Political Science Commons^™

Agent-Based Modelling Of Values: The Case Of Value Sensitive Design For Refugee Logistics, Christine Boshuijzen-Van Burken, Ross J. Gore, Frank Dignum, Lamber Royakkers, Phillip Wozny, F. Leron Shults

VMASC Publications

We have used value sensitive design as a method to develop an agent-based model of values in humanitarian logistics for refugees. Schwartz’s theory of universal values is implemented in the model in such a way that agents can make value trade-offs, which are operationalized into a measure of refugee wellbeing and a measure of public opinion about how the refugee logistics is being handled. By trying out different ‘value scenarios’, stakeholders who are responsible for, or involved in refugee logistics can have insights into the effects of various value choices. The model is visualized and made usable as a platform …

Strengthening Democracy With Information: An Assessment Of Rural Dwellers’ Political Information Behavior, Muhammad Asif Naveed

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study explored political information behavior of citizens residing in a rural setting from the district of Toba Tek Singh, Punjab-Pakistan. Qualitative research design using an unstructured interview guide was employed to conduct this research. Face-to-face interviews of 51 participants, selected through purposive sampling process, were conducted for data collection by visiting their homes using local language. Each participant was informed of his responses at the end of the interview for data verification and authentication. Each interview was carefully recorded and transcribed. Using thematic analysis, the verbal data were analyzed and multiple responses were grouped together and reduced into ‘information …

Border Security And Immigration Policy Management In South Texas By The Numbers: Perception, Stories And The Knowledge Analytic, Terence Garrett

Political Science Faculty Publications

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), primarily the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agency, will be analyzed through the lens of the knowledge analytic (KA) developed in earlier work (Garrett 2001; 2004; 2010, and Hummel 2006). Stories told by managers (Hummel 1991) and others in organizations are important for understanding the modern organizational pyramid and the differences between knowledges with regard to border security operatives and their attitudes towards migration policy and other issues along the U.S.-Mexico border. DHS and subordinate agencies rank perennially at or near the bottom of the federal government in terms of the Federal Employees Viewpoint …

Kansas Speaks Fall 2020 Statewide Public Opinion Survey, Brett Zollinger Ph.D., Jian Sun Ph.D., Michael Walker M.S., Luis Montelongo M.B.A.

Docking Institute of Public Affairs

The 2020 Kansas Speaks fall survey were conducted from September 21 to October 1. A panel of 417 adult residents of Kansas age 18 and older were surveyed online to assess their attitudes and opinions regarding various issues of interest to Kansas citizens.

The Other China Model: Daoism, Pluralism, And Political Liberalism, Devin K. Joshi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

While scholars often portray Chinese political thought and tradition as standing in opposition to Western notions of political liberalism, little consideration has been given to compatibility between liberalism and Daoism, a prominent religion and long-standing alternative school of thought among Chinese peoples. Addressing this gap in the literature, this study in comparative political thought compares Laozi’s Dao De Jing with John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty to illustrate certain core political ideas in the Dao De Jing and their treatment in Mill’s landmark text on political liberalism. Although the two texts diverge in terms of advocacy of popular representation, public contestation, …

The South, The West, And The Meanings Of Humanitarian Intervention In History, Patrick Quinton-Brown

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

As it has been written, the history of humanitarian intervention is all too Whiggish and all too white. By conceptualising humanitarian intervention in the way that they do, orthodox histories should be seen as entangled in debates about the origins of human rights but also, perhaps more crucially, debates about the various formations and reinventions of human rights. Alternative codifications of rights reveal the historical possibility of a Southern practice of what we would almost certainly call ‘humanitarian intervention’. The record of a radical Third World practice to save strangers from the atrocities of colonialism and extreme racism is also …

It Is Time To Get Back To Basics On The Border, Donna Coltharp

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Liberalization First, Democratization Later: The Linkage Between Income Inequality, Economic Development, And Democratization, Yi-Tzu Lin

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a model of two-stage process of democratization. In the first stage, income inequality is associated with political liberalization, but this association is conditional on economic development. In the second stage, political liberalization is associated with democratization. By looking at 125 authoritarian regimes from 1960 to 2010, I find that in rich countries, high income inequality is associated with low political liberalization, which may stabilize autocratic regimes; while low income inequality is associated with high political liberalization. In poor countries, high income inequality is associated with political liberalization, while low inequality has no effect.

In the second stage, …

Gov 1101: American Government, Fall 2020, Peter Parides

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Ancient And Medieval Political Philosophy, Various, Carrie Lewis Miller, Firdavs Khaydarov, Odbayar Batsaikhan

All Resources

Openly licensed anthology focused on the theme of Anicient and Medieval Political Philosophy. Contains Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone by Sophocles; The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides; The Republic by Plato Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates by Plato; Politics: A Treatise on Government by Aristotle; The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Titus Livius; Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius by Niccolò Machiavelli

Modern Political Philosophy, Various, Carrie Lewis Miller, Firdavs Khaydarov, Odbayar Batsaikhan

All Resources

Openly licensed anthology focused on the theme of Modern Political Philosophy. Contains Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes; The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli; The Communist Manifesto by Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx; The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte by Karl Marx ; On the Jewish Question by Karl Marx Economic & Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 by Karl Marx; The German Ideology by Karl Marx; Capital by Karl Marx ; Second Treatise of Government by John Locke; The Social Contract & Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Elitism, Corruption, And Democracy: An Evolutionary Study Of American History, Emily Hayes Noel

Student Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between elitism and corruption in the United States has become problematic for the prosperity of our democracy. Throughout United States history, this relationship has continually evolved and allowed for elites to be able to pursue personal interests and abuse their positions. The pursuit of corrupt actions to achieve personal gain results in a widening gap between the elites and the masses. A thorough analysis of the history of the United States (with special emphasis on scandals and events within each block of time) shows that this is, in fact, the case; the evolutionary relationship has resulted in an …

Removing Racially Biased Algorithms In Policing, Andie Lee

Student Papers in Public Policy

Local police departments use algorithm-based programs to do police work and predict crime. Technology has created the police tactic of predictive crime prevention. Police work, however, requires social skills, assessment of the environment, and most importantly human interaction. Automated policing lacks these characteristics. Moreover, the algorithms used to make crime predictions and risk assessments have disproportionately affected minorities.

The Case For Online Ranked-Choice Voting, Rayyan Khan

Student Papers in Public Policy

Maine was the first to embrace ranked-choice voting on a statewide level in 2018, using it for all state and general elections. Maine voters will be the first to use ranked-choice voting in a presidential election in 2020. This system differs from traditional voting in that voters rank candidates rather than choose just one. Supporters of ranked-choice voting tout it as a better model for accurately representing the values of the voting population; however, a study conducted in San Francisco details a potential shortfall referred to as “ballot fatigue” that the theoretically-ideal system may face as it struggles to deal …

Kick Starting Student Self-Governance: The Student Advisory Board, Paul A. Djupe

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Yearning For Sovereignty: The Burden Of Independence, Nerses Kopalyan

Political Science Faculty Research

Hundreds and thousands on the streets, with fists raised, symbolizing a singular maxim: Struggle. The demand for independence and the Karabakh conundrum, inextricably entwined. The nostalgia of 1918, beautiful yet suffocating. Moscow blinked, and Yerevan made its move: the bittersweet burden of state-building. Collective memory is an extraordinary phenomenon, as it transcends generations and imbues within a people an astonishing responsibility, the responsibility of defying history, of seeking a renaissance, and creating anew, a political reality. For the Armenian people, September 21, 1991 marked the realization of this new political reality: the independent Republic of Armenia.

Examining The Corrosive Effects Of Government Corruption On Social Capital In Afghanistan: A Mixed Methods Study, Samiullah Nuristani

Dissertations, 2020-current

Afghanistan remains fragmented and disintegrated along ethnic and linguistic lines. This fragmentation has prevented the Afghan people from achieving its most important and immediate goal: nationhood. This failed quest for nationhood renders progress in other areas insignificant and irrelevant. Corruption is a major culprit that has contributed to disintegration and remains as a major impediment to the struggle of the Afghan people to achieve nationhood. Corruption corrodes some of the most valued features of a society. For instance, corruption is reported to undermine trust among people, erode trust in public institutions and the leaders who lead them, and impede …

Smoke Or Vapor: Regulation Of Tobacco And Vaping, James Prieger

School of Public Policy Working Papers

E-cigarettes and vaping raise new questions about the risks to health from their use and how they should be regulated and taxed compared to tobacco. The latter has a long history of taxation and a more recent history of regulation in the United States. E-cigarettes, on the other hand, have only recent begun to be regulated, but by treating them as “tobacco products” the federal regulator includes them by default in the regulatory apparatus design for tobacco control and is sending the tacit message that they are just as harmful as smoking. That is not likely to be the case. …

Legalizing Corporate Political Speech: How Citizens United Laid The Groundwork For Corporations' Right To Political Speech, Karen Sebold

Political Science Teaching and Learning

The right to political speech is essential for democracy, but should corporations have the same rights as individual persons? In this presentation, Prof. Sebold explains how the US Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United determined that political speech extends to corporations and what that ruling may imply for US politics.

How To Host A Civic Leadership Academy On Your Campus, Elizabeth A. Bennion

eJournal of Public Affairs

This article explains how to design and host a Civic Leadership Academy on a college campus. The author provides detailed advice regarding topics, speakers, and central talking points, while also guiding readers through a series of questions they should ask – and answer – before hosting their own leadership academy. The academy covers a wide range of topics appropriate for campus and off-campus audiences ranging from novices to experienced civic activists. Topics include: critical thinking, fake news, contacting elected officials, the policymaking process, protesting, and community problem-solving. The model can be adopted in whole or in part and the author …

Book Review: A Citizen’S Guide To Impeachment, By Barbara Radnofsky, Wendy M. Rohleder-Sook

eJournal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

The Investor-State Dispute Settlement (Isds) Debate: Do Savings Provisions Influence Arbitration Outcomes?, Ryan Manning Moore

Dissertations and Theses

Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), an instrument of international trade and investment law, today leads perceptions regarding the integrity of international dispute resolution and its administration. If confidence in international economic institutions to render judgements which are impartial to political influences become suspect, then their durability will erode. This inquiry investigates whether or not power imbalances are reflected inordinately within ISDS arbitration outcomes between host nations and their foreign investors. Although there have been clear instances which question any observer's view of ISDS impartiality, these outcomes have also served to distort a complicated fabric of case results that have changed and …

Constitution Day Event 2020, Leann Dean, Roland Guyotte, Tim Lindberg, Roger Rose

Special Events

The Constitution Day Event was held on September 15, 2020 and was presented by LeAnn Dean, Roland Guyotte, Tim Lindberg, and Roger Rose.

Included here are Roger Rose's powerpoint presentation titled: The Constitution: Why Our Shared Values are Important, LeAnn Dean's remarks, and Roland Guyotte's remarks.

Comments On Mcgahn "A Brief History Of Judicial Appointments From The Last 50 Years Through The Trump Administration", Russell Wheeler

William & Mary Law Review Online

Donald McGahn is a respected member of the Washington D.C. legal community, known especially for his expertise in election law. He served as White House counsel in the Trump administration until October 2018 and was a key player in the Trump administration’s judicial appointments process.His article is witty, sometimes revealing, but above all a description, as he sees it, of the decades-long deterioration of the process for Senate confirmation of federal judicial nominees, with some blame assigning. He also provides a few behind-the-scenes looks at Trump administration confirmation battles, and some recommendations for easing contentiousness in— or at least, speeding …

Bryant Votes: A Cross-Departmental Effort To Get Students To Vote, Connor Mathis

Library Staff Publications, Presentations & Journal Articles

Connor Mathis, library assistant, gives a presentation on the process and pitfalls of building a voter registration and education initiatives on a college campus. He details the important role the library can play in initiating and sustaining cross-campus collaborations. Mathis gave this presentation to the Massachusetts Library System in September 2020.

Perspectives In A Pandemic, Kevin M. Cahill M.D.

International Affairs

Perspectives in a Pandemic is a series of enlightening essays written by Kevin M. Cahill, M.D., providing a unique insight into the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Cahill draws on his extensive experiences in earlier epidemics, natural disasters, and armed conflicts to offer lessons, wisdom, guidance, and support to frontline workers. While he wrote the essays as weekly reflections in the early months of the pandemic for the thousands of humanitarian-relief workers he has trained around the world, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand and make some sense of the complexities and chaos inevitable …

Understanding The Aliyev Regime’S Armenophobia, Nerses Kopalyan

Political Science Faculty Research

The nationalism of the Aliyev regime suffers from chronic pettiness, a self-realization that its banality breeds an artificial eulogization of historical relevance. Limited in historic values that give substance to a society’s conceptualization of its national spirit, the Azeri[1] ethos faces a profound dilemma: its nationalism is defined by its emptiness [in this article “Azeri” is a specific reference to the Azeri Turkic people that comprise approximately 90% of Azerbaijan, while “Azerbaijani” refers to citizens of the state of Azerbaijan - Editor]. This vacuity in its collective consciousness not only suffocates a desire for historical pride, but it also delimits …

China’S “Three Warfares”: People’S Liberation Army Influence Operations, Edwin S. Cochran, U.S. Department Of Defense, Retired

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The following article—whose author is both a retired US Army officer and retired Department of Defense civilian employee with multiple publications—focuses on Chinese information operations. Readers might wish to speculate on matters such as why the Chinese have organized the way they have, whether the organization leads to optimal integration of tools of national security/political power, and how vulnerable specific populations and even intelligence cultures are to specific types of information operations. One might even conclude that the only thing that has not changed in thousands of years has been the technology available to influence others.

This article examines the …

Black Student Union Condemns Brian Urlacher Post On Jacob Blake Shooting, Gino Gutierrez

Black History at UNM

A Daily Lobo article about UNM Black Student Union expressing support for the statement released by UNM student-athletes on the football team, condemning alum Brian Urlacher’s “horrific” interpretation of the events leading up to the near-fatal police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Re-Assessing The Genocide Of Kurdish Alevis In Dersim, 1937-38, Dilşa Deniz

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article discusses a century-long denial of historic genocide targeting Kurdish Alevis in Turkey. Firstly, I argue that the state-sponsored killings and forced displacements that occurred in Dersim in 1937-38 constitute genocide. Secondly, I use census numbers and other available documentation to suggest a possible figure for the causalities, while pointing out the methods by which the state has tried to cover up these numbers, indicating state planning and preparation. Finally, I show that as a part of the continued denial of such genocide, Turkish leftist organizations have been manipulated by the state, and thus have ended up supporting much …