American Politics Commons^™

Do Black And White Americans Hold Different Views On Marijuana Legalization? Analyzing The Impact Of “The War On Drugs” On Racialized Perceptions Of Legalizing Marijuana, Benjamin S. Kaminoff

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study examines whether Black and White Americans develop their views regarding the legalization of marijuana based on different life experiences and, specifically, their involvement with the criminal justice system and drug laws. It aims to investigate if Black Americans generate their views regarding marijuana legalization differently than Whites based on concerns about Blacks as a group and the experiences of Black communities with the criminal justice system. It relies on qualitative interviews of White and Black Americans (n = 7) over the age of 35. The results preliminarily show that while White Americans develop views on legalizing marijuana based …

Priest Family Papers (Sc 3210), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3210. Correspondence and papers relating to the Priest family of Henderson County, Kentucky. Includes abstracts of title in connection with grants of coal rights. Correspondence discusses an estate settlement, pending legislation amending certain city charters, family financial matters, and a candidate’s defeat in an 1884 primary election after two of three barrooms in the precinct were “thrown wide open” for his opponent.

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Speaking In Tongues? Toward A Clearer Understanding Of Language Effects On Latino Public Opinion, Efrén O. Pérez

Latino Public Policy

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that for every five people in the United States, one of them will speak a foreign language at home. Of those individuals who use a non-English tongue at home, more than three fourths of them still indicate speaking English “well” or “very well.” This multiplicity of languages is rapidly transforming many areas of public life, including the way pollsters measure public opinion in the United States.

If the goal is to sketch accurate and representative portraits of public opinion, then survey respondents must be allowed to interview in their language of choice, which might not …

Social Capital: Corporate Personality, Political Campaign Expenditures, And The First Amendment, Drew Driesen

Celebration of Research

Shortly after the Supreme Court’s controversial decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, then-President Obama declared in his 2010 State of the Union Address that the Court had “reversed a century of law” in overturning limitations on independent corporate expenditures. In one sense, this is clearly true. The Tillman Act, passed in 1907 at the urging of Theodore Roosevelt, marked the first legislative attempt to limit the influence of corporations in political elections.

In a larger sense, however, Citizens United served as the culmination of two hundred years of jurisprudence defining the rights of the corporate person. Starting …

Endorsement For Candidacy Of Edna Saffy For Membership In The Nominating Committee

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

Endorsement for candidacy in the Nominating Committee of the National Organization of Women (NOW). Circa 1972-1985.

Outline - Now Meeting June 6, Gainesville (Handwritten), Edna Louise Saffy

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

Outline - NOW Meeting June 6, Gainesville (Handwritten). Circa 1975-1980.

Flyer: Florida Women’S Consortium

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

Representing Organizations and Individuals who actively work for the advancement of women! Circa 1998-2005.

Selby, Isabella M. (Sc 3208), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and typescript (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3208. Letter to an editor, apparently drafted by Isabella M. Selby or a member of her family. Likely in reference to the “Eaton affair” or “Petticoat affair,” the letter complains of “abuse” of President Andrew Jackson and his cabinet by newspapers that are patronized “by the Clay & Adams party in this part of Kentucky”; specifically, the letter objects to characterizing the Administration’s replacement of some officeholders as “sin” or “anti-republican.”

Rwu First Amendment Blog: David Logan's Blog: Media Centralization Imperils Marketplace Of Ideas 04-05-2018, David A. Logan

Law School Blogs

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Home Style To Congress Today, Stephen Ruppel

Student Scholar Showcase

In this research I will revisit Richard Fenno's 1970 analysis on the home style of members of the House of Representatives. In "Home Style" Fenno observes members of Congress and how they work in DC as well as in their district and with their constituents and he analyzes how important home style is to each member. In this analysis I will use electoral margin, terms served, distance from DC to district, amount of money spent on franking, and amount of money spent on travel to compare how each member deals with his or her home style. I will be using …

Fax: August 8, 1996, The White House, Office Of The Press Secretary

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

A fax sent to Dr. Edna L. Saffy, a press release regarding President Clinton signing a bill on July 31, 1996 and the welfare system.

Institute For Public Policy National Poll - April 2018, Institute For Public Policy

Public Policy Poll Results

The Sacred Heart University Institute for Public Policy leveraged quantitative research through a dual-methodology to address the following areas of investigation:

• Thoughts on the quality of life in Connecticut
• Quality of public education in the State of Connecticut
• Adequacy of public school funding in the State
• Perceptions of school safety in public schools
• Awareness of and support for the "Common Core State Standards Initiative"
• Support or opposition for the formation of charter schools and increased funds for charter schools in Connecticut
• Demographic profiles of respondents

Ua12/2/2 2018 Talisman: Grit, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

2018 Talisman yearbook.

• Gibson, Helen. Grit
• Zambrano, Max. Cash Cows – Chaney’s Dairy Barn
• Holt, Delaney. A Quarry Story – White Stone Quarry, Caden Quarry
• McKee, Rylee. Beautiful Grit – BellaMoxi, Dance
• Voorhees, Jessica. Digging Deep – Jean-Luc Houle, Anthropology
• Lucas, Kaley. Black Mountain
• Edwards, Aly. Roots of Stigma – McKenna Vierstra, Jordan Frodge, Max Williams, Robin Farrell
• Eastham, Lillie. Grab ‘Em by the Ballot – Time’s Up Movement
• McCarthy, Hannah. Flesh Memories
• Barritt, Brooklyn. Making a Place at the Table – Dungeons & Dragons
• Gary, Summer. For Adoption: Unwanted Mutt
• Waters, Adrianna. For the Love of Creation – Art …

American Millennials: An Ideological Overview, Michael Andersson

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

In an attempt to further understand the inner workings and beliefs held by the majority of my own generation located in the geographic scope of the United States of America, this report will be a conduction of research to further examine the overall beliefs and ideologies of the generation in the United States that older generations, such as Generation X and Baby Boomers, stereotypically view as “the problem” with the country’s political landscape. This report will seek to explain the reasoning behind the ideologies and beliefs of millennials, those Americans born between 1980 and 2000 (probe.org), and what particular world …

Analyzing The Differentiation Among State Medical Marijuana Policies By Examining State Policies & Trends, Richard Furlong

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Support for marijuana has been growing nationwide. This increased support has gained a lot of momentum since the late 1990s when California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use by enacting Proposition 215, or the Compassionate Use Act. Since the enactment of Proposition 215, 28 more states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medicinal use. I look into why states have begun to adopt these laws, and what makes these states differ throughout the country in the timeliness of their actions. I assembled data to examine a variety of state policies to attempt to …

Beyond The Movement: State Action In Addressing Campus Sexual Violence, Amijo Wadena

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The "Me Too" movement, started by actress Alyssa Milano, has helped shine a light on the prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual violence throughout the country. While it has helped the public understand the magnitude of the issue, it has only started the conversation about sexual violence. And while the focus has mostly been on Hollywood, there has been one area that is being overlooked; sexual violence on College and University campuses. With Secretary DeVos' repeal of Obama era policies, the current administration is being a lot less transparent when it comes to sexual violence, in general. With policy-making responsibility …

How Different Generations Perceive Political News, Elizabeth C. Hilfrank

Student Publications

The 2016 presidential election was one of the first elections to see new media play a large role. While also being the first presidential election many millennials could vote in, this research paper looks at how different generations used various news sources to receive political news in 2016. The paper is supported by a documentary video case-study of the author's close close family and friends' perception of political news in 2016.

Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission, And The Inherent Unfairness To The “Un-United” American Citizen, Christopher J. Kantor

Writing Across the Curriculum

Among contemporary United States Supreme Court rulings that have impacted the structure of our nation, the 2010 case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission resulted in significant political campaign finance reform that gave rise to an election system influenced by money, corporations, and powerful individuals. The ruling of Citizens United allows for the unlimited spending of corporations and labor unions on political expenditures and the limited disclosures of these campaign donors. This overturned precedent established in the 1990 case Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the 2003 case McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, the respective rulings of which …

Who We Are And How We Vote: Individual Difference Factors In Politics, Abby Joens-Witherow 18

Honor Scholar Theses

The current research focuses on the relationships between individual differences and political preferences, particularly conservatism as measured by the Social and Economic Conservatism Scale (Everett, 2013). I conducted a survey using the crowdsourcing platform Mechanical Turk that assessed individuals in terms of demographics, the Big Five Aspect Scales, Moral Foundations, Social Dominance Orientation, Right Wing Authoritarianism, and opinions about the 2016 presidential candidates (Hillary Clinton & Donald Trump). Through hierarchical multiple regression, I was able to find correlations among openness to experience (-) and conscientiousness (+) with conservatism in terms of the Big Five. I found that binding moral foundations …

The Shrinking Center: When Are Centrists More Effective Lawmakers?, Benjamin Pontz

Student Publications

Legislative effectiveness is an inherently amorphous -- even subjective -- concept. Yet, arguably, it is among the most important considerations when evaluating the performance of members of Congress. Using Volden and Wiseman's index, the Legislative Effectiveness Score (LES), I evaluate when ideology informs or predicts effectiveness in passing laws, which I conceptualize as the fundamental role of legislators. In particular, I assess the extent to which centrists are more or less effective than their more partisan peers. I find that, while the number of centrists has declined precipitously, their ideology does not -- at least at the broadest level -- …

Fake News, Political Narrative, & Social Media: A Structuration Approach, Adam M. Housh

Capstone Collection

This research aims to unveil a connection between fake news distribution, readership demand, and social media networks, in this case, Facebook. In this research, fake news is defined as “content that is deliberately false and published on websites that mimic traditional news websites (Johnson and Kelling 2017, p3)”. It is argued that fake news content is not produced at random, but is tailored to particular political demographics and narratives. Exposure to such media not only validates ideological positions, it polarizes political beliefs. Furthermore, Facebook not only acts as an effective distribution medium, but allows individual users to skip structural filters …

Examining The Strategies Of Formation And Action Among Social Movements: A Comparison Of The Civil Rights Movement And Black Lives Matter, Hailee Saxton

Political Science Theses and Capstones

In today’s tumultuous political landscape, the question of what makes an effective social movement? is often asked. This can be a complicated question to answer as social movements vary greatly across racial, ethnic, economic, and political boundaries. Therefore, I am conducting a case comparison of two widely-known socio-political organizations, the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter. In this comparison I will examine whether or not they truly fit the definition of a social movement, look at the strategies of action that have or could prove successful in enacting long-standing socio-political change, and make recommendations on how movements could continue …

How Do Native American Women Win Elections In Non-Native Districts?, Opalina Peralta

Political Science Theses and Capstones

In light of the recent tensions between Native American tribes and non-tribal elected leaders over such issues as environmental protection and treaty violations, caused in part by the United States' disproportionately Caucasian electoral representation, I aim to bring light the obstacles that Native Americans face in electoral politics. I analyze state legislative elections in which Native American candidates win. Using the data from the 2016 National Census and from University of North Dakota, Professor Mark Trahant. I hypothesize that the reason many Native American candidates win is because they are tied to non-native elements of the community. The two candidates …

The Next Recruits: 16–18-Year-Olds And The United States' War On Terror, Mary E. Moyer

Capstone Collection

For many who experienced it directly or indirectly, 9/11 marked a dramatic shift as the United States processed the attacks and went from a country at peace to a country at war. Though the attacks themselves were geographically targeted, 9/11 was a nationally traumatic event and resulted in the formation of a collective memory and national narrative across the country. With the War on Terror, the military became synonymous with patriotism, as leaders and the media invoked the trauma of Pearl Harbor and the glories of World War II. Military records from the time describe patriotism as the motivation behind …

Engaging America: Unearthing The Middle Way In The Conflict Between Liberals And Conservatives, Noah Cadet

Capstone Collection

Liberals and conservatives have waged conflict over development strategies since the founding of the United States of America. Observers of the 2016 Presidential Election may have noticed an escalation of a preexisting trend of destructive engagement between Democrats and Republicans. The researcher pursued primary and secondary research in an attempt to understand how conflict within and between development paradigms in the United States can be transcended. The central research question was regarding how this conflict affects efforts towards peacebuilding at the grassroots from the perspective of a liberal. The literature review provides a brief histories of US American Political Economy …

Is Citizenship Still Relevant? State Sovereignty, Migration, And Sanctuary Cities In A Globalizing World, Melissa J. Lauro

Student Publications

This paper argues that sanctuary cities and sanctuary policies in the United States are a manifestation of the conflicts resulting from processes of globalization, which have changed traditional notions of citizenship, state sovereignty, and state security, as well as fostered a cultural backlash and identity politics within the U.S.

American Government (Ggc), Dovile Budryte, Scott Boykin, Michael Lewkowicz, Laura Young

Political Science Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for American Government was created under a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

The Prometheus Bomb: The Manhattan Project And Government In The Dark By Neil J. Sullivan, Peter Parides

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Flyer: Vote Edna Saffy Alternate For President Jimmy Carter To The Democratic Convention.

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

Two copies, one with tally marks. No date given.