American Politics Commons^™

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’S Discourse On Inequality And Its Impact On Modern Western Society, Roger Engle

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The famous French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau has undoubtedly left his mark on history and heavily influenced numerous governments over the last two hundred years. Rousseau’s “Discourse on Inequality”, in particular, changed the way in which individuals view society, religion, and morality in a significant manner. The worldview which is presented in this writing is the product of years of abandonment, sexual promiscuity, and a lack of personal responsibility. The real-world implications of which have led to the deaths of millions upon millions in one of the bloodiest centuries in all of human history and inspired some of modern history’s most …

The Influences Of Montesquieu On American Ideals, Analeise E. Wasenius

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The ideologies of French philosopher, Charles de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu, played a prominent role in the founding of the American governmental system in the realm of Separation of Powers. Within his work, Spirit of Laws, he emphasizes the need for a government to separate executive, legislative, and judicial powers by the means of checks and balances. The Federalists support and uphold the idea of a “balanced democracy” within Federalist No. 47. In opposition, the Anti-Federalists describe in Anti-Federalist No. 46-47 their concerns regarding the responsibilities ensured by the separation of powers; they believe that the legislative branch should assume …

The American Debate Between Toleration And Liberty Of Conscience, Zachary Federico

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

No abstract provided.

Predicting Our Own Demise: How Media Has Played Nostradamus To The Future Of Artificial Intelligence, Connor Denny-Lybbert

Honors Theses

In this paper, I argue that we should be hesitant and skeptical of the applications of AI technology in government due to the possibility of, and ongoing abuses of this technology by political actors. I do this by first analyzing various pieces of sci-fi media in three parts: how this media approaches crime and punishment, personhood, and human happiness. Then, I explain how these themes intersect with the above framework and how we can use the themes to guide future policy. This is followed by an analysis of what these pieces of media tell us regarding artificial intelligence and how …

Climate Change Skepticism: Who And Why?, Mia Huyen Truong

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Despite persistent scientific consensus urging immediate action, political polarization, and skepticism have hindered effective climate change mitigation, especially in the United States. This paper explores the factors influencing climate change attitudes among different groups, focusing on right-wing affiliates and Christian believers. Drawing on the Anti-Reflexivity Thesis (McCright and Dunlap, 2001-2010) and Information Processing Theory (Wood & Vedlitz, 2007), we investigate the effects of individual characteristics, including partisan ideology, party identification, educational attainment, and Christian faith. Using Wave 7 (2021) of the Chapman Survey of American Fears Survey, a nationwide sample of different fears among U.S. adults, this study aims to …

Political Theory, Activism, And Visual Media: The Ideology Of Protest Symbols, Jilly E. Crane-Mauzy Mx.

Whittier Scholars Program

Art changes culture while policy codifies it. Radical revolutionary movements are often accompanied by equally radical shifts in art and design. I cataloged, compared, and contrasted the semiotic power of three specific symbols and their most significant historical moments in the United States. Through the examination of; Stonewall, The Equality March March Against Death, The Day The World Said No To War, The 1968 Summer Olympics, and The 2020 Black Lives Matter, the shifting of each ideologies symbol from inflammation in the media to recognition showcases the clarifying function along with creating unity and pride in community that is integral …

Interview With Otis Cunningham, Columbia College Chicago

Chicago Anti-Apartheid Movement

Length: 99 minutes

Oral history interview of Otis Cunningham by Lilah Hernandez discussing events and activities since his original 2010 interview.

Policy Design And The Lived Experience Of The Poor: A Test Of Policy Feedback Effects And Efficacy, Ava Gural

Honors Theses

As American political actors have framed poverty as a choice made by the unambitious, it has become clear that our society has a pervasive misunderstanding of poverty. Policy Feedback Theorists assert that the design of our welfare policies contributes to this fallacy, raising the question of whether there is a relationship between policy design and the way citizens act and feel. This thesis uses quantitative data from the American Citizen Participation Study and qualitative data from two original interviews to test the existence of “policy feedback effects” on program participants’ feelings of efficacy. Quantitative evidence suggests limited evidence of policy …

Perceptions Of Political Perspective-Takers, Ian Beatty

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

This study investigates the responses by conservatives and liberals to Republican and Democratic party candidates that take the perspectives of out-group members on topics being discussed.

'I Can’T Vote If I Don’T Leave My Apartment’: The Problem Of Residential Violence And Its Impact On The Politics Of Black American Women Living Below The Poverty Line, Alex J. Moffett-Bateau

Publications and Research

Prior research examining political behavior outside of the United States, has shown that violence can have a mixed impact on political engagement. Building on that work, this research examines whether violence shapes the political lives of poor Black women within the United States. I argue, neighborhood violence in the United States can and often does, shape the political behavior of Black women living below the poverty line in public housing. I use ethnographic data to parse out a conceptual framework which articulates connections between residential violence experienced by Black women living in poverty and their politics. Ultimately, my analysis shows …

The 1776 Report And The Historical Establishment: A Review, Joseph E. Esparza

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The Trump Administration’s 1776 Final Report was instantly condemned by nearly all professional historical organizations in the United States upon its public release. This review of the 1776 Final Report seeks to understand why the historical establishment so quickly dismissed it as irrelevant and dangerous. It sheds light on the academic context behind the report, and comments on the state of the historical establishment in the United States. This article also gives an honest review of the final report from an historical perspective. This review demonstrates that the 1776 Report was never intended as a comprehensive narrative of American history …

The Autobiography Of An American Peace Bishop, Jens Mueller

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Age-Less Citizen: Cultivating A Civically Engaged K-12 Community Through The Use Of Service Learning, Chelsia I. Douglas Mpa

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The Age-less Citizen will analyze evidence-based civic education studies and explore proactive student engagement strategies to build an individualized nonpartisan action plan for each school represented. From sending election reminders home by a kindergartener, to including local school board meetings on school newsletter and calendars, attendees will take away practical tips and tools to restore faith in the younger generation's ability to improve our democracy.

Managing Ethno-Nationalism Within Special Territorial Autonomy Policy: Comparative Cases Between Aceh And Papua, Wasisto Raharjo Jati

Jurnal Politik

The implementation of special autonomy regions is how the central government acknowledges the uniqueness and significant contributions of specific regions to Indonesia. The acknowledgment is then accommodated within special autonomy policies. Starting with Papua in 2001, there are eight provinces with special regions. Despite having a special autonomy status, those provinces may have more problems. The issues are mainly the historical root of integration with Indonesia, resource inequality, and the genuine representations of indigenous people as officeholders. These three issues have been common problems in Indonesia since the up-and-down relationship exists between the central government and those special autonomous regions. …

Vaccine Politics: Comparison Of Acceptance Of Covid-19 Vaccines Produced By Democratic And Non-Democratic Countries, Akbar Fasya Habibilla, Adhi Cahya Fahadayna

Jurnal Politik

The unequal distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide is one of humanity's global challenges due to political factors entering and influencing the distribution of vaccines to countries worldwide. Vaccine-producing countries are fragmented into two sides: democratic and non-democratic countries. This article aims to answer how political factors can influence the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine globally and which vaccine is the global favorite. This article uses vaccine politics theory as its basis and uses descriptive-comparative methods in the data analysis process. The results of this research found that there were indications that illiberal democratic practices were widespread during the COVID-19 …

Descriptive Analysis Of Open Government Practices Of Four Mid-Sized Cities In New York State, Brian Bray

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The conceptualization and implementation of open government practices have evolved over the years, encompassing numerous actions that increase transparency, participation, and collaboration. While states mandate some open government practices for municipal governments, they also often implement optional forms independently. This paper examines how four mid-sized cities implement two such optional forms: government boards and open government data.

This study was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, the author used the Democracy Cube framework, a theoretical model developed by Fung (2006), that categorizes various approaches to public participation in government decision-making along three dimensions. This model served as the …

Thawing Interests: The Arctic In U.S. Grand Strategy, Benjamin S. Murray

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The thawing Arctic is subject to increasing activity, attention, and a renewal of interests in the region from around the globe. National interests have compelled strategic planning in the Arctic region and are connected to global geopolitics. A concept of grand strategy is distilled from theories of past authors, understood within the modern context. That concept includes a terminological framework consisting of interests and threats to inform an ends, ways, and means design of strategy, composed of all instruments of state power, blending policy with strategy, and across the peace-war continuum. Then fundamental precepts of existing U.S. grand strategy are …

Odd Bedfellows & Marriage Of Necessity: Public Health And Politics In American Federalism, Gabriella Victoria Chianese

Honors Theses and Capstones

In the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while the public disagrees over mask mandates, required vaccinations, and social distancing, it seems like one common sentiment exists – a distaste for the odd bedfellows of politics and public health. There are those who cry for the compartmentalization of the science of public health and the art of politics to rectify this situation. In the wake of so much confusion and chaos, it is not unjustified to demand the depoliticization of public health; however, this response is unrealistic given the modern political climate, demonstrates a narrow understanding of the …

Conceptual Metaphor Usage In Glenn Youngkin’S 2021 Gubernatorial Campaign, Sara Rose Hotaling

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

In “Conceptual Metaphor in Everyday Language,” Lakoff and Johnson suggest that conceptual metaphors pervade everyday language and produce the reality of our world. Conceptual metaphors act similarly within the occupational register of political campaigns in that they both support and construct a set of beliefs that become the reality of politicians, political parties, and constituents. In this language research, the conceptual metaphors employed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin during his 2021 gubernatorial campaign were identified, analyzed, and categorized. The corpus of this research consists of two gubernatorial debates, three campaign speeches, and one television interview. An example of conceptual metaphor …

An Examination Of Transitioning Meso-Institutions And Markets In The Landscape Of American Politics, Devin Thomas Marconi

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper bridges the gap in the literature between sociological accounts of market actors provided by Mark Granovetter and Douglas North, meso-institutional examinations of polarization provided by Paul Pierson and Eric Schickler, and the psychological exploration into cross-cutting identities provided by Liliana Mason. I argue that the nationalization and concentration of markets, identities, and politics have led to a transition within the meso-institution of the market from maintaining self-regulating punishment mechanisms to replacing them with self-reinforcing mechanisms, exacerbating affective polarization. Previous works explore the transition within the meso-institutions of the media, interest groups, and political parties. I include the market …

Unwilling Gamblers And Loaded Dice: Considering Recession And Crisis As A Natural Effect Of Financial Capitalism, Darlene N. Moorman

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Under financial capitalism, ordinary people are increasingly becoming 'unwilling gamblers' of a risky and unstable system. This paper explores the social and institutional change behind the neoliberal movement and considers how the politics and policies of neoliberalism have contributed to a certain environment of financial instability. Looking at the changing nature of the economy, the rapid expansion of the financial sector, and the persisting issue of moral hazard underlying risky and speculative behaviors among other items, reveals a financial system in which recessions and crises can be considered a natural, although not inevitable, effect.

Man In The Arena: The Evolution Of The Executive Office, Jack Sandone

Honors Theses

Through an historical case study, this paper will answer the question: just how powerful has the presidency become? Has it really, through various tangible tools and the evolution of institutions, become a king-like figure, rising above the vaunted Legislative and Judicial Branches? The conclusion is this: based on the precedent of “prerogative,” a term to be explained and analyzed, presidents have been granted access to extraconstitutional actions that were not outside of the purview of the founding fathers. The usage of unilateral legislation, like the executive order, creates a surgeon’s knife of a political tool, allowing presidents to force legislation …

Biopolitics And Belief: The Impacts Of Religious Attitudes On Reproductive Rights In The U.S., Katlyn Barbaccia

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade (1973)—a groundbreaking case that legalized the right to have an abortion—which signified a deep rift in the nation between the opinions of its lawmakers and citizens in the wake of a widening partisan gap. Biopower, according to Foucault, can be defined as the governing of bodies wherein citizens are stripped of bodily autonomy and are closely regulated by the nation-state. Manifested in political consequences, this can be defined as biopolitics, or when the nation-state’s ideas are made into a reality in the political realm. …

Church, Country, Culture: How Three Aspects Of Authoritarianism Predict Support For Donald Trump, Trenton Leslie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the American bipartisan system, ideologies and beliefs create political views that sort voters between two groups. Political sorting increases polarization based on cultural preferences for an in-group that become ethnocentric views, which develop into ethnocentric cultural politics. I present an augmented concept of authoritarianism in America that encompasses sorting based on aspects of political belief, encapsulating sources of polarization and cultural attachments to political associations.

I develop the argument that authoritarianism is the result of political attachment to identities that feed off one another as individuals identify with an in-group, such as a party platform. My central theory is …

Review Of How To Be An Antiracist (An African’S View), Joseph L. Mbele

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Remembering Drew Christiansen, S.J., Distinguished Advisor On Peacebuilding For The U.S. Catholic Bishops, Gerard Powers

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Essay: Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen: A Still And Quiet Conscience, William L. Portier

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Media Framing And Respectability Narratives In #Blacklivesmatter: A Twitter Analysis, Sherrice Wright

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine community dialogues on the social media platform, Twitter, in order to better understand how conventional media framing influences conversations on social media. The Black Lives Matter movement, one of the most prominent, current social justice movements, was founded on Twitter. Since then this platform has played a pivotal role in gaining awareness for issues of marginalized citizens. While Black Lives Matter has had a key role in the development of public perception, so has the traditional media. Through the use of media framing, the dominant class has the ability to reinforce or …

The Cult Fascist: Establishing Cultic Behavior In Proud Boys And Incels, Aj Ashland

University Honors Theses

Is the Alt-Right a cult? Certainly, we can see religious fervor intertwine with politics as we see in the far-right, with artwork of Trump being crucified like Jesus, pierced in his side by Nancy Pelosi analogous to Longinus (Cole, 2020), or in the golden statue of Trump at CPAC (Beauchamp, 2021). But, do we see similar, potentially cultic, behavior within Alt-Right groups? It turns out we do see this behavior. Within this study, I determine via the Advanced Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Frame what level of cultic behavior exists within Incels and Proud Boys. In doing so, I intend to …

James Madison, American Liberalism, And The Problem Of The “Gordian Knot”, Nicholas Marr

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Federal jurisdiction is virtually unlimited today and the strength and survivability of liberalism, our nation’s animating political philosophy, is hotly debated. These issues are connected and James Madison’s thinking provides some insight into exactly how that might be.