American Politics Commons^™

Disillusioning The Illusion Of Choice: A Rogerian Approach On Electoral College Reform, Mei Lin

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The Electoral College is used by the United States of America to elect the president every four years. It has been amended and updated several times; however, it remains an extremely convoluted and outdated system. Four presidencies were the product of incongruent elections –– the candidate won the electoral college but lost the popular vote –– and each of these presidencies resulted in immense consequences. Reforming the current electoral college will be difficult, but it is extremely vital and necessary. The American election system must be restructured so that it may fairly and adequately represent the voices of its citizens.

Patton, Paul Edward, B. 1937 (Sc 3400), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3400. Letter, 16 April 1987, of Paul E. Patton, Pikeville, Kentucky, to Riley Handy, Bowling Green, Kentucky. The letter asks support for Patton’s campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky and outlines his experience and qualifications for the office.

Nunn, Louie Broady, 1924-2004 (Sc 3405), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3405. Letter, 25 October 1971, to “Fellow Kentuckian” from Kentucky Governor Louie B. Nunn. Preparing to leave office, he provides a report on his administration’s accomplishments with respect to agriculture in the state. Much of the detail is set out in a report to Nunn from the Commissioner of Agriculture that is included with the letter.

Legacies Of Belle La Follette’S Big Tent Campaigns For Women’S Suffrage, Nancy Unger

History

In countless speeches and articles in La Follette’s Magazine, Belle Case La Follette urged that women needed the vote to secure “standards of cleanliness and healthfulness in the municipal home,” and because “home, society, and government are best when men and women keep together intellectually and spiritually.” This range of often mutually exclusive arguments created an inclusive big tent. However, arguing that women were qualified to vote by their roles as wives and mothers while maintaining that gender was superfluous to suffrage also contributed to an uneasy combination that would continue the conflict over women’s true nature and hinder their …

A Roundtable On Robert K. Brigham, Reckless: Henry Kissinger’S Responsibility For The Tragedy In Vietnam, Amanda Demmer, Richard A. Moss, Scott Laderman, Luke A. Nichter, David F. Schmitz, Robert K. Brigham

Presidential Studies Faculty Articles and Research

A set of reviews of Robert K. Brigham's Reckless: Henry Kissinger and the Tragedy of Vietnam, with a response from the author.

A Roundtable For Victoria M. Grieve, Little Cold Warriors: American Childhood In The 1950s, Thomas Field Jr., Julia L. Mickenberg, Lori Clune, Mary Brennan, Donna Alvah, Victoria M. Grieve

Publications

Dr. Thomas Field introduces a roundtable discussion of Victoria M. Grieve's Little Cold Warriors: American Childhood in the 1950s, providing a synopsis of reviewer critiques before the reviewers expand on their views and the author responds.

Carter, Tim Lee, 1910-1987 (Sc 3370), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3370. Letters to retired WKU faculty member Frances Richards from Congressman Tim Lee Carter, a former student. He compliments her as “one of my finest teachers” and recalls others at WKU. He also comments on Monroe County, Kentucky’s 1971 sesquicentennial, sends her his floor speech on noise pollution, and refers briefly to poverty programs, rural depopulation, and his hope for bipartisan politics in Kentucky. Includes a letter from Carter’s sister Mae with data about her family.

Sanders, William Willard "Whitey," 1930-2021 (Mss 659), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 659. Correspondence, articles and miscellaneous material documenting the career of newspaper editorial cartoonist Bill “Whitey” Sanders. Includes letters from readers, public figures and fellow cartoonists, video of programs and appearances, and material related to Sanders’ books and his participation in professional organizations.

The Mixed Reception Of The Hamilton Premiere In Puerto Rico, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner

Faculty Publications

In this article originally published in The Atlantic, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner wonders about the challenges of premiering the famed Broadway musical, Hamilton, during a time of political discord in the aftermath of 2017's Hurricane Maria, in Puerto Rico.

H-Diplo Roundtable Xx-20 On Matthew J. Ambrose. The Control Agenda: A History Of The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, Scott Kaufman, Ronald J. Granieri, John Maurer, Luke A. Nichter, David Tal, Matthew Ambrose

Presidential Studies Faculty Articles and Research

A set of reviews of Matthew J. Ambrose's The Control Agenda: A History of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, with a response from the author.

Scott Family - Letters To (Sc 3318), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3318. Letters to the Scott family of Ashland, Kentucky, chiefly to Sarah Asenath Scott from Fred Osborne, written from Clinchco, Virginia prior to their marriage. Fred refers to his work and health, their marriage plans, and a pending legal case. Other letters to Sarah are from childhood friends and classmates and friends of her mother. Includes a family letter to Sarah’s mother, and letters to her father from his sister and her children in Knoxville, Tennessee, which refer to farming operations and hopes for an improved economy under the new president, Franklin Roosevelt.

The Justice System Is Criminal, Raven Delfina Otero-Symphony

2020 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

“Of Every Sort”: Conceptions Of Property Rights At The Time Of The American Founding, Zachary Wong

CMC Senior Theses

The most contentious issues of our day often have to do with political and social rights as opposed to economic rights. Through the lens of property rights I investigate whether this dichotomy existed at the time of the American founding. First, I examine the state constitutions and identify three clauses, common to the documents, which protect property rights. I examine their historical basis and reveal their connection to English common law and Locke, primarily. Then, I discuss the personal views of Madison and Jefferson to gain insight into the personal thoughts of two of the most influential Founders. Finally, I …

Factionalism In The Democratic Party 1936-1964, Seth Manning

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The period of 1936-1964 in the Democratic Party was one of intense factional conflict between the rising Northern liberals, buoyed by FDR’s presidency, and the Southern conservatives who had dominated the party for a half-century. Intertwined prominently with the struggle for civil rights, this period illustrates the complex battles that held the fate of other issues such as labor, foreign policy, and economic ideology in the balance. This thesis aims to explain how and why the Northern liberal faction came to defeat the Southern conservatives in the Democratic Party through a multi-faceted approach examining organizations, strategy, arenas of competition, and …

American Government 2e, Glen Krutz, Sylvie Waskiewicz

Open Access Textbooks

Since its founding, the United States has relied on citizen participation to govern at the local, state, and national levels. This civic engagement ensures that representative democracy will continue to flourish and that people will continue to influence government. The right of citizens to participate in government is an important feature of democracy, and over the centuries many have fought to acquire and defend this right. During the American Revolution (1775–1783), British colonists fought for the right to govern themselves. In the early nineteenth century, agitated citizens called for the removal of property requirements for voting so poor white men …

Developing And Sustaining Political Citizenship For Poor And Marginalized People: The Evelyn T. Butts Story, Kenneth Cooper Alexander

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study tells the deep, rich story of Evelyn T. Butts, a grassroots civil rights champion in Norfolk, Virginia, whose bridge leadership style can teach and inspire new generations about political, community, and social change. Butts used neighbor-to-neighbor skills to keep her community connected with the national civil rights movement, which had heavily relied on grassroots leaders—especially women—for much of its success in overthrowing America’s Jim Crow system of segregation and suppression. She is best-known for her 1963 lawsuit that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1966 decision to ban poll taxes for state and local elections, a democratizing event …

The Federal State And Hegemony: Politics In Floyd County, Kentucky And The Latter Years Of The War On Poverty, Riccardo Paolo D'Amato

Online Theses and Dissertations

The central question this thesis addresses is how increasing federal power impacted local peoples, both politicians and otherwise. Kentucky politics was an already convoluted subject of local interconnected patronage without adding even more possible connections. The War on Poverty did just that, adding more players to the ‘game’ of Kentucky politics through numerous influential programs. This thesis closely follows the later years of the War on Poverty in Floyd County specifically to discover what changes were created in the political and social spheres.

This thesis’ findings are based in a contextualized reading of local and foreign newspapers, letters to Representative …

Halbert, William Clarence, 1856-1931 (Sc 3310), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3310. Certificate, 22 March 1900, of the appointment on 5 December 1899 of William C. Halbert as 1st Lieutenant, 2nd Infantry, Kentucky State Guard. Signed by Governor William S. Taylor, who requested that a militia company be raised in anticipation of violence following the contested gubernatorial election of 1899.

Remembering An Invasion: The Panama Intervention In America’S Political Memory, Dave Nagaji

Senior Theses

In December of 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, a military invasion of the country of Panama, capturing Manuel Noriega and overthrowing his government. This research project examines how Colin Powell, Richard Cheney, James Baker, and George H.W. Bush presented Operation Just Cause in their memoirs. It attempts to determine how these senior leaders’ depictions of this invasion incorporated it into the Bush administration’s overall foreign-policy strategy. The research finds that their general approach was to present the Panama intervention as an isolated incident which had no intentional link to other major events at the time, was not …

Smith, Pearl Irene (Kearney), 1888-1972 (Sc 3302), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3302. Letters, clippings, invitations and associated material relating to the involvement of Pearl Irene (Mrs. Stuart A.) Smith, Louisville, Kentucky, in state and local politics and civic causes. Active in local Democratic councils, Mrs. Smith left the party in acrimony in 1927 over its selection of candidates for governor of Kentucky and mayor of Louisville, and worked thereafter in Republican campaign committees and delegations. Includes a petition demanding enforcement of American neutrality in World War II.

Hutchinson, Julian Terrence, Jr., 1933-2004 (Sc 3298), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3298. Lists, drafts, receipts, and campaign and organizational materials relating to Julian T. Hutchinson’s involvement in Democratic politics in Fayette County, Kentucky. Includes material relating to the formation of the Blue Grass Fayette County Democratic Club and the Fayette County Young Democrats Club, and to Hutchinson’s 1965 campaign for the Democratic nomination to represent Kentucky’s 54^th District in the state legislature.

Clements, Earle Chester, 1896-1985 (Sc 3292), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3292. Letter, 11 July 1947, to a voter from the chairman of Earle C. Clements’ campaign for governor of Kentucky, providing brief data on the candidate and soliciting support; also letter, 30 October 1961, from Clements replying to the recipient’s telegram about a toll road groundbreaking ceremony in Leitchfield, Kentucky. Clements, who had earlier resigned as state highway commissioner and was not informed of the ceremony, nevertheless expresses satisfaction that he had initiated the project.

Carroll, Julian Morton, 1931-2023 (Sc 3290), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3290. Letters, February-July 1975, of Kentucky Governor Julian M. Carroll and officials of his election campaign. The letters thank the recipients for support and for a presentation of portraits of Carroll and his wife Charlann. A handwritten 1987 letter thanks the recipient for supporting Carroll’s unsuccessful attempt to win the Democratic nomination for another term as governor.

Brown, John Young, Jr., 1933-2022 (Sc 3289), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3288. Letter, 27 September 1979, from the Finance Chairman of the campaign of Democrat John Y. Brown, Jr. for Governor of Kentucky, asking the recipient for support through the sale of pins to contributors. Also letter, 12 December 1983, of Governor John Y. Brown, Jr. thanking the recipient for his good wishes as Brown prepares to leave office.

Brown, Phyllis Ann (George), 1949-2020 (Sc 3288), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3288. Mass-mailed letter, 15 October 1979, in the handwriting of Phyllis (George) Brown, wife of John Y. Brown, Jr., Democratic candidate for Governor of Kentucky. She summarizes the election issues and praises her husband’s political skills and agenda.

Black, James Dixon, 1849-1938 (Sc 3286), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3286. Letter, 9 August 1919, of James D. Black, Governor of Kentucky, to Orville J. Stivers, Louisville, Kentucky, thanking him for his letter of congratulations on Black’s victory in the Democratic primary for the gubernatorial election in November. Black took office the previous May when his predecessor, Augustus O. Stanley, was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Westerman, Robert Vaughn, B. 1948 - Collector (Sc 3284), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3284. Three political items collected by Robert V. Westerman: a certificate, 6 November 1868, of three Gallatin County, Kentucky officials reporting the vote count for electors for President, Vice President, and Member of Congress for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District; a letter, 2 February 1949, of Garrett L. Withers to Pearl Sugg, Providence, Kentucky, with expressions of friendship after his appointment to the U.S. Senate to replace Vice President Alben Barkley; and a form letter of Harry Lee Waterfield, Clinton, Kentucky, seeking support in his 1967 campaign for …

Mackinder And The Arctic's Emerging Geopolitics: Recommendations For The U.S. And Its Nato Allies, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This presentation shows how Halford Mackinder (1861-1947) described Canada and the Arctic region in his geopolitical writings. It goes on to stress how the Arctic is becoming increasingly important in international geopolitical policymaking due to its significant oil and natural gas resources, how warming temperatures are increasing international access to its waters, and the how countries as diverse as Canada, China, Russia, and the U.S. see the Arctic region in their strategic policymaking. It concludes by stressing that the Arctic can no longer be viewed as a region immune from international conflict and presents recommendations for the U.S. and its …

Ballew, William A., 1842-1915 (Sc 3277), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and typescript (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3277. Letter, 12 November 1864, from William A. Ballew to Thomas Hopkins, Clinton County, Kentucky. Writing from Spring Hill, Tennessee, where he is serving with the 12th Kentucky Infantry, Ballew notes his regiment’s support of presidential candidate George B. McClellan (“little mack”). Although they were not yet enfranchised, he cites a mock election held by African Americans in Nashville as evidence for President Abraham Lincoln’s likely reelection. He notes the good health of his fellow soldiers, including Hopkins’ two sons, Lewis and Shelby.

Duncan, George Anna, B. 1935 - Letters To (Sc 3265), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3265. Two letters sent to George Anna Duncan, Bowling Green, Kentucky: one from Reuben Crispell, acting secretary to New York governor Thomas Dewey, thanking her for a congratulatory note sent to the governor, and the other from musician and radio personality, Donald Dame, encouraging her to follow her ambition to become a musician.