by social media algorithms that create echo chambers, limiting discourse about diverse viewpoints. Consequently, polarization has become pernicious and threatens the founding principles of American democracy. This dissertation considers the roles of free speech, civility, and social capital in the US polarization problem. Through an exploration of historical scholarship on virtue, ethics, and civility, the study seeks to identify actionable tools for promoting civil discourse. The dissertation investigates Generation Z (Gen Z), focusing on intergenerational differences, the role of …

Digital Orthodoxy And Political Populism In Eastern Europe: How Orthodox Media Facilitate Political Mobilization, Dmytro Garaschuk, Oleh Sokolovskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the intersection of Orthodox digital media and political populism in Eastern Europe, focusing on how religious institutions utilize digital platforms to facilitate political mobilization, reinforce nationalistic narratives, and undermine democratic institutions. Drawing on a comparative analysis of six countries–Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, and Montenegro–the study identifies a shared ideological matrix that fuses populist rhetoric with theological motifs. The research highlights the strategic use of digital media by Orthodox actors to construct moral binaries, sacralize political resistance, and disseminate disinformation framed in religious language. Particular attention is given to the role of the Russian Orthodox Church and …