Political Science Commons^™

Do Political Contributions Purchase Regulatory Discretion In Mining Inspections?, Neil K. Malani

CMC Senior Theses

A vast literature acknowledges the corruptibility of regulators; however, empirical tests on the matter have been limited to two-agent models examining the rulemaking process and price regulation of natural monopolies. It remains an open question whether political contributions, by driving legislative pressure, can entice laxity from regulators in their application of the rules. To remedy this issue, I observe the highly-regulated coal mining industry for which there exists several points for inspector discretion. By comparing the outcomes with Congressional coal mining contribution levels, I am able to ascertain capture across several dimensions. Specifically, I find that contributions are associated with …

Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, And Indira Gandhi's Actions And Rhetoric Regarding Feminism And Gender During Their Ascent To Power, Ariel Katz

CMC Senior Theses

This paper explores the rhetoric and actions of Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, and Indira Gandhi regarding feminism and their gender before they became prime minister. The paper finds that none of the leaders identified as feminists, and did not actively focus on women’s issues or elevate the status of women while in office. Yet, all of these leaders called for women to mobilize and pursue careers, either via their actions or speeches. Thatcher, particularly in the crucial period in which she rose to power, explicitly encouraged women to mobilize as voters and pursue work outside the home in her formal …

Conflictual Foreign Policy Of The United States: Between Security And Human Rights, Chelsea K. Layman

CMC Senior Theses

The United States prioritizes human rights rhetorically but not in practice. As a result, United States policy is disjointed and conflictual between human rights and security. The result is an inconsistency in foreign policy. There have been examples of this throughout United States history such as in El Salvador, Indonesia, and Bahrain.

This thesis explored the three cases in depth by 1) providing background information and a summary of human rights violations in order to provide context for the analysis, 2) listing and explaining the reasons why the United States prioritized security, and 3) analyzing when human rights are absent …

We're "Fed" Up And Tea'd Off: Frame Analysis Of The Tea Party Movement, Daniel Peter Flaaen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

There is a new wave sweeping American politics. Beginning in 2009 as the people's movement, the Tea Party is taking American politics by storm. Hoping to change the way the American public thinks about American politics, the Tea Party is using some innovative tactics. Utilizing the only official Tea Party publication, an analysis of the publication's first year was done to identify the frames that were being put forth by the organization to gain support. By using the cross over frame, the us vs. them frame and the threat frame, the Tea Party hoped to resonate with a large population …

Review Of "Global Civics: Responsibilities And Rights In An Interdependent World" Edited By H. Altinay, Ayse Kaya

Political Science Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Supreme Court Of The United States, Carol Nackenoff

Political Science Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Latino Voters 2012 And Beyond: Will The Fastest Growing And Evolving Electoral Group Shape U.S. Politics?, Sylvia R. Lazos

Scholarly Works

The author reviews two recent books, Marisa A. Abrajano’s Campaigning to the New American Electorate: Advertising to Latino Voters (2010) and Marisa A. Abrajano’s and R. Michael Alvarez’s New Faces New Voices: The Hispanic Electorate in America (2010). These books are part of a growing literature that scientifically studies the evolving Latino electorate, and attempts to answer difficult questions about this ethnic group’s electorate cohesiveness and how candidates might be able to influence the Latino electorate. A careful read of Abrajano’s recent books brings additional understanding to Latino voter behavior, and by implication, how this key group will influence the …

How Level Of Globalization Affects Public Opinion Towards Globalization In Particular Nations, Nickolaus Bizzio

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to understand how the level of globalization affects the public opinion towards globalization. The reviewed literature traces the history of the most significant developments of the current global capital system as well as the public opinion literature which discusses relevant issues pertaining to the subject. Since globalization is highly correlated with modernization, much of the literature will involve examination of modernization as well as its critics. To test the presented hypotheses, Pew’s Global Attitudes Project Survey 2010 was used. The question used as the basis of the dependent variable asks if the respondent believes increasing business and …

A Decision Theory Of Statutory Interpretation: Legislative History By The Rules, Victoria Nourse

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

We have a law of civil procedure, criminal procedure, and administrative procedure, but we have no law of legislative procedure. This failure has serious consequences in the field of statutory interpretation. Using simple rules garnered from Congress itself, this Article argues that those rules are capable of transforming the field of statutory interpretation. Addressing canonical cases in the field, from Holy Trinity to Bock Laundry, from Weber to Public Citizen, this article shows how cases studied by vast numbers of law students are made substantially more manageable, and in some cases quite simple, through knowledge of congressional procedure. …

Introduction To The Intellectual Standard, Jaret Kanarek

The Intellectual Standard

It is with great pleasure that I introduce The Intellectual Standard to Illinois Wesleyan University. The Intellectual Standard is an interdisci­plinary' student-run academic journal. With philosophy as its fundamen­tal base, it covers a myriad of topics, including the social sciences, the natu­ral sciences, current events, culture, and art. Its goal is to bring intellectual thought into the mainstream environment of Illinois Wesleyan University, and thereby set an intellectual standard for students, professors, and publi­cations alike.

Philosophy And Nascar, Jake K. Bates

The Intellectual Standard

Philosophy is typically considered a thought-provoking science appropriately reserved for discussion between "intellectuals;' and NAS­CAR contrarily carries a stigma of uneducated masses of fans supporting a racer of their choice with a frequently drunken passion. Thus, the mar­riage of these two topics may seem entirely inappropriate. Despite their conflicting stereotypes, philosophy and NASCAR must not necessarily be separated. Philosophy-at least the right philosophy-exalts the use of the mind in furthering man's capabilities and simultaneously seeks to under­stand the limitations imposed by nature. It is the science presented and, ideally, answering questions such as "Where am I?;' "How can I discover …

The Learning Process: Inspiration For Computer Scientists, Nick A. Nichols

The Intellectual Standard

The human brain is capable of tasks with which the most com­plex computers have trouble. Comprehending language, a task that chil­dren can begin to develop by their second or third birthday, has only just reached a consistently usable level. Even with years of research, IBM's Wat­son, which competed against two all-time Jeopardy! contestants, was un­able to detect many of the nuances of human communication. Puns, con­text clues, and more are critical parts of communication, but given several of Watson's "confused" answers, they were clearly misinterpreted.1 From this, an important question becomes apparent, "What makes a human able to understand this …

Faulty Phrases: "Good Things Come To Those Who Wait", Jake K. Bates

The Intellectual Standard

"Good things come to those who wait" has become such a staple of English -speaking culture that it has been used in Guinness and Heinz ad campaigns. Just as Heinz encouraged ketchup consumers to endure the bottle's slow trickle, people use the words in a variety of contexts to encour­age patience. A friend or parent may console a student anxious to receive essay results by declaring "good things come to those who waif' In hon­estly analyzing each of the words and the possible meanings interpreted from their interaction, without endowing any white-washed meaning, it should be easily observed that "good …

Making Human Rights Really Real, Jake K. Bates

The Intellectual Standard

In lieu of Illinois Wesleyan's "Making Human Rights Real" endeav­ors this school year, questions arise concerning the meaning of human rights and how we can effectively apply such a concept in the world around us. The discussion of human rights has long been one of the most contested among political philosophers and ordinary citizens alike. And rightfully so, because its conclusions hold drastic implications for individuals every­where at all times. In order to avoid a muddled debate on the subject, it is critical to concretely define human rights. Thus, the concept of a "human;' the concept of a "right:' and …

The Importance Of Moral Construal: Moral Versus Non-Moral Construal Elicits Faster, More Extreme, Universal Evaluations Of The Same Actions, Jay J. Van Bavel, Dominic J. Packer, Ingrid J. Haas, William A. Cunningham

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, intuitionist models of morality have challenged the view that moral reasoning is the sole or even primary means by which moral judgments are made. Rather, intuitionist models posit that certain situations automatically elicit moral intuitions, which guide moral judgments. We present three experiments showing that evaluations are also susceptible to the influence of moral versus non-moral construal. We had participants make moral evaluations (rating whether actions were morally good or bad) or non-moral evaluations (rating whether actions were pragmatically or hedonically good or bad) of a wide variety of actions. As predicted, moral evaluations were faster, …

How Indeterminism Shapes Ecologists’ Contributions To Managing Socio-Ecological Systems, Sarah Michaels, Andrew Tyre

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

To make a difference in policy making about socio-ecological systems, ecologists must grasp when decision makers are amenable to acting on ecological expertise and when they are not. To enable them to do so we present a matrix for classifying a socio-ecological system by the extent of what we don’t know about its natural components and the social interactions that affects them. We use four examples, Midcontinent Mallards, Laysan Ducks, Pallid Sturgeon, and Rocky Mountain Grey Wolves to illustrate how the combination of natural and social source of indeterminism matters. Where social indeterminism is high, ecologists can expand the range …

Analyzing The Effects Of Policy Options To Mitigate The Effect Of Sea Level Rise On The Public Health And Medically Fragile Population: A System Dynamics Approach, Rafael Diaz, Joshua Behr, Anna Jeng, Hua Liu, Franceso Longo

VMASC Publications

A critical question related to climate change concerns to how rising sea level will affect underserved populations and medically fragile population in coastal zones and floodplains. As sea levels rise, coastal waters will regain near-tidal areas and co-mingle with human-made pollutants, resulting from decades of industrial and commercial activity. This poses potential threat and risks to public health and the environment. It is critical that decision makers will initiate a process of parsing resources to the mitigation and management of these issues. The purpose of this research is to model the inherent dynamics of this process and understand how near-term …

The Lost City: Examining The Relationship Between Science, Philosophy And The Atlantis Myth, Kimberly Hurd

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Francis Bacon, long considered a minor figure in the founding of modern political thought, is now recognized as one of its foremost thinkers. Bacon not only championed a new type and method of scientific inquiry, he also developed a plan for how modern society could be re-ordered to accommodate and promote scientific progress. Bacon’s scientific writings cannot be wholly understood apart from his political writings, and many of his works combine the two topics so subtly that it is difficult to even place them in a definitive category. My project expands on the previous literature with a detailed analysis of …

Hannah Arendt And The Meaning Of Political Action, Charlie Hartford

Honors Papers

In the first section, I begin with an account of action within the context of the vita activa as laid out by Arendt in The Human Condition. I then proceed to identify some of the more perplexing features of her account, and suggest that they are confounding enough to throw the coherency of what Arendt is saying into question. Taking my cue from Hanna Pitkin, I then argue that we can understand action as activity informed by thinking, by drawing upon Arendt's posthumously published work The Life of the Mind. This account, however, though illuminating with regard to some aspects …

Evangelical Protestants And Political Trust, Fei-Ran Lee

Honors Papers

Evangelicals in the U.S. tend to support candidates who advocate for a minimal government and significant downsizing, if not elimination, of the welfare state. This phenomenon may be the result of certain components in an Evangelical worldview. Though evangelicals in the U.S. may have higher interpersonal trust, they distrust the government more than non-evangelicals. This research will explore political theories that discuss the political functions of Protestantism and apply such analyses to contemporary American evangelicals. National Election Survey 2004 will empirically qualify some claims in my theoretical discussion.

"Twitter Diplomacy": Engagement Through Social Media In 21st Century Statecraft, Owen Henry

Honors Papers

In the Quadrennial Diplomacy & Development Review (QDDR) issued by the U.S. State Department in 2010, there is a stated commitment to expanding interaction with foreign populations. Through statements made by other officials in various venues, it is clear that social media is seen as having a part in this aim. But how effectively are officials now using social media to connect? Are they managing to achieve "two-way dialogue" or are they underutilizing the medium? This paper attempts to start to answer and analyze this question through a review of the existing literature and theories as well as original research …

Virtuous Empire: The Jeffersonian Vision For America, Gavin Palmer

Honors Papers

In structuring this paper I will first consider the argument that Jefferson was an anti-government thinker, and in the same chapter I will show how Jefferson’s embrace of expansive federal authority as president renders this interpretation untenable. In the next section I will present an alternative interpretation of Jefferson’s political thought. In my view, Jefferson was not an enemy to the government, but to its use for corrupt ends that benefitted elites at the expense of the public. This interpretation is consistent with Jefferson’s actions in the three major periods of his political career.

In section 4 I will explain …

Education, Citizenship, Political Participation: Defining Variables For Post-Conflict Reconstruction In Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sonia Roubini

Honors Papers

This paper examines the flawed reconstruction process undergone by Bosnia-Herzegovina after the Bosnian War. This paper posits that particular variables (education, citizenship, and political participation) were overlooked in this process - variables that could have led to a better outcome for Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The International Criminal Court, The United States, And What Next., Alexandria Russell

The Corinthian

The International Criminal Court was set up in order to dissuade state officials from participating in behaviors that are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity. The U.S. is a major super power but not a pivotal character in the ICC institution. This fact has had negative effects on U.S. international policy. This paper explores first what the ICC is and how it came to be, and then addresses the weaknesses of the institution, U.S. relations with the ICC and how they effect U.S. international relations, and finally what policy changes need to be made in order to make the …

Confucian Virtue Jurisprudence, Linghao Wang, Lawrence B. Solum

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Virtue jurisprudence is an approach to legal theory that develops the implications of virtue ethics and virtue politics for the law. Recent work on virtue jurisprudence has emphasized a NeoAristotelian approach. This essay develops a virtue jurisprudence in the Confucian tradition. The title of this essay, “Confucian Virtue Jurisprudence,” reflects the central aim of our work, to build a contemporary theory of law that is both virtue-centered and that provides a contemporary reconstruction of the central ideas of the early Confucian intellectual tradition.

This essay provides a sketch of our contemporary version of Confucian virtue jurisprudence, including a view of …

The 2011 Libyan Revolution And Gene Sharp's Strategy Of Nonviolent Action : What Factors Precluded Nonviolent Action In The 2011 Libyan Uprising, And How Do These Reflect On Gene Sharp's Theory?, Siobhan Lynch

Theses : Honours

This thesis explores impediments to regime change using the strategy of nonviolent action, through an integrated examination of consensual power theory as articulated by Gene Sharp and Antonio Gramsci, and by incorporating James Scott’s theory that observable consent in the public discourse can belie a private realm of resistance to a system of domination. Using the context of the 2011 Libyan uprising, this thesis analyses the reality of consensual power in Libya to explain what factors precluded nonviolent action succeeding in the 2011 revolution.

Critically evaluating the theories, this study examines a wide range of information about the historical, political, …

Congressional Voting On The Federal Debt Ceiling: An Analysis Of Voting Behavior In The House Of Representatives, Juanita Espinoza

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This paper is an analysis on House Representative voting patterns in regards to increasing the federal debt ceiling. This study relied on data obtained from Howard Rosenthal and Keith Poole on roll call data from 1993 until 2011, with specific attention to House of Representative votes.

This paper focuses on the federal debt ceiling and the recent increases to continue financing government operations. The federal debt has been increasing at unprecedented levels due to the lack of economic growth and financial crisis that have impacted the United States. The impact of increasing the federal debt limit is examined as well …

Talking The Talk And Walking The Walk: Do A Federal Agency's Women-Centered Services Match A Women-Centered Organizational Culture?, Sally Anne Mcshane

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Federal government agencies that provide services for women would presumably have an internal women-friendly organizational culture. In this study, organizational culture is measured by financial benefits - annual salary and federal General Schedule grade - provided to women. Regression analyses were used to examine whether gender, grade, and type of agency have an effect on salary and grade. Also bonuses to women are examined, as well as whether men or women are the heads of individual agencies or umbrella departments. Women were awarded fewer bonuses and lesser amounts as compared to men. Also women often are leaders of individual women-centered …

Election Law As Applied Democratic Theory, James A. Gardner

Journal Articles

Democracy does not implement itself; a society’s commitment to govern itself democratically can be effectuated only through law. Yet as soon as law appears on the scene significant choices must be made concerning the legal structure of democratic institutions. The heart of the study of election law is thus the examination of the choices that our laws make in seeking to structure a workable system of democratic self-rule. In this essay, written for a symposium on Teaching Election Law, I describe how my Election Law course and materials focus on questions of choice in institutional design by emphasizing election law’s …

When And How Many: The Effects Of Third Party Joining On Casualties And Duration In Interstate Wars, Zachary Shirkey

Publications and Research

What makes some wars longer and more severe than others is an important question in international relations scholarship. One underexplored answer to this question is the role that third party joiners play in lengthening conflicts, especially those states that intervene militarily after a war’s initial stages. This article argues that late joining complicates bargaining by adding new issues to the war and increases uncertainty about the relative balance of forces. Thus, more information will be needed to resolve the bargaining impasse. This means additional fighting and a longer war. This lengthening in turn increases the number of casualties. This is …