Political Science Commons^™

Introduction: An Unsettled Time From American Political Development And The Trump Presidency, Philip Rocco, Zachary Callen

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

As the words of his inaugural address echoed across a rain- soaked National Mall, Donald Trump cut a hole in time. His presidency, he said, marked a breaking point in American politics. No longer would a “small group” of elites reap the benefits of government while “forgotten Americans” bore the cost. “Now,” Trump suggested, “we are only looking to the future.” Even so, the speech telegraphed a dystopian pre sent; the United States had become a landscape of rusted- out factories, cities teeming with crime, and national borders defenseless against terrorist threats. Gone was the promised land that Trump’s predecessors …

Trumpism And The Dual Tracks Of American Polarization, Paul Nolette

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Inequality In The Social Mind: Social Comparison And Support For Redistribution, Meghan Condon, Amber Wichowsky

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

Income inequality is fundamentally relational in nature, but research on the American public’s response to it tends to examine individuals in isolation, concluding that support for redistribution is unresponsive to inequality. We focus instead on perceptions of relative socioeconomic position, which we manipulate experimentally through imagined social interactions with high- or low-status others. We find that subjects who make social comparisons between themselves and someone who is socioeconomically advantaged perceive their own status as lower, assess their own socioeconomic status more accurately, and become more supportive of social welfare spending, even though we provide no factual information about the income …

Towards An Ecocentric Movement?, David Johns

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

An ecocentric movement is one which mobilizes and organizes people to transform, or abolish and replace, existing anthropocentric societies, which seek to dominate the other-than-human world. The instrumentalities of anthropocentric domination will not simply wither away. They must be forcefully dismantled. That dismantling will be neither quick nor easy, and will be met with enormous resistance from those that benefit from domination, and from those that fear change. Only by keeping one’s eyes on the prize – the recovery of biodiversity and the Earth – and not being diverted by other goals, can the prize be attained.

Peter Zack Geer, Jr., Papers, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of personal and professional papers of Peter Zack Geer, Jr. Materials span 1923-1967 and include documents relating to Geer's law practice, his service as Executive Secretary to Governor S. Ernest Vandiver (1958-1961), and as Georgia Lt. Governor under Governor Carl Sanders (1963-1967). The subject files contain information regarding the civil rights movement, race relations in Georgia, Julian Bond, Herman Talmadge, and Jeannette Rankin. The papers also contain the law files of his father Peter Zack Geer, Sr.

Find this collection in the University Libraries' catalog.

A Sub-Sahara African Army's Perspectives Of Security Force Assistance Training Effectiveness, Richard Kemp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research and government reports document that Security Force Assistance (SFA) provided by the United States to partner nations often failed to achieve the desired impact of developing the capacity and capability of the partner to defeat an insurgency and maintain security. A lack of research and available data inhibit the identification of reasons SFA programs fail. In this qualitative phenomenological study, the perspectives of recipients of training were explored to understand the factors that impact the development of capability and capacity as a result of SFA training. The agency theory was applied as the theoretical framework in the study …

Human Trafficking Definitions To Eradication In Virginia: A Legislative Analysis, Hannah Kay Byrum

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The gap between the reality of human trafficking in Virginia and the necessary legislative systems, remedies, and support afforded to victims, is wide. My research arose from my experience navigating this incongruity in Virginia law and its impacts, through a delegate’s office, the office of a United States Senator, and a government relations firm. This research articulates the significant, material legislative initiatives required in Virginia’s human trafficking legislative landscape. In surveying this landscape, this research articulates where incongruences ex-unified language and legislative definitions, exist in key areas. This research addresses the need for expansion on the parameters to which victims …

Strategies For Assisting Refugees: Repatriation Versus Resettlement, Hannah Cottrell

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Divergent Paths: An Analysis Of The Autonomous Future In Mclean County, Casey Peterson

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to arrive on public roads in the mid-term future, but will vary in their uses and level of self-driving capabilities. On the heels of the rise of shared mobility services from transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft, the combination of these technologies has generated the anticipation of a diminishing need for private car ownership. The promises of when AVs will arrive has been somewhat tempered in recent years, allowing the public and stakeholders valuable time to more adequately plan for their arrival. A yet undetermined outcome is the influence these new technologies will have …

Victory By The Weakest: Effects Of Negative Advertising In N>2 Candidate Campaigns, Jesse T. Richman

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The truel, or three way duel, has distinct properties from duels: the weakest contestant often has a very good chance to win. This paper explores application of the logic of truels to election campaigns involving negative advertising. We show that negative campaigning that pits the leading candidates against each other can create circumstances in which the third (or worse) place candidate wins in one or more of the Nash equilibria of the game. We then study whether the simulated existence of an opportunity for Nash equilibrium victory by third place candidates predicts such outcomes in U.S. state-wide elections.

Challenges In Upgrading Emergency Power In Florida Nursing Homes Following Hurricane Irma, Nicole S. Hutton, Michael J. Allen

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Maintaining and restoring electricity after a disaster helps to preserve the health and well-being of the elderly who are at increased risk of heat stress and may be dependent upon life-sustaining medical equipment. Mitigation policies altered in reaction to increased public interest without thorough consideration of industry-specific resources may contribute to delays in implementation and unrealized potential for emergency power coverage within individual facilities. The objectives of this research are twofold: (i) to examine the relationship between preexisting conditions of life-safety systems at facilities and date of implementation of emergency power regulation improvements and (ii) to assess the role of …

Personal And Professional Connections Are Premium: An Assessment Of Mandatory Waiting Periods In The American States, Brittany Head

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The advantages of policy and procedural expertise allow revolving door lobbyists to bypass the costs required of non-revolving door lobbyists. This professional upper hand gives advantages to the special interest groups that these revolvers represent. In a cross-sectional analysis and comparative case study of two American states, I find that a state without a mandatory waiting period for legislators yields a higher number of revolving door lobbyists than a state with a mandatory waiting period. The findings of this research suggest that lobbying laws are effective in addressing the saturated influence and involvement of former legislators in the policy making …

From A 'Super Spreader Of Mers' To A 'Super Stopper' Of Covid-19: Explaining The Evolution Of South Korea's Effective Crisis Management System, Seung-Youn Oh

Political Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

COVID-19 has placed global and national leadership under a serious stress test by threatening lives and livelihoods on an unprecedented scale. South Korea emerged as one of the first countries to flatten the transmission curve despite its high population density and proximity to China, without imposing the aggressive lockdowns or complete travel bans that China and many other countries adopted. This paper explores two questions. First, what kind of institutional and legal foundations explain South Korea’s strong public health response to the pandemic? Second, from a historical perspective, South Korea evaded the worst of the SARS outbreak in 2003 yet …

Resistance To Energy Transitions, Christoph H. Stefes, Carol Hager

Political Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

While the global effects of climate change are accelerating at an alarming rate, climate policy is not keeping pace. This special issue addresses domestic constraints on climate action around the world. Specifically, our authors analyze the multifaceted resistance to energy transitions arising in a variety of industrialized democracies, including the USA, Germany, Japan, the UK, and Switzerland. We develop politics-oriented explanations within an institutionalist framework. Each article focuses on a different aspect of resistance to energy transitions, involving different actors and political institutions. Taken together, they help explain the unsteady trajectory of energy transitions even in countries where support for …

Review: Sophocles: A Study Of His Theater In Its Political And Social Context, Joel Alden Schlosser

Political Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

A Rush Of Refugees: How The United States And Canada Have Responded, Tayla A. George

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Cholera Crisis In Yemen: Case Studies On Vulnerability And Resilience In Sana'a, Al Hudaydah, And Ma'areb, Noor Albannein A. Al-Saad

Honors Theses and Capstones

The largest recorded cholera epidemic in history is happening right now in Yemen, a country which has reported over 2 million cases of cholera as of 2020. Yemen has a history of endemic cholera, but prolonged conflict in the country has led to deteriorating conditions that have triggered massive outbreaks of the disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect causes of the cholera epidemic in Yemen by proposing factors that may confer vulnerability and resilience in Yemeni governorates. Case studies were constructed for three governorates: Sana’a and the inner municipality of Amanat Al Asimah; …

Understanding The Connections: An Analysis Of Climate Change And Human Security, Erica Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Increasing evidence shows that the impacts of anthropogenic climate change have magnified and will have dramatic implications for both the natural and social systems (Adger et al., 2014). While research on the security implications of climate change has been found to have a major bearing on policy making, experts have not reached a consensus about how climate change and human security are related, leaving the climate-security nexus and corresponding policies underdeveloped.

The purpose of this study is to delineate and scrutinize the relationship between climate change and human security so that a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon is achieved. …

Introduction To Criminal Justice Sample Syllabus, Angelica Alejo Gil

Whittier Scholars Program

It has attracted more students from year to year at Whittier College that an Introduction to a Criminal Justice course is implemented as part of the university. It is my major concern and firm belief that the Criminal Justice System must secure a sufficient share of the better education of not only Whittier College, but Universities nationwide. Based on my experience as a Criminal Justice/Criminology major, it is my job to put together a feasible Introduction to Criminal Justice course for students who wish to pursue public policy or simply would like to inquire a general understanding about the American …

Implementing The Global Compact On Refugees In Tanzania & France, Piper Sophia Lowinger

Whittier Scholars Program

As of June 2019, there is an unprecedented forcibly displaced population of 70.8 million people worldwide. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines a refugee as someone who "is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin oowing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.This paper seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the linkages between the current humanitarian assistance environments in Tanzania and France, two countries that represent both ends of the economically- developed spectrum, and how …

Sculpting The Public Land Base Of Northern Minnesota: Past, Present And Future, Lori A. Dowling-Hanson Dr

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Sculpting the Public Land Base in Northern Minnesota Counties: Past, Present and Future. This 3-article dissertation addresses the large public land base in the Arrowhead Region of Northern Minnesota. One fourth of all lands in the state are public lands, with the overwhelming majority located in the Arrowhead Region. These counties have anywhere from 30% to 92% public lands. The region relies heavily on a natural resource economy. Methodology for research includes secondary data analysis from several preexisting research projects and studies. Data was acquired from state auditor government costs of maintaining and managing public lands. Data was also collected …

Man Bites Blue Dog: Are Moderates Really More Electable Than Ideologues?, Stephen M. Utych

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Are ideologically moderate candidates more electable than ideologically extreme candidates? Historically, both research in political science and conventional wisdom answer yes to this question. However, given the rise of ideologues on both the right and the left in recent years, it is important to consider whether this assumption is still accurate. I find that, while moderates have historically enjoyed an advantage over ideologically extreme candidates in congressional elections, this gap has disappeared in recent years, where moderates and ideologically extreme candidates are equally likely to be elected. This change persists for both Democratic and Republican candidates.

Understanding Terror: A Religiopolitical Analysis Of The Rise Of Isis And The Establishment Of A Caliphate, Alexandra Hansen

Scripps Senior Theses

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has made waves in the international community, stoking global terror, influencing political discourse, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in security response and reconstruction efforts. More importantly, it has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, whether it be from direct combat or attacks, or from the massive refugee crises it sparked. One wonders, how did a small extremist group make such a massive and disastrous impact? Most research done on ISIS and terrorism studies tend to focus on the political, economic, and social factors that lead to the creation and successes of …

Patrons Of Violence : Drivers And Dimensions Of State Support For Rebel Groups, Nakissa Jahanbani

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Why do some states support rebel groups? This area of study has garnered more attention in the aftermath of the Cold War, as states continue to leverage proxy groups against one another. To understand the causes and consequences of state support, this dissertation builds on existing work in the state sponsorship, terrorism, and interstate rivalry literature. The research questions in this dissertation ask: (1) why states provides specific types of sponsorship; (2) what, if any, is the effect of interstate rivalry on the global network of state support; and (3) why are some Islamist rebel groups more violent than others. …

Panel Discussion: The Right To Education: With Liberty, Justice, And Education For All?

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

No abstract provided.

Information, Politics And Government Communication : Discourse Analyses Of The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency On Twitter, Nicolau Depaula

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Government communication is an important activity for society, during times of calm and times of crises. Moreover, social media have become widespread information and communication technologies for government agencies around the world. In the U.S. federal government alone, there are thousands of accounts on various platforms broadcasting multiple messages a day. However, there seems to be few analyses of government discourse on social media. Although content analyses of the posts of various types of government agencies around the world abound, the categories are narrow to specific events or are agnostic about details of semantics and language structure. In this study …

Aesthetic Education In The Anthropocene, Nathaniel Williams

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This big picture study wrestles with the environmental crisis and the digital revolution, two grand themes of our century. Their grand scale is evident in their global significance, which we can anticipate will only grow in coming decades. Will these collective developments be met in such a way that democracy and individuality can be expanded and preserved? This study contributes to this query, offering a new articulation of aesthetic education that draws on a discourse reaching back to Friedrich Schiller, while incorporating many contemporary theorists. The study suggests that the environmental crisis and the digital revolution are creating a perfect …

Voter Awareness Data Brief: 2020 Fall Public Opinion Survey, Brianne Gilbert, Fernando J. Guerra, Mariya Vizireanu

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The 2020 Fall Public Opinion Survey conducted by StudyLA involved 20-minute telephone sessions and online and face-to-face surveys with 1,753 adults living in the city of Los Angeles. The survey was conducted in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean from August 31st to October 25th, and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning Los Angeles.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

Survey results are presented in two sections:

(1) toplines, or total responses for each question, and (2) crosstabs, or all questions crossed by major demographics.

The following report only presents data for residents who are registered to vote (n=1,352) …

Favorite Teams And Athletes Data Brief: 2020 Los Angeles Public Opinion Survey, Brianne Gilbert, Fernando J. Guerra, Vishnu Akella, Mariya Vizireanu

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The annual Los Angeles Public Opinion Survey conducted by StudyLA involved 20-minute telephone sessions and online surveys with more than 2,000 adults (1,200 phone and 800 online) living in Los Angeles County. Respondents were asked about qualityof-life perceptions, personal economic wellbeing, economic concerns, overall life satisfaction, and various civic issues. The margin of error is ±3.0% for the entire sample.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

The following data brief contains responses to the survey questions on Los Angeles’ favorite teams and athletes and is divided into two sections: (1) toplines for all respondents, and (2) answers crossed by all …

Police Data Brief: 2020 Police And Community Relations Survey, Fernando J. Guerra, Brianne Gilbert, Mariya Vizireanu, Max Dunsker

StudyLA Data Briefs

The 2020 Police and Community Relations Survey conducted by StudyLA involved 20-minute telephone sessions and online and face-to-face surveys with 1,753 adults living in the city of Los Angeles. The survey was conducted in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean from August 31st to October 25th, and respondents were asked a range of questions concerning policing in Los Angeles.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

Survey results are presented in two sections:

(1) toplines, or total responses for each question, and (2) crosstabs, or all questions crossed by major demographics.

The following report presents data pertaining to all substantive questions. Note that all questions …