American Politics Commons^™

Political Profiling Using Feature Engineering And Nlp, Chiranjeevi Mallavarapu, Ramya Mandava, Sabitri Kc, Ginger M. Holt

SMU Data Science Review

Public surveys are predominantly used when forecasting election outcomes. While the approach has had significant successes, the surveys have had their failures as well, especially when it comes to accuracy and reliability. As a result, it becomes challenging for political parties to spend their campaign budgets in a manner that facilitates the growth of a favorable and verifiable public opinion. Consequently, it is critical that a more accurate methodology to predict election outcome is developed. In this paper, we present an evaluation of the impact of utilizing dynamic public data on predicting the outcome of elections. Our model yielded a …

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.

Political Attitudes, Cognitive Style, And Political Persuasion, Halbert Bai, Gregory Mitchell, Philip E. Tetlock

Yale Day of Data

How do liberals and conservatives differ? Existing evidence suggests clear divergences on cognitive style and sociopolitical attitudes. However, theories such as the rigidity of the right hypothesis (Adorno et al., 1950; Tetlock, 1983) and the ideologue hypothesis (Rokeach, 1956) make incompatible predictions. The present research aims to reconcile these incongruities by employing measures that assess (a) cognitive style/open-mindedness, (b) perspective-taking, and (c) relationships between characteristics of procedural justice. Study 1 employed real-world arguments on highly politicized issues to examine rhetorical features that influence an article’s persuasiveness. We found evidence for the rigidity of the right hypothesis. In Study 2, participants …

Slogans Appropriate To The Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr., Theodore Walker

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

For printing signs, banners, posters, tee shirts, and bumper stickers (and for preaching sermons) that are appropriate to the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., please consider the following slogans: ABOLISH WAR, ABOLISH POVERTY, AMEND THE CONSTITUTION, SUPPORT AN ECONOMIC BILL OF RIGHTS, JOBS FOR ALL, GUARANTEED INCOME FOR ALL, SUPPORT UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME, and GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR - Luke 4:14-19.

Who Votes For Libraries?, Patrick Sweeney

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

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.

Consent Of The Governed: Thomas Jefferson’S Relationship With Sally Hemings, Carley Johansson

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

Many are familiar with Thomas Jefferson’s concubinage of his slave, Sally Hemings. What few realize, however, is the consequence this holds for Jefferson’s reputation and the credibility of his vision of the perfect Union.

Author information: Carley Johansson is a 2018 graduate from the University of Missouri – Columbia, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Women’s and Gender Studies, two minors in Biological Sciences and American Constitutional Democracy, and a Multicultural Certificate.

St. Augustine And Said Nursi On Introspection As A Vehicle For Change, Aysenur Guc

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

St. Augustine, a fourth century philosopher and scholar (354-430), illustrates the significance of undergoing a process of introspection through his Confessions. Readers are taken by the hand and led through his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood all the while being immersed in his reflective thoughts. While Augustine does not make explicit mentions of how political affairs should be directed in Confessions in contrast to his later work, City of God, he sets up the model that one should follow if desiring social change; namely, focusing on inner change first. Particularly, Augustine makes mention of many instances of implicit and …

“High Crimes And Misdemeanors”: A Constitutional Critique Of The Commander-In-Chief, Emma Pugh

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

The Impeachment Clause of the U.S. Constitution has been subject to competing interpretations. Whether impeachment is understood as a legal or a political process will have a great impact on future impeachment proceedings in the United States.

Author information: Emma Pugh is a senior at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. She is studying English and Political Science and is interested in how the two disciplines intersect. She completed this paper prior to the 2019 impeachment inquiry.

Reds Among The Cream And Crimson, Kelly Kish

Historic Documents

What happened when three IU law professors were accused of harboring Communist sympathies in 1946.

Originally published in the publication 200 The Bicentennial Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1, January 2019.

Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, And The Formation Of America's Constitutional Order (Chapter Five Of Great Christian Jurists In American History), Mark David Hall

Faculty Publications - Department of History and Politics

In 1822, former President John Adams wrote to the biographer John Sanderson that Roger Sherman was "one of the most cordial friends which I ever had in my life. Destitute of all literary and scientific education, but such as he acquired by his own exertions, he was one of the most sensible men in the world. The clearest head and steadiest heart. It is praise enough to say that the late Chief Justice Ellsworth told me that he had made Mr. Sherman his model in his youth .... [He] was one of the soundest and strongest pillars of the revolution." …

Generational Aspects Of U.S. Public Opinion On Renewable Energy And Climate Change, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Joel N. Hartter, Erin Bell

Sociology

The topics of climate change and renewable energy often are linked in policy discussions and scientific analysis, but public opinion on these topics exhibits both overlap and divergence. Although renewable energy has potentially broader acceptance than anthropogenic climate change, it can also sometimes face differently-based opposition. Analyses of U.S. and regional surveys, including time series of repeated surveys in New Hampshire (2010–2018) and northeast Oregon (2011–2018), explore the social bases of public views on both issues. Political divisions are prominent, although somewhat greater regarding climate change. Such divisions widen with education, an interaction effect documented in other studies as well. …

Islamophobia In U.S. Education, Shabana Mir, Loukia K. Sarroub

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Anti-Muslim sentiment has grown in scale and visibility far beyond its association with the horrific attacks of 2001. The US government’s “War on Terror,” which began after the attacks, often pervades the domestic landscape as a war on Islamic religious “extremism.” The definitions and content of such religious extremism are so extensive that they encompass large numbers of Muslims, and they highlight Muslims as being inherently problematic. For example, the success of the 2016 presidential campaign can be said to have relied significantly on a right-wing Islamophobic fear-mongering that shariah was set to take over the US. As we grappled …

Revealing The Face Of Islamophobia: A Critical Evaluation Of Western Feminism, Kelley Quinn

The Corinthian

This paper will dive into the various pharisaical views and practices by governments and cultures through an intersectional feminist lens. Throughout the world, cultures shape the definition of appropriate and expected dress, particularly for women. In previous years, the covering of woman’s hair and/or face was a systemic oppression forced on by a patriarchal government. These women have made efforts to reclaim this clothing by enforcing a choice to wear or to not wear the garment. Western Feminism, however, still views these women as oppressed and forces them to remove their covering, such as making it illegal to wear or …

“The Glory Of Each Generation Is To Set Its Own Precedent”: Belva Lockwood And The Rhetorical Construction Of Female Presidential Plausibility, Emily B. Paup

Strategic Communication Studies Faculty Publications

This study seeks to understand the rhetorical tactics of Belva Bennett Lockwood, the first woman to run a campaign for U.S. President. Lockwood attempted to make a female presidential candidacy seem plausible by framing her actions as culturally expected, befitting for a woman, and prototypical for future female politicians. Through her use of rhetorical eikos, she seemed to suggest that female political leadership was not just probable but needed in the political culture of the time. A close reading of her campaign speeches and writings reveals the potential of eikotic logos to present a female presidential candidacy as innate, and …

The Socio-Economic Impact Of The Disproportionate Occurrence Of Asthma In The State Of Mississippi: Should Reporting Be Mandated?, Lolita D. Gray, Jahniah Grimsley, Jabria Pearson

Journal of Health Ethics

The state of Mississippi continues to experience a disproportionate occurrence of asthma among its citizens and various associated socioeconomic impacts. The objective of this study seeks to gauge the perception of the participants in regards to this asthma disparity. Specifically, research questions seek responses to following: 1) Will mandated, systematic reporting of asthma occurrences among socioeconomically disadvantaged communities effectively address the asthma disparity and lead to a better quality of life? and 2) Will mandated, systematic reporting of asthma increase the socioeconomic impact among these communities? This cross-sectional study employs a case study methodology utilizing various research techniques, i.e. interviews, …

Here’S Looking At You: Public- Versus Elite-Driven Models Of Presidential Primary Elections, Colin D. Swearingen, Elizabeth A. Stiles, Kate Finneran*

2019 Faculty Bibliography

Objective. This study advances the presidential primary literature in two ways. First, since many studies in this literature advocate for more detailed theoretical development, we incorporate an interdisciplinary approach by utilizing social contagion theory from the field of sociology. Second, presidential primaries do not adequately explore what role the public plays during the invisible primary. We thus incorporate Google Trends data into presidential primary models to account for the relative amount of public attention for each presidential primary candidate. Methods. We use fixed effects regression to determine the impact of public attention on a candidate’s share of the contested primary …

Review Of Broke And Patriotic: Why Poor Americans Love Their Country, Peter A. Kindle

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Review of Broke and Patriotic: Why Poor Americans Love Their Country

The Visual Presidency Of Donald Trump's First Hundred Days: Political Image Making And Digital Media, Ryan T. Strand

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

From frequent scrum photos of the president holding up signed executive orders in the Oval Office to images of the president energetically sitting behind the wheel of a Mack truck parked outside his back door, like previous administrations, visuals have been central to Donald Trump's presidency. This chapter analyzes the visuals on White House social media accounts (i.e., Twitter and Facebook) in Trump's first 100 days office and explores how his administration used visuals as an essential vehicle for storytelling, image building, and persuading. Building on previous research on the communicative functions of visual symbols in politics, the chapter finds …

Martin Van Buren: Forgotten But Not Deserted, Morgan O'Brien

Writing Across the Curriculum

The eighth president of the United States of America was none other than President Martin van Buren. “Old Kinderhook” is one of the most overlooked presidents, but he deserves to be remembered for his influence over our political system.

Ambassador Jefferson Caffery (1886-1974) Latin American Posts, Jessica Barton

UL English News

Archived website about Ambassador Jefferson Caffery's Latin American diplomatic assignments in Brazil, Columbia, and El Salvador. Twelve web pages have been reformatted into one PDF document for this instance.

The Justice System Is Criminal, Raven Delfina Otero-Symphony

2020 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

Navigating The First Year: Transition And Adjustment Experiences Of International Students Of Color At A Predominantly White Institution, Christina W. Yao, Jennifer N. Rutt, Kaleb Briscoe, Alexandra Kirshenbaum, Matthew W. Knight, Kathleen J. Buell

UNL Office of Research and Innovation, Social/Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium

International student mobility has been a highly discussed topic in higher education in the United States (U.S.). Yet current geopolitical issues necessitate a reexamination of how international students, especially those who would be considered students of Color, are transitioning to U.S. higher education institutions. Findings from three interviews that spanned participants’ first year on campus include the importance of social interactions, challenges with academic adjustments, and navigating the effects of politics. Suggestions for student affairs practice are addressed, including pre-sojourn connections and peer engagement.

The Florida 2004 Minimum Wage Amendment And Variance In County Support, Brittany Wilson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Several interest groups seek to put a $15 per hour minimum wage amendment on the Florida ballot in 2020. Floridians voted successfully to increase the minimum wage back in 2004. While the measure passed by over 50% in every county, there were substantial differences. What explains variance in support for the 2004 Minimum Wage Amendment among Florida counties? Hypotheses were drawn from previous literature and theory and multiple regression models find several statistically significant results. The percentage of Hispanic residents and the percentage of residents with a high school education or less had a positive relationship with support for increasing …

"Let Bartlet Be Bartlet:" The Presidential Politics Of Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, Marjory Madeline Zuk

Honors Theses

From 1999-2006, Aaron Sorkin’s television show The West Wing entertained audiences with a weekly backstage pass to life in the White House. While the show featured plotlines regarding the characters’ personal lives, it also centered the policy decisions of President Bartlet and his staffers, and it informed audiences about political issues and tools. With background research, I confirmed that the style of the show was a valuable educational tool, as it used both episodic and thematic framing devices when discussing different political issues. My understanding of its ability to influence audiences’ understandings of political issues lead my interest in understanding …

Times Taxes And Voting Queues: The Voting Rights Act After Shelby County, Alabama V. Holder (2013), Donald Davison, Michael Krassa

Faculty Publications

The United States Supreme Court effectively dismantled the pre-clearance provision of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County, AL v. Holder (2013). The majority asserts that “times have changed” and the relevant provisions of the VRA are now obsolete. This paper examines whether dismantling preclearance adversely affects how long racial and ethnic voters must wait to vote. The results show that the VRA reduces the time minority voters waited in line by one-half in the covered jurisdictions. After preclearance is dismantled, however, that benefit vanishes. Further, minority voters in covered jurisdictions continue to wait longer to vote compared to white …

An Analysis And Critique Of Mental Health Treatment In American State Prisons And Proposal For Improved Care, Shelby Hayne

Scripps Senior Theses

Mental health treatment in state prisons is revealed to be highly variable, under-funded, and systematically inadequate. Existing literature exposes this injustice but fails to provide a comprehensive proposal for reform. This paper attempts to fill that gap, outlining a cost-effective, evidence-based treatment proposal, directly addressing the deficits in care revealed through analysis of our current system. In addition, this paper provides historical overviews of the prison system and mental health treatment, utilizing theoretical perspectives to contextualize this proposal in the present state of affairs. Lastly, the evidence is provided to emphasize the potential economic and social benefits of improving mental …

Making Your Vote Worth More: The Impact Of Electoral Rules On Voters' Behaviors In Ireland, The Netherlands, And The U.S., Skylar Knight

Honors Program Theses

This research examines the impact of electoral rules on voters’ behaviors. More specifically, how do majoritarian and proportional electoral arrangements influence citizens’ efficacy, knowledge, and sophistication levels and how, in turn, do they affect voter turnout in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the U.S.? It is hypothesized that typical predictors of political participation (e.g. educational attainment, partisanship, etc.) are more significant in the U.S. because majoritarian electoral arrangements impose greater informational costs and offer fewer participatory incentives. Conducting multivariate regression analysis with data from The Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES), I conclude that electoral systems do indeed impact voters’ behaviors …

Undocumented: Living In The Shadows, Jennifer C. Sloan

Open Educational Resources

This course explores the lives of undocumented students in the United States. The first portion of the course will explore the socioeconomic and political institutions that created the "illegal immigrant" problem and how the US government, civil society, immigrant advocates, artists, and humanitarians have approached the issue. The second portion of the course will discuss how undocumented students navigate the education system, public spaces, and work life in the U.S. Finally, we discuss previous "solutions" to the undocumented immigration "problem", what were the outcomes of those decisions, and what we can learn from these previous attempts.