Political Science Commons^™

Expanding Political Space In Contemporary China: A Comparative Study Of The Advocacy Strategies Of Three Grass-Root Women's Groups, Weiting Wu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The absence of contentious performance has led scholars to question the existence of social movements and to agree with the description of state-social group relations in China as state corporatism. However, defining social movement by confrontational performance is inappropriate to examine social organizing under repression regimes. Most western social movement theories assume that political space for organizing exists before the formation of social movement. My research challenges this assumption by extending the concept of political opportunity structure to conduct process-tracing comparisons of two women's and one lesbian groups' respective strategies when facing interferences from the central authorities. By conducting interviews …

Politics As A Sphere Of Wealth Accumulation: Cases Of Gilded Age New York, 1855-1888, Jeffrey D. Broxmeyer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines political wealth accumulation in American political development. Scholars have long understood the political system selects for "progressive ambition" for higher office. My research shows that officeseekers have also engaged in "progressive greed" for greater wealth. I compare the career trajectories of four prominent New York political figures during the Gilded Age: William Tweed, Fernando Wood, Roscoe Conkling, and Chester Arthur. Using correspondence, census, tax and land records, government reports, investigations, and newspaper coverage, I explain why each political figure chose to either seize or pass up opportunities for political wealth accumulation. I also examine the principal sources …

Committee Decision Making In Monetary Policy, Hyungju Cha

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

One reason of the criticism about Taylor rule would be that the rule could not provide a micro foundation about the decision-making mechanism. because it is simply describing the policy process in terms of the short-term nominal interest rate. In order to reconcile the tension between critics and supporters of Taylor rule, chapter I employs the theory of team, which investigates how members in a team interact to determine optimal decisions. Using team theory, it is shown how optimal monetary policy is results from committee members' interactions.

In chapter II, if the government cannot recognizes that the monetary policy can …

Human Trafficking In Morocco: A Focus On Sub-Saharan Migrant Women, Ladarrien Gillette

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to report on the situation of exploited and trafficked Sub-Saharan migrant women in Morocco. With the lack of legal framework to recognize or combat human trafficking my research focuses on the broader context of trafficking as a means to exploit mostly women in regards to sexual assault. Since the crime is not explicitly defined within Moroccan penal code there are no specific organizations dealing with survivors of trafficking but there are a few that indirectly address women migrants. The irregular situation of migrants in Morocco makes their involvement with being trafficked more complicated than …

Mitigating Climate-Induced Migration In Rural Morocco: Improving Sustainable Development To Address Socio-Economic And Environmental Causes Of Migration, Jesse Meisenhelter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco unique geography has made the country vulnerable to climate-induced migration (CIM) for three reasons. First, Moroccois located in a region identified as the highest vulnerability to climate change (IPCC, 2014). Second, Morocco’s economy remains dependent on natural resources due to a history of neo-liberal development and agriculture policies (Davis, 2006). These policies’ failure to diversify and develop the economy in rural regions has made Morocco the most geographically inequitable country in the MENA region (World Bank). Lastly, located just 14 km from Spain, Morocco has a 50-year history of migrating to Europe for work and opportunity (Eddouada, 2014). This …

Voting Across The Sea: The Politics Of French Nationals In Morocco, Sydney France

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The goal of this paper is to explore the way French nationals in Morocco continue to participate in French politics even though they no longer live in French territory. The research examines three organizations that are based in Morocco and participated in French elections in May 2014. They are the Union de Français de l’Etranger, Français du Monde and UMP Maroc. The paper examines how these organizations interact with French nationals in Morocco and how these organizations interact with the French government. The paper determines that Union de Français de l’EtrangerCasablancaand Français du Monde Maroc are different from political parties …

Reconstructing The Nation: African American Political Thought And America's Struggle For Racial Justice, Alex Zamalin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines how twentieth-century African American intellectuals engaged American political cultural beliefs central to American identity. A prominent argument of American political thinkers has been that the liberal-democratic ideals of freedom, equality, representative government, the rule of law, tolerance and civic obligation are what make Americans a unique people. From the immediate aftermath of the Second World War to the late twentieth-century such an argument provided American politicians, social movements and intellectuals a strong justification for divergent political claims, from Cold War warriors calling for the containment of Soviet Communism, to Civil Rights activists calling for racial integration to …

Positive Effects Of Corporate Social Responsibility On Youth Development A Case Study Of The Royal Swazi Sugar Corporation In Swaziland, Danielle V. Shtraus

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

What is corporate social responsibility (CSR)? How does it directly affect the youth in the areas where corporations come in to set up factories or farms? When one thinks of corporations operating in Africa, only those examples from the news come to mind, and they are all negative. One example is the recent strikes at the Marikana Mines in the Gauteng province of South Africa due to unfair wages and sanitation issues in the camps where employees live. I intend in this capstone to paint a picture of a corporation in Africa that strives to work towards best practices, and …

From The Forefront To The Sidelines: Youth In Post-Revolution Egypt, Khadiga Omar

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the reasons for the declining role of youth as effective political players since the Egyptian Revolution in 2011. Particularly looking at the “Revolutionary Youth”, this study investigates why their activism over the course of the past four years could not translate into political power that would lead to the realization of the goals of the revolution. Resource Mobilization Theory, Political Opportunity Structure and Framing constitute a tri-lens through which the political experience of the youth is analyzed in this research. This thesis argues that a) the youth’s organizational dilemma; b) their reliance on protest as the exclusive …

The Egyptian Uprising And April 6th Youth Movement Split, Somaia Metwalli El Sayed

Theses and Dissertations

Few months after the Egyptian uprising, a considerable number of April 6th Youth movement announced their split. Knowing that the movement was already suffering from internal disputes over a number of issues, the research problem is centered on questioning whether and how the uprising played a role in such incident. Academic scholarship on social movements developed partial and action-oriented theories to explain different processes and dynamics of movement’s collective action. However, little work has been done on the trajectory of social movements in the Middle East, especially after radical forms of change as revolutions, uprisings or upheavals. It is argued …

Revolution In Education: Learning Resistance In Cuban Schools, Amanda Epstein , '15

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Has The Cold War Returned To East Asia?, James T. H. Tang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The rise of a non-democratic China as the world ‘s second largest economy, still officially subscribing to Communism or ‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’ as its ideology1, has raised the spectre of the return of the Cold War to Asia with the United States and China on opposing sides, with China backed by Russia, its former Cold War ally. But to what extent are there historical parallels between the Cold War and the current East Asian international relations system?

Padania Or Federalism? An Examination Of The Spatial Demands Of Italy's Northern League, Anthony Vincent Pierucci

Theses and Dissertations

This study will analyze what factors affect the oscillation of the spatial demands of ethno-regionalist parties between more moderate and more radical objectives. The factors under examination are electoral, economic, internal organization, and the "other" that the party defines itself against. The study analyzes the relationship between these factors and spatial demands utilizing a case study of the Lega Nord. Ultimately, the study concludes that there is some relation between these factors and the Lega Nord's spatial demands, even if they are not directly causal of the change in spatial demands themselves. The findings also suggest that the generalized findings …

Politics For Place: An Introduction To American Decentralism, Jeff Taylor

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Paper presented at the Front Porch Republic Conference, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, on September 27, 2014.

Justice Not Long Delayed: Historical Perspective And The Twenty-First Century Fight For Gay Rights, Charles O. Boyd

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper attempts to formulate the best comprehensive strategy for achieving equal rights under the law for gays and lesbians. One of the main ways this paper attempts to formulate such a strategy is by looking at the tactics that allowed previous movements, such as abolitionism and the Civil Rights Movement, to succeed. This paper considers which of the tactics of these movements should be adopted by gay rights activists. Some tactics, such as civil disobedience, are determined to be useful for gay rights activists. Others, such as violence (which was avoided by the Civil Rights Movement but used by …

Digitally Mapping The Growth Of The Railroads In The United States, Michael Weaver

Yale Day of Data

As part of my dissertation, I creating digital maps of the extent of the railways in the United States during the late 19th century (1880 to 1910) on a yearly basis. While other researchers have created digital maps of the railways in approximately 10-year intervals, this misses out on the rapid change in the railways in the interim. These previous digitization attempts have relied on using detailed maps created of the railways at a given time. But accurate maps were not made on a yearly basis and only exist for roughly every 10 years. However, during the 19th century, people …

Backsliding Into Corporate Dominance?, Evan Barrett

Highlands College

A Montana Public Radio Commentary by Evan Barrett.

Published newspaper columns written by Evan Barrett on this topic, which vary somewhat in content from this commentary, appeared in the following publications:

Missoulian, October 3, 2014

Independent Record, October 13, 2014

Grit And Dreams: Character Strengths, Social Mobility, And The American Dream, Richard Reeves

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

The issue of social mobility is at the forefront of current political debate. President Obama has described it as ‘the defining challenge of our times.’ Paul Ryan says that the ‘engines of upward mobility have stalled.’ Most approaches to restoring the American dream focus on institutions: schools, companies, and colleges. There is growing evidence that individual character strengths -- especially grit (the capacity to stick with a task or a journey), and prudence (valuing future outcomes) - matter just as much as more tangible factors. Blending history, philosophy, and economics, in this public lecture I will argue that restoring the …

The Bias Of Neutrality: An Examination Of A Congressman's Motivations On The Issue Of Network Neutrality, Harrison Beau Bryant

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

The United States Congress is an institution that, especially in recent times, is continuously faced with more modern and complex problems. The political dilemma surrounding the issue of network neutrality is a perfect example of a highly complex and technical problem that members of Congress have been forced to think about and act on. Because use of the Internet has now been almost entirely integrated into American society, with nearly 80% of the U.S. population connected in one way or another, the Internet's priority as a subject of legislation has seen a meteoric rise in Congress (data.worldbank.org; opencongress.org). In fact, …

Enhanced Interrogation: Torture Policies Of The United States, Philip A. Quigley

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

Over the last decade the US Government has worked tirelessly to combat terrorists, insurgents, and those who intend harm to the US, its interests, and its allies and their interests. The US Military and the US Intelligence Community have used many tactics as part of a more complex strategy for waging a worldwide war against al-Qaeda, other terrorist organizations, and their base of support. No tactic has garnered as much public attention, media outcry, and political debate as the use of torture, or more euphemistically referred to in US Government documents, "enhanced interrogation." The use of this tactic has strained …

Are Approval Ratings An Accurate Reflection Of Success? Effects Of Media Coverage On Public Opinion Of Colin Powell, Michaela Dalton

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

No abstract provided.

Colin Powell, Torture And Terror, Jonathan Cohen

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

This paper will address evidence linking the former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, to the hotly-debated torture program of the George W. Bush (GWB) administration. The evidence in this paper suggests that the policies and practices of torture in the War on Terror were planned and authorized by General Powell and other senior officials in the GWB administration.

The Powell Doctrine Of Foreign Policy: International Development As Homeland Security, Katherine Blaisdell

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

Despite mixed response by voters to the idea of sending tax dollars to other countries for any purpose, administrations since Franklin Roosevelt have used foreign aid as part of their economic and foreign policy. The Bush administration and the Department of State under Colin Powell's leadership were no exception, and even raised foreign aid levels. However, many (see, for example, Mertus, 2008) argue that the Bush administration's primary goal was creating a strategic power balance and stable world system, with alleviation of poverty and disease being just a side effect to be used for public relations advantages. In his most …

On Shaky Grounds: Reasons Behind The Failure To Adhere To The "Powell Doctrine" In The 2003 Iraq Invasion, Sasha Anderson

e-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Work

Why did we go to war with Iraq and what are we still doing there? This question is one of our most pressing foreign policy issues and continues to be hotly debated by politicians, journalists and citizens. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was executed in a strikingly different fashion than the strategy used in an earlier conflict with Iraq, the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991. Rather than follow a strategy consisting of clear goals, overwhelming force and a predetermined exit strategy, the US military blundered into Iraq in 2003 without a way to measure victory and without a plan …

Punishment And Inclusion: Race, Membership, And The Limits Of American Liberalism, Andrew Dilts

Law

At the start of the twenty-first century, 1 percent of the U.S. population is behind bars. An additional 3 percent is on parole or probation. In all but two states, incarcerated felons cannot vote, and in three states felon disenfranchisement is for life. More than 5 million adult Americans cannot vote because of a felony-class criminal conviction, meaning that more than 2 percent of otherwise eligible voters are stripped of their political rights. Nationally, fully a third of the disenfranchised are African American, effectively disenfranchising 8 percent of all African Americans in the United States. In Alabama, Kentucky, and Florida, …

Groundings Volume One, Issue One

Groundings

This is the full issue of Groundings Vol. 1, Iss. 1.

Britain's Wee Nuclear Problem, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

No abstract provided.

Ordem E Progresso: The Programa De Aceleração Do Crescimento, Developmentalism And Democracy In Brazil, Grant Burrier

Political Science ETDs

The dissertation analyzes the developmental state and public policy in Brazil, exploring the extent to which the policymaking process is rationalized or politicized. Specifically, I look at these issues in the multi-year infrastructure project, the Programa de Aceleração do Crescimento (PAC). Brazil has a long history of clientelism and pork barrel spending. At the same time, the rise of developmentalist leaders has undermined these historical legacies and encouraged the implementation of more rationalized economic policies. In order to function properly, a developmental state requires rationalization and most scholars have assumed that authoritarian, one party states would provide the necessary insulation. …

Liberal Discourse And The Hegemons Dilemma: A Realist-Constructivist Approach To The Study Of U.S.-Latin American Relations, Justin Delacour

Political Science ETDs

This dissertations approach starts from four basic premises. The first is that a Western power's interests in a liberal foreign policy course will exist alongside other interests of the state that casually conflict with its professed liberalism. The second premise is that, in order for the Western state to periodically pursue objectives that partially conflict with its professed principles, the state will present such objectives as liberal by understating the illiberal characteristics of foreign allies and overstating the undemocratic characteristics of rivals. The third premise is that, given the cultural authority of the state, its positions and narratives will have …

Rodney Papers At Auc Robert W. Woodruff Library

Groundings

No abstract provided.