Political Science Commons^™

Reexamining Cultural Orientation Provided To Newly Arrived Refugees, Sara E. Matchulat

Capstone Collection

The provision of cultural orientation is one of many services required by the contract between resettlement agencies and the federal agencies overseeing refugee resettlement, the Cooperative Agreement. This paper explores World Relief in Moline, Illinois as a case study for how small resettlement agencies can provide meaningful and memorable cultural orientations. In order to accomplish this goal, this research utilizes the Empowerment Theory to explore how recently resettled refugees’ perceptions can be taken into consideration as orientation materials are examined. Research sought to compare Cooperative Agreement requirements to current orientation materials, interviewed service providers and recently resettled refugees, and utilized …

Lakoff’S Theory Of Moral Reasoning In Presidential Campaign Advertisements, 1952–2012, Damien S. Pfister, Jessy J. Ohl, Marty Nader, Dana Griffin

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This study examines the presence and distribution of George Lakoff’s Strict Father and Nurturant Parent paradigms of moral reasoning in presidential campaign advertisements between 1952 and 2012. Results show that Republicans outpace Democrats in the general use of moral reasoning and that Republicans are far more likely to use Strict Father language than Democrats. The study found no difference in the use of Strict Father= Nurturant Parent morality throughout history, during times of war and recession, or if the candidate was an incumbent. The Strict Father and Nurturant Parent models of moral reasoning were also evaluated based on their relationship …

Campus Camp Wellstone At Wsu: A Blog Post, Courtney Mccaw

Feminist & Queer Praxis

This blog post written for the WSU Improving Our World Blog, which showcases the work WSU students do to improve our community and world.

Addressing “This Woeful Imbalance”: Efforts To Improve Women’S Representation At Cia, 1947-2013, Brent Durbin

Government: Faculty Publications

This collection consists of some 120 declassified documents, the majority of which are being released for the first time. The collection includes more than 1,200 pages from various studies, memos, letters, and other official records documenting the CIA's efforts to examine, address, and improve the status of women employees from 1947 to today.

Key documents include the 1953 Panel on Career Service for Women (dubbed the "Petticoat Panel"); a 1976 letter written by DCI George H.W. Bush nominating three female officers for the Federal Woman's Award: a poignant 1984 memo on career opportunities for women; a 1992 summary of he …

Powers, Caleb, 1869-1932 (Sc 2777), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2777. Letter, 6 December 1902, from Caleb Powers to Lovin Richards, Hillsdale, Kentucky, thanking him and other Republican residents of Simpson County Precinct Number 1 for donations toward his legal expenses in connection with his retrial on a charge of complicity in the assassination of Kentucky governor William J. Goebel. Includes the list of donors and amounts contributed; also includes a letter, 25 July 1903, from J. B. Howard to the postmaster of Hickory Flat, Kentucky, requesting a house-to-house canvass for donations to defend against the same …

A Taxonomy Of Determinism, Brant Williams, Dr. Brent D. Slife

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In psychology, there has been a great deal of debate about the issue of determinism. Many psychologists argue that we are determined by our genetics and our environment. However, there are many psychologists who strongly disagree with this idea. This debate has continued for many years without resolution and in the process has generated much confusion. This confusion is in large part due to a lack of a standard definition of determinism. Currently, there is no accepted standard definition of determinism and each researcher defines determinism differently. The result of this is that often researchers are arguing about two different …

The Stink Coming Through The Revolving Door, Evan Barrett

Highlands College

A Montana Public Radio Commentary by Evan Barrett.

The Impact Of Political Opportunity Structure On Anti-U.S. Military Base Movement Outcomes: Case Studies On Okinawa And The Philippines, Ryan M. Scoville, Dr. Ray Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Two years ago, I traveled to Okinawa to interview head office staff for two of Japan’s biggest political parties and an editor for the Ryukyu Shinbun—Okinawa’s largest newspaper. While on the island I also collected Okinawan voting records for the past two decades of mayoral and prefectural elections. The purpose of these activities was to obtain new information on the anti- U.S. military base movement in Okinawa. I specifically wanted to know why the movement has been largely ineffective over the past three decades, what political forces have shaped its fate over time, and whether there has been an adverse …

Halloween Candy: A "Rich, Dark" History, Kim Hill

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Quotas For Women In South Africa’S African National Congress: A Rationalist/Constructivist Approach, Jessica R. Preece, Dr. Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

South Africa’s conservative cultural traditions, significant rates of poverty, and recent transition to democracy make it surprising that it’s Parliament has twice the percentage of women as the worldwide average–29.8% in the National Assembly and 31.5% in National Council of Provinces.1 What explains South Africa’s exceptional number of female Members of Parliament (MPs)? South Africa’s dominant political party, the African National Congress (ANC), implemented a quota system for women when choosing their candidates–they require every third candidate to be a woman. Thus, because the ANC controls about a third of the seats in Parliament, it has a significant impact on …

Political Science Alumni Panel, Tia Patsavas

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

The True Origin Of Society: The Founders On The Family, Scott Yenor

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the past century, no institution has come under more sustained assault than the family. Radical feminists disparaged the traditional family as a remnant of patriarchy and a threat to autonomy and romantic love, allowing contemporary liberals to redefine the ends of marriage in terms of self-fulfillment and personal growth. While the findings of social science and the teachings of religion lend support to the family, we turn to the American Founders for a stronger, principled defense of traditional marriage and the family. The Founders understood that the family, with the commitment of marriage needed to sustain it, is uniquely …

Unicity Councilors In South Africa: Institutions, Representation, And Ethnicity, David Martin, Dr. Raymond V. Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the year 2000, five of South Africa’s most populated regions—Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, and Ekurhuleni—underwent a consolidation of power that combined many local city councils into a large unicity council. In each case the official goal of the consolidation was to increase the efficiency of service delivery, benefit from economies of scale, and avoid duplication of services. Proponents of the action cited the examples of New York City and Toronto for support. An example of how this consolidation took place is Cape Town, which combined seven previous metropolitan local councils—Blauwberg Municipality, City of Cape Town, City of Tygerberg, …

Senegal And Its Civil War In Casamance, Ryan Keller, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Civil and ethnic conflict has taken a particularly devastating toll on the peoples of Africa. Ruthless dictators, civil wars, and genocide have obliterated literally millions from Rwanda, to Uganda, to Angola. Unfortunately, Senegal has not been an exception.

Democratization, Ethnicity, And War, Lindsay J. Baxter, Dr. Scott Cooper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

US foreign policy often centers on the idea that spreading democracy is the key to ending violent interstate conflict. Proponents of the democratic peace theory endorse this policy perspective, asserting that the historical record demonstrates that war between democracies is rare if not nonexistent. However, scholars like Edward Mansfield and Jack Snyder remind policy makers that “countries do not become mature democracies overnight.”1 They maintain that democratizing states are actually more war-prone than mature democracies; therefore, those who shape foreign policy should couple their pro-democracy agenda with considerable caution.

Mobile Phones: Changing Moroccan Social Patterns, Alexia Green, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

On the surface, Moroccan society appears fairly traditional. Women stay in the house. Men stay on the streets. However, traditional barriers are being circumvented by new technology; mobile phones allow men and women to have continual, unsupervised contact and thus interrupt social norms. Widespread mobile phone and internet use provides access to members of the opposite sex in ways never before possible. A fifteen year old girl can be sitting in her living room watching television with her parents while receiving texts from her (most likely unwelcome) boyfriend and no one is the wiser. This frequent contact is having a …

Progressive Women: A Comparison Of Women’S Status In France, Morocco, And Tunisia, Margo Alana Larson, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Western perception of Muslim women remains riddled with negative stigmas regarding women’s perceived lack of personal status rights. France as the center of all cultural advances was thought of as being advanced in the area of female status rights as well. As ideas moved from this Parisian cultural center to North Africa—the periphery of French civilization, North African female status laws were modified. Yet who can to say these changes were for the good or were in areas in which the French were more advance? This thesis has examined the idea that Western women have gained rights more quickly and …

The Spatial Distribution Of Votes Garnered By Ldp Candidates: An Exploratory Analysis Using Moran’S, Brian C. Dowdle, Dr. Ray Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Electoral systems, which use multimember electoral districts and non-transferable votes, present unique strategic dilemmas for political parties. In order to gain a parliamentary majority, a party must run and win candidates equal to at least one-half of the available seats. Under such a system, therefore, it is commonplace for candidates of the same party to run against each other along with candidates from other political parties. This poses two significant strategic dilemmas. First, how many party candidates should run in each election district? Second, how can the vote best be divided among party candidates to maximize the number of seats …

Determinants Of Religious Freedom, Daniel M. Butler, Dr. Danny Damron

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Since the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration on human rights, there has been an incredible growth in the research done on human rights. The universal nature of these standards and rights has ensured that the study of human rights has been particularly fruitful for comparative study. While the number of cross-national studies on human rights has quickly increased during the past decade, the majority of those studies have used a narrow conception of human rights – the level of personal integrity abuses. This study adds to existing research by testing to see if some of the factors that have …

Explaining The Emergence Of Indigenous-Local Intergovernmental Relations In Settler Societies: A Theoretical Framework, Jen Nelles, Christopher Alcantara

Political Science Faculty Publications

There has been growing interest among practitioners and academics in the emergence of intergovernmental relations between local and Aboriginal governments in Canada. Initial research has focused on describing the nature of these relations but has yet to develop any theoretical expectations regarding why some communities are more likely to cooperate than others. We addresses this lacuna by developing a theoretical framework for explaining the emergence of cooperation between Aboriginal and local governments. After identifying a set of variables and specifying how they are likely to affect the propensity of communities to cooperate, we conclude with a discussion of how future …

Income And Capabilities: A Closer Look At Causation In International Development Models, Peter Sturgeon, Dr. Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project examines the relationship between increases in human capabilities and growth in GDP per capita. To do so, I utilize two-stage least squares regression analysis of cross-sectional data from over 140 countries. The results show that income and human capabilities have independent effects—with the effects of increases in human capabilities being greater. The role of human capabilities in increasing income is primarily realized through marginal increases in labor productivity. The findings suggest that development efforts focusing directly on education will be the most effective at alleviating poverty and empowering individuals.

Tax Reform In Russia: Success, Failure, And Implications, Camille Jackson, Dr. Wade Jacoby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The final days of 1991 brought unprecedented changes for Russia. The fall of Soviet rule and struggle toward Western democracy—or at least away from communism—has been a long, hard, and trying process for Russia and her citizens. This struggle stems from the difficult yet necessary restructuring process, a process marked by economic difficulties and, sometimes, failure. One area in which the country has met with extreme difficulty is taxation. Until recently, Russia has been notorious for widespread tax evasion and corruption, problems caused by ill-conceived tax laws and a cultural tendency away from tax compliance. Contrary to popular belief, however, …

The Human Rights Act: Incorporating International And Domestic Factors In British Law, Deborah Wells, Dr. Kendall Stiles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The project involved a study of British civil rights laws and practices in the context of European human rights law as embodied in the Convention on Human Rights and enforced by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Over the years, Britain has often found itself chastised for failing to comply with both the spirit and letter of the law, which raises the obvious question: why would the world’s most mature democracy have difficulty complying with these rules?

The Conflicted Gay Pioneer, Richard M. Valelly , '75

Political Science Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

With An Eye On A Set Of New Eyes: Beasts Of The Southern Wild, Kette Thomas

Journal of Religion & Film

This article focuses on how, Beasts of the Southern Wild, represents both divergence and transgression from paradigmatic structures that determine how certain visual representations are to be used. Specifically, the cinematic detours taken by the filmmakers, Lucy Alibar and Behn Zeitlin, do not lead to alien places for most viewers; on the contrary, ancient myths, legends, heroes and prehistoric references are recalled in total isolation from current social and political discourse. In this way, Beasts of the Southern Wild, effectively, highlights mythological structures operating in contemporary American society. Mircea Eliade, Roger Caillois and G.S. Kirk define mythology as a …

Doris Kearns Goodwin Lecture At Uni October 2, 2013, University Of Northern Iowa.

Joy Cole Corning Distinguished Leadership Lecture Series

Doris Helen Kearns Goodwin is an American biographer, historian, former sports journalist, and political commentator. She has written biographies of several U.S. presidents, including Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream; The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys: An American Saga; Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln; and The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism. Goodwin's book No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1995.

Overcoming Legislative Gridlock In The U.S. Congress: How Procedural Rules Affect Legislative Obstructionism, Molly Jackman

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

More than 90 percent of bills introduced in the U.S. House never make it to a floor vote, and far fewer are enacted into law. Since legislative gridlock is much more common than legislative action, in order to understand policy outcomes, it is critical to know why bills are obstructed. Gridlock occurs when a legislator (or group of legislators) wants to block a bill, and has the procedural right to do so. Using new data on the procedural rules in the U.S. states, this presentation will identify the chambers in which legislators can block bills from the legislative agenda. Then, …

Capitalist Childhood In Film: Modes Of Critique, Susan Ferguson

Journalism

This paper explores the latent political meanings of cinematic representations of capitalist childhood. The films it examines—three adaptations of the Oliver Twist story, Slumdog Millionnaire and a lesser-known Korean film, Treeless Mountain—have much in common: they feature abandoned or orphaned child characters who negotiate precarious existences in a rapacious crisis-ridden capitalist world. But the filmmakers’ evolving imaginings of childhood—from the Victorian vulnerable child to more postmodern understandings of children as agents in their own right—invite distinct political responses. While the Dickensian mode of critique rests problematically on an abstract idealized notion of childhood, attempts to update the image of childhood …

Central Government Poverty Policy And Local Deviation: A Comparison Of Dibao Regulations Across State Levels, Maja Kolmos, Christopher Rosenmeier

Global Asia Journal

The Chinese government has implemented a means-tested social security net for the poorest known as dibao. We compare dibao legislation from the State Council, the Shandong provincial government, and the Qingdao municipal government. As a case study, this comparative analysis of dibao legislation across different state levels and time periods provides a method to analyze differences between central and local government levels. We show that local governments are able to subvert the intentions of the central government by adding sections and altering the language in key passages. This type of horizontal and vertical reading of multiple texts reveals priorities …

Citizen Engagement In The Shrinking City: Toward Development Justice In An Era Of Growing Inequality, Barbara L. Bezdek

Faculty Scholarship

What are the aims of the revitalization conducted by local officials: for which social goods? Good for whom? By what means can the city’s people understand and influence the tradeoffs made by their government in the redevelopment of city blocks already occupied by residents. This is more than a matter of development finance or physical redevelopment. It is a question of social justice, of whose reality counts in the legal process utilized to reach development decisions and approve significant public subsidy for the projects that are remaking American cities.

Sherry Arnstein, writing in 1969 about citizen involvement in planning processes …