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Full-Text Articles in Political Science

The Supreme Court’S Countermajoritarianism? What Impact Does Public Opinion Have On The Supreme Court Decisions?, Evan Tompkins Apr 2017

The Supreme Court’S Countermajoritarianism? What Impact Does Public Opinion Have On The Supreme Court Decisions?, Evan Tompkins

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Although normative questions about the role of the Supreme Court as a countermajoritarian institution have been commonly debated in political science research, an updated empirical question on Mishler and Sheehan’s (1993), study on public opinion and its impact on the Court must be asked. It has been 25 years since the publication of their study and numerous high profile cases such as Bush v. Gore, Citizens United v. FEC, and Obergefell v. Hodges have brought nationwide attention to the Supreme Court and how it interacts with public opinion. Results from empirical measurements of the Supreme Court’s decisions and what impact …

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Spoilers And Signatures: Ballot Access And Third Party Performance, Cameron Shepard Apr 2017

Spoilers And Signatures: Ballot Access And Third Party Performance, Cameron Shepard

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Third parties and independents face several hurdles to success in the United States because of the two-party system. One of those hurdles is state ballot access laws, which place obstacles in the way of minor candidates that major-party candidates do not face. Research into the phenomenon of third-party performance has shown that third-party candidates do better in non-competitive races when the possibility of causing the spoiler effect is small. But very little research exists to show how much of a difference those requirements make, or if the number of candidates on the ballot is correlated to overall third party support. …

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The New Evangelicals: How Donald Trump Revealed The Changing Christian Conservative Base, Michael J. Herbert Apr 2017

The New Evangelicals: How Donald Trump Revealed The Changing Christian Conservative Base, Michael J. Herbert

Political Science Theses and Capstones

I analyze how Donald Trump, who many see as an uncertain standard bearer of Christian values, given his colored personal life and various tortured exchanges on the Bible, became the champion of Christian conservatives. Using Pew data from a January 27th, 2016 survey, I analyze how the Republican presidential candidate went from the lowest rankings of religious association just 10 months prior, to winning the highest white evangelical support since George W. Bush in 2004. More research will be conducted on how the specific group known as evangelical voters has changed, as well as what other variables such as economic, …

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Why Recognition Matters: The Death Of Absolute Sovereignty, Cameron Armstrong Apr 2017

Why Recognition Matters: The Death Of Absolute Sovereignty, Cameron Armstrong

All Theses And Dissertations

This thesis delves into the rise of the ISIS Caliphate against the backdrop of the historical context of state formation. As ISIS attempted to form a nation state, which they deemed a Caliphate, due process must be given to understanding the brief life and death of this entity. Analyzing the writings of Jean Bodin, Thomas Hobbes, Lassa Oppenheim, and others will lay a foundation of the formation and obligations of states as applied to the 2014 rise of ISIS as a government. This discussion goes on to conclude potential countries that should take center stage while discussing the future of …

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Arctic Flashpoint: The Russo-American Rivalry, Matthew Bernard Mackowiak Apr 2017

Arctic Flashpoint: The Russo-American Rivalry, Matthew Bernard Mackowiak

Honors Theses

With the steady melting of Arctic ice, the door has opened to northern shipping routes and access to Arctic oil reserves. As a result, the Russian Federation has jumped at the chance to control as much of the Far North as possible, aggressively militarizing Cold-War-Era bases and staking claims of vast maritime territory. With all of these recent developments, the political climate at the top of the world is changing dramatically. How is Russia flexing its muscles to control Arctic natural resources and what does this mean for the national security interests of the United States? This study will examine …

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Schisms: The Inherent Dangers Of Religious Variance Within A Single Faith – An Analysis Of Intra-State Conflict In The Modern World, Benjamin E. Hazen Apr 2017

Schisms: The Inherent Dangers Of Religious Variance Within A Single Faith – An Analysis Of Intra-State Conflict In The Modern World, Benjamin E. Hazen

Student Publications

This essay explores the relationship between religious variance within a single faith and the frequency of intra-state conflict. Specifically, an emphasis is placed on Sunni and Shia conflict within the overarching umbrella of Islam. Utilizing the most recent empirical data in conjunction with other scholarly research, it can be hypothesized that the more diverse a state is within a single subset of one particular religion, the more frequent the incidence of intra-state conflict is as well.

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Why Does Sweden Have Higher Levels Of Voter Turnout Than Finland?, Hannah M. Christensen Apr 2017

Why Does Sweden Have Higher Levels Of Voter Turnout Than Finland?, Hannah M. Christensen

Student Publications

Voter turnout is considered the “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to assessing the health of civic participation in a democracy; low turnout in particular is indicative of broader problems. Although voter turnout is quite high in both Sweden and Finland, turnout is notably higher in Sweden despite a long list of similarities between the two countries. Why is there this puzzling discrepancy? This paper employs a “most similar systems” research design to consider a wide variety of factors that can affect voter turnout and ultimately concludes that the difference lies in several different features of the two …

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Why Have Youth From Different Neighborhoods Of Durban, South Africa Developed Different Opinions Regarding The Role And Importance Of Voting In The Current State Of South African Democracy?, Anthony L. Wagner Apr 2017

Why Have Youth From Different Neighborhoods Of Durban, South Africa Developed Different Opinions Regarding The Role And Importance Of Voting In The Current State Of South African Democracy?, Anthony L. Wagner

Student Publications

The field of political science has become increasingly interested in the electoral participatory habits of young people in recent decades, and in post-apartheid South Africa more specifically in light of the recent and ongoing #feesmustfall movement within the nation's tertiary institutions. Since 1994, South Africa has made a great deal of progress towards dismantling the apartheid system; however, vast inequalities remain and many, mostly black African communities have not yet reaped the rewards of a democratic South Africa. Using qualitative data gathered from three focus groups, this paper examines why youth from black African township communities of Durban, South Africa …

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The Economics Of Refugees: How Refugees Influence The Economies Of Spain And England, Mary K. Bovard Apr 2017

The Economics Of Refugees: How Refugees Influence The Economies Of Spain And England, Mary K. Bovard

Student Publications

The economic impact of refugee movements is a topic disputed throughout the world, but even more highly disputed in the European Union. In this last Syrian refugee movement, we have heard many different interpretations of how the movement would affect the European economy. Whether based on factual data or speculation, this paper aims to unpack several of the main economic arguments for and against the movement of refugees into European countries, particularly Spain and England. This paper argues that the perceived economic impacts of the refugee movement in Europe does not match the measured economic impacts.

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Paese Di Accoglienza: Il Successo Di Un Modello Innovativo Di Accoglienza Dei Richiedenti Asilo In Italia, Isabela Arena Secanechia Apr 2017

Paese Di Accoglienza: Il Successo Di Un Modello Innovativo Di Accoglienza Dei Richiedenti Asilo In Italia, Isabela Arena Secanechia

Senior Capstone Theses

This work discusses Italy's migrant reception system including its flaws and their effects. Furthermore, this work explores an alternative, sustainable model of migrant reception created in Riace, Calabria, that has been successful in varying towns across Italy. Ultimately, this work argues that this system, which is beneficial to both Italians and incoming migrants — specifically asylum seekers — can and should be implemented nationally to counter the current flawed system.

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Diffusion Of Renewable Energy Policies, Khatera Alizada Apr 2017

Diffusion Of Renewable Energy Policies, Khatera Alizada

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the global diffusion of renewable energy policies: feed-in tariffs (FIT) and renewable portfolio standards (RPS). Existing studies of policy diffusion have failed to differentiate between four possible mechanisms of policy diffusion: emulation, suasion, learning and competition. To test these competing explanations, the study uses a mixed-method research design that combines statistical analysis of time-series cross-sectional data with an agent-based model of diffusion processes. The findings of the statistical analysis show strong support for the suasion (European Union Membership, Clean Development Mechanisms) and emulation mechanisms (cultural similarity or common language) in the diffusion of FIT. In the diffusion …

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Endpoints After Empire: Explaining Varying Levels Of Democracy In Post-Communist Europe, William John Eger Jr. Apr 2017

Endpoints After Empire: Explaining Varying Levels Of Democracy In Post-Communist Europe, William John Eger Jr.

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This study seeks to determine the impetus behind varying levels of post-communist democratization in central and eastern Europe. It explores the different theories of democratization. The work takes a regional approach to examining the states. This approach isolates less traditional factors that contribute to democratic quality: history, culture and geography. Qualitative studies of each help explain why the countries of the region have such a varying level of rights and freedoms.

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Transgender Rights Without A Theory Of Gender?, Paisley Currah Apr 2017

Transgender Rights Without A Theory Of Gender?, Paisley Currah

Publications and Research

Why do courts and legislatures ban discrimination based on gender, and increasingly, gender identity, but exempt grooming and dress codes from the protections these laws offer? I argue that culpability for the courts’ and legislatures’ defense of hegemonic gender norms cannot be assigned to transgender rights movement, as some have done. These norms do not regulate only transgender people, they are not minoritizing—and neither should be the politics that seeks to transform them. The thought experiment of this review essay was to sever the analysis of particular political strategies from various assumptions about what gender really is. Agreement on the …

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Going Beyond The Existing Consensus: The Use Of Games In International Relations Education, Michael Lee, Zachary C. Shirkey Apr 2017

Going Beyond The Existing Consensus: The Use Of Games In International Relations Education, Michael Lee, Zachary C. Shirkey

Publications and Research

Despite the popularity of using games to teach international relations, few works directly assess their effectiveness. Furthermore, it is unclear if games help all students equally, or if certain students are more likely to benefit than others. Finally, how closely the game must mirror the concept being taught to be an effective pedagogical tool has received scant attention. We address these points by discussing the use of an updated version of the classic American election game, Consensus, to help illustrate the role of domestic political coalitions in an international political economy course. Assessing the performance of 39 students via …

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"Mistris Hutchinsons Double Weekly-Lecture": Puritan Assemblies And The Antinomian Controversy Of 1636-38, Courtney H. Forster Apr 2017

"Mistris Hutchinsons Double Weekly-Lecture": Puritan Assemblies And The Antinomian Controversy Of 1636-38, Courtney H. Forster

Senior Honors Theses

The Antinomian Controversy of 1636-38 was a complex religious conflict concerning politics and disruption of Puritan society. It began when the Massachusetts Bay colony split into religious factions within the Church at Boston. At the height of the controversy it seemed a majority of the congregation favored a grace-only means of salvation. Most in authoritative positions believed religious works were important to the societal foundation of a holy Puritan community. With the feared breakdown of society looming over them, they would prosecute and convict Anne Hutchinson for violating the cohesion of the colony. Hutchinson was a prominent woman in the …

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Populism In America: Disenfranchised Voters And The 2016 Election, Charles Evan Mcmichael Apr 2017

Populism In America: Disenfranchised Voters And The 2016 Election, Charles Evan Mcmichael

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Knowing Where The Votes Are: Using The 2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial Race To Locate Key Democratic Precincts, Jacques A. Petit Apr 2017

Knowing Where The Votes Are: Using The 2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial Race To Locate Key Democratic Precincts, Jacques A. Petit

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Fractured Europe, Patrick Isacks Apr 2017

Fractured Europe, Patrick Isacks

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Unintended Consequences For Tanf: An Incubator For Domestic Violence?, Eileen Deleo Apr 2017

Unintended Consequences For Tanf: An Incubator For Domestic Violence?, Eileen Deleo

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Unintended Consequences For Tanf: An Incubator For Domestic Violence?, Eileen Deleo Apr 2017

Unintended Consequences For Tanf: An Incubator For Domestic Violence?, Eileen Deleo

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

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Street-Level Bureaucrats And Irrigation Policy Reform In Southeast Asia, Jacob I. Ricks Apr 2017

Street-Level Bureaucrats And Irrigation Policy Reform In Southeast Asia, Jacob I. Ricks

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Policy reforms are difficult for developing states, especially when they are meant to improve cooperation and collaboration between private citizens and state officials, such as in the case of education, health care provision, business-state relations, and policing. A large part of this challenge is that the policy reforms required for coproduction of services necessitate development of state capacity in new directions. Using the substantive issue of irrigation reforms, especially those aimed at improving service provision and farmer participation, I identify three lessons for reformers regarding the implementation of policy for the coproduction of services. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Thailand …

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Twenty Reasons To Publish In Dignity, Donna M. Hughes Apr 2017

Twenty Reasons To Publish In Dignity, Donna M. Hughes

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

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Why Knowledge Is Special, Shane Ryan Apr 2017

Why Knowledge Is Special, Shane Ryan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

I argue against Greco's account of the value of knowledge, according to which knowledge is distinctively valuable vis-a-vis that which falls short of knowledge in virtue of its status as an achievement and achievements being finally valuable. Instead, I make the case that virtuous belief is also an achievement. I argue that the nature of knowledge is such that knowledge is finally valuable in a way that virtuous belief is not, precisely because knowledge is not simply a success from ability. The value of knowledge lies in the positive responsiveness of the world to an agent's epistemic virtuousness.

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Estimating Intra-Party Preferences: Comparing Speeches To Votes, Daniel Schwarz, Denise Traber, Kenneth Benoit Apr 2017

Estimating Intra-Party Preferences: Comparing Speeches To Votes, Daniel Schwarz, Denise Traber, Kenneth Benoit

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Well-established methods exist for measuring party positions, but reliable means for estimating intra-party preferences remain underdeveloped. While most efforts focus on estimating the ideal points of individual legislators based on inductive scaling of roll call votes, this data suffers from two problems: selection bias due to unrecorded votes and strong party discipline, which tends to make voting a strategic rather than a sincere indication of preferences. By contrast, legislative speeches are relatively unconstrained, as party leaders are less likely to punish MPs for speaking freely as long as they vote with the party line. Yet, the differences between roll call …

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Dreaming As A Critical Discourse Of National Belonging: China Dream, American Dream And World Dream, William A. Callahan Apr 2017

Dreaming As A Critical Discourse Of National Belonging: China Dream, American Dream And World Dream, William A. Callahan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This article explores the normative politics of national belonging through an analysis of the ‘China Dream’ and the ‘American Dream’. It traces how politicians and public intellectuals employ such slogans to highlight how national dreams emerge in times of crisis and involve a combination of aspirations and anxieties. It compares parallel rhetorical strategies – ‘patriotic worrying’ in China and the American Jeremiad in the US – to examine how belonging to these two nations involves a nostalgic longing for the past as a model for the future. Debates about the meaning of these national dreams highlight the tension between freedom …

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The Elements Of Effective Program Design: A Two-Level Analysis, Michael Howlett, Ishani Mukherjee, Jeremy Rayner Apr 2017

The Elements Of Effective Program Design: A Two-Level Analysis, Michael Howlett, Ishani Mukherjee, Jeremy Rayner

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Policy and program design is a major theme of contemporary policy research, aimed at improving the understanding of how the processes, methods and tools of policy-making are employed to better formulate effective policies and programs, and to understand the reasons why such designs are not forthcoming. However while many efforts have been made to evaluate policy design, less work has focused on program designs. This article sets out to fill this gap in knowledge of design practices in policy-making. It outlines the nature of the study of policy design with a particular focus on the nature of programs and the …

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International Organizations As Mobilizing Structures: World Csr Associations And Their Disparate Impacts On Members’ Csr Practices, 2000-2016, Shawn Pope, Alwyn Lim Apr 2017

International Organizations As Mobilizing Structures: World Csr Associations And Their Disparate Impacts On Members’ Csr Practices, 2000-2016, Shawn Pope, Alwyn Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

International organizations are key players in globalization, but not all international organizations influence global processes in the same ways. In this paper, we argue that differences in international organizations’ mobilizing structures can shape the extent to which these organizations can positively impact the practices of their members. We present the first comparative and quantitative assessment of world corporate social responsibility (CSR) associations that comprise business participants that act collectively to address pressing social and environmental concerns. We conduct time-series panel regression analyses of a unique dataset of business participation in three core world CSR associations and test their effects on …

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Why Congress Does Not Challenge Judicial Supremacy, Neal Devins Apr 2017

Why Congress Does Not Challenge Judicial Supremacy, Neal Devins

William & Mary Law Review

Members of Congress largely acquiesce to judicial supremacy both on constitutional and statutory interpretation questions. Lawmakers, however, do not formally embrace judicial supremacy; they rarely think about the courts when enacting legislation. This Article explains why this is so, focusing on why lawmakers have both strong incentive to acquiesce to judicial power and little incentive to advance a coherent view of congressional power. In particular, lawmakers are interested in advancing favored policies, winning reelection, and gaining personal power within Congress. Abstract questions of institutional power do not interest lawmakers and judicial defeats are seen as opportunities to find some other …

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Twisting The Tap: Water Scarcity And Conflict In The Euphrates-Tigris River Basin, Samantha Glass Apr 2017

Twisting The Tap: Water Scarcity And Conflict In The Euphrates-Tigris River Basin, Samantha Glass

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Is water a target or an instrument of violence? Is it an amplifier of conflict or a means for cooperation, a source of growth or a force of destruction? The purpose of this report is to determine how threats of water shortage and the lack of a trans-boundary management plan has prompted states in the Euphrates-Tigris River Basin to leverage the shared resource as a political weapon to preserve national interests and ascertain regional authority. The scope of this report examines the domestic policies, economic objectives, and foreign-policy interests that compose Turkey, Syria, and Iraq’s national stakes in the trans-boundary …

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The Writing On The Walls: Street Art As A Site Of Participation In Discourse And A Platform For Voice In The Moroccan Public Sphere, Natalie Johnson Apr 2017

The Writing On The Walls: Street Art As A Site Of Participation In Discourse And A Platform For Voice In The Moroccan Public Sphere, Natalie Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Street art is a form of mass communication and a platform for public discourse (Chaffee, 1993, p. 4). Public discourse in the Moroccan context is undergoing a process of limited liberalization, characterized by the hybrid regime’s allowance of a greater plurality of voices to legitimately participate in public discourse while still maintaining surveillance and control over who participates and how they participate (Desrues, 2013). Through qualitative research methods, this study analyzes how individual actors and the Moroccan hybrid regime use street art in the Rabat-Casablanca urban space to participate in public discourse and how street art is related to the …

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