American Politics Commons^™

Women In State Legislatures And State-Level Abortion Restrictions, Sydney N. Siegel

Student Publications

This research paper explores the relationship between women in state legislatures and state level abortion restrictions. This relationship is explored, and then tested against the amount of democratic legislators, the conservatism, of the public, and the religiosity of the public using a linear regression. While the findings are complex, they show that women do have an impact on state level abortion restrictions in some instances.

The Efficacy Of Foreign Aid In Counterterrorism Efforts, Carter A. Hanson

Student Publications

A literature review investigating the effectiveness of foreign aid in countering terrorism, and donor countries' motivations to allocate foreign aid with the stated goal of combating terrorist insurgencies in recipient nations. In the post-9/11 period, the United States has increasingly invested in counterterrorism efforts, making the assessment and examination of the effectiveness of these efforts all the more important for American policymakers and citizens alike.

All Rise: Factors Affecting Decision Making Of United States Supreme Court Justices, Benjamin L. Barker

Tenor of Our Times

Despite the widespread perception that judges are not political beings and should rule in an impartial manner, it seems that discourse surrounding the Supreme Court is more partisan than ever, and that the Justices themselves are ruling in a partisan manner. What factors make Supreme Court Justices rule in a partisan manner? In order to find out, I examine the ideological direction of each Justice’s vote in each Supreme Court case from 1946 to 2019 in light of factors concerning the individual Justice such as their political party affiliation and the party of the President who appointed them. I find …

To What Extent Did Title Ix Create Equality Within Athletics: Analyzing Female Athletic Participation In High School Institutions, Kellyn M. Webster

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Since Title IX was signed into law in 1972, the legislation has long been associated with athletics. After the passage of Title IX, high school level and any other federally funded institution, now had to promote gender equality, including athletics. However, even though equality was and still is required, those demands are still not being met. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Civil Rights Data Collection in the 2013-2014 school year, I examine equality within high school athletics. I analyze the characteristics in high schools throughout the United States to determine what types of schools …

Change In Partisan Ideology Among University Students, Samantha Frenz

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Throughout modern history, people have sought to understand the causes behind political identities and how they’re formed. These factors began to be known as the agents of political socialization. As these factors shift, so do political beliefs. But how do these factors directly apply to university students? To answer this question, I studied how these factors applied to university students as well as new factors specific to their time in university, such as the control of the institution (whether it’s private or public), as well as the effect of campus culture and climates on their ideology, and what role extracurriculars …

Birtherism, Benghazi And Qanon: Why Conspiracy Theories Pose A Threat To American Democracy, Emily Schabes 20

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Lgbtq+ Representation On The Political And Theatrical Stages, Brett V. Ries

Honors Thesis

This thesis examines the relationship between LGBTQ+ representation on the political and theatrical stages. During some decades, LGBTQ+ theatre was dictated by the politics of the time period. During other times, theatre educated and filled the silence when the government and society turned the other way. By examining LGBTQ+ plays, musicals, and political events over the past century, there are clear themes that emerge. In both the theatrical and political arenas, LGBTQ+ representation has been limited by a concept called “repressive tolerance.” Every step of progress has been met with another restriction, ranging from stereotypical caricatures to legal discrimination. In …

Privacy Or The Polls: Public Voter Registration Laws As A Modern Form Of Vote Denial, Audrey Paige Sauer

William & Mary Law Review

On May 11, 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order establishing the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (PACEI), with the mission to “study the registration and voting processes used in Federal elections.” Pursuant to this mission, Vice Chair of the Commission, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, sent out letters to state election officials soliciting all “publicly available voter roll data,” including all registrants’ full first and last names, middle names or initials, addresses, dates of birth, political party, last four digits of Social Security numbers if available, voter history from 2006 onward, information regarding any felony …

Political Ideology And Media Consumption, Andrew Robinson

Georgia College Student Research Events

Politics is a far reaching phenomenon that, in essence, controls everything that we do in our daily lives without us even realizing it most of the time, and it is constantly evolving and changing to fit the narrative of the age. In this modern world, we see an increase in political radicalization, especially in the United States. Politics has become more of a social experience than a set of beliefs, with some going so far as to incorporate it into their personal identity and seek and find the ideas that best fit them. This research analyzes the effect that a …

Responsibilities Of Citizenship During The Pandemic, Evan Barrett

Highlands College

Newspaper column by Evan Barrett published in the following newspaper:

The Missoulian, March 30, 2020

The Montana Standard, March 31, 2020

The Havre Daily News, March 30, 2020

The Havre Herald, March 30, 2020

The Great Falls Tribune, April 11, 2020

The Montana Post, April 3, 2020

The Missoula Current, April 2, 2020

Examining Political Ambition: Competition And Leadership In Youth Activities, Ashley Staszak

LSU Master's Theses

Significant amounts of previous research focused on political ambition as a source of the gender gap in representation (Beyer and Bowden 1997; Pajares 2002; Fox 2010; Fox and Lawless 2014). This research looks to examine extracurricular activities (or after-school activities) and the effects they have on political ambition of girls as they grow up. Extracurricular activities provide girls access to competition, risk and female role models which can work to combat gender role socialization and other hindrances to running for political office. Using a survey of 300 undergraduate students at a large southern university, I measure the effect of extracurricular …

How Data Became Part Of New Orleans’ Dna During The Katrina Recovery, Lamar Gardere, Allison Plyer, Denice Ross

New England Journal of Public Policy

Data intermediaries have a symbiotic relationship with government as the source of most of their information. The open-data movement in government and development of software-as-a-service technologies shaped the data landscape after Katrina. Through relationships and talent transfers with The Data Center, the City of New Orleans went from having its chief technology officer in federal prison and its data systems in shambles to being a nationally recognized leader in open and accountable government. To be effective during disasters, an intermediary should be (1) in place and widely respected before the event, (2) ready to respond immediately after the event and …

The Evolution Of Partisan Voting At The County Level In Georgia, Ohio, And Texas, 1990-2016, David R. Shock

The Journal of Economics and Politics

This paper evaluates aggregate-level partisan change in presidential and midterm elections at the county level in Georgia, Ohio, and Texas. Specifically, this analysis focuses on how demographic, electoral, cultural, and economic variables affect the percentage of the electorate voting for the Democratic Party candidates for U.S. President and other statewide offices from 1990 through 2016. In addition, this study conducts sub-state regional analyses using U.S. Census Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) to assess the local nature of partisan change in the U.S. OLS regression and correlation coefficients, as well as difference of means test results indicate that increases in population density …

Institute For Public Policy National Poll - March 2020, Institute For Public Policy

Public Policy Poll Results

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

• Thoughts on the quality of life in Connecticut
• Governor Ned Lamont’s job approval ratings
• Awareness of Lamont’s new transportation proposal
• Opinions toward the legalization of recreational marijuana in the State
• Awareness of and opinions with the proposed Clean Slate Legislation
• Ranking of 2020 Presidential election candidates
• Demographic profiles of respondents

Unearthing The Consequences Of The U.S.’S Conventional Food System: How To Frame Analysis, Assess Damages And Cope With The Realities, Katherine James Clark

Student Theses and Dissertations

The U.S.’s conventional food system has driven many of the country’s most serious health concerns. Since the food system was molded by historical events, policy changes, and industrial evolution, the totality of the consequences has only been realized in the last several decades. Despite the attention the issues have garnered, it is likely improvement has not been observed because: 1) the resulting consequences and their dynamics have not been viewed in a comprehensive, interactive light; 2) many previous efforts have only focused on one segment of the issue and have not taken a holistic approach; and, 3) political and industrial …

A Tale Of Two Culpers: Social Context Of Revolutionary Espionage, Kelsey Samantha Deford

Student Theses and Dissertations

What motivates a person to engage or take part in espionage? Scholars have researched thousands of documents about espionage during the American Revolution, but much of this research remains divided and simplistic. Historians have also examined the Culper Spy Ring, a patriot intelligence gathering network in occupied Long Island and New York. They typically argue how useful the Culper Ring was in assisting rebel efforts. There is social context or a “war of ordeals” in these agent’s lives. Two of these agents, Abraham Woodhull and Robert Townsend, left a trail of their motivations. Letters reveal that both were motivated by …

Pro-Life Ends At Birth: Race As A Primary Driver Of State Abortion And Concurrent Natalist Policy, Tasha Danner

University Honors Theses

The year 2019 saw the most restrictive state abortion policies introduced and passed since Roe v Wade. The same states passing this legislation are often states also cutting funding for policies that improve the health and socio-economic mobility of mothers and children, which disproportionately affects African-American residents of those states. Outside of reproductive justice advocacy, there is not much research on the role that race plays in the introduction and passing of state abortion policy. I examine and analyze the role of racial prejudice in passing restrictive abortion policy in southern states. Using historical context in southern states, a survey …

Defining Criminality: Confronting Racist And Classist Narratives Of The Criminal, Sophia Meacham

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Defining someone as a criminal carries serious consequences for the individual in terms of a denial of resources, increased surveillance, incarceration, and dehumanization, and also for society as a whole.

Author information: Sophia Meacham is now at the Columbia College of Arts and Sciences at George Washington University where she is pursuing a Masters degree in Media and Strategic Communications. This research was conducted as an independent study by the author as an undergraduate at Smith College.

Locke’S Questionable Use Of The Bible In Establishing His Theory Of Property, Amy Al-Salaita

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Locke’s philosophy is not only wrongly founded in the Old Testament, continually relying on the creation story of Genesis in order to justify capitalist theory, but it also selectively uses the Bible in order to excuse wealth disparity and social inequality.

Author information: Amy Al-Salaita is graduate of Loyola University Chicago (Class of 2020), where she studied Political Science and Global and International Studies, with a minor in Arabic.

The American Torture Problem, Chase Sievers

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

This essay offers a brief account and (partial) critique of the Central Intelligence Agency’s enhanced interrogation program which was utilized during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Author information: Chase Sievers is an undergraduate student at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He enjoys writing about and studying politics and culture.

The Political Personality Of 2020 Democratic Presidential Contender Bernie Sanders, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper reports the results of an indirect assessment of the personality of U.S. senator Bernie Sanders — a contender for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election — from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon. Information concerning Sanders was collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed on the basis of interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and …

An Examination Of Nebraska’S Law Setting The Age Of Majority At Nineteen, Lauren Mcneal

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

My proposed research covers the actions of the Nebraska legislature surrounding the age of majority. During the summer of 2019, I interned with Senator Adam Morfeld to draft a bill lowering the age of majority in Nebraska from nineteen to eighteen for healthcare services. Many eighteen-year-olds, especially students, face complications when they seek healthcare services but need parental consent. This is because young adults tend to move away from their homes at this age but are still not considered independent from their parents under Nebraska state law. In this thesis, I use the information I gathered from my interim research …

The Court Should Not Let Politically Divided Times Affects Its Choices And Decisions, Erwin Chemerinsky

William & Mary Law Review

The Court should not let politically divided times affect its choices or decisions. Altering the Court’s role in politically divided times would require a definition of what qualifies as such an era and a theory of how to act in such times. Almost every era in American history could be deemed a politically divided time. Changing the Court’s role in politically divided times is inconsistent with its preeminent role: interpreting and enforcing the Constitution. This role does not change, and should not change, in politically charged moments. Indeed, history shows that the Court cannot know what is likely to lessen …

Stewart, John George, 1890-1970 (Sc 3509), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3509. Letter, 21 September 1965, from John George Stewart, Architect of the U.S. Capitol, to U.S. Congressman William H. Natcher certifying that the accompanying flag had flown over the U.S. Capitol. The flag was for the Bowling Green, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

President Trump’S First Term: The Year In C-Span Archives Research, Volume 5, Robert X. Browning

The Year in C-SPAN Archives Research

C-SPAN is the network of record for US political affairs, broadcasting live gavel-to-gavel proceedings of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and to other forums where public policy is discussed, debated, and decided––without editing, commentary, or analysis and with a balanced presentation of points of view.

The C-SPAN Archives, located adjacent to Purdue University, is the home of the online C-SPAN Video Library. The Archives has copied all of C-SPAN's television content since 1987. Extensive indexing, captioning, and other enhanced online features provide researchers, policy analysts, students, teachers, and public officials with an unparalleled chronological and internally cross-referenced record …

A Thin Line Between Sovereign And Abject Agents: Global Action Thrillers With The Sci-Fi Mind-Game War On Terror, Seung-Hoon Jeong

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Seung-hoon Jeong discusses in his paper global action thrillers about the war on terror. He highlights the biopolitical abjection of counterterrorist agents from their state agencies. This abjection ends up either self-reaffirming in the manner of a sovereign agent (the Bond series) or terrorizing their sovereign system (the Bourne series), while both are trapped in the vicious cycle of terror and counterterror. More notable is the “mind-game” sci-fi genre. Source Code, among others, stages a loop of a traumatic counterterrorist mission with retroactive causality, a closed circuit of neoliberal productivity and pathological abjection in a video-game narrative. The time-travel …

Do We Intend To Keep Our Republic?, John M. Greabe

Law Faculty Scholarship

[Excerpt] Commentators recently have reminded us of a famous statement Benjamin Franklin allegedly made upon exiting Independence Hall on the final day of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. When asked whether the proposed Constitution would establish a monarchy or a republic, Franklin supposedly answered: "A republic, if you can keep it."

The anecdote, which both inspired the title of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch's recent book and was recounted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi when she announced the impeachment inquiry into the conduct of the president, reminds us that our republican form of government is not to be taken …

Silver Bow Creek: Good News But More Questions, Evan Barrett, Mick Ringsak

Highlands College

Editorial which appeared in the following newspaper:

The Montana Standard, February 3, 2020

The U.S. Approach To Peacebuilding In Afghanistan: A Comparative Analysis Of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, And Donald Trump Administration Policies In Afghanistan, Mohammad Rasouli

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This research paper addresses the efforts of the U.S. to achieve some level of reconciliation with the Taliban after more than 18 years of war in Afghanistan. It deals with the history of U.S.-Taliban negotiations and the U.S. initiatives to engage with the Taliban, as well as outlining the challenges to these initiatives and determining how effective they have been. In addition, the prospects of the U.S.-Taliban peace talks are assessed.

Since the 2001 U.S. intervention in Afghanistan, the first two U.S. administrations under consideration—those of George W. Bush and Barack Obama—justified intrusive interventions into the political, economic, and social …

Whose War Is It Anyway? How Afghanistan Became A Battlefield Over Global Hegemony During The Cold War, Kathryn Shapiro

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Traditional scholarship depicts the Cold War, which began immediately after World War Two and ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, as a battle of freedom and democracy over communism and authoritarian control. Cold War propaganda cartoons often show an Uncle Sam figure facing off against the Soviet Union, or a Soviet Bear reaching out to grab and control Western Europe. While this may have been popular Cold War discourse, a close look at internal documents from the United States Government at the time reveals that the United States was more interested in protecting resources and their …