Political Science Commons^™

Chinese Economic Development And Its Global Implications, Robert T. Hill

Honors Undergraduate Theses

While Chinese economic development is often at the forefront of conversations by scholars shaping economic policy, further investigation into the state of China's economy has left a gap in research. Through analyzing the 13th Five Year Plan (FYP) and looking specifically at the effect it will have on unemployment, international trade, overcapacity rates, and the Belt and Road Initiative, the goal of this research is to understand if China will be able to obtain sustained economic growth. In order to achieve this, this research employs a qualitative discourse analysis, focusing on pre-existing works that discuss Chinese economic development. It will …

Undocumented: Living In The Shadows, Jennifer C. Sloan

Open Educational Resources

This course explores the lives of undocumented students in the United States. The first portion of the course will explore the socioeconomic and political institutions that created the "illegal immigrant" problem and how the US government, civil society, immigrant advocates, artists, and humanitarians have approached the issue. The second portion of the course will discuss how undocumented students navigate the education system, public spaces, and work life in the U.S. Finally, we discuss previous "solutions" to the undocumented immigration "problem", what were the outcomes of those decisions, and what we can learn from these previous attempts.

Political Knowledge And Political Engagement In The United States, Brittany Shaul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the impact of political knowledge on forms of political engagement in the United States. Prior literature has established a relationship between political knowledge and political engagement, where those with higher political knowledge were more likely to engage politically through acts such as voting. This study distinguished between the various forms of political engagement and political knowledge, and seeks to provide relevant data on who is more likely to have political knowledge, and what impact having political knowledge has. This served to reexamine trends found in past literature, in order to see if these trends have persisted or …

Make The Inaugural Great Again: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Donald J. Trump’S Inaugural Address, Danielle F. Dickerson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I utilized three distinct theories (ideographs, dramatism, and the bully pulpit) to rhetorically analyze and assess President Trump’s 2017 inaugural address. Ultimately, I analyzed whether Trump deviated from Campbell and Jamieson’s (1985) presidential inaugural expectations. While the presidential inaugural address was the only text analyzed, implications were drawn from Trump’s rhetoric leading up to and within the inaugural. This thesis also analyzed Trump’s rhetoric through social media, specifically Twitter, and looked at the context surrounding the inaugural. I suggest, through my research, that Trump does deviate from the traditional framework of the inaugural address, and ultimately modernized …

The Effects (Or Lack Thereof) Of Immigration On U.S. Crime Rates, Kelly Duncan, Gabe Darger

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

How Constituents React To Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct In The "Me Too" Era, Samantha Frazier, Connor Kreutz

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

No abstract provided.

Partisan Targets Of Media Fact-Checking: Examining President Obama And The 113th Congress, Stephen J. Farnsworth, S Robert Lichter

Political Science & International Affairs Articles

An analysis of statements by President Obama and by Democratic and Republican members of Congress selected for analysis by PolitiFact.com and Washington Post Fact Checker reveals that PolitiFact was more likely to find greater deceit in Republican rhetoric and that the Fact Checker was more negative overall in its assessments. Legislators who had more than one statement analyzed during the study period were disproportionally likely to be influential members of the House or Senate leadership or likely 2016 presidential candidates. The lawmakers selected for greater scrutiny were also more likely to be more ideologically extreme than the median members of …

Application Of Agent-Based Modeling: Simulating Financial Systemic Risk And Contagion Within Housing And Financial Markets, Faizan Khan

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents an agent-based model (ABM) to model systemic risk in the housing and financial markets from 1986 to 2017 and provides a unique approach to simulating the financial market along with demonstrating the phenomenon of emergence resulting from the interconnected-behavior of consumers, banks and the Federal Reserve. Consumers can buy or rent properties, and these agents own characteristics such as income and may be employed or unemployed. Banks own balance sheets to monitor their assets and liabilities and participate in the interbank lending market with one another. This tool can model the complexities within the United States’ housing …

Essays On The Underlying Capacity Of The State And Its Effects On Economic Development, Alma Alicia Bezares Calderón

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on three main topics: state capacity, conflict and development. During my progress in my program, I have become more interested in these issues as I have seen how closely linked they are and how they help to explore questions related to prosperity, or the lack of thereof. In particular, my research, and more precisely this dissertation, concentrates on the connection among these three issues in low- and middle-income countries. In the first chapter, titled ”How Strong is your Shield? Subnational State Capacity and Violence in Mexico” I center the analysis on the case of Mexico, a middle-income …

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Senior Editor In Chief's Note, Kenneth D. Colburn

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Natural Disaster, Crime, And Narratives Of Disorder: The 1861 Mendoza Earthquake And Argentina’S Ruptured Social And Political Faults, Quinn P. Dauer

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Social scientists studying natural disasters have generally found an absence of panic, a decrease in crime, and survivors working together to find basic necessities in the days and weeks after a catastrophe. By contrast, political and military authorities implement measures such as martial law to prevent chaos and lawlessness threatening private property. The media amplifies narratives of disorder, creating the perception of uncontrolled masses wantonly committing crimes in a disaster’s aftermath. Historians study natural disasters to view political, social, economic, and cultural structures stripped of their everyday veneer. The 1861 earthquake that destroyed the provincial capital of Mendoza in western …

East Chicago Politics: A Cornucopia Of Corruption, Tina Ebenger, Tracey Mccabe

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Despite the comical title, there is a lot of corruption in East Chicago (IN) politics. One mayoral election had to have a “do-over” because of fraudulent absentee ballots, and a former mayor is doing time in jail for using public monies to remodel his home. This cornucopia of corruption extended to the indictment of six public officials (the so-called Sidewalk Six) in East Chicago for misusing public funds for political gain, specifically vote-buying, in the 1999 mayoral reelection of Robert Pastrick. These officials, ranging from a parks superintendent to a city engineer to several city council members, bought votes by …

Going To Extremes: The National Parent Teacher Association And Political Extremism In The 1960s, Sarah E. Heath

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

In the 1960s, the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) reported efforts at “infiltration” by conservative extremist groups, including the John Birch Society (JBS). Extremists sought to take over PTA meetings to obtain a mainstream platform for minority opinions. The PTA parried extremists’ efforts with a deluge of activities and publications dedicated to democratic fair play and research-based approaches to education. In spite of a coherent plan for dealing with such techniques in the 1960s, the methods used by the Birch Society and other conservative extremist groups appear to have resumed in contemporary educational discussions. Once again, opinions that appeal to …

Race And Racism In The Historical Imagination: Slavery And Civil Rights In Popular Culture, Denise Lynn, Sakina Hughes, Aimee Adam

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Because Hollywood films often lack black representation, films on slavery and civil rights often fail to recognize the roles that black Americans have played in their own emancipation from slavery and in the civil rights movement. Our contention is that historically inaccurate films perpetuate inaccurate understandings of Black history and thus inform contemporary race relations. We selected a more and a less accurate film about slavery and about the civil rights movement, discussing these four films in terms of their historical context.

We also conducted an experiment. After watching one of the four movies, or after viewing no movie, participants …

Effects Of Cisnormative Beauty Standards On Transgender Women’S Perceptions And Expressions Of Beauty, Delmira Monteiro, Mixalis Poulakis

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

The authors conducted a qualitative study exploring the effects of cisnormative beauty standards on transgender women’s perceptions and expressions of beauty. Twelve self-identified Caucasian transgender women completed a semistructured interview that provided descriptive data related to the women’s perceptions of societal beauty standards. Analysis of the data revealed the following primary themes: Participants viewed the beauty of transgender and cisgender women as diverse or as encompassing a broad range of variability; societal beauty standards were influential on participants’ expressions of beauty; and participants’ viewed out-group transphobia as a factor contributing to discriminatory and prejudicial perceptions of transwomen’s beauty.

Antidiscrimination Ordinances In Northwest Indiana: An Event-History Analysis Of Municipal Policies Since 1992, James Paul Old, Kimberly Palmer Fields

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

In recent years, municipalities throughout Indiana have passed antidiscrimination ordinances that protect the rights of individuals who belong to racial, ethnic, or sexual minorities. Political scientists have proposed competing theories of policy-adoption processes that suggest a number of internal factors (such as socioeconomic characteristics, governmental capacity, or issue salience) or external factors (such as mandates/incentives from higher-level governments or influence from neighboring communities) as predictors of policy adoption; however, most existing studies focus on state-level processes, and those that focus on municipalities consider only large cities in different states. To more clearly distinguish between state-level effects and local effects, this …

Table Of Contents, Mssj Staff

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Perspective In Identifying And Responding To Potential Sexual Misconduct: A Study Of University Students, Nichole Maki Weller, Kathy Parkison, Steven R. Cox, Michael Plummer

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Recent events have demonstrated a divergent understanding of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual misconduct. Although sociocultural standards regarding sexual misconduct have changed over time, including improved social and workplace standards and protections, it is clear that not everyone views these events through the same lens. The lens is even less clear when potential misconduct is viewed from the distinct perspectives of a “victim” and a “perpetrator.” We surveyed 424 undergraduate and graduate students at Indiana University Kokomo to identify the impact of perspective and various sociodemographic characteristics that may influence perceptions of what is, and is not, sexual …

Measures Of Challenging And Excitatory Parenting Behavior As Predictors Of Later Child Self-Regulation, Zachary Havlin

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Challenging and excitatory parenting behaviors play an important role in children’s development, particularly in regard to the development of selfregulation; however, no well-established measures of parent-child interactions exist that record such behaviors. In the current study, I compare two recently developed coding systems that intend to address this issue: the Risky Interaction Support and Challenging (RISC) and Marbach coding systems. A subset of videos from the New Parents Project (NPP) data set at 12 and 18 months was coded using both scales, then a factor analysis was conducted for each scale. Regressions were conducted to look at the predictive power …

Racial Segregation In Indianapolis, 1990–2010: A Spatial Perspective, Vijay Lulla, Owen Dwyer

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

The index of dissimilarity is the most widely used method for measuring racial segregation. When applied to Indianapolis, this index has returned results showing the city to be among the most segregated in the country. The resulting measure, however, suffers from two shortcomings. First, the index of dissimilarity is sensitive to the census-defined geographic unit chosen for the analysis; thus, this index returns different (though proportionate) results depending on whether the population data are aggregated to larger or smaller enumeration units. Second, the index of dissimilarity cannot account for the influence of spatial proximity; adjacent census blocks interact regardless of …

Citizen Initiative To Improve Local Government Ethics: Northwest Indiana Experience, Calvin Bellamy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

After more than 50 years of widespread public corruption in Northwest Indiana, a small group of citizens and public officials met over a period of several months and developed a largely voluntary response. The result was the Shared Ethics Advisory Commission, which trains public employees on ethical decision making, provides specialized training for department heads and board and commission members, and hosts an annual ethics summit for the general public. Periodic employee ethics surveys indicate a positive effect of the training. In addition, the commission has developed a Candidate Ethics Action Pledge administered in each local election cycle, and a …

Analysis Of Colombian Trade Agreements From 2007 To 2013, Ryan Lee

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

I analyze the firm-level effects on Colombia entering into Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) between 2007 and 2013. The combination of detailed firm-level data and PTAs make this article unique. In particular, I look at two separate potential trade-promotion effects of the agreements. The first result deals with how exporting firms in Colombia respond to the tariff cuts in the agreements. The tariff cuts from the agreements increase the size of exports by Colombian firms (the intensive margin); however, tariff cuts do not increase the number of exporting Colombian firms (the extensive margin). The second result deals with how the signed …

Genealogical Trends In Solving Cold Cases: An Investigation Into The Merits And Concerns With New Cold-Case Lead Development, Katie Smolucha, Tyler Counsil

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

In the criminal justice system, not all offenders are brought to justice; unfortunately, cold cases exist and provide long-term challenges to investigators. From historic breakthroughs in forensic DNA analysis to today’s new trends, advancements in technology continue to give investigators hope of resolving unsolved mysteries with no clear-cut suspect. This article examines the progression of DNA analysis over the past three decades and explores the recent trends in the use of genealogy websites to solve cold cases. DNA technology’s innovative uses, from its early years to modern, are explored herein. By exploring traditional DNA analysis to advances that explore the …

“We Are A Very Happy Family”: 19th-Century Familial Power Dynamics, Stella A. Ress

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This article examines the roles of family members in the mid-19th century in America, using the Willard family as a case study. Ultimately, this thick description of the Willard family demonstrates that power within the family structure was neither intrinsic nor static; moreover, one person did not control the family and its decisions at all times. Instead, each family member, depending upon circumstances, situations, and his or her own nature, negotiated and laid claim to power through various sources of authority. Josiah Willard’s authority stemmed from his role as father and husband; society crowned him king of the household, and …

“But I Only Wanted Them To Conform”: A Detailed Look Into The Initial Cohort Of Girls At The Indiana Reformatory Institution For Women And Girls Between 1873 And 1884, Molly Whitted, Michelle Williams

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

For the past four years, as part of a group of currently and formerly incarcerated scholars, we have researched the “inmates” and staff at the Indiana Women’s Prison during the institution’s first decade. Then known as the Indiana Reformatory Institution for Women and Girls, the facility was located near downtown Indianapolis on Randolph and Michigan Street. We focused on a key constituent of the Indiana Reformatory for Women and Girls: the girls themselves, heretofore voiceless and uninvestigated.

Our primary sources include the annual reports of the reformatory and the original registries for the girls during the survey period of 1873–1884. …

Electoral Dysfunction: Assessing State Electoral Laws And Turnout In Presidential Elections, Ellie S. Krossa

Honors Theses

Due to the United States’ shockingly low turnout in comparison to other Western democracies, many states around the country have enacted laws to increase the number of people who participate in presidential elections. Scholars have found mixed results when testing the effects of specific electoral reforms in individual states, but few have looked at comprehensive models to test the overall effects of these reforms on turnout. This thesis examines the ways in which electoral reforms across all fifty states have led to increases or decreases of turnout in presidential elections. It utilizes a comprehensive longitudinal model accounting for electoral reform …

การปรับแนวทางความช่วยเหลือเพื่อการพัฒนาอย่างเป็นทางการของญี่ปุ่นต่อภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้สมัยรัฐบาลชินโซ อาเบะ, อุมาพร เกตุสุวรรณ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

สารนิพนธ์นี้มีวัตถุประสงค์ในการศึกษาความสัมพันธ์ของการปรับแนวทางการให้ความช่วยเหลืออย่างเป็นทางการ (ODA) ของญี่ปุ่นเมื่อปี ค.ศ.2015 กับการดำเนินยุทธศาสตร์ของญี่ปุ่นในยุครัฐบาลชินโซ อาเบะต่อภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ด้วยกรอบแนวคิดการถ่วงอำนาจแบบใช้ไม้อ่อน (soft balancing) เนื่องจากญี่ปุ่นใช้ ODA เป็นเครื่องมือดำเนินยุทธศาสตร์ต่างประเทศมาตั้งแต่หลังสงครามโลกครั้งที่ 2 โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ที่เป็นพื้นที่เป้าหมายหลักของ ODA ญี่ปุ่นและมีความสำคัญเชิงยุทธศาสตร์ความมั่นคงและเศรษฐกิจต่อญี่ปุ่น โดยการปรับแนวทาง ODA ของญี่ปุ่นต่อภูมิภาคดังกล่าวเกี่ยวข้องกับการปรับเป้าหมายและแนวทางการดำเนินยุทธศาสตร์ของญี่ปุ่นต่อภูมิภาคในแต่ละช่วงเวลา ซึ่งผลการศึกษาพบว่า รัฐบาลอาเบะใช้ ODA เป็นเครื่องมือสกัดกั้นการขยายอิทธิพลของจีนในภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ โดยมุ่งเสริมสร้างความเป็นแกนกลางของอาเซียน (ASEAN Centrality) และศักยภาพด้านการพัฒนาของประเทศในภูมิภาคด้วยการให้ ODA เพื่อให้อาเซียนและประเทศสมาชิกลดการพึ่งพาจีนและรักษาระเบียบของภูมิภาคที่เอื้อต่อผลประโยชน์ของญี่ปุ่น เนื่องจากการผงาดขึ้นมาของจีน โดยเฉพาะการขยายอิทธิพลทางทะเลและยุทธศาสตร์ Belt and Road เป็นประเด็นท้าทายต่อการดำเนินยุทธศาสตร์และอิทธิพลของญี่ปุ่นในภูมิภาค

การปกป้องสิทธิมนุษยชนของหญิงบำเรอ: การศึกษาเปรียบเทียบระหว่างบทบาทกลุ่มสมาคมชาวเกาหลี กับ รัฐบาลเกาหลีใต้, ภัทรพร ลีห์อร่ามวัฒน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

สารนิพนธ์ฉบับนี้ มุ่งศึกษาถึงการเปรียบเทียบความแตกต่างของจุดประสงค์การเรียกร้องระหว่างกลุ่มสมาคมชาวเกาหลีเพื่อผู้หญิงที่ถูกใช้บำเรอทหารญี่ปุ่น กับ รัฐบาลเกาหลีใต้ ต่อกรณีหญิงบำเรอทหารญี่ปุ่น ในช่วงสงครามโลกครั้งที่ 2 ภายใต้การเรียกร้องเพื่อสิทธิสตรี โดยศึกษาวัตถุประสงค์ในการเรียกร้องของกลุ่มสมาคมชาวเกาหลี ซึ่งศึกษาจากพลวัตการรวมตัวของกลุ่มเรียกร้องและข้อเรียกร้องที่ทางกลุ่มต้องต่อรองกับรัฐบาลญี่ปุ่นหรือแม้แต่กับรัฐบาลเกาหลีใต้เอง เพื่อวิเคราะห์วัตถุประสงค์ของกลุ่มในการเรียกร้องในประเด็นหญิงบำเรอ โดยทำการศึกษาเปรียบเทียบกับวัตถุประสงค์ในการเรียกร้องในประเด็นหญิงบำเรอของรัฐบาลเกาหลีใต้ ซึ่งถูกใช้เป็นเครื่องมือเพื่อผลประโยชน์แห่งรัฐ โดยพบว่ารัฐได้ใช้การเรียกร้องทางสตรีนิยมมาเพื่อสร้างความน่าเชื่อถือรวมถึงเป็นการเรียกคะแนนนิยมแก่พรรคการเมือง และยังมีการยกประเด็นหญิงบำเรอมาเพื่อยุติความขัดแย้งระหว่างกับญี่ปุ่นด้วย

นโยบายต่างประเทศไทย : การสมัครเข้าเป็นสมาชิกองค์การสหประชาชาติ (1945-1946), ธนชัย นิสยันต์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

สารนิพนธ์ฉบับนี้ศึกษาการสมัครเข้าเป็นสมาชิกองค์การสหประชาชาติของประเทศไทยในปี 1946 ความเป็นสมาชิกภาพขององค์การสหประชาชาติช่วยในการดำรงสถานะความเป็นรัฐเอกราชของประเทศไทยในช่วงสงครามโลก ดังจะเห็นได้ว่า ประเทศไทยไม่เป็นรัฐ ผู้แพ้สงครามโลกครั้งที่ 2 เช่น ในกรณีของประเทศเยอรมนีและประเทศญี่ปุ่น ผลจากการแพ้สงครามทำให้ทั้งสองประเทศดังกล่าวถูกยึดครองโดยฝ่ายสัมพันธมิตร แต่ประเทศไทยไม่ถูกกระทำเช่นนั้น นอกจากนี้ความเป็นสมาชิกภาพขององค์การสหประชาชาติยังช่วยเปลี่ยนแปลง ภาพลักษณ์ของประเทศไทยจากความเป็นพันธมิตรที่ใกล้ชิดกับประเทศญี่ปุ่นในช่วงสงครามอีกด้วย