Political Science Commons^™

The Right To Privacy In Light Of The Patriot Act And Social Contract Theory, Betsey Sue Casman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is a continual debate between individuals who attempt to measure the individual’s right to privacy against the government’s right to know in order to provide for the security of all citizens.

The questions that beg to be answered are whether the individual’s right to privacy outweighs the government’s duty to provide security; and if security is deemed more important, can there even be a right to privacy. It is critical to our nation’s anti-terrorism effort that our intelligence agencies possess the legal capacity to intercept all forms of communications utilized by terrorists and hostile intelligence agents. Inevitably this will …

Funding Terrorism: A Closer Look At Organized Crime Activity And Lethality, James Levy

Political Science

No abstract provided.

Justice Stephen Breyer: The Active Liberty Approach Applied, Rukayatu Tijani

Political Science

No abstract provided.

Gubernatorial Influence Over New York State Appropriations: 1983-2009, Melinda White

Political Science

No abstract provided.

Twitter And Political And Civic Engagement: Is There A Relationship?, Ashleigh Morpeau

Political Science

Social Networking sites have become an integral part of today’s society and have changed the way people communicate with one another. In this paper, I discuss the relationship between Twitter and civic and political engagement among 18-25-year olds. I conducted a survey at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY Albany) campus to see if there is a relationship between Twitter usage and civic and political engagement. 198 students completed the surveys. The results of my study showed that SUNY Albany students who use Twitter were more political engaged than those students who did not use Twitter …

Who Does And Who Doesn’T: The Impetus For Terrorist Organization Involvement With Drug Trafficking Organizations, Cherie Nicole Brown

Political Science

No abstract provided.

Fighting For Fairness: The History Of Kentucky’S Local Movements To Enact Fairness Ordinances In 1999, Micah Bennett

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This CE/T project explores the histories of the local movements for fairness ordinances which transpired in Kentucky in the year 1999. Fairness ordinances expand local civil rights protections on the basis of ‘sexual orientation’ and sometimes ‘gender identity’ to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) peoples and usually protect in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations. Four communities in the state considered such laws in 1999: Greater Louisville, Lexington-Fayette, the City of Henderson, and the City of Bowling Green. This thesis takes a holistic approach towards the history of these movements, exploring the procession of chronological events, …

Sovereignty Or Subjugation?: Explaining Muslim States' Aversion To Full Ratification Of Cedaw, Tania Dissanayake

Political Science

No abstract provided.

A Click Away From Democracy: The Internet’S Effect On Civil Society Development & Democratization, James Warycha

Political Science

No abstract provided.

Micropolitical Opportunity Structure In Burma, Nicole Loring

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This paper looks to answer the question: Why do citizens in Burma continue challenging the military regime through peaceful social movements despite of the threat of violent oppression? I set out to examine Burma as an anomaly in political opportunity structure theory. Political opportunity structure influences the type of political action most likely to take place within a regime by affecting which political claims are possible. At first, Burma appears to be a low-democracy, low-capacity regime, which should host civil wars. However, in Burma’s cities, peaceful social movements continue to take place. My capstone seeks to explain this problem.

In …

Corruption And Confidence In Public Institutions: Evidence From A Global Survey, Bianca Clausen, Aart Kraay, Zsolt Nyiri

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Well-functioning institutions matter for economic development. In order to operate effectively, public institutions must also inspire confidence in those they serve. We use data from the Gallup World Poll, a unique and very large global household survey, to document a quantitatively large and statistically significant negative correlation between corruption and confidence in public institutions. This suggests an important indirect channel through which corruption can inhibit development: by eroding confidence in public institutions. This correlation is robust to the inclusion of a large set of controls for country and respondent-level characteristics. Moreover we show how it can plausibly be interpreted as …

Anonymity And Democratic Citizenship, James A. Gardner

Journal Articles

Many aspects of modern democratic life are or can be performed anonymously – voting, financial contributions, petition signing, political speech and debate, communication with and lobbying of officials, and so forth. But is it desirable for citizens to perform such tasks anonymously? Anonymity frees people from social pressures associated with observation and identifiability, but does this freedom produce behavior that is democratically beneficial? What, in short, is the effect of anonymity on the behavior of democratic citizens, and how should we evaluate it?

In this paper, I attempt a first pass answer to these questions by turning to both democratic …

The Presidency Of George W. Bush: A First Historical Assessment, Ed. Julian E. Zelizer, Michael A. Genovese

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The New Frontier: An Analysis Of Effective New Media Political Communications And Campaigning, Kaitlin Ann Mueller

Master's Theses

Objectives: In the age of new media communication, politics has taken a swift turn as the Internet lends itself to quicker and less expensive contact. Politicians in all realms have adopted its communicative aspects in many forms as a means of promoting themselves and staying in contact with their constituents. What causes politicians to be more "connected" than others? And secondly, does that "connectivity" lead to successful elections? In this analysis, we will discuss what contributes to a United States Senator's connectivity, and if his or her heightened connectivity led to a higher probability of winning elections. Units of analysis: …

The Senate: Out Of Order?, Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl

Faculty Publications

Due to the routine use of the filibuster and related devices, today’s Senate operates as a supermajoritarian body. This Symposium Article considers whether this supermajoritarian aspect of the Senate renders it dysfunctional and, if so, what can be done about it. I contend that the Senate is indeed broken. Its current supermajoritarian features have pernicious effects. Further, and contrary to the claims of many of the Senate’s defenders, this aspect of the Senate is not part of the original design. I go on to explain why the Senate’s procedures, despite their deficiencies, have nonetheless proven resistant to reform. The impediment …

Russia At War: Chechnya, Georgia, And Theories Of Foreign Policy, Tyler J. Pack

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The conflicts in Chechnya and Georgia are for Russia the seminal policy events of the turbulent post-­‐Soviet era. Learning about Russian conflict policy thinking with respect to these cases should help to illuminate broader Russian foreign policy objectives and tendencies. Even though the Chechen Wars were by nature domestic conflicts, I believe that trends and patterns from that case, combined with insights from the Georgian conflict, can help identify strengths and weaknesses of major Russian foreign policy theories.

Though there are many such theories, I see that most fall into one of two broad categories. While there is some overlap, …

Fad Effects: Patterns In International Policy, Rebecca Funke

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper explores the way in which international policies move from country to country. I propose that the spread of policy adoption, internationally, mirrors how a fad in the fashion industry is diffused. The primary point of this paper is to evaluate four case studies (policies) and study how they transitioned from one country to another. Also addressed will be the question of how these policies start, whether there are particular countries prone to starting the diffusion process or if there is some other explanation for their origins. This study specifically looks at the dissemination of women’s suffrage, the adoption …

Per Pupil Spending: How Much Difference Does A Dollar Make?, Nicole Anderson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Education. The one thing everyone needs and no one thinks is good enough. Wherever students and policy makers turn there is the desire for something more, something better, coming out of the public education system. Over the years more and more funding has been poured into the education system in attempt to increase the student success rates and intellect of American students. However, American students are still behind internationally and more and more jobs are going to students from different countries. Is there a point when the money being funneled into education doesn’t make enough difference in student achievement and …

Social Justice In Social Security, Erin N. Cottle

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

By the year 2030 there will be twice as many retirees in the United States as today but only 18 percent more workers. This aging of the population will place considerable financial strain on the United States social security system; relatively few workers will be taxes to pay the benefits of relatively many retirees. Because of this change in demographics, the Social Security Administration will not be able to pay scheduled social security benefits as outlined by current law. Therefore, it is imperative that the government act soon to address the looming fiscal imbalance of the social security program.

The …

Counterterrorism In Afghanistan: Aligning Resources And Goals, Jeremy R. Willis

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

After US Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] and Special Operations Forces [SOF] counterterrorism [CT] operations routed al Qaeda and the Taliban regime, planning for the next phase was underway. It was determined that security and stability operations or counterinsurgency [COIN] operations would be necessary to stabilize the country. Soon after transitioning from CT to COIN operations, COIN operations stalled. Several factors have played a part in the unsuccessful attempts at COIN. First, the Global War on Terror [GWOT] campaign was designed to address a narrow set of goals including destroying, dismantling, and disrupting al Qaeda and its affiliates. Second, US leaders …

The Correlation Between Local Government Tax Revenues And The Existence Of Federally Designated Wilderness Lands, Sarah Reale

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Each of the 3,141 counties in the United States is unique, with a variety of physical characteristics. Approximately 287 of these counties have designated Wilderness Land within their boundaries. Many have argued about the benefits and also the burdens of having this designated land within a county. Research has been completed looking at the effects the Wilderness Land has to the local economies, the quality of life of the county citizens, and the county tourism industry. However, there is no research completed on the effects Wilderness Lands has to the local government tax revenue. Examining the revenue in the county …

The Role Of Law: How Law Shapes And Alters The Foundations Of Societies, Derek Robert Funk

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

When one considers the abundant number of nations, laws, and forms of government that have emerged throughout the history of civilization, it becomes apparent that although mankind shares common traits and attributes, societies often implement different principles as they strive to protect their interests and achieve their goals. As the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau remarked, “besides the principles that are common to all, every nation has in itself something that gives them a particular application, and makes its legislation peculiarly its own.”1 Because every society faces a unique set of challenges, every society must solve its particular dilemmas in a unique …

Machismo And The Glass Ceiling: A Comparative Cultural Study On The Role Of Gender In The Presidential Elections Of Hillary Clinton And Michelle Bachelet, Kayla Woodring

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

During her bid for president, Hillary Clinton was often questioned about allegations of sexism in media coverage surrounding her campaign. She once responded: "It's been deeply offensive to millions of women. I believe this campaign has been a groundbreaker in a lot of ways. But it certainly has been challenging given some of the attitudes in the press.” Were media mentalities and reporting really as biased toward Clinton’s gender as has been asserted? This study seeks to answer not only that question, but also to determine whether such bias is unique to a female presidential candidate in the United States. …

Rising Navies And New World Order, Victoria S. Daigle

Senior Honors Projects

Long-term economic and military trends indicate that a shift in the current world order is imminent between the United States and China.  The United States is accustomed to its current position as the leading naval power but this position is increasingly being threatened by emerging Chinese naval power.  Despite their best efforts, the United States has not been able to ease the threat of China’s naval development.  The public and many U.S. policymakers identify China as a major threat to U.S. hegemony and fear China’s growing power will ultimately make the United States weaker. In this paper, I propose that …

The Importance Of Undecideds In The Evolution Vs. Creationism Debate, Seth Steinman

Senior Honors Projects

As a scientific theory, evolution has as much empirical support for its core assertions as the heliocentric universe theory or the belief that the Earth is round.  Despite a unanimous consensus in the scientific community about evolution’s validity, the General Social Survey (GSS) consistently reports that 85 percent of Americans are either undecided or do not believe in evolution.

This divide between evolutionists, led by scientists, and creationists, led by religious leaders, has enormous scientific and political implications, which include funding for basic scientific research, acting to stop global warming, and what schools should be teaching our children.

The most …

Evaluation Of Interim Sessions In State Legislatures, Laurie Erin Russell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Various authors have analyzed the work of state legislatures during the regular session; however, there is a noticeable void in the study of the functionality of the legislative process during the interim session. The interim session refers to the time span between regular legislative sessions, which varies in duration dependent on the state. It should not be deducted that the lack of research devoted to the interim session evaluation is because the legislative workload is dormant during this period. The findings of this paper support the concept that interim session activity merits evaluation since it is a contributing factor to …

Southern Exceptionalism And Its Impact On Environmental Attitude, Summer Dawn Woehr

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the environment has become a top concern for many people. Scientific studies have shown evidence of immediate and future threats on our environment. Despite the vast amount of evidence, many people (especially in the South) do not believe there is a human cause for global warming, a fundamental part of the environmental movement. Literature suggests Southern exceptionalism may a play a part in shaping attitudes toward environmental policies in the South. Further, a recent look at V.O. Key Jr.'s 1949 Southern Politics in State and Nation suggests that religion has since been overlooked as an explanation for …

Impact Of Sanctions And Isolation Measurement With North Korea, Burma/Myanmar, Iran And Zimbabwe As Case Studies, Clara Portela

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The present study explores how the introduction of targeted sanctions has transformed the practice of international organisations, looking at the examples of North Korea, Burma/Myanmar, Iran and Zimbabwe.

Although the ultimate effectiveness of the individual sanctions measures can hardly be ascertained, not least due to their co-existence with unilateral sanctions proactively enforced by the US, the analysis demonstrates that the character of sanctions measures, and the changing nature of the international system, has put the use of sanctions and isolation measures in different terms than was the case just a couple of decades ago.

While it is beyond the scope …

The Delicate (And Mammoth) Task Of Managing Expectations, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Assistant professor of law Eugene Tan comments on the need to manage the expectations of Singaporeans in the new political landscape.

New Cabinet Will Have Its Work Cut Out, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Eugene Tan, asst professor of law at SMU writes a commentary about how the PAP Government will have to renew trust with the people.