Political Science Commons^™

Awareness And Change In Socrates Political Thought, Mohamed Talaat

Future Journal of Social Science

The research paper explores the importance of public political awareness in Socratic philosophy in relation to societal and political changes that can happen as a consequence. By seeing how Socrates emphasized moral integrity, critical thinking, and pursuit of knowledge in order to achieve virtue. The research tests the hypothesis that an increased level of awareness can lead to a societal and political transformation. The research tackles some questions, such as the steps needed for a political change, the tools to increase awareness, and the role of philosophers and great thinkers in guiding their societies to such a path. Through analyzing …

How The U.S. Can Protect Taiwan In The 21st Century, Zachary Surmacz

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

What U.S. policy would deescalate cross-strait tensions, while maintaining Taiwan’s security? This article is supported by the information and perspectives received from 12, one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with a variety of thought leaders in Taiwan. The goal of this proposal is to provide policymakers in the United States with a path for protecting Taiwan, while responsibly managing the U.S.-China relationship. The paper begins with a short background of the complex policy problem facing Taiwan and a review of the current official U.S. policy of “strategic ambiguity." The article then provides an evaluation of the U.S. policy by comparing its stated goals …

Risky Business: Organizational Challenges In International Support For Civilian Self-Protection, J. M. Welsh, Emily Paddon Rhoads, J. Masullo

Political Science Faculty Works

Over the last decade, a range of international actors has moved away from direct forms of intervention to protect civilian populations in favor of “bottom-up” approaches that emphasize external support for civilian self-protection (CSP). While this indirect action is often perceived to be less costly, more legitimate, and potentially more effective, we argue that external support for CSP is a “risky business” that presents a significant dilemma for international governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Drawing on literature from sociology, economics, and civil war studies, we conceptualize and categorize the risks of unintended consequences that could accompany external support for CSP and …

Opinion: The Constitution - Not Trump - Demands Our Allegiance, Christian G. Fritz

Faculty Scholarship

Supporting the Constitution not only requires submission to constitutional authority but implies resistance to powers that are exercised unconstitutionally. Such resistance might take the form of brave individuals living up to their oath of office or courts defending the rule of law and the Constitution. But while the Supreme Court plays a key role in interpreting the Constitution and holding a president in check, it has long been recognized that others besides the court have always been necessary to help monitor America’s constitutional order. The practice of resisting unconstitutional acts of the federal government by sounding the alarm was described …

The Effect Of Ex-Ante Government Responsibility For Health On Public Health Financing In Post Pandemic Budgets, Denis Granados, Rylee Roman, Hallie Sidman

Working Papers Series

This paper investigates how pre-pandemic levels of government responsibility for public health financing influenced post-pandemic health spending across selected OECD countries. Using a combination of descriptive analysis and regression modeling, the study examines changes in public health expenditure per capita between 2019 and 2022, focusing on key variables such as the government’s share of health financing, the Total Pandemic Policy Intensity (PPI) index, and GDP per capita. Findings suggest that while all countries increased health spending post-COVID-19, the scale of change varied significantly based on economic capacity, institutional readiness, and political will. Notably, countries with higher pre-pandemic public health investment …

Functional Resilience Of Healthcare In The Critical Juncture Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Avner Kronisch, Christian Bongiorno, Kerane Smith, John Baker

Working Papers Series

This paper offers a comparative analysis of eight national healthcare systems—spanning democracies, autocracies, and various institutional models—to evaluate resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on Shvetsova et al.’s framework of informational and authority redundancies, and Parker & Klein’s “choke point” theory of healthcare rationing, we examine how institutional structure shaped pandemic response, system adaptability, and continuity of non-COVID services. Using indicators like life expectancy, under-five mortality, hospital capacity, cancer survival, and excess mortality, we explore how systems absorbed shock and maintained essential care. We find that decentralized and polycentric governance structures, when paired with coordination and resource adequacy, enhanced resilience—exemplified …

Covid-19 & Healthcare (Re)Privatization? A Comparative Analysis Of High And Medium Per Capita Gdp Countries, Kristina Donders, Kaitlyn Matthews, Brittany Reyes, Frank. H. Rizzo

Working Papers Series

This paper examines whether the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated healthcare privatization in high- and medium-GDP countries. Drawing on political economy theories of path dependence and privatization, we analyze changes in public and private healthcare expenditures in eight countries: Canada, Chile, Denmark, Georgia, Luxembourg, Norway, the Philippines, and South Korea—comparing data from 2019 and 2022. Using World Bank indicators on healthcare financing, GDP, aging populations, and food insecurity, we find that although healthcare expenditures generally increased during the pandemic, this increase was primarily in public, not private, spending. Case studies of Georgia and South Korea reveal that local economic and demographic pressures, …

Institutional Change In Healthcare As Brought About By The Critical Juncture Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Olga Shvetsova

Working Papers Series

This introduction to the 2025 capstone symposium lays the conceptual groundwork for a new approach to analyzing institutional change in healthcare systems triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Departing from conventional legal-institutional perspectives, it extends the decision space framework developed by Bossert (1998) to capture both formal authority and the de-facto responsibilities exercised by public and non-public actors. By disaggregating health responsibilities across levels of government and sectors—public, private, and hybrid—and operationalizing these as quantifiable indicators over time, the framework allows for real-time and comparative assessment of institutional transformation. The pandemic is treated as a critical juncture that exposed and reconfigured …

Shedding Light On Inequities Of Power Outages Through Data Transparency, Kelly A. Stevens, Sanam K. Aksha, Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman, Elizabeth Trader, Herbert Longenecker, Rebecca Entress, Thomas Wahl, Christopher Emrich, Kristopher O. Davis

Faculty Publications

In a changing climate, the electricity grid is increasingly exposed to more extreme weather that results in significant power outages. Further, lower income and racial-ethnic minority households are more likely to experience a higher frequency and duration of power outages compared to less socially vulnerable groups. The literature on the unequal impacts of power outages is a new, growing area of research that has been stymied in part due to the difficulty acquiring high spatial resolution, historical power outage data from utilities. In this Perspectives article, we review the availability of power outage data, and what can be learned from …

Shedding Light On Inequities Of Power Outages Through Data Transparency, Kelly A. Stevens, Sanam K. Aksha, Mohammed Siddiqur Rahman, Elizabeth Trader, Herbert Longenecker, Rebecca Entress

Faculty Publications

In a changing climate, the electricity grid is increasingly exposed to more extreme weather that results in significant power outages. Further, lower income and racial-ethnic minority households are more likely to experience a higher frequency and duration of power outages compared to less socially vulnerable groups. The literature on the unequal impacts of power outages is a new, growing area of research that has been stymied in part due to the difficulty acquiring high spatial resolution, historical power outage data from utilities. In this Perspectives article, we review the availability of power outage data, and what can be learned from …

How Far-Right Populism Harms Ethnic Minorities’ Health: The Case Of The United States, Dina Rosenberg

Working Papers Series

Public health is a political issue, and the health of ethnic minorities is a key component of it. We argue that far-right populism, whether grassroots or elitist, harms the health of immigrants and minorities. Anti-minority attitudes and policies—such as health chauvinism promoted by far-right populists—along with hate rhetoric and ensuing personal and institutional discrimination create a climate of hostility that negatively affects health outcomes in underprivileged communities. We hypothesize that immigrants and ethnic minorities living in such a climate are more likely to experience health problems and underutilize healthcare. To test this, we leverage the significant variation between U.S. states …

Accessibility To Public Spaces: Intersections Between The Courts And The Houseless Community, Margaret Maxey

Dissertations and Theses

In an attempt to answer the question of what role the judiciary played in affecting access to public spaces from the 1960's to 2024, this thesis identifies an accumulation of patterns relating to the courts' role in accessibility of public parks and their amenities over this time period. The data supplied for this question is drawn from scholars focusing on judicial decisions and political theory relating to public spaces, including those mentioned above. The result of this study will include a close examination of the role the judiciary holds as a cornerstone institution in not only our democracy, but in …

United Seas For Resilient Reefs: A Blueprint For Coral Conservation Through International Cooperation, John J. Bohorquez, Maoz Fine, Dana I. Grieco, David A. Gill, Ali Al-Swalimih, Jacqueline Padilla-Gamino, Isaiah W. Bolden, Margaux Hein, Callum Backstrom, Melanie Mcfield, Raphael Martinez, Benjamin Midberry, Fahd Al-Guthmy, Ellen K. Pikitch, Natalia Benejam, Chen Azulay, Britt Ronen, Oren Levy, Anne Mcelroy, Karine Kleinhaus

School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Coral reefs are one of Earth’s most vital and threatened ecosystems. They protect coastlines, generate billions of dollars of tourism revenue, support valuable fisheries, and contribute to the development of vital medicines. Yet half of the world's coral reefs have been lost in the last 50 years, and 90% of remaining reefs are projected to die off by the middle of this century, mainly due to warming seas from climate change.

Despite these challenges there is reason for hope. Some coral reefs – such as in the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba – have demonstrated remarkable resilience to …

A Research Guide And Annotated Bibliography For The Comparative Study Of Lgbtqia+ Social Movements Across East Asia, San Lee

FIRE Fund Bibliographies

This bibliography includes literature on how LGBTQIA+ movements across East Asia have evolved through local histories, politics, and cultural understandings of sexuality. While many societies had pre-existing, non-Western concepts of same-sex relations, post-1990s democratization and global human rights discourse reshaped activism in distinct ways. Movements in places like the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong engage with nationalism, decolonial perspectives, and social norms to construct unique approaches to queer rights. The guide highlights the need to understand LGBTQIA+ activism through each society’s specific historical and political context.

Political Sociology, Talha C. Issevenler

Open Educational Resources

This open-access textbook on political sociology introduces and problematizes the classical categories and parameters of the field. It explores the main approaches to the state and governance, while conceptualizing a turn toward network power. Specific chapters address political spacetime, violence, secrecy, social movements, politicization, interdisciplinarity, media, biopolitics, and event-analysis. Multimedia pedagogical exercises accompany the conceptual exposition.

Uni Political Science Newsletter, V20, 2024-25, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Political Science.

Political Science Newsletter

Contents:

--- From the Department Head
--- UNI Creates Center for Civic Education, Hires Director
--- Panthers Vote Recognized
--- Deputy Secretary of State Visits Campus
--- Celebrating Leaders in Public Service
--- Women in Public Service
--- You're Next Leadership Conference 2025
--- Model UN
--- Vajpeyi Fellowship
--- Iowa Human Rights Research Conference
--- Student Research
--- Montalvo Receives Lux Service Award
--- Purple & Old Gold Award
--- Congratulations 2024-25 Graduates
--- Faculty Updates
--- Keller Receives Gold & Bold Award
--- Alumni, Friends Recognized with President's Distinguished Award
--- Alumni Updates

Criminal Organizations And Nuclear Threats In Southeast Asia, Gary Ackerman, Thomas Guarrieri, Justin V. Hastings, Steven Hoodjer

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Increasing global interest in nuclear energy and peaceful uses of nuclear technology has led to facilities in emerging countries with nuclear materials and radioactive sources that could be stolen, sabotaged, or otherwise accessed by criminals. In this paper, we created a framework to assess the motivations and capabilities of criminal networks and measure the threats they may pose to different stages of the nuclear fuel cycle in emerging nuclear states. We applied the framework to a unique dataset, capturing characteristics of criminal organizations active in Southeast Asia, which allowed us to assess which criminal organizations are most likely to pose …

The Seduction Of Journalism In Atlanta: William Randolph Hearst And The Atlanta Georgian, Andrew J. Bramlett

The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Atlanta Georgian was founded in 1906, quickly becoming a rival of the already established Atlanta Constitution and Atlanta Journal. Its founding editor, John Temple Graves, was a devoted believer of the New South Movement and a prominent ally of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. In 1912, Hearst purchased the Georgian, expanding his influence into the South. The Georgian was a small piece of his grander plan to become President of the United States, and he quickly turned it into Atlanta’s most discussed newspaper. However, since the first edition of the Georgian was published in 1906, Hearst’s presence …

Investigating Terrorist Use Of Improvised Explosive Devices In The United States: Evidence From Us Federal Court Cases, 2009 – 2024, Angie Benda, Austin C. Doctor

Political Science Faculty Publications

Terrorist use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remains a persistent and evolving threat within the United States. Until now, few data collection and analysis efforts have focused on the systematic capture of terrorist bombing plots and attacks. Filling this evidence gap, this research note presents and analyses an original dataset of US federal charges associated with terrorism-related IED incidents in the United States observed from 2009 through 2024. The data features 110 related cases, the analysis of which indicates a sample peak in the use of IEDs in terrorist incidents occurred in 2024. Incidents are not siloed to a specific …

Power Asymmetry Dynamics: Assessing Interdependence In France-Cameroon Relations Through Economic And Security Cooperation (2000–2024), Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This paper examines the dynamics of power asymmetry in the interdependent relationship between Cameroon and France from 2000 – 2024 with a focus on security and economic cooperation. The main research question asks: To what extent has power asymmetry reinforced or mitigated the interdependent relationship between Cameroon and France within the realm of economic and security cooperation? Based on the hypothesis that increased interdependence between these two states during this period has strengthened existing power disparity. The paper examines how such dynamics have restrained Cameroon’s autonomy and its capacity to pursue policy goals.

The theoretical framework combines dependency theory, postcolonial …

Addressing Emergency Situations Among The Unhoused In Paterson, Nj, Fanny Lauby

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Earlier this year, the Paterson City Council proposed an ordinance to criminalize homelessness. Many residents were unhappy with the proposed ordinance, feeling that it was unjust to treat the homeless in Paterson that way, and that it wouldn’t effectively address the root causes. The ordinance was withdrawn, but homelessness in Paterson still needs to be addressed. This paper proposes alternate solutions to homelessness; through increasing shelter capacity, affordable housing, modifying the ordinance, increasing in voluntary commitment, measures, and alternatives to involuntary commitment.

Single Mother Poverty In A Global City, Gregory Cala

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The thesis explores how New York City's emergence as a "Global City" and welfare reform uniquely impacted single mothers’ lives on the matter of labor, housing, cost of living and more. New York City’s recovery from near bankruptcy in the 1970s began after cutting social programs and luring corporate firms with financial incentives. As firms moved to the city, so did their workforce of employees with skills in specialized service roles. Concurrently, the need for cheap, part-time, and temporary services emerged. By the 1990s, the growth of these less specialized service jobs outpaced all others, all while calls for work …

Global Constructions Of Gender, Sexuality, And Migration: An Analysis Of Five Immigrant Memoirs, Grace Halvorson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone analyzes five memoirs by LGBTQ+ migrants—Jose Antonio Vargas, Edafe Okporo, Staceyann Chin, Danny Ramadan, and Samra Habib—to explore how governments weaponize gender and sexual orientation to construct national identity and exert control over both citizens and migrants. Their diverse migration experiences highlight how “gender border control” operates across families, communities, and national government systems, reinforcing heteronormative structures that regulate queer identities. My analysis of their memoirs reveals how both formal tools, such as immigration policies, and informal tools, such as social exclusion, make individuals outside heteronormative identity categories susceptible to state and societal violence. These personal narratives shed …

Exploring Guyanese Identity In Nyc: A Research Exploration, Shivanie E. Hariram

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study explores racial and ethnic self-identification among members of the Guyanese diaspora in New York City, with particular emphasis on individuals who select "Other" as their racial or ethnic category. Utilizing an IRB-approved quantitative methodology, data was collected through a structured survey targeting Indo-, Afro-, and mixed-heritage Guyanese populations. Drawing on Stuart Hall’s Cultural Identity Theory and Cultural Hybridization Theory, this research analyzes how participants negotiate potentially fluid identities within social contexts that often favor rigid racial categorizations. My findings indicate that those who identify as "Other Race" frequently resist binary classifications, instead constructing hybrid forms of "Guyanese-ness" that …

The Long Arm Of The Law: The Far-Reaching Effects Of The Carceral State On Families, Madison Squiers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates the extended consequences of mass incarceration in the United States, focusing on the social, economic, and psychological impacts on the nuclear families of incarcerated individuals. Through a comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024, this study highlights how female partners and children of imprisoned men face significant hardships, including emotional trauma, financial instability, and social stigma. These burdens are most acutely experienced by low-income families and communities of color, reflecting broader patterns of structural inequality. The findings underscore how punitive criminal justice policies—especially mandatory minimum sentencing and the War on Drugs—have created ripple …

Comparing Campaigns To End The Subminimum Wage With A Multiple Streams Approach, Chris Peraino

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Labor organizations do not significantly represent the interests of restaurant workers in the United States. In the absence of labor representation, nonprofits have become the main advocates for restaurant workers in politics. Among the most active is OneFairWage (OFW), a nonprofit focused on eliminating the subminimum wage for tipped restaurant workers. OFW’s legislative efforts have had mixed outcomes. Two of its campaigns - D.C. and Chicago - were successful. All other campaigns, like those in New York state and Michigan, have struggled to achieve their goal. Why has nearly identical legislation with the same target population of restaurant workers passed …

The Unholy Matrimony: Russia And Violent Non-State Actors, Justin Castro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Russia’s contemporary relationship with violent non-state actors has been at the forefront of news due to the conflict in Ukraine. Despite the international shock at this phenomenon, this is an age-old practice for Russia. Since the 17^th century, the Russian state has developed a strategy of utilizing violent non-state actors in order to achieve its geopolitical objectives that consist of expanding its territory, extending its influence abroad, and weakening the capabilities of adversaries. While this strategy seems clear-cut, it contains a rich history of Russia trying to manage its relationship with non-state actors from a position of weakness and …

Agents Of Alignment: Political Realignment As Social Movement Strategy, Matthew Miles Goodrich

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The fields of social movement studies and political realignment theory do not often overlap in political science. But by conceiving of realignment as a strategy of social movements, this paper reveals terrain in the political struggle that conventional scholarship can miss. I draw from two historical case studies – the industrial labor movement in the 1930s and the civil rights movement in Mississippi the 1960s – to explore how social movement strategists fought to shape the contours of emerging political orders to achieve their goals. I find that the labor movement pursued a reciprocal strategy of alignment with the Democratic …

Moving The Needle: The Policy Of Change On Syringe Access, New York City And State, 1988–2023, Joyce Rivera

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

By the mid-1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic breached a longstanding consensus between the political class and its bureaucratic alliances that had relied for decades on attitudes and orientations that championed punitive prohibition toward drugs as a bedrock principle of policy making. This ‘focusing event’ created an opening for HIV/AIDS activists to build a movement that offered an alternative, a more effective and just approach to how government policies and practices can manage illegal drugs and the persons who use drugs.

The dissertation uses several theoretical and methodological tools to address the central research objective that highlights the critical role played by …

Path Dependency And The Politics Of U.S. Health Reform, Sophia Spadafore

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examines the impact of path dependency on health reform efforts in the United States, specifically analyzing how past policy decisions constrain subsequent reform possibilities. Utilizing the theoretical framework of historical institutionalism, the study investigates two significant cases—the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 and the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010—to illustrate how successful healthcare reforms embed institutional arrangements that limit future policy innovation. Through a comparative case study approach grounded in legislative records, historical texts, and scholarly analyses, the research highlights that major healthcare reforms in the U.S. have consistently been structured …