Political Science Commons^™

What Does “All Men Are Created Equal” Mean?, Morgan Keith

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Some have all too quickly used the term “post-racial” to describe America now that a black president has been elected and re-elected for a second term. It will take much more time than just eight years to reverse the wrongdoings of centuries past.

Author information: Morgan Keith is a junior studying investigative reporting at the University of Missouri. She currently works as a beat reporter at the Columbia Missourian.

The Problem Of The West[Ern], Kiley Duhn

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Three great Western films—Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and the contemporary No Country for Old Men—delve deep into the American psyche and make a broad claim that the American way of mixing freedom and rule is inherently flawed.

Author information: Kiley Duhn is a Business Economics and Accountancy double major and Political Science minor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. After graduating in the Class of 2019, she plans to pursue a career in tax consulting at a public accounting firm.

Constitutional Individualism: The Ninth Amendment And The “Natural Rights Of Man”, Lucas B. Drill

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

The Ninth Amendment is not a one-off historical anachronism aimed at protecting nonexistent rights. Instead, it should be construed by the courts as a bulwark against undue governmental interference in people’s private lives.

Author information: Lucas B. Drill is from La Cañada Flintridge, California. He is a rising senior in the Joint Program between Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, in which he is simultaneously pursuing Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Jewish History. Lucas is an aspiring lawyer, constitutional scholar, and judge.

Originalism: Reclaiming The American Promise, Ayesh Perera

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Originalism best reflects the Founding Fathers’ faith in self-government and also best preserves the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Author information: Ayesh Perera arrived in the United States from Sri Lanka in 2014. He graduated (2018) from Miami University with majors in Economics and Political Science, and is pursuing his Master’s Degree at Harvard University.

Omelas And Bensalem: Liberty And Utopias, Alexandria Putman

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Is it possible for a society to be good without liberty? Bacon’s The New Atlantis and Le Guin’s The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas both aid in exploring this important question.

Author information: Alexandria Putman is a Coastal Carolina University student from Tega Cay, S.C. She is a double major in political science and communication. Her research interests include public opinion and utopian political thought, as well as campaigns and elections. She is currently an Edgar Dyer Fellow, an undergraduate research assistant, and the captain of the mock trial team at CCU. Upon graduating, Alexandria hopes to …

Restoring Civic Virtue: The Buckley Model, Moriah Poliakoff

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

The political life of William F. Buckley Jr. stands as a model for reinvigorating the civic virtue that the American founders recognized as necessary.

Author information: Moriah Poliakoff is a junior at Christopher Newport University majoring in American Studies and minoring in Philosophy and US National Security Studies. She has a particular interest in political philosophy.

Midterm 2018 And Targeting Latino Community Through Misinformation And Disinformation Online, Manjul Shrestha

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

How has the Latino community been targeted by digital propaganda during the 2018 midterm elections in the US? How might this affect their involvement in and around the election? This thesis starts to answer these questions through a data analysis on two of the most prominent and popular social media platforms for political discussion: Twitter and Reddit. This study analyzed people’s posting patterns over time, the digital traces of the individuals pushing the majority and most popular content, and Latino candidates’ interaction on Twitter. This research provides evidence that on Twitter there are two main actors discussing Latinos and politics: …

When The Tables Are Turned: The Effects Of The 2016 Us Presidential Election On In-Group Favoritism And Out-Group Hostility, Burak Oc, Celia Moore, Michael R. Bashshur

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The outcome of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election was a big surprise to many, as the majority of polls had predicted the opposite outcome. In this two-stage cross-sectional study, we focus on how Democrats and Republicans reacted to this electoral surprise and how these reactions might have influenced the way they allocated resources to each other in small groups. We find that, before the election, Republicans showed greater in-group favoritism than Democrats, who treated others equally, regardless of their political affiliation. We then show that Democrats experienced the election outcome as an ego shock and, in the week following the …

Dorothy Moser Medlin Papers - Accession 1049, Dorothy Moser Medlin

Manuscript Collection

(The Dorothy Moser Medlin Papers are currently in processing.)

This collection contains most of the records of Dorothy Medlin’s work and correspondence and also includes reference materials, notes, microfilm, photographic negatives related both to her professional and personal life. Additions include a FLES Handbook, co-authored by Dorothy Medlin and a decorative mirror belonging to Dorothy Medlin.

Major series in this collection include: some original 18th century writings and ephemera and primary source material of André Morellet, extensive collection of secondary material on André Morellet's writings and translations, Winthrop related files, literary manuscripts and notes by Dorothy Medlin (1966-2011), copies …

A New President, The Same Anc: Lessons From 2008, Benjamin Hale

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Earlier this month, almost 10 years after the ANC recalled former-president Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma resigned as South African President. Though some may be hopeful about new president Cyril Ramaphosa, there are many reasons to be sceptical or even concerned about the ANC under a Ramaphosa presidency. The removal of two sitting presidents within 10 years by the ruling ANC party sheds light on the continued factionalism within the national liberation movement. Indeed, though Zuma has been dogged by corruption charges throughout his presidency, his removal from office took place in the context of a protracted leadership struggle with Cyril …

A Comparative Study Of Extreme Religious Nationalist Terrorist Groups In The United States, Colleen Arthur

Undergraduate Research Posters

The aim of this paper is to conduct a comparative study of Radical Right Wing terrorism and Radical Islamic terrorism both of which are categorized under the Religious Nationalism/Extremism typology of terrorism. In order to compare and contrast the two fairly, I broke down the ideology, motives, methods, and the demographic profile of members of both Radical Right Wing and Radical Islamic terrorism then provided examples of different groups that fall within those categories in order to effectively illustrate the striking similarities of the two categories that have been addressed and condemned differently by the United States. Then I had …

Religion And Politics: How Eiu Students View Policy, Sam Gilbert

Student Honors Theses

Through this survey project, it is my intention to analyze the intersection of an individual’s religiosity and their tendency to support or oppose governmental programs and Trump’s political platform. From my personal experience and the information I have attained in my life, the more religious a person is, the more apt they are to hold conservative ideologies. Based on this information, it is safe to assume that the support for liberal-leaning programs would be considerably lower than their non-religious counterparts. However, based on my understanding of religion—specifically the Christian faith—an essential pillar is treating those around you with a love …

Shaping Health Policy For Low-Income Populations: An Assessment Of Public Comments In A New Medicaid Waiver Process, Marian Jarlenski, Philip Rocco, Renuka Tipimeni, Amy Jo Kennedy, Nivedita Gunturi, Julie Donohue

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

Since the Supreme Court decided that the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Medicaid expansion is optional for the states, several have obtained federal approval to use Section 1115 waivers to expand Medicaid while changing its coverage and benefits design. There has long been concern that policy making for Medicaid populations may lack meaningful engagement with low-income constituents, and therefore the ACA established a new process under which the public can submit comments on pending Medicaid waiver applications. We analyzed 291 comment letters submitted to federal regulators pertaining to Medicaid Section 1115 waiver applications in the first five states to seek such …

Hidden: A Case Study On Human Trafficking In Costa Rica, Timothy Adam Golob

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a case study on human trafficking that was conducted on the small Central American country of Costa Rica via a mixed-methods approach which included document review, surveys, and interviews. It was selected due to Costa Rica’s history of fluctuation between Tier 2 and Tier 2 Watch List status on the Trafficking in Persons Report, issued by the U.S. Department of State, over the last ten years. This ranking average indicates that it is one of the worst performing Central American states in efforts to combat trafficking in persons. This finding breaks with Costa Rica’s traditional placement as one …

Teaching The Presidential Elections Using Media Literacy In The Ld Classroom, Jaclyn K. Siegel

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper examines how an educator at a school for students with learning disabilities (LD) used various types of media to engage her students, to develop their academic and executive functioning skills, and to heighten their awareness of media literacy and the 2012 and 2106 Presidential elections. Teacher-created curriculum materials and activities are provided that support students’ ability to analysis media coverage in the context of a special education history classroom. Both media literacy and academic skills were developed through activities that enabled students to find and select resources from their media use at home.

Embracing Our First Responder Role As Academics - With Inspiration From Langston Hughes, Angela Mae Kupenda

Journal Articles

In the midst of the post-2016 political crisis, our role as academics is that of First Responders. In physical crises, like a fire, First Responders play an important role. They intentionally put themselves in harm’s way to fulfill an overarching purpose of helping others, even at their own risk. They strategically prepare, train, and work for years to prepare for this role in the midst of crisis. As academics who care about equality, we are First Responders.

Katja, Ketevahi 'Katje', Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Ketevahi “Katja” is from Georgia. She’s in her late 40’s. She grew up on a farm in the country and became the financial support for her family after her mother died and her father became “emaciated.” When Putin came to power, diplomatic ties deteriorated between Georgia and Russia, which eventually led to war. She fled her country using forged documents and first worked in Turkey but has now lived in Naples for nine years and regularly sends money home to her brother, who cares for their father.

Katja expresses her feelings about war, government, liberty, and what it means to …

Improving Student Assessments Of Elections: The Use Of Information Literacy And A Course-Embedded Librarian, Todd J. Wiebe, Paula Booke

Faculty Publications

The study of U.S. elections as a part of introductory political science courses has become an increasingly difficult endeavour as students encounter the ever-changing landscape of electoral politics. Instructors seeking to equip students with the skills needed to navigate this complex terrain may look for partnerships with library faculty and staff as a means of bridging the research gap faced by students in these courses. This article examines the efficacy of a course-embedded librarian and information literacy training as a means of increasing student research confidence and competence. The findings of our quasi-experiment suggest that students participating in a course …

Trolling Twitter, Eric Vorst

Dissertations

Political polarization is a defining feature of the contemporary American political landscape. While there is little doubt that elite polarization levels have risen dramatically in recent decades, there is some debate over the existence of a corresponding rise in mass polarization. Recent scholarship on mass polarization has cited evidence related to citizens’ positions on public policy issues, party sorting, and geographic polarization; however, questions remain as to the nature and extent of mass polarization in online spaces. Specifically, more needs to be known regarding how expressions of elite polarization influence the formation of polarized communities within social media.

This dissertation …

Politics And Ethics, Jerryl W. Morris

The Siegel Institute Journal of Applied Ethics

Politics and Ethics seem to be strange bedfellows or in most cases mutually exclusive. The question is why should they be? This paper tries to address the issue by looking at the effects of negative campaigning and the influence of a political strategist. It ask the question: Does negative campaigning adversely or positively affect the electorate? Seven past elections and their strategies are examined, to see the effects of negative campaigning on the electorate and the election oncomes. The research on negative and positive campaigning is at best inconclusive, as it relates to effects on the electorate. There are no …

Alternative Dispute Resolution For Election Access Issues In A Post-Voting Rights Act Section 5 Landscape, Casey Millburg

Arbitration Law Review (2009 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Civic Tenderness: Love's Role In Achieving Justice, Justin Leonard Clardy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Martha Nussbaum’s work Political Emotions: Why Love Matters for Justice identifies the role that compassion plays in motivating citizens in a just society. I expand on this discussion by considering how attitudes of indifference pose a challenge to the extension of compassion in our society. If we are indifferent to others who are in situations of need, we are not equipped to experience compassion for them. Building on Nussbaum’s account, I develop an analytic framework for the public emotion of Civic Tenderness to combat indifference.

Civic tenderness is an orientation of concern that is generated for people and groups that …

The Triumph Of The Lie: How Honesty And Morality Died In Right-Wing Politics, Aaron Barlow

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

50 Takes On Trump – Rhode Island, Richard Holtzman

History and Social Sciences Faculty Journal Articles

To understand Rhode Island’s take on Donald Trump, it is important to first understand the political peculiarities of the nation’s smallest state. When it comes to presidential elections, Rhode Island leans strongly Democratic. The last time its four electoral votes appeared in the Republican column was 1984. In 2016, Hillary Clinton beat Trump by over 15 percentage points, maintaining Rhode Island’s reputation as a Democratic stronghold. However, as any observer of Rhode Island politics will tell you, all is not as it appears on the surface in the Ocean State.

The Party Unties? An Exploration Of Divisiveness Among Donors To 2008 And 2012 Presidential Campaigns, Andrew Jensen, David Magleby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Politics is a contentious business. When candidates and parties are not fighting each other to win elections, they fight among themselves for nominations and for their competing visions of platform and policy. This intraparty tension has been a prominent feature of the 2016 election as progressivism fought centrism in the Democratic party and conservatism struggled with populism. While primary battles can be vicious, do separate factions unite to support their party’s candidate in the general election or are they more likely to withhold their support? While the literature has studied this phenomenon amongst voters, no study has examined divisiveness among …

Thine Is The Kingdom: The Political Thought Of 21st Century Evangelicalism, Joanna Tice Jen

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Despite renewed attention to religion and ethics in political theory, there is a notable absence of inquiry into evangelicalism. Social scientists have studied Christian right policy in the late 20th century, but how has the movement shifted in the new millennium and what are the theoretical beliefs that undergird those shifts? By reading popular devotional writings as political texts, this dissertation distills a three-part evangelical political thought: 1) a theory of time in which teleological eternity complements retroactive re-birth; 2) a theory of being wherein evangelicals learn to strive after their godly potential through a process of emotional self-regulation; and …

Town Hall Drama: What's All The Gossip About?, Mckay Randall

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

When the new Congress took their seats at the beginning of 2017, Republicans were on a mission to replace Obamacare. To gear up for the legislative struggle, legislators took to the streets and towns of their districts to speak to constituents about Obamacare and other policies. During the first town halls in January and February, Republican legislators found themselves confronted with rowdy and raucous crowds who nearly shouted them down every time they had chance to speak. The News took note of this phenomena in late February and started reporting on the story. The popular headlines from The Washington Post, …

Who’S Afraid Of The Big Bad Bot? The American Fear Of Technology In The 21st Century, Callan Keeter

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The growth and integration of new technology into lifestyles worldwide have many Americans asking questions about privacy and security. Although there are high rewards at stake for governments, corporations, and individuals who embrace technological changes, the risks of these developments are also at the forefront of people’s thoughts. Using the recent data of the Chapman University National Survey of Fears, I examine correlations and means to determine the specific populations in America that fear technology. I go on to detail possible causes of this fear using the available research on the subject. As we move forward further into the 21st …

Running Comes Before Winning: Explaining The Gender Differential In State Legislatures, Marissa Piccolo

University Scholar Projects

What factors influence the likelihood that a woman runs for, wins, and holds political office across the country? Is it easier to explain why a woman runs in, than that she ultimately represents, a certain district? I compare a series of state-level and district-level independent variables and relate them to two different dependent variables: that a woman ran for a district seat, and that a woman represents a district. I explore what, and how much, political geography and contextual factors can explain. My preliminary findings show that it is easier to explain the probability that a woman runs, than that …

Running Comes Before Winning: Explaining The Gender Differential In State Legislatures, Marissa Piccolo

Honors Scholar Theses

What factors influence the likelihood that a woman runs for, wins, and holds political office across the country? Is it easier to explain why a woman runs in, than that she ultimately represents, a certain district? I compare a series of state-level and district-level independent variables and relate them to two different dependent variables: that a woman ran for a district seat, and that a woman represents a district. I explore what, and how much, political geography and contextual factors can explain. My preliminary findings show that it is easier to explain the probability that a woman runs, than that …