Political Science Commons^™

Political Science Spring 2010, Dan Sabia

Political Science Newsletter Spring 2010

No abstract provided.

201013 Obiter Dicta: The Cruelest Month 2010, Steven Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

201012 Obiter Dicta: The Dry Bones Of April 2010, Steven Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

If Only They'd Ask: Gender, Recruitment, And Political Ambition, Richard L. Fox, Jennifer L. Lawless

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

Based on data from the second wave of the Citizen Political Ambition Panel Study-our national survey of more than 2,000 "potential candidates" in 2008-we provide the first thorough analysis of the manner in which gender interacts with political recruitment in the candidate eligibility pool. Our findings are striking. Highly qualified and politically well-connected women from both major political parties are less likely than similarly situated men to be recruited to run for public office by all types of political actors. They are less likely than men to be recruited intensely. And they are less likely than men to be recruited …

Treaty Politics And The Rise Of Executive Agreements: International Commitments In A System Of Shared Powers, By G.S. Kurtz And J.S. Peake, Michael A. Genovese

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Energy Crises And Cooperation: Do International Institutions Matter?, Vessela P. Chakarova

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The risk of an oil supply disruption still exists. Oil reserves are increasingly concentrated in a handful of unreliable regimes, plagued by piracy and terrorism. Natural disasters and chokepoint incidents have increased in frequency. In addition, oil is expected to remain a significant part of the energy mix up until 2030. By that time Europe will be importing 90% of its oil. Thus, oil supply security will become an increasingly important feature of European politics.

One way to counter the noxious consequences of an oil disruption is to cooperate. International cooperation is a critical factor in any type of crisis, …

The State In Disarray: Us Oversight Of Private Security Contractors, Rebecca A. Bernard

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

“Putting mercy back in mercenary” became the slogan of Blackwater Worldwide after harsh criticism from the media tarnished their image. Blackwater is just one example of a private firm working for the US government. The War in Iraq that began in 2003 had for the first time, contractors performing security functions for military men in an unstable environment (Elsea). Given the heightened reliance on PSCs from the Department of State and Department of Defense, the US government has taken on the burden of establishing regulations to govern their actions and hold them accountable. On September 16, 2007, Blackwater security personnel …

Party Policy And Group Affiliation In The European Parliament, Gail Mcelroy, Kenneth Benoit

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Systematic empirical research has yet to explain how national parties join political groups in the European Parliament. This article first demonstrates, using original empirical measures from expert surveys of party positions, that EP party groups consist of national parties sharing similar policy positions. Secondly, using Bayesian/MCMC methods, the paper estimates the policy determinants of group affiliation using a (conditional) multinomial logit model to explain that party group choice is largely driven by policy congruence. Finally, predictions from the model identify national parties not in their ideally congruent EP groups. The findings suggest that the organization of and switching between EP …

Eu Defence Integration And Nuclear Weapons: A Common Deterrent For Europe?, Ursula Jasper, Clara Portela

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Nuclear weapons remain the unquestioned core of the defence postures of both France and the United Kingdom. At the same time, the European Union is progressively enhancing its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), notably through the establishment of a European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Yet, despite evident progress in the CFSP, whose ultimate purpose is to lead to a ‘common defence policy’, EU member-states still deal with nuclear issues on a predominantly national basis. What is the alleged purpose of European nuclear forces? How is the raison d’être of the French and British nuclear deterrents conceptualized against the …

Integrated Water Resources Management: A Theoretical Exploration Of The Implementation Gap Between The Developed And Developing Worlds, Jennifer S. Schiff

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

As part of its Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations acknowledges that solving the world's water woes requires giving one billion additional people access to safe and affordable drinking water, while also noting that this is a difficult goal to achieve considering present environmental challenges. Amidst this atmosphere of vanishing freshwater, the legislative policy community has begun to encourage diverse discourse on the topic of efficient resource management, but the form and function of such a solution present unique political and theoretical challenges for policymakers and scholars alike. The current consensus among water managers is that a multifaceted policy framework …

Maturing International Cooperation To Address The Cyberspace Attack Attribution Problem, Jeff J. Mcneil

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

One of the most significant challenges to deterring attacks in cyberspace is the difficulty of identifying and attributing attacks to specific state or non-state actors. The lack of technical detection capability moves the problem into the legal realm; however, the lack of domestic and international cyberspace legislation makes the problem one of international cooperation. Past assessments have led to collective paralysis pending improved technical and legal advancements. This paper demonstrates, however, that any plausible path to meaningful defense in cyberspace must include a significant element of international cooperation and regime formation.

The analytical approach diverges from past utilitarian-based assessments to …

Doubling Nato: Functional And Geographical Enlargement Of The Alliance, Ergodan Kurt

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation studies NATO expansion as institutional adaptation. More specifically, it examines the interaction between NATO's functional and geographical enlargement. This study asserts that there is a close relationship between NATO's new functions and its enlargement. Over time, NATO evolved from a collective defense alliance to a comprehensive security organization. As NATO undertook new functions, its capabilities no longer matched the requirements of the new functions. The geographical enlargement, in fact, constitutes a vehicle for the fulfillment of the capability shortfall.

Furthermore, this dissertation asserts that the new security environment will force NATO to focus on the regions at a …

Austerity, Abundance, And The Investor States: The Political Economy Of Sovereign Wealth Funds, Manda Shemirani

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) are not new, but their foreign investment created concerns among many states in 2005 and 2006. Many policy makers argued that the ownership of foreign governments in specific areas may expose their countries to various risks. The concerns in the United States were from a national security perspective, while Europe was more worried about the lack of reciprocity and established standards. The political economy literature lacks a suitable framework for the study of investor states. The mainstream economic view contends that SWFs are a result of balance of payments surpluses and are used for economic smoothing …

Breaking The Cycle Of Big Man Rule In Africa, Corey Watson

Anthós

Despite coup after coup across a large number of diverse countries on the continent of Africa, each new leader resembles similar levels of what Martin Meredith describes as "corruption, mismanagement, tribalism, nepotism, and other assorted malpractices" as the leader before him. Africans either are not able to see this pattern because of the subjective uniqueness across their singular experiences, or they do see the pattern and are simply unable to break from the cycle. This paper reviews the contributions of Martin Meredith and Goran Hyden to ask why Big Man rule exists in Africa.

Africa in this paper refers to …

Mujeres En Las Sombras: Un Estudio Sobre El Aborto En Chile, Molly Serventi-Gleeson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mi proyecto consistió en una investigación sobre la situación actual del aborto en Chile. A través de entrevistas con expertos y investigación directa, realicé una análisis de las razones históricas por la redacción de la ley permitiendo el aborto terapéutico, la situación hoy en día y la posibilidad de un cambio en el futuro. El aborto en Chile representa el nexo entre la historia, la política, la economía y la cultura Chilena. A través de mi estudio, concluí que los efectos de la dictadura resultó en una democracia incompleta, que no se atreve de hacer cambios a la estructura social …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 85, No. 41, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles:

• Wilson, Laurel & Emily Ulber. Dean Kahler Resigns from Enrollment Management Position
• Snyder, Kristen. This Old House: Bowling Green Residents Restore Historic Homes – Emily Sharp, Bowling Green & Warren County Historic Preservation Board
• Historic Bowling Green
• Kriz, Lindsay. WKU Student Adopts Marine in Afghanistan – Lydia Kerr, Taylor Yontz, Afghan War 2001-2021
• Wilson, Laurel. Government to Control Student Loans – Legislation, Student Financial Aid, Direct Loan Program
• McIntyre, Scott. A Thousand Words – Esh Family, Mennonites, Automobile Accidents
• Wadley, Emily. Engagement Institute Opens in Garrett – Institute …

Annals Of Psychological Warfare: How To Induce Panic, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses the phenomenon of panic in a wartime setting because of psychological warfare, as well as in other settings.

201011 Obiter Dicta: Rustles Of Spring 2010, Steven Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

“It’S Only A Theory": Science, Religion And Attitudes Toward Evolution, Linda A. Lockett

Political Science Faculty Research

The controversy over evolution is a long standing one in American politics. The issue is often depicted as a conflict between science and religion. In this paper the effects of confidence in science and confidence in religion on attitudes toward human evolution are estimated. Bivariate analysis shows that confidence in science is positively related to belief in human evolution, while confidence in religion has a negative relationship. However, these effects become very weak when controls for religious beliefs and affiliation are imposed. Religious variables, rather than attitudes toward science, seem to be the main sources of attitudes toward evolution.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 85, No. 40, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles:

• Harris, Shakia. WKU Seeks Captionists, Interpreters – Student Disability Services, American Sign Language
• Wilson, Laurel & Shakia Harris. A Fair Chance: Job Fair Aims to Help Students Find Employment
• Resume Tips
• Duvall, Tessa. Colonial Court Ready to House 24 Scholars – Visiting Scholars Program
• Demirjian, Hanna. South Union Shaker Museum Offers View of the Past
• Wilson, Laurel. End to Ingrid Woods Lawsuit Against Western – Discrimination
• Wilson, Laurel. House, Senate Negotiating Budget – Legislation
• Erskine, Anne. Editorial Cartoon re: Return of Spring
• Bennett, Micah. Domestic Partner Benefits Issue …

The Birds And The Bees: Sex And Personnel Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author discusses gender identity and sexual activity as they relate to security personnel in the context of espionage.

Why Terrorism? Whose Terror?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author considers terrorism as a competitor for the legally constituted authority and power of governments.

Ewan, Avory Early, 1884-1937 (Sc 2427), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2427. Letter from A. Early Ewan, Warren County, Kentucky county agriculture extension agent, to members of the Warren County Corn-Hog Production Control Association relating information about contracts to limit production of the commodities mentioned.

Coming Distractions: China Watcher, Richard Baum

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

In the winter of 1994 I moved to Yokohama, Japan, to direct a semester-long U.C. Education Abroad Program (EAP) curriculum on Peace and Development Studies at Meiji Gakuin University. Because all electronic communications in Japan were controlled by the government’s telecomm monopoly, NHK, Internet access was extremely expensive, and my Compuserve subscription was costing me a small fortune —over US$250 each month — in connection charges. Since I was in more-or-less regular e-mail contact with a number of other China scholars in various countries, I decided to economize on my on-line connection charges by periodically sending group e-mailings to several …

A Response To Aid Dependency: Service For Aid, Angela L. Bennett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"A Response to Aid Dependency: Service for Aid" by Angela Bennett is a composition reviewing literature on humanitarian assistance and aid dependency. She appraises current programs which delivery humanitarian assistance by utilizing reward incentives for participation in social programs in order to combat dependency on outside sources of support. The author uses her experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic for examples of expectance on aid. The Service for Aid model is proposed as a new approach to humanitarian aid delivery, requiring recipients to participate in capacity and capability building programs in order to earn aid in …

Young, Edward Green, 1857-1948 (Mss 309), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 309. Materials related to Edward Green Young's service as a delegate from Warren County to the Kentucky House of Representatives, 1916 to 1920. Also family correspondence and items concerning his farming operations.

201009 Obiter Dicta: A Month Of Marches 2010, Steven Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Can The Icc Ever Get It Right?, Richard Burchill

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Nesrine Malik makes clear with her title, “The ICC’s Blunder on Sudan,” that something has gone amiss with the efforts of Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to ensure the ICC statute is applied to those circumstances it was meant to address. But why is something amiss in this situation? The Prosecutor has a mandate and the legal regime for the ICC is relatively clear (at least procedurally); the crimes it covers can always be debated, but there is a degree of clarity present as to what acts are addressed; so what has gone wrong? The difficulty lies in expectations about justice and …

March Roundtable: Icc And Darfur Introduction

Human Rights & Human Welfare

An annotation of:

“The ICC's Blunder on Sudan” by Nesrine Malik. The Guardian. February 4, 2010.

Confronting The Politics And Law Behind Battles Over The Icc’S Bashir Indictment, Anthony Chase

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Nesrine Malik points in the wrong direction in arguing that charges of genocide embarrass the ICC more than they do Omar al-Bashir. The embarrassment here should come from those, such as Malik, who snidely downplay the level of war crimes committed in Darfur, who discuss genocide as if it is a cultural rather than political matter (does Malik seriously think genocide ever has anything to do with a country’s cultural traditions, as she says in defending Sudan?), or who naively give credence to predictable political push-back from Sudan and its allies. The ICC faces serious legal and political obstacles, some …