American Politics Commons^™

Our Structural Constitution: Religious Freedom And Church Autonomy (A Response To Mark Chopko, "Constitutional Reflections On The Parish: An Entity In The Fabric Of The Church."), Richard W. Garnett

Journal Articles

From the Article

The freedom and autonomy of the Church, for which Mark Chopko has been such an able advocate, are not easily separated from both the history and the health of political freedom under constitutionally limited government. In our political tradition, the challenge has always been to find the limiting principle that would check the encroachments of civil power and preserve these immunities.

Crisis, Charisma And Consequences: Evidence From The 2004 Us Presidential Election, Jennifer L. Merolla, Jennifer M. Ramos, Elizabeth J. Zechmeister

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

We investigate how conditions of crisis affect perceptions of charisma and how these, in turn, affect blame attribution and self-sacrificial behavior. Our data are from a 2004 experimental study that preceded the U.S. presidential election, in which we manipulated concerns of a terrorist attack. The results show that those in the Crisis condition rated Bush higher on perceptions of charisma compared to those in the Good Times condition. The Crisis condition also directly and indirectly, via perceptions of charisma, affected whether Bush was blamed for failures in Iraq and our subjects’ willingness to sacrifice their personal resources for his candidacy.

What Is Democracy, And Is It The One?, Scott Smith

The University Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Your Most Important Role In A Democracy: Thinking For Yourself, Vanessa Urch Druskat

The University Dialogue

No abstract provided.

In A Democracy, Are Some Citizens More Important Than Others?, Sharyn J. Potter

The University Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Democracy As A Verb: An Action Word, Lauren Schweizer

The University Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Deliberative Dilemmas: A Critique Of Deliberation Day From The Perspective Of Election Law, Chad Flanders

All Faculty Scholarship

My paper deals with two subject areas - deliberative democracy theory and election law - that have had surprisingly little contact with another. My paper tries to remedy this lacuna by looking at how the two fields intersect and can contribute to the understanding of one another. In particular, I look in detail at a particularly prominent proposal by two political theorists, Bruce Ackerman and James Fishkin's Deliberation Day, and how the aims of that proposal might be frustrated by the present structure of American election law. I argue that because they fail to take into account certain structural features …

College Students And Voter Mobilization Campaigns : A Grounded Communication Theory For Increasing Political Efficacy And Involvement, Vanessa M. Robinson

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examined which channels, messages, and sources were most effective in increasing political involvement among college students. Political participation among college students has decreased in every election since eighteen year- olds were given the right to vote. Numerous campaigns targeted to increase political participation among college students have been implemented but there is no evidence that these campaigns have been effective.

This study developed a grounded theory for increasing political participation among college students l;!ased on several focus group interactions. Students were asked to report on which channels, messages and sources they currently received political information from and were …

Globalization And The Deepening Indian-U.S. Partnership In An Age Of Entrenched Anti-Americanism, Geoffrey Kain

Publications

“One of the topics often debated in the larger context of globalization is whether or not globalization is fundamentally a new-colonialist/neo-imperialist force (this view might be regarded as the Noam Chomsky school), or whether it is better represented as more of an open-access, competitive landscape on a truly global scale (this view might be regarded as the Thomas Friedman school)…”

Latino Voting In The 2004 Election: The Case Of New York, José Cruz, Cecilia Ferradino, Sally Friedman

Policy Documents

This paper examines the participation of Latinos in the electoral process in New York State. It describes key features of the demographic and political context in which Latino participation takes place and provides an analysis of the Latino presence and role during the 2004 campaign. The paper also includes an analysis of Latino registration and turn-out patterns in the presidential race. Most of the literature on Latinos in New York quite sensibly focuses on activities in New York City. This paper for the first time analyses Latino registration, turnout, and voting patterns in the state as a whole. The patterns …

Limits To Power: Some Friendly Reminders (Book Review), Ron Mock

Faculty Publications - Department of History and Politics

No abstract provided.

Card: Thank You Card, Bill And Grace Nelson

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

A card expressing thanks for support of Bill Nelson's Senate campaign. Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate. Date: November 2006. Box 15 Folder 22

Equality News (Autumn 2006), Matthew R. Dubois

Equality news / EqualityMaine (2004-2008)

No abstract provided.

Democracy Defended: Polibloggers And The Political Press In America, Erica Johnson

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Since their creation less than a decade ago, blogs have metamorphosed from a relatively unknown activity into a recognized phenomenon. Political blogs have shown the potential to influence the functioning of American democracy. As the importance of blogs has grown, there has been heated discussion about whether or not to consider political blogs as a form of political journalism, an important aspect of American democracy. To resolve the debate, the author examines the two principal democratic responsibilities of the media: gatekeeper and government watchdog. The author selected two widely-read political blogs, Instapundit and Eschaton, and one influential newspaper, the …

"Why Clerk? What Did I Get Out Of It?", Stephen L. Wasby

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

George W. Bush And The Rhetoric Of Chief Legislator: The First Term, Donna R. Hoffman, Alison D. Howard

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Near the beginning of a congressional session, the president will present key pieces of his legislative agenda to both Congress and the American public in the State of the Union address (SUA). He will couch his requests in a way that seeks to persuade his audiences he has the legislative solution to a problem he details. Effective political communication between the president and Congress is essential since each play key roles in the legislative process. While Congress comprises the legislative branch, the moniker we attach to one of the multiple jobs with which presidents are charged is that of chief …

Rethinking Symbolic Racism: Evidence Of Attribution Bias, Brad T. Gomez, J. Matthew Wilson

Political Science Research

This paper demonstrates that cognitive tendencies related to political sophistication produce an attribution bias in the widely accepted symbolic racism scale. When this bias is controlled statistically, the effect of symbolic racism on racial policy attitudes is greatly diminished. Our theory posits that high sophisticates tend to make global/distal attributions, allowing them to associate racial inequality with broader sociopolitical causes. Less sophisticated individuals, conversely, tend to make local/proximal attributions, thus biasing them against ascribing responsibility systemically. Consequently, less sophisticated individuals tend to be classified as intolerant by the symbolic racism scale, even when controlling for factors such as ideology and …

The Politic 2006 Summer, The Politic, Inc.

The Politic

No abstract provided.

Equality News (Summer 2006), Matthew R. Dubois

Equality news / EqualityMaine (2004-2008)

No abstract provided.

Reviewed Work: Understanding Institutional Diversity By Elinor Ostrom, Jonathan G.S. Koppell

Publications from President Jonathan G.S. Koppell

No abstract provided.

Review Of Dripping Dry: Literature, Politics, And Water In The Desert Southwest, By David N. Cassuto, Cory Shaman

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

Concentrating primarily on the environmental history of the last 100 years in the American Southwest, David N. Cassuto examines what he suggests is the nexus of political dispute regarding water in the region: the intractable tension between the ideologies of reclamation and restoration. After an initial chapter on John Wesley Powell and the 19th century origins of the hydraulic West, the book proceeds with an exploration of four representative texts in order to demonstrate what Cassuto has identified as the successive stages of the reclamation movement: "At the beginning of the twentieth century, Mary Austin believed in spite …

The Social Nature Of Natural Resources - The Case Of Water, Jamie Linton

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Of all things, water is among the most difficult to pin down. It is nevertheless characteristic of modernity that we ascribe to it an essence, on which basis particular kinds of human-water relations are made possible while others are denied. The ascription of an essential identity to water constitutes a social and political act by which it is both made known to people and made available for people. This paper explores the implications of ascribing to water an identity as "resource." Water was pronounced a resource in the United States early in the last century in the context of the …

Tom Delay: Popular Constitutionalist?, Neal Devins

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Who Participates In Today's Environmental Movement? Not The Rich Or The Educated, Jessica Schaum

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Entertaining Politics And The College Student, Alexandra Rubin

Senior Honors Projects

Mass media is crucial in forming and reflecting opinion in society. Newspaper, television, and the internet all play a critical role in the daily lives of Americans; disseminating information that shapes views of life, culture, and politics. It seems like all forms of media communication, either subliminally or blatantly, reflect the political climate of the day. The news media flood American homes with images, audio, and commentary on political happenings. My questions are as follows: How much basic political knowledge does an average college student possess? Where does the average college student receive his or her political knowledge? Does celebrity …

Draft Effects Report: Potential Transfer Of Garrison Project Lands Within The Fort Berthold Reservation Boundaries, Pursuant To The Fort Berthold Mineral Restoration Act, Us Army Corps Of Engineers, Omaha District, Nebraska

US Government Documents Related to Indigenous Nations

This report, dated May 2006, from the United States (US) Army Corps of Engineers (Omaha District, Nebraska) explains the potential transfer of unused lands from the Garrison Dam Project back to the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold Reservation. The land transfer proposed to return a portion of land out of the 153,000 acres taken by the US Government for the construction of the Garrison Dam. The authority of this transfer is granted by the Fort Berthold Mineral Restoration Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-602). This report is broken into four sections: Introduction, Background, Proposed Determination, Public Comment and Response. …

South Goes South: American Perspectives On Southern Immigrants To Brazil, Ernest R. Rheaume

Senior Honors Projects

Reconstruction following the American Civil War led to conditions in the South that caused upwards of 20,000 Americans to go into exile. Of these, approximately 2,500 to 3,500 made the trip to Brazil and established settlements of varying success. One hundred forty one years later descendents of the original settlers, known as the Confederados, still populate the areas of Americana and Santa Barbara D’Oeste, Brazil. Extensive studies have been conducted on the history of the migration and the resulting settlements, yet conflicting perspectives of the Confederados exist within American society. These include different understandings of the Confederate Battle Flag, the …

Handling And Preventing Journalistic Fraud: Janet Cooke, Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair, Kenneth Munson

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Fraud is a growing concern in the news business, especially in recent years where numerous journalism scandals rock its foundation. This paper examines the most prominent cases: Stephen Glass, the reporter for The New Republic newsmagazine who completely or partially fabricated 27 stories in the late ‘90s; Jayson Blair, the New York Times reporter who was found to have plagiarized or made up his supposedly on-thescene reporting in 2003; and Janet Cooke, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for her Washington Post story about a child heroin addict who, in actuality, did not exist. This paper will examine flaws …

Oligarchy In Farmland? Application Of Community Power Theory To A Rural Setting, Zachary Meadows

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

The Limits Of U.S. Governmental Power In Times Of Crisis, Adam M. Goldwater

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Government’s Emergency Power Throughout the History of the United States This paper reviews the use of power by the United States government during times of crisis. This paper analyzes both the arguments from Thomas Hobbes and John Locke regarding how limited both believe government should be. Throughout this debate John Locke believes that in leaving a state of nature we must enter into civil society through a social contract with each other. Hobbes’ view of the state of nature is such that he believes that there should be virtually no limitations on the power of government in eliminating citizens from …