American Politics Commons^™

Carnival In Tijuana: A Visual Study Of The Brinco Del Chinelo, Nancy Rios-Contreras, Chenesia Brown

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

The Mexico–United States border is politicized and perceived as an undesirable, violent place and simultaneously a desirable cultural location rich in tradition. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic nature of the Tijuana–California border by exploring the performance of culture in a geopolitical border place. So far, most border research has concentrated on negative portrayals of cities and the border rather than on the joyful and festive lived experiences. Grounded in a visual sociology methodology, data collection included photo-ethnography and fieldwork observations conducted between 2022 and 2024 during an annual summer carnival, Carnaval Sin Fronteras [Carnival …

Before Urgent Fury: U.S. Foreign Policy Toward Grenada During The Ford And Carter Administrations, Nicholas Jake Durell

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

When the United States pulled out of Vietnam in 1973, it experienced a military and psychological defeat unlike any in its modern history. Following President Richard Nixon’s resignation from the Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford, the House Minority Leader who had become Vice President, now assumed the presidency of a deeply fractured nation. As the Cold War persisted, Washington struggled to reassert its superpower status globally while desperately avoiding further foreign entanglements. Consequently, the Ford administration adopted a cautiously detached approach to foreign policy, a strategy vividly illustrated by its posture toward the Eastern Caribbean. This calculated ambivalence, continued by the …

Maintaining Empire, Maiya White

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

This thesis portfolio examines the structure and consequences of imperialism, exploring the relationship between empires and their subjects using the cases of the United States of America and Japan. While existing research on empire focuses on territorial expansion, this study proposes a working definition of empire that centers on coercion and manipulation of the domestic population to demonstrate how empires sustain themselves. Additionally, this thesis portfolio demonstrates how governments maintain control by influencing how their citizens should interpret their actions.  Utilizing primary sources, including legal and legislative documents, government reports, diplomatic correspondence, and visual propaganda, this thesis portfolio argues that …

The Political Culture Of Taxation, Steven M. Karceski, Steven Pfaff

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

In My Tax Dollars: The Morality of Taxpaying in America, Ruth Braunstein explores the political culture of taxation in contemporary America. Calling our attention to the origins of contemporary tax debates, she shows how morality and American civil religion influence how citizens understand taxation, citizenship, and the proper scope of government. In this article, we review Braunstein's main arguments and the evidence she presents in support of them. We take stock of the book's theoretical frame work and the applicability of the concepts it borrows from the sociology of religion. For all there is to like about Braunstein's book, …

Racial Differences In Voter Turnout: Evidence From The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Harrison G. Kundahl, Elena M. Warner

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

How does race impact voter turnout in the 2020 U.S. presidential election? Existing research shows that political participation depends on access to resources and civic skills, while institutional barriers such as voter identification laws can disproportionately affect racial minorities. However, less attention has been given to whether these disparities persist at the individual level when accounting for other relevant factors. We argue that racial minority groups, particularly Hispanic and non-Hispanic “other” respondents, are less likely to vote than White (non-Hispanic) respondents in the 2020 presidential election. To test this argument, we use individual-level data from the ANES 2020–2022 Social Media …

Gender And Grades: The Gap In How Men And Women Fear Economic Collapse, Riley O'Connor

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Due to prescribed gender roles in society and wage gaps, historically, women have had to rely on spouses and family for economic survival. Now, with access to higher education and increased salaries, their economic fears are shifting. In this paper I analyze the extent of the gender gap in the fear of economic and financial collapse of Americans. Using the Chapman Survey of American Fear, an original data set surveying the degree to which American adults fear incidents collected in spring of 2025, men and women of the same education fear economic collapse differently, signifying men fear economic collapse less …

Raised To Hold Firm: Authoritarian Child-Rearing Values And Opposition To Political Compromise, Morgan Romine

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This research project examines how at-home values might explain an individual's view on political compromise. Using the 2024 American National Election Studies (ANES) survey data, I study the relationship between authoritarian child-rearing preferences and support for political compromise. While existing research has linked authoritarian values to attitudes such as prejudice and support for strong leaders, less attention has been paid to how those same values shape attitudes toward political negotiation. My hypothesis is that people who prioritize obedience, respect, and good manners over independence and curiosity in children reflect broader goals toward order and stability, and that those preferences translate …

Information Exposure And Vote Choice: The Role Of Social Media In The 2020 U.S. Election, Brooke Beardsley

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

How does social media use affect vote choice during the 2020 election in the United States? Research shows that social media can shape political attitudes and behaviors by increasing exposure to political information and like-minded communities. However, much of the recent literature focuses on specific platforms or broader political participation, leaving open the question of how much social media use influences party vote choice. I argue that individuals who use social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram are more likely to support Democratic candidates than individuals who do not use these platforms. To test this argument, I used …

Beyond Clicktivism: Analyzing The Most Effective Forms Of Civic Engagement, Charlotte Grace Iribarren

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Civic engagement is not only characterized by voting, it can take the form of protesting for a political cause or donating to campaigns. Today, a highly common form of political involvement is posting online or signing online petitions, also referred to as “clicktivism.” In this paper, I intend to examine the extent to which voting in general presidential elections correlates with individual engagement in protests, donations to campaigns, or engages in “clicktivism”. Using the American National Election Survey which measures voting behaviors, political participation and public opinion, I find that the most consistent voters are clicktivists and campaign donors. Conversely, …

Democratic Legitimacy And Data Governance: Data Privacy Philosophy And Regulatory Preferences In The U.S. Vs Eu, Mia H. Truong

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and large-scale data collection has intensified tensions between commercial innovation and consumer privacy, raising a fundamental democratic question: do Americans understand their data protections–and does this shape their demand for regulation? The EU and U.S. represent two fundamentally opposed approaches to data privacy regulation: the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) treats personal data as a fundamental human right, rooted in post-WWII constitutional protections against state surveillance and authoritarianism, while the U.S. operates through fragmented, sector-specific state laws that treat personal data as a market commodity. This study is the first to empirically investigate …

Does Feeling Threatened By Cultural And Demographic Changes Make People More Likely To Support Authoritarian Leaders In The United States?, Jack Brett Krikorian

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Does the perception of threat from cultural and demographic transformations increase a tendency to support authoritarian and nationalist views in politics in the United States? While current research indicates that demographic anxiety, rather than economic distress, has fueled support for authoritarian political figures in recent elections, there has been insufficient focus on whether such threat perceptions directly forecast support for authoritarian governance more generally. I argue that individuals who recognize heightened cultural and demographic threats are more inclined to support robust, authoritarian leadership, as perceived threats amplify the psychological necessity for security and order over democratic limitations. I utilize the …

Through A Partisan Lens: How Political Identity Shapes Economic Evaluations, Daniel Shin

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

People often disagree about the state of the economy, even when faced with the same facts. These differences are especially highlighted during times of inflation, changing employment trends, and public debate over the economy.  Relying on data from the American National Election Studies (ANES), a representative survey of U.S. adults, I examined how general partisan alignment, along with other factors, shapes perceptions of the national economy and influences citizens’ judgements about economic conditions. The results show that partisanship strongly biases economic evaluations, demonstrating that people who align with the incumbent party express greater optimism, with the opposition partisans showing greater …

Voter Gender And U.S Senatorial Candidate In 2024 Election, Gwenn Ricordel

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines whether gender influences voters' decisions to support candidates based on the political party of the senatorial candidate in the U.S. Senate elections. While research suggests that gendered stereotypes and perceived issues on ability create a clear gender gap in voting behaviors, this research argues that in high-information national elections, these identify factors come second to party identification and economic outlook. The main goal of this research is to determine whether the gender of the voter truly impacts whether they vote for a candidate based on political party, or whether their decision is rooted more on identity based …

Strategic Leadership Decision-Making At Power Four Aau Schools, Arthur Kraft, John Kraft

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Exogenous events have disrupted higher education and impacted the decision-making skills of university presidents. While all university presidents are affected, the problem is most acute at the thirty-six AAU members of the power four conferences. The exogenous events were the precipitous cancellation of federal research grants, the on again and off again restrictions on both new and current foreign students studying at US universities, the proposed 15% limit on indirect costs, the tax on university endowments, the changes in student loan programs, the annual $20.5 million NIL revenue sharing settlement for Division I (DI) athletes, and their share of the …

Fear In The Forecast: Do You Believe The Government Controls The Weather?, Gabriella Bartsch

Honors Papers and Posters

Weather manipulation by the government is among the most widely believed conspiracy theories in America, with over 49 percent of Americans subscribing to this belief. As belief in weather-related conspiracies continues to gain traction, understanding the political and social factors that drive these beliefs becomes increasingly essential. In this study, data from the Chapman Survey of American Fears, a representative national sample of U.S. adults, as well as a qualitative content analysis of X/Twitter posts from 2020 to 2026, are used. This research examines how political partisanship and conspiratorial predisposition are reflected in media consumption and levels of institutional trust, …

3rd Place Contest Entry: "More Money, More Votes? Not Always", Levi Ramirez Garcia

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Levi Ramirez Garcia's submission for the 2026 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won third place. It contains their essay on using library resources, and a summary of their research project on the relationship between money and elections, and their bibliography.

Levi is a fourth-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Political Science and Strategic Corporate Communication. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Ann Gordon.

Does Deference To Religious Authority Predict Support For Political Violence?, John W. Compton, Ann Gordon

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Does deference to religious authority undermine support for democratic norms, including those forbidding the use of violence for political ends? Scholars have struggled to answer this question, in part, we believe, because they have typically employed proxies for religious deference (e.g. Biblical literalism, worship attendance, and self-reported religiosity) instead of measuring it directly. We develop a new measure of deference to religious authority in politics (DRAP), using the 2024 Chapman Survey of American Fears. We find that (1) DRAP is strongly correlated with support for political violence; (2) other common measures of religiosity (e.g. Biblical literalism and self-reported religiosity) are …

Loneliness And Support For Political Violence Within The United States, Kellen Downey

Political Science Student Papers and Posters

Although loneliness is a growing public health issue in the United States, its political effects remain understudied. This paper seeks to understand the relationship between loneliness and the support of political violence by utilizing the Chapman Survey of American Fears (CSAF Wave 11). This survey, which is a component of the 2025 Chapman Survey of American Fears, includes the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, as well as two separate items specifically measuring political violence. Using a national survey (N=1,015), I address the following questions: (1) Are lonely individuals more likely to support violence on political grounds? (2) Does strongly identifying with …

The Cult Of Clean Hands: Why No One’S Innocent In America’S War On Corruption, Elizabeth Doan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines how fear of corruption functions as both a political weapon and a national ritual of moral reassurance. The focus lies in understanding why Americans across party lines express deep mistrust in political institutions while simultaneously seeking purity through accusation. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of U.S. voters, the research examines how partisan identity, media narratives, and generational memory influence the emotional economy of corruption—what citizens fear, whom they blame, and why those fears persist. Testing the initial expectation that Republicans would express greater concern about corruption revealed that such fear is shared widely across parties, reflecting …

18 To Buy, Any Age To Die: Why Do Americans Fear Gun Control Amidst Rampant Gun Violence?, Taylor Gadsden-Deterville

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In the first 303 days of 2025, there were 350+ mass shootings in the United States. Recent research has shown mass shootings are one of the primary fears among Americans, and if unaddressed, could continue to cause political and social division. Using the Chapman University Survey on American Fears (CSAF), a national representative sample of American adults, my research highlights the influence of primary factors such as gender, political orientation, and media intake. This research will examine the correlation between gun violence and opposition to weapon regulation. Mass shootings have become rampant in spaces that should be safe, like schools, …

The Erosion Of Credibility: How Government Control Shapes Distrust In Journalism, Ellie Bickelhaupt

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In the past few months, talk show hosts have been canceled for speaking out against the president, deepfakes and AI have become more accessible, there has been an increase in propaganda and state-sponsored media, and through all this, we have seen a continuous increase in government control. All of these factors offer potential explanations as to why there has been an increased distrust and loss of respect regarding journalism throughout the United States in recent years. This research aims to demonstrate that when the government heavily monitors and controls the country, Americans are less likely to trust the media and …

Nativism As The Engine Of Fear Toward “Illegal” Immigrants, Amilie Cai

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Contemporary concerns about “illegal” immigration reveal deep-seated anxieties about race, cultural, and national identity in the United States. In this paper, I examine how xenophobia, media consumption, and Christian nationalism collectively shape fear of illegal immigrants. I build upon previous literature, such as the Group Threat Theory, which posits that dominant groups mobilize to preserve social hierarchies when their status is threatened, and the Agenda-Setting Theory, which emphasizes the media’s power to shape public perceptions. Using Wave 11 of the Chapman Survey of American Fears–a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected in 2025–I provide a comparative analysis of these …

Loneliness And Support For Political Violence Within The United States, Kellen Downey

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Although loneliness is a growing public health issue in the United States, its political effects remain understudied. This paper seeks to understand the relationship between loneliness and the support of political violence by utilizing the Chapman Survey of American Fears (CSAF Wave 11). This survey, which is a component of the 2025 Chapman Survey of American Fears, includes the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, as well as two separate items specifically measuring political violence. Using a national survey (N=1,015), I address the following questions: (1) Are lonely individuals more likely to support violence on political grounds? (2) Does strongly identifying with …

Between Hard And Soft Power: A Historical Analysis Of U.S. Defense Diplomacy, Shuhei Takahashi

War, Diplomacy, and Society (MA) Theses

In recent years, countries around the world—those of Europe but also Japan, China, and Russia—have accelerated their efforts to use military assets as instruments of diplomacy. This trend has contributed to the rising prevalence of the term “defense diplomacy” in national security discourse. The United States is no exception. Its abundant military assets and its global network of bases clearly demonstrate that it is the world’s leading practitioner of defense diplomacy. Yet the United States lacks a clear strategic document outlining the concept. Moreover, because existing definitions remain theoretically ambiguous and methods for assessing the effectiveness of defense diplomacy initiatives …

A Certainty-Weighted, Belief-Based Model Of Political Attitudes: A Bayesian Analysis Of American Public Attitudes Toward The Affordable Care Act, Gabriel Miao Li, Josh Pasek, Jon A. Krosnick

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study proposes a novel, certainty-weighted account of the process by which political beliefs shape political attitudes. Building upon expectancy-value frameworks, this paper introduces belief certainty as a moderator of belief impact. A Bayesian partial-pooling approach is used to test a model positing how beliefs about what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does and does not do relate to overall attitudes toward the law. This analytic method manages the complexity of multiple potentially correlated beliefs and evaluations by imposing a structural constraint to avoid multicollinearity and enable accurate estimation of parameters. Data from a nationally representative sample survey …

Conditioning Elections: The Instability With Dynamic Voters, Lorenzo Collier

Political Science Student Papers and Posters

The stability of electoral outcomes is a cornerstone of democratic legitimacy, yet real-world elections increasingly exhibit volatility driven by dynamic voter populations and shifting preferences. By treating elections as a function f(x) where x represents voter choice, we can study the conditioning of election outcome functions under perturbations, analogous to sensitivity analysis of numerical solvers. This paper investigates the mechanisms underlying instability in elections when voters and their beliefs evolve over time, focusing on the effects of conditioning decisions on anticipated future changes. By surveying classical and contemporary models of voting rules under dynamic settings, this paper demonstrates how seemingly …

A Curse Or A Blessing? The Associations Of Political Knowledge With Partisan Hostility And Condonation Of Political Violence, Gabriel Miao Li

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines the complex associations of political knowledge with affective polarization and attitudes toward political violence in contemporary U.S. politics. Utilizing data from the 2024 American National Election Studies pre-election survey, the analysis highlights political knowledge's dual roles—as both a potential catalyst for partisan animosity and a critical resource promoting democratic stability. Consistent with recent research, more politically knowledgeable individuals tend to express intensified negative feelings toward opposing political parties, and this tendency is particularly pronounced among individuals who attach less importance to their partisan identity. In the meantime, increased political knowledge is also significantly associated with reduced condonation …

Gamete Size Is Essential For Understanding Sex And Sexual Selection In Humans, Animals, Plants, And Algae But Configurations Of Sex-Linked Traits Are Practically Important For Understanding Sex, David A. Frederick

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

"First, I briefly highlight recent discussions of sex and how they contrast with a gametic central understanding of sex in the executive order. I then provide some background on why gametes have been central to defining sex across species in evolutionary biological sciences. Understanding this perspective is important because it helps understand the competing frames people are using when they talk of sex as binary instead of as a spectrum or a multidimensional configuration of traits. The gametic central framing is essential for understanding sex and sexual selection across species, whereas the multidimensional configuration framing is practically useful in medical, …

Left Or Right, Loyal Or Disloyal: Ideology, Partisanship, And Empire In The Construction Of Interwar Japanese American Politics, Vivian Yan-Gonzalez

Asian American Studies Faculty Articles and Research

This article examines the first cohort of Japanese American voters in California in the interwar years, in order to explore the construction of racialized parameters on Japanese American political agency. Inter-imperial competition between the United States and Japan over the future of the Pacific, along with the popular and legal linkage of race and citizenship, produced a persistent distrust of Japanese American voters. Although Japanese Americans shaped their political strategies to appease these suspicions, militarized state demands for loyalty after the attack on Pearl Harbor sharply contracted their options from a range of diverse ideologies and partisanship to a narrow …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Under Siege Worldwide: Moving Beyond Limiting Notions Of Gender And Sexuality In Education Organizations And Leadership, Margaret Grogan

Education Faculty Books and Book Chapters

As 2025 gets underway in the United States, educators across this country, like in many others, are bracing for unprecedented opposition to their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and policies. Newly elected President Trump is rapidly dismantling many federal agencies, cutting off aid to foreign entities, and causing major apprehension across the globe. His stated agenda to eradicate progressivism echoes many other international ultraconservative and far-right movements, who applaud his authoritarian regime. To mount the best possible resistance to these disturbing developments, and, indeed, to expand and strengthen DEI work, this chapter argues for collective action across all the …