American Politics Commons^™

The Basic Arithmetic Of Legislative Decisions, Michael Laver, Kenneth Benoit

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Despite the huge number of possible seat distributions following a general election in a multiparty parliamentary democracy, there are far fewer classes of seat distribution sharing important strategic features. We define an exclusive and exhaustive partition of the universe of theoretically possible n-party systems into five basic classes, the understanding of which facilitates more fruitful modeling of legislative politics, including government formation. Having defined a partition of legislative party systems and elaborated logical implications of this partition, we classify the population of postwar European legislatures. We show empirically that many of these are close to critical boundary conditions, so that …

Protect Coal Trust Fund From Greedy Politicians, Evan Barrett

Highlands College

A Montana Public Radio Commentary by Evan Barrett.

Published newspaper columns written by Evan Barrett on this topic, which vary somewhat in content from this commentary, appeared in the following publications:

Hungry Horse News, March 31, 2015

Montana Standard, April 3, 2015

Ravalli Republic, April 2, 2015

Missoulian, April 4, 2015

Helena Independent Record, April 12, 2015

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Voice For The Oppressed, Molly E. Craig

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

In this thesis, I discuss Eleanor Roosevelt as a political and social activist through the media. ER was the first First Lady to advocate for her own social and political agenda and a way in which she accomplished this was with her extensive relationship with the media. In my thesis, I first give a brief history of other sources regarding aspects of Eleanor Roosevelt’s life that touch my own project. Then, I examine the reasons Eleanor Roosevelt felt compelled toward activism. In the next section I analyze several different media outlets, beginning with her book It’s Up to the Women …

Where Have All The Young Voters Gone?, Jordan Nunn

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

In this study I addressed the concerning decrease in voter turnout among our nation’s young people and what is causing this decrease. I used the American National Election Studies (ANES) Cumulative Time Series Data File to observe voting behavior and the causes of voter turnout. Using Binary Logistic Regression and the Probability of Difference Equation, I found that among the general population, increased education is the most significant factor that leads to voter turnout. I then narrowed the scope to compare causes of turnout between adults aged 17-24 and adults aged 65-74. I hypothesized that a sense of political efficacy …

Denhardt, Henry Herman, 1876-1937 (Mss 533), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 533. Correspondence, military orders, and instructional materials relating to Henry Herman Denhardt’s World War I service as a field artillery officer and postwar training as an officer in the Kentucky National Guard. Includes a few personal and political items relating to Denhardt’s campaign for Governor of Kentucky.

Politics Or Prudent Money Management?, Evan Barrett

Highlands College

A Montana Public Radio Commentary by Evan Barrett.

Published newspaper columns written by Evan Barrett on this topic, which vary somewhat in content from this commentary, appeared in the following publications:

Missoulian, March 6, 2015

Ravalli Republic, March 7 2015

Montana Standard, March 9, 2015

Billings Gazette, March 19, 2015

As God Gives Me To See The Right: Gerald Ford, Religion, And Healing After Vietnam And Watergate, David Veenstra

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Thin Vs. Thick Morality: Ethics And Gender In International Development Programs, Richard K. Ghere

Political Science Faculty Publications

This study examines the ethical dimensions of gender-focused international development initiatives undertaken by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and similar agencies. Specifically, it presents three case studies that depict how specific development initiatives in, respectively, India, Tanzania, and Senegal address gender disparities and power relationships. These case studies support the general conclusion that ethically committed development NGOs find difficulty in encouraging women (and men) to reverse oppressive power status-quos in messy contexts.

Political Connections And Firm Value: Evidence From The Regression Discontinuity Design Of Close Gubernatorial Elections, Quoc-Anh Do, Yen Teik Lee, Bang D. Nguyen

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Using the regression discontinuity design of close gubernatorial elections in the U.S., we identify a significant and positive impact of the social networks of corporate directors and politicians on firm value. Firms connected to elected governors increase their value by 3.89%. Political connections are more valuable for firms connected to winning challengers, for smaller and financially dependent firms, in more corrupt states, in states of connected firms’ headquarters and operations, and in closer, smaller, and active networks. Post-election, firms connected to the winner receive significantly more state procurement contracts and invest more than do firms connected to the loser.

Brite, Henry Dearing, 1906-1976 (Mss 532), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Manuscripts Collections 532. Letters, programs, invitations, photographs and other political and social mementoes of Elizabeth Brite and her husband Henry, collected primarily during their years in Washington, D.C. when Elizabeth was secretary to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s press secretary, Jonathan W. Daniels.

Corruption On Steroids - The Bell Scandal From The Legal Perspective, David J. Aleshire, Anthony R. Taylor

Local Government Reconsidered

This white paper focuses on the legal aspects of the 2010 Bell Scandal and the appointment of David Aleshire as the first permanent city attorney since the corruption scandal. This white paper provides a look at the current financial situation in the city of Bell and how the city has tried to move past the scandal.

Building Basta, Cristina Garcia

Local Government Reconsidered

Before the scandal broke there were plenty of Bell residents that felt something was really wrong with city government. The residents of Bell had no real proof. Getting information was nearly impossible, but there were signs that something was wrong. For example, how does a councilmember from a working class community, where the median income was $30,000 a year, afford to drive around in a $100,000 Mercedes Benz -- when his main source of income was a small corner market? Or, why did property taxes continue to increase, but services continued to decline? And, why did so many Latino teenagers …

Baby Bells, Teri Sforza

Local Government Reconsidered

After Bell scandal broke, many officials asserted that these sorts of startling public payouts were tremendous aberrations, when in reality these scandals have occurred multiple times before. In this white paper Sforza brings attention to municipal corruption scandals throughout the state of California and the lack of attention they recieved when the scandals broke in comparison to Bell's.

City Of Bell - Audit Report: Administrative And Internal Accounting Controls, John Chiang

Local Government Reconsidered

This is a report of the State Controller’s Office audit of the City of Bell’s administrative and internal accounting controls system. The audit was conducted at the request Interim City Administrator Pedro Carrillo for an assessment of the adequacy of the city’s controls to safeguard public assets and to ensure proper use of public funds.

Searching For Virtue In The City: Bell And Her Sisters, George Frederickson, Jack Meek

Local Government Reconsidered

The burden of our claim here is that virtue in the city is to be found not so much in the abstractions and theorizing of higher philosophy but in “vulgar ethics,” Lewis C. Mainzer’s brilliant description of moral education in the classroom and street-level moral practices in the city’s departments and agencies (1991). The hope of virtue in the city is to be found not just in the individual propensity to be virtuous but more so in the development of political and organizational rules and procedures, in virtuous leadership, and in the development of virtuous public cultures.

Bell: A Total Breakdown, Jeff Gottlieb

Local Government Reconsidered

In this white paper, Jeff Gottlieb writes about uncovering the Bell Scandal while writing an investigative article on possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of Maywood. This breakdown provides a closer look into the corruption of city officials in Bell, specifically focusing on former city administrator, Robert Rizzo.

Predator State: Corruption In A Council-Manager System–The Case Of Bell, California, Dr. Tom Hogan-Esch

Local Government Reconsidered

This article seeks to explain recent patterns of corruption in the City of Bell, California. After reviewing the literature on municipal corruption, Progressive reform, and political participation in immigrant communities, the article examines the Bell case study. It argues that the council-manager form of government contributes to civic disengagement in California’s high-immigration cities. Insulated from civic accountability, Bell became effectively a ‘predator state’ as local officials exploited governmental power and resources for personal gain. Implications for political reform and local state- building in high immigration cities are discussed.

Bell And Sacramento, Joe Matthews

Local Government Reconsidered

In this white paper, Matthews explores corruption scandals prior to the Bell Scandal. He also presents two paradoxes to the Bell Scandal. One is that the Bell officials had the power to get into so much trouble in no small part because their power was so limited. Another paradox is that Bell was at once both a white- hot national scandal, singular in the attention it drew, and also just another small chapter in a long-running California scandal.

Unity Through Crisis: How A Latino And Lebanese American Coalition Helped Save Democracy In The City Of Bell, Michael Moodian

Local Government Reconsidered

This white paper explores how a Latino and Lebanese American coalition helped save democracy in the City of Bell, CA, where an atrocious misappropriation of public funds was uncovered in 2010. The paper provides a brief history of Bell, followed by an explanation of its shifting demographic makeup to a majority Latino municipality. In the 1970s, a small group of immigrants from Yaroun, Lebanon, moved to Bell, establishing a Lebanese American community that currently numbers approximately 2,000. In the aftermath of news coverage of outrageously high municipal salaries in the city, the Bell Association to Stop the Abuse (BASTA) forme …

Rebuilding Bell, California: Review And Recommendations For Continued Improvement Of Accountability, Oversight And Transparency, Jennifer G. Rodgers, Jacob Watkins

Local Government Reconsidered

Rodgers looks into the city of Bell, California and its corruption problems in 2010. Bell's city manager at the time, Robert Rizzo, had developed a plan to enrich himself at the city’s expense, and covered his tracks by involving numerous other city officials in his corrupt scheme, including the city councilmembers who were supposed to serve as a check on Rizzo’s power.

City Of Bell – Reformed And Reborn, Doug Willmore

Local Government Reconsidered

This article looks at the 2010 Bell scandal as the worst form of abuse of the public trust and treasury and how the people of Bell have started to rebuild their city. This paper focuses on the citizens of the Bell community reclaiming and reforming their government. Changes that have occurred since the scandal have included: implementing to enhance transparency and accountability, instituting better governance, and restoring the City’s fiscal health.

Megan Burke, Charlie Schlenker

Interviews for WGLT

Illinois Wesleyan University Sociologist Meghan Burke studies the way people talk and think about race. She has always been interested in how that shapes their desire to get involved in their communities. Her first book looked at that question among people in liberal diverse communities in the Chicago area. She has now focused on TEA party people in Illinois and neighboring states.

The book is "Race, Gender, and Class in the TEA Party." She tells GLT's Charlie Schlenker that the movement reflects much of America on these issues.

People Of Faith And Prophetic Voices: The Role Of Faith Voters And Activists In Recent Minnesota Political History, Eric S. Fought

Forum Lectures

In November of 2012, political scientists, other experts familiar with Minnesota politics and the general public were stunned by the comfortable defeat of two constitutional amendments by voters. Amendment one, also known as the marriage amendment, would have changed the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota. Amendment two, known as the voter ID or voter restriction amendment, would have required voters to show a photo ID in order to cast a vote in Minnesota elections. The Voter ID question enjoyed 80% favorability just a year before the election.

In both of the campaigns against these ballot measures, highly …

Who Is Responsible, The Incumbent Or The Former President? Motivated Reasoning In Responsibility Attributions, Steven Nawara

Political Science Department Faculty Articles

This article establishes that transitions of power from one presidential administration to the next can act as a source of uncertainty regarding whom citizens view as responsible for national conditions. I argue that citizens confront this ambiguity in a partisan manner when making responsibility attributions of credit and blame. Using the economy and the Iraq War as examples, ordinary partisans frequently ascribe responsibility using motivated reasoning by crediting the president of their own political party for perceived successes and blaming the president of the opposite party for perceived failures.

Waste And Duplication In Nasa Programs: The Need To Enhance U.S. Space Program Efficiency, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

The U.S. Government faces acute budgetary deficits and national debt problems in the Obama Administration. These problems have been brought about by decades of unsustainable government spending affecting all agencies including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (NASA). An outgrowth of this fiscal profligacy is the presence of wasteful and duplicative programs within NASA that prevent this agency from achieving its space science and human spaceflight objectives. These problems occur due to mismanagement of these programs from NASA and the creation of these programs by the U.S. Congress and congressional committees. This occurs because congressional appropriators tend to be more …

¿Más Español Por Más Votos? Assessing The Impact Of Spanish Language Electoral Advertisements On Latino Voter Turnout, Alexander C. Ervin

International ResearchScape Journal

After Latino-Americans demonstrated their power in the 2012 presidential election, securing increased minority support at the polls has become a major goal for both main U.S. political parties. A reliable bloc of Latino voters on one’s side could mean more wins, but Latinos have a low voter turnout rate. This paper explores how to increase Latino turnout and argues that the use of the Spanish language in electoral advertising will have a positive effect. By comparing statewide Latino turnout data during the 2002 midterm elections, I find states with a sizable amount of Spanish-language get-out-the-vote messages do see slightly increased …

Punishment And Inclusion: Race, Membership, And The Limits Of American Liberalism, Andrew Dilts

Faculty Pub Night

No abstract provided.

Martin Luther King & Montana Medicaid Expansion, Evan Barrett

Highlands College

A Montana Public Radio Commentary by Evan Barrett.

Published newspaper columns written by Evan Barrett on this topic, which vary somewhat in content from this commentary, appeared in the following publications:

Montana Standard, January 21, 2015

Missoulian, January 23, 2015

Independent Record, January 23, 2015

Billings Gazette, January 26, 2015

Resistance To Unjust Immigration Restrictions, Javier S. Hidalgo

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

State employees use force or the threat of force to restrict immigration.Border guards forcibly detain and incarcerate foreigners who immigrate without state approval. When migrants evade or resist immigration restrictions, border agents sometimes deploy tasers to incapacitate migrants, pepper spray them, shoot them with rubber bullets, and, less frequently, beat migrants with batons, and even fire live ammunition at them. Thousands of migrants perish annually in attempts to evade border agents. 2 State officials also capture and deport migrants who reside in their borders without official authorization. Affluent states have deported millions of unauthorized migrants in recent decades.

Newsroom: Elorza Sworn In As Providence Mayor, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.