Political Science Commons^™

Poverty And Inequality: A New Deal For America’S Most Disadvantaged Communities, Thomas St. Hilaire

Theses and Dissertations

The United States, often hailed as the most affluent nation globally, paradoxically grapples with rates of poverty, disadvantage, and inequality that surpass those of its advanced democratic counterparts. The persistence of poverty and inequality in the United States have often been justified by beliefs of welfare dependency, “free market” thinking and utilitarianism. This master's thesis explores the far-reaching moral, political, and economic consequences of America’s high rates of poverty and inequality. It contends that federal action is urgently needed on more robust social programs that target poverty, such as affordable housing, accessible healthcare, greater worker protections, and deepened social capital …

Reporting Of And Policy On Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Air Travel At Canadian Universities, Derek Hall

Political Science Faculty Publications

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the extent and characteristics of Canadian university reporting of and policy regarding greenhouse gas emissions from air travel. It identifies current approaches’ details and limits and recommends improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

The study developed questions and considerations for analysing reporting and policy, reviewed university documents and webpages and contacted university staff.

Findings

Roughly 20% of Canadian universities report flight emissions. Figures vary by factors of over 100 even when normalized or expressed as a percentage of institutional emissions. Inter-university differences in data collection and emissions calculation practices shape reporting. Canadian university air travel emissions cannot be …

Worst Practices: Departmental Predictors Of Police-Involved Deaths In Minnesota, 2013–2022, Joseph D. Ramlet

Capstone Projects

For decades, police departments in every part of the United States have been scrutinized for incidents of excessive and unjustified force. Some departments kill more of the citizenry than others, both with and without justification. Attention is drawn to Minnesota in the decade since the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement, through and after the murder of George Floyd and subsequent racial reckoning. Existing scholarship categorizes factors as individual and contextual, both of which are included in partial least squares regression performed on crowdsourced data and responses to Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics surveys from 29 departments in …

Democracy And The Unconscious, Ali Aslam, David Mcivor, Joel Alden Schlosser

Political Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

This essay examines the relationship between democracy and the unconscious. It does so by understanding democracy through the repressed desire for shared power by a collective actor that has episodically realized itself, in ways that haunt political languages, practices, and aspirations. Democratic flourishing rests upon erotic practices through which the demos transgressively transforms politics by embracing what we refer to as democratic narcissism. Democratic decline and impasse are symptomatic of repressed desires for power that have required the people’s abjection rather than coalescing into a self-affirming narcissism of the demos.

Theorising Political Legitimisation: From Stasis To Processes, Paddy Dolan, Stephen Vertigans, John Connolly

Articles

Legitimacy remains a key concept in political sociology, and perhaps even more so in lay understandings of political processes and structures, as evidenced by conflict over territories and regimes around the world. However, the concept suffers from a rather static representation, and even when addressed in processual form, in terms of specific moments in the process, such as conditions favouring legitimacy or its effects. Building from an Eliasian perspective, we argue for a more processual concept of legitimisation to encompass the dynamic social networks (figurations) that constitute the more unintentional context for deliberate legitimation claims. As networks expand and intensify, …

Timothy V. Kaufman-Osborn. The Autocratic Academy: Re-Envisioning Rule Within America’S Universities, Joel Alden Schlosser

Political Science Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Senatus Exesa: Explaining The Abuse Of Procedure In The U.S. Congress, Ian Klenk

Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research

Senatus Exesa: Explaining the Abuse of Procedure in the U.S. Congress

Abstract

On October 3^rd, 2023, Rep. Kevin McCarthy became the first Speaker of the House of Representatives to be forcibly removed from his position as Speaker of the lower chamber of Congress. Though dramatic, this episode is indicative of the current state of American politics. At a time when political polarization between the two parties has never been higher, norms that were once considered the nuclear option are now understood as the norm. Cynicism and distrust of Congress is at an all-time high, with many Americans disabused …

The Effects Of Empathic Reactions To The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade On Campaign Participation And Voter Turnout: Evidence From The 2022 U.S. Midterm Elections, Cigdem Sirin, José Villalobos

Selected Works Temporary Series

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, reversing the nearly 50-year-old landmark decision that affirmed a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. Several months later, voters turned out in record numbers for the 2022 midterms, though a widely predicted “Red Wave” vote did not materialize. There has since been speculation that overturning Roe v. Wade played a crucial role in the midterms, generating a “Blue Tsunami” or “Roevember” driven largely by young, pro-choice women voting out of self-interest. We posit instead that group empathy was the key motivational mechanism in the link between opposition to …

Icapp Explains: The Electoral College, Gabriel Mott

ICAAP Explains

No abstract provided.

Icapp Explains: The Presidential Cabinet, Gabriel Mott

ICAAP Explains

With the election having concluded, the Presidential transition process has just begun. Donald Trump will take several steps to prepare his administration, and one of the most significant is creation of his Presidential Cabinet. The Presidential Cabinet is a collection of the highest-ranking executive branch officials, and plays an often-unrecognized role in the functioning of the executive branch of government.

Did The Change In Snap Ebt Benefits In Response To Covid-19 Affect Poverty, Snap Participation, And Food Insecurity Rates?, Paige Thing

2024 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is one of the most important welfare programs the United States government offers. In fiscal year 2015, one in every seven Americans received SNAP assistance. Previously called food stamps as they were first introduced with the passing of the Food and Agriculture Act in 1977, this program has been helping individuals struggling with food insecurity for decades (Ziliak 2016). Benefits are no longer dispersed with physical stamps, restricting what households can and cannot buy. Now benefits are distributed via a debit card-type system. This is where the EBT gets added to the program …

Community Group Influence On Political Involvement, Courtney Klaers

2024 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity - Documents

Humans are creatures who seek connection. However, it can be difficult to get large groups of people engaged. In order for community and political centered groups to function properly, it is essential that people get involved. And, by extension, it is essential that the public is engaged in order for the USA government to work as it should. I wish to study the possible connection between community and political groups and involvement. To explore these ideas, people can apply knowledge and theories pertaining to topics such as political socialization, sociotropic interests, social capital, and political involvement. These theories explore how …

Belonging In Los Angeles: The Black Experience, Brianne Gilbert

StudyLA Reports

StudyLA’s Angeleno Poll is the largest general social survey of any metropolitan area in urban America.

For more than a decade, the Angeleno Poll has provided an important overview of quality-of-life perceptions, economic concerns, overall life satisfaction, and opinions on various civic issues, capturing trends over demography, geography, and time. Since 2014, more than 24,000 residents have completed the survey, resulting in thousands of hours of meaningful conversations about the future of the region.

Empowering La In The Fight Against Climate Change, Brianne Gilbert

StudyLA Reports

StudyLA’s Angeleno Poll is the largest general social survey of any metropolitan area in urban America.

For more than a decade, the Angeleno Poll has provided an important overview of quality-of-life perceptions, economic concerns, overall life satisfaction, and opinions on various civic issues, capturing trends over demography, geography, and time. Since 2014, more than 24,000 residents have completed the survey, resulting in thousands of hours of meaningful conversations about the future of the region.

Planning For The Future Of Housing, Brianne Gilbert

StudyLA Reports

StudyLA’s Angeleno Poll is the largest general social survey of any metropolitan area in urban America.

For more than a decade, the Angeleno Poll has provided an important overview of quality-of-life perceptions, economic concerns, overall life satisfaction, and opinions on various civic issues, capturing trends over demography, geography, and time. Since 2014, more than 24,000 residents have completed the survey, resulting in thousands of hours of meaningful conversations about the future of the region.

Forecast La: Thinking About The Future, Brianne Gilbert

StudyLA Reports

StudyLA’s Angeleno Poll is the largest general social survey of any metropolitan area in urban America.

For more than a decade, the Angeleno Poll has provided an important overview of quality-of-life perceptions, economic concerns, overall life satisfaction, and opinions on various civic issues, capturing trends over demography, geography, and time. Since 2014, more than 24,000 residents have completed the survey, resulting in thousands of hours of meaningful conversations about the future of the region.

Planning For The Future Of Housing: 2024 Angeleno Poll, Thomas And Dorothy Leavey Center For The Study Of Los Angeles

StudyLA Data Briefs

ABOUT THIS STUDY

The 2024 Angeleno Poll conducted by StudyLA involved telephone sessions, online, and face-to-face surveys with 2,011 adults living in Los Angeles County. The survey was conducted in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean. Respondents were asked a range of questions on various issues like policing, housing, climate change, and so on to gauge what Angelenos think about these crucial issues facing our society at present.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

Survey results are presented in two sections: (1) toplines, or total responses for each question and (2) crosstabs, or all questions crossed by major demographics. The following report presents data …

Beyond “The Forgotten War”: A Multidimensional Exploration Of The Korean War And Its Enduring Impact, Matthew Weishaupt

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay...................3

II. Primary Sources................20

III. Textbook Critique..............30

IV. New Textbook Entry..........34

V. Bibliography.......................40

Humanitarian Intervention: Motivations And Norms In Cases Of Genocide, Jaelynn Thomas

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In 1948, the international community came together and promised to “prevent and punish” genocides under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention). Despite the Genocide Convention’s commitment to humanitarian intervention, states are selective and inconsistent in intervention. While there are many case studies done on state motivation for intervention, statistical studies are rarely done and a system for predicting what variables will likely produce humanitarian intervention on a wide scale has not been explored. This study uses a Cross-Sectional Time Series Estimator Model to track whether states were more likely to intervene in …

The Supervisors Are Carrying The Bag: The Nurses' Emergency Council, Settlement Houses, And The 1918 Influenza Pandemic In New York City, Eric C. Cimino

History and Political Science: Faculty Publications

This article examines the combined efforts of the Nurses’ Emergency Council (NEC), settlement houses, and the Department of Health during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in New York City. To coordinate public health nursing, the NEC united the settlements and municipal agencies into an umbrella organization that was chaired by Lillian Wald of the Henry Street Settlement. Together, the NEC and the Health Department recruited a corps of nurses to treat influenza patients, primarily in their homes. Historical accounts of the 1918 Pandemic often emphasize the incompetence of American cities in dealing with influenza’s spread. New York’s Health Commissioner Royal Copeland, …

The Rise And Fall Of Political Optimism And The Ongoing Consequences Of A Failed Optimistic Society, Eric Trujillo

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

When Nelson Mandela was set free and millions of South Africans rushed to the streets to celebrate the long awaited democratic regime in their country, many believed that the injustices and inequalities from Apartheid would disappear. Before the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, millions of South Africans anticipated the ability to vote to change South Africa for the better. However, only 30 years into the democracy, South Africans are now challenged with the most important election in their history in 2024. South Africans are fed up with their democracy following years of political corruption, economic stagnation, deteriorating …

Icapp Explains: The Voting Process In Ohio, Gabriel Mott

ICAAP Explains

No abstract provided.

What Explains American Perceptions Of Russia And China?, Shane Stryker

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This undergraduate senior thesis project aims to investigate the question of how Americans perceive the challenges posed by Russia and China comparatively, and which factors have the greatest influence on these perceptions. This is important for many reasons, such as a greater understanding of American public opinion on foreign affairs that may help frame approaches to U.S. foreign policy. Additionally, finding where the American public agrees and disagrees on competitors and challengers provides us with insight that can be used to explain perceptions.

First, there will be a literature review concerning the importance of understanding public opinion, explanations and theories …

Detriments To Effective High School Teaching In Kentucky, Christopher Wallace

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This quantitative study examines Kentucky public high school teachers’ perceptions regarding the detriments they and their students face when striving to effectively educate and learn. Data was collected by surveying public high school teachers from across the Commonwealth (n=453). Using Likert-style scales, the survey captures the barriers most detrimental to their students’ assessment outcomes. Concluding questions sought additional personal experiences to elaborate findings. 2023 Kentucky American College Test (ACT) scores represent the dependent variable in the ordinary least squared regression models. Further information regarding administrative effort and points of view was gathered through interviews with four Commonwealth Superintendents. This study …

Strategic Rhetorics: Apartheid South Africa/Apartheid Israel: Address To Chapman University’S Gaza Solidarity Encampment, May 2024, Ian Barnard

English Faculty Articles and Research

"On 2 May 2024, Chapman University faculty were asked to participate in a 'faculty speak out' in support of the Chapman Students For Justice In Palestine’s Gaza solidarity encampment. We were invited to speak 'from our expertise and/or personal experiences in a call for a ceasefire in Gaza' (Leitz, 2024). This is a slightly expanded version of what I said[.]"

The Effects Of Empathic Reactions To The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade On Campaign Participation And Voter Turnout: Evidence From The 2022 U.S. Midterm Elections, Cigdem Sirin, José Villalobos

Departmental Papers (PS)

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, reversing the nearly 50-year-old landmark decision that affirmed a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. Several months later, voters turned out in record numbers for the 2022 midterms, though a widely predicted “Red Wave” vote did not materialize. There has since been speculation that overturning Roe v. Wade played a crucial role in the midterms, generating a “Blue Tsunami” or “Roevember” driven largely by young, pro-choice women voting out of self-interest. We posit instead that group empathy was the key motivational mechanism in the link between opposition …

Under The Red Banner, Socialism, Physical Quality Of Life, And Development, Matthew H. Hill

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Despite a steep decline since the Cold War, socialism still plays an important role on the world stage. Because of this, it is important to continue studying the effects of socialist governance. This study seeks to use multiple linear regression to determine the effect that socialism and economic development (as measured by GDP per capita) has on physical quality of life. Previous studies have examined the relationship between physical quality of life and socialism, but these were done in the 1980s. Much has changed since then, and updated information is required. Additionally, examining the impact of economic development’s impact on …

She Speaks For Millions: The Emergence Of Female Diplomatic Voices In The Russo-Ukrainian War, Amber Brittain-Hale, Amber Brittain-Hale

Education Division Scholarship

This research critically investigates the public diplomacy strategies deployed by a cohort of influential female European leaders on Twitter during the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022-2023. The study comprises eight leaders - Kallas (Estonia), Marin (Finland), von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Metsola (President of the European Parliament), Sandu (Moldova), Simonyte (Lithuania), Zourabichvili (Georgia), and Meloni (Italy) - representing millions of constituents. By mirroring the analytical attention given to Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this study scrutinizes the distinct approaches and dif erences in emotional, cognitive, and structural language use between these influential female figures and President Zelenskyy in their …

Embody The Cause: Subaltern Body Protests As Resistance Tactics, Dipakshi Sarma

Political Science Honors Projects

Gendered, classed, and racialized bodies differentially experience state-sanctioned violence and societal norms. Body protests — when the body manifests the political messages by drawing attention to itself — manifest in these intersections. Women engaging in body protests garner more attention; a body that is sexualized, controlled, and subjugated draws attention to itself as a political act. To understand this, I ask, what explains the specific tactics that women employ in acts of political resistance? By employing subaltern agency and feminist social movement theories, I use process tracing and comparative analysis of three body protest cases: the incarcerated Armagh women in …

Data To Disinformation Navigating Fake News & Statistical Manipulation On Social Media, Mason Mcilwain

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

Over the past decade, concerns about "fake news" and information accuracy have surged. Social media has become a primary source of news and information, especially among younger demographics. While offering numerous advantages, these platforms are often filled with errors and present information through personalized lenses, highlighting the need for conscious consumption and critical thinking when interpreting the meaning of a post. This lesson will utilize lectures, case studies, think pair share, and Socratic discussions.

This lesson can be a stand-alone lesson to increase student awareness of news consumption on social media.

It could also be part of a broader curriculum …