American Politics Commons^™

Paranormal Beliefs And Their Effect On American Fears And Political Identification, Tyler James Ferrari

Political Science Student Papers and Posters

Urban legends and conspiracy theories have been a cornerstone of American culture for many years, and these stories and theories have permeated into many aspects of society, from tourism to pop culture, but how have these stories and theories affected politics? Conspiracy theories and urban legends all revolve around the distrust of institutions, ranging from governments to the media, but there is very little research to indicate how beliefs in these types of phenomena affect political self-identification, and fear in real-world disasters. This paper seeks to answer the following: How do paranormal and abnormal beliefs influence political identification? And how …

The Defenestration Of Democracy, Peter Mclaren

Education Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Peter McLaren wrote this afterword to Dissident Knowledge in Higher Education, edited by Marc Spooner and James McNinch, which "delve[s] into the effects of colonialism, neoliberalism, and audit culture on higher education".

Civil Liberties And The Dual Legacy Of The Founding, John W. Compton

Political Science Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"This chapter will argue that the framers’ dual legacy in the area of civil liberties has cast a long historical shadow. Since the early republic, Americans have invoked constitutional civil liberties provisions to challenge customary forms of authority. Yet establishing the abstract legitimacy of one's claim – that it comports with a particular conception of religious liberty or the freedom of speech, for example – has typically been insufficient to prevail in the courts."

H-Diplo Roundtable Xix, 14 On Dynamic Détente: The United States And Europe, 1964-1975, Thomas Schwartz, Werner Lippert, Luke A. Nichter, Kenneth Weisbrode, Stephan Kieninger

Presidential Studies Faculty Articles and Research

A set of reviews of Stephan Kieninger's Dynamic Détente: The United States and Europe, 1964-1975, with a response from the author.

Withdrawal: Reassessing America's Final Years In Vietnam, Gregory A. Daddis

History Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Withdrawal is a groundbreaking reassessment that tells a far different story of the Vietnam War. Daddis convincingly argues that the entire US effort in South Vietnam was incapable of reversing the downward trends of a complicated Vietnamese conflict that by 1968 had turned into a political-military stalemate. Despite a new articulation of strategy, Abrams's approach could not materially alter a war no longer vital to US national security or global dominance. Once the Nixon White House made the political decision to withdraw from Southeast Asia, Abrams's military strategy was unable to change either the course or outcome of a decades' …

Smoller: Phasing In The Voter’S Choice Act, Fred Smoller

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

"Right now, 61% of Orange County voters are permanent absentee voters. With each passing election, this percentage increases as more and more people discover the ease and convenience of voting by mail. As part of legislation signed by the Governor (SB 450), 14 counties, including Orange, have been invited to participate in a pilot program known as the Voter’s Choice Act... Yet, Orange County has decided not to participate in this pilot program."

Smoller: Orange County Supervisors Should Support The Voter’S Choice Act, Fred Smoller

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

"On Tuesday, Orange County Supervisors will consider the Voter’s Choice Act. The proposal will save the County’s voters millions of dollars, make voting easier and more convenient, and improve engagement in the political process."

Gendered Activism And Outcomes: Women In The Peace Movement, Lisa A. Leitz, David S. Meyer

Peace Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"In this chapter, we look at the history of women's activism in the peace movement over the course of U.S. political development, examining the ways that women expanded the goals of peace activism to include gender and other social justice issues. We then examine which women actually participated in these efforts, and how that has changed over time. In the following sections, we explore distinct tensions in women's activism focusing on the role of gender (essentialism versus social constructionism) and radicalism versus pragmatic realpolitik. We conclude by looking at the outcomes of such mobilizations, which have been very limited in …

Proliferating A Culture Of Fear: Islam In A Post 9/11 America, Setareh Motamedi

Political Science Student Papers and Posters

The threat of terrorism perceived by the American public has been shaped by a series of traumatic events over the past decade. In the years following the attacks of September 11, 2001, fear of terrorism has extended beyond the threat of terrorist groups. Much of the American public considers not only terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, but the entire religion of Islam to be a security threat. In much of this security discourse, ideas of hatred, violence, and terror have become associated with Islam. This study explores that association, and aims to identify what motivates existing stereotypes. Drawing on research from …

Man V Nature: American Fears Of The Environment, Hannah Brower

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This paper will explore how fearful Americans are about the state of the environment and how concerned they are with a plethora of environmental issues, including air pollution, water pollution, and global warming. Relying on the Chapman Survey of American Fears data on the environment, I will examine how fearful about an environmental issue an individual is and how their age, income, education level, preferred news channel, and political party affiliation correlate with their level of fear. I expect to find strong correlations between younger people, Democrats, those who prefer liberal news providers, people with higher incomes, and people with …

The Secret Users Guide For Liberals, Independents, And Conservatives To Win The White House: Demographics And Political Ideologies, Cassandra Medina

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

I consider that understanding political ideology is of most importance but we must consciously understand the demographics behind it. I will be approaching this issue by looking at the set of demographics that range from gender, income, education, ethnicity, religion, and age. While observing if these demographics influence party identity, ideology, and strength of partisanship in these cases. The key issues that I am focusing on, how do certain demographics influence the party ideology that a person chooses? Utilizing cross-national level data from the 2012 ANES election study I will be analyzing multivariable, and frequencies to be able to assets …

Partisanship And Fear Of Terrorism, Jake Bishop

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Terrorist groups carry out horrific attacks that harm and kill innocent citizens almost every week worldwide. These attacks incite fear no matter how powerful a person may be, because terrorism affects everyone. Citizens, interest groups, and politicians all have different responses to terrorist organizations and how to handle their fears. Attitudes change, policies are affected, and political parties shift their ideologies to please their electorate. Using data from Chapman University’s Survey on American Fears, I looked at the correlation between political ideology and fear of terrorism. The survey finds that there is a strong correlation between the two and that …

Abortion In The Court: The Impact Of Abortion Views On Public Opinion Of The Supreme Court, Robert Heins

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Abortion has long been considered one of the most controversial topics the United States Supreme Court has ruled on. My research examines how one’s opinion on abortion impacts their view of the United States Supreme Court. This analysis will show how much of an impact one policy stance has on the public’s overall view of a much larger institution. To analyze my question, I will utilize American National Election Studies Time Series data from the years 1976, 1988, and 2016. These years will allow me to study the role abortion plays in crafting opinion of the court before the politicization …

The Man Behind The Curtain: Who Is Really Pulling The Strings?, Josie Chan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Did a member of Senate filibuster a bill because of an influential billionaire behind the scenes? As politics continue to play a huge part in everyone’s daily lives, whether we realize it or not, the general public’s fears of the government continue to grow stronger. Whether it is trepidation that the government is filled with corrupt, yet highly influential officials, or that regular civilians lack privacy due to drone usage by governmental agencies; the general public has genuinely started to fear the government.

According to Chapman’s Survey of American Fears, about 60.5% of those who participated in the survey, were …

Introduction To Richard Nixon And Europe : The Reshaping Of The Postwar Atlantic World, Luke A. Nichter

Presidential Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

The U.S.-European relationship remains the closest and most important alliance in the world. Since 1945, successive American presidents each put their own touches on transatlantic relations, but the literature has reached only into the presidency of Lyndon Johnson (1963-9). This first study of transatlantic relations during the era of Richard Nixon shows a complex, turbulent period during which the postwar period came to an end, and the modern era came to be on both sides of the Atlantic in terms of political, economic, and military relations.

Foreign Policy Brief: North Korean Nuclear Weapons, Jacob Chobanian

Political Science Student Papers and Posters

This paper is a brief on the current situation involving the United States and North Korea regarding the nuclear weapon controversy and possible war.

The Nixon Administration And American Foreign Relations, Luke A. Nichter

Presidential Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Assessments of President Richard Nixon’s foreign policy continue to evolve as scholars tap new possibilities for research. Due to the long wait before national security records are declassified by the National Archives and made available to researchers and the public, only in recent decades has the excavation of the Nixon administration’s engagement with the world started to become well documented. As more records are released by the National Archives (including potentially 700 hours of Nixon’s secret White House tapes that remain closed), scholarly understanding of the Nixon presidency is likely to continue changing. Thus far, historians have pointed to four …

Contributing Factors To Perspectives On Gun Regulations, Syd Kotar

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

With a rising amount of gun violence, issues of stricter gun regulations have been brought to the government’s attention. Location, gender, and ideology all contribute to how one perceives the individual use of firearms, and believes how much the government should intervene. This paper will explore the different variables such as the three listed above that affect one’s opinions on government intervention concerning stricter gun regulations. The results of data analysis from the ANES 2012 studies conclude that the more conservative one self identifies as, one would want either the same or less government intervention concerning stricter gun regulations. Data …

American Voter Attitudes Towards Divided Government, Tyler Ferrari

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Divided government has been a major part of American politics for decades, and it has made governing often difficult at times. Recently, this type of government has proven to be especially frustrating for many voters, so why do they vote to keep this government? Are there partisan reasons for voting for a split ticket, or is the answer more fundamental? This paper highlights the facts and reasons for polarization, ranging from ideology to trust in the federal government as a whole. This paper utilizes the ANES 2012 Study to illustrate that it is not just political ideology that plays a …

Why You Can’T Count On Congress To Rein In A President Trump, Lori Cox Han

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

"Donald Trump has made many promises on the campaign trail about things he will fix (a broken immigration system), change (the way trade deals are negotiated), and build (a wall on the southern border) if elected president. Those who do not support Trump, regardless of political party, comfort themselves with the constitutional reminder that our government includes three co-equal branches designed to protect against the accumulation of too much power in too few hands. Those checks and balances aside, could President Trump accomplish any of his stated objectives through unilateral actions?"

H-Diplo Roundtable Xvii, 27 On Richard Nixon And Europe. The Reshaping Of The Postwar Atlantic World, Thomas A. Schwartz, Nigel Bowles, Evanthis Hatzivassiliou, Geir Lundestad, Luke A. Nichter

Presidential Studies Faculty Articles and Research

A set of reviews of Luke A. Nichter's Richard Nixon and Europe. The Reshaping of the Postwar Atlantic World, with a response from the author.

Revolutionary Critical Pedagogy: Staking A Claim Against The Macrostructural Unconscious, Peter Mclaren

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Critical pedagogy currently exists today as precariously as a shabby lean-to room added to a typical American hall-and-parlor house. I am referring to the type of house that formed the basic English prototype for the classic American building we see everywhere in New England and on the East Coast. If the hall-and-parlor house represents education in the main, then we critical educators are as rare as hen’s teeth, shunted to the rear of the house, squatters huddled under a slanted roof, wearing fingerless gloves, clutching our tin cups of broth, spearing biscuits and dreaming of the day when we will …

The Oval Office Is Ready For Madame President: Predictors And Support, Brittney E. Souza

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The 2016 United States Presidential Election brings the revolutionary idea of a woman president with the Democratic candidate of Hillary Clinton. The current opposition for a woman president has been generalized gender stereotypes that she will be incompetent, too sensitive, temperamental and fickle with other world leaders. Many studies show that these arguments lack evidence in current female leaders and many commanding women in democracies have proven to be sufficient leaders to their male counterparts. Judeo-Christian traditions have permeated political voting and has acted as an important role in American public opinion on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. These …

Political Psychology: The Effect Of Presidential Candidate Traits On Voters’ Opinions, Claire Gatzke

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The 2016 election continues to be one of the most tumultuous, interesting, and unique political campaigns ever and has brought previous research about the impact candidates’ character traits have on vote choice into question. Research has been done that examines what socioeconomic and cultural circumstances cause voters to use either candidate traits, policy issues, or ideology as voting cues, but there has not been much analysis on what specific candidate traits voters respond most positively to. According to previous research, voters place a higher value on candidate traits having to do with competence than they do on traits that have …

3rd Place Contest Entry: “The Good Of The Country Rises Above Party”: Roosevelt, La Guardia, And O’Connor And The Works Progress Administration In New York City During The Great Depression, Kristine Avena

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Kristine Avena's submission for the 2016 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won third place. She wrote about the cooperative efforts of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, and New York Congressman John O'Connor during the Great Depression.

Kristine is a senior at Chapman University, majoring in History. Her faculty mentor was Dr. Leland L. Estes.

Civic Engagement: Contrasting Input And Participation, Rick Cole

Local Government Reconsidered

"The difference between input and participation can be compared to ham and eggs. The chicken gives her input. The pig participates.

Practically every local government pays lip service to the right of citizens to be involved in decisions that affect them. Officials strive to go beyond the letter of the law, encouraging both ‘input’ and ‘participation.’ These words are often used interchangeably, but they signify radically different frameworks for local democracy and the concept of citizenship."

Streetfilms As A Public Resource On Public Space, Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Local Government Reconsidered

"As a livable streets filmmaker for the past twenty years, it’s been both my primary responsibility and passion to document cities around the world, and much of that has revolved around public spaces and the what goes on in them.

The bulk of my work has been done via the website Streetfilms, a non-profit resource promoting “transportation best practices” through short films, where I’ve been the Director for over ten years. In that time, I’ve produced, shot or edited over 700 shorts on the topics of transportation, walking, biking, public plazas, street interventions and open streets public events - where …

Connecting Community By Advocacy And Design, Mia Lehrer

Local Government Reconsidered

"The way we plan our cities and communicate to the public can build a sense of connection to public places. The Trust for Public Land estimates Los Angeles has just nine acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents, and that 52% of Los Angeles residents live within a ½ mile of that parklandi. While this falls between Washington D.C.’s 13.5 park acres and New York’s 4.6, many of Los Angeles’ park acres lie in large regional parks such as Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon Park, leaving much of the city park-poor. Recent research points to the importance of human connection …

Voteria And Democratic Engagement Strategies, Antonio Gonzalez

Local Government Reconsidered

"The Question: Improving Democratic Engagement: How Do You Create The Right Environment for Local Democracy? This panel will discuss ways local institutions (e.g., service clubs, business, family, religious communities, media and entertainment institutions) can strengthen civil society and foster democracy, especially in contexts where there is low voter turnout and disengagement with local government decision-making."

Vienna 2025 - Growing Through More Sustainability, More Open-Mindedness And Participation, Maria Vassilakou

Local Government Reconsidered

"Heading towards the 2 million mark Vienna, a green and social city with a high quality of life, has embarked upon a joint venture between administration, politics and citizens. Numerous programmes, initiatives and projects are supporting this development, making Vienna more sustainable, open and participatory step by step."