Comparative Politics Commons^™

Comparative Environmental Jurisprudence: A Multi-Country Analysis Of Rights Of Nature Applications, Lillian C. Johns

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This thesis examines three distinct cases, Ecuador, the United States, and India, in their conceptualization and implementation of the Rights of Nature and environmental jurisprudence. Although the Rights of Nature have gained global traction as a response to accelerating ecological degradation and as a potential legal mechanism for addressing it, issues with implementation and enforcement consistently arise. The outcomes in each case are largely shaped by institutional design, political context, and legal cultures. Ecuador’s constitutional recognition of the Rights of Nature, the United States multilevel recognition, and India’s judicial assertions of ecological personhood represents divergent pathways for articulating environmental rights. …

Pipeline Politics: A Comparative Analysis Of Environmental Justice Movements In The United States And Canada, Grace Treml

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Using theoretical frameworks from social movement theory, this study describes and comparatively analyzes the emergence and outcomes of the environmental justice movements against the development of the Coastal GasLink pipeline by people of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in Canada and the Keystone XL pipeline by environmental activists in the United States over the past two decades. By using social movement theory to evaluate movement emergence in terms of mobilizing structures, framing, and political opportunity structure, and movement outcomes in terms of representation, policy outcomes, and cultural discourse, a more inclusive argument for future environmental justice movements emerges. Findings synthesized from …

Chinese Strategic Partnerships: A New Form Of Alliance Politics, Sean L. Starkweather

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

During the 14th National Party Congress in 1992, Jiang Zemin declared that China would never seek alliances nor pursue hegemony. Indeed, since 1961, China has formed formal alliances with mutual defense clauses with only two countries: North Korea and the Soviet Union. Given the US’ alliance network, which extends deep into East Asia and Oceania, many scholars predict that China would seek similar security arrangements to deter potential aggression. However, very little research has been conducted to answer the question of why China has remained persistent in rejecting alliance formation as a viable strategy despite popular notions of increasing Chinese …

Equality Across The Pond: An Analysis Of Marriage Equality Between The United States And The United Kingdom, Angel Santiago

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Throughout history, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have faced criticism and backlash for limitations on marriage equality. Within the last two decades, there have been many initiatives put into place to combat the marriage equality dilemma. I will be conducting two case studies on prominent social movements within the US and UK. Within the UK, I will be examining the Stonewall organization and the LGBT Foundation; and within the US, I will be examining the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. This root of the dilemma spurs mainly from human …

Minorities And Authoritarianism In The Middle East: A Case Study Of Muslim Alawites In Syria, Maher Al Tayara

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Why are some minorities in the Middle East less inclined to support democratization or political liberalization efforts? Here, I examine if and how minorities differ in their support for democratization from the majority groups in the Middle East. I will analyze why some minorities prefer to support authoritarian regimes over supporting democratization. I examine how the religion of a minority affects its preference for regime type. I will also examine how historical backgrounds and international patronage affects those preferences. I will identify two historical moments in the Middle East that played a role in shaping those preferences: the post-World War …

My Own Distinguished People: An Analysis Of Carpatho-Rusyn Autonomy Movements, Alexandra S. Benc

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

What factors must a stateless nation possess in order to gain political autonomy? This question is explored through the perspective of Carpatho-Rusyns, an East Slavic stateless nation with a largely unknown, yet rich and distinct, history and culture. Throughout modern history, the Rusyns have made three significant attempts to gain political autonomy and become a semi-independent entity. I argue that stateless nations that possess high levels of the elements of political opportunity structure, cultural maintenance, and economic functioning are more likely to succeed in their efforts to gain political autonomy than those stateless nations who do not. Each of these …

Women's Representation In European Parliament Committees, Reagan E. Harrison

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Increasing globalization and growing importance of the European Union has facilitated an important discussion about who makes policy decisions within the EU, specifically within the European Parliament. This thesis aims to discuss women’s representation within the EP at the committee level. By compiling a database of MEPs from 1^st July 2014 to 18^th January 2017, it looks into the question of whether or not committees are gendered. It argues that committees have gendered patterns, with women disproportionately focused within certain committees, that left parties have less gender discrepancies than right parties, and less women have committee leadership positions …

Battle For The Minds: Use Of Propaganda Films In Stalinist Russia And Nazi Germany, David Rosenblum

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Since the end of the Second World War, scholars and experts have examined the use of cinema in spreading totalitarian propaganda. Nazi Germany, in particular, has caught the most attention. However, most of these studies focus exclusively on one nation, and relatively few studies have tried to directly compare the cinematic propaganda of different countries. This study aims to directly compare cinematic propaganda of Stalinist-era Russia and Nazi Germany and find out who utilized the medium of film more effectively. To accomplish this, this study will examine and directly compare several critical components, such as industry structure and artistic merits, …

Post-Civil War Peace Durability: The Role Of Domestic Infrastructure And Military, Alexandra Wilson

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Since 1945, approximately half of the world’s states have been engaged in some type of civil conflict. The aim of this research is to understand why some post-civil war states fail to establish peace durability while others thrive. Through quantitative research of civil wars globally and a qualitative analysis of Iraq, this thesis argues for the necessity of post-civil war policy to focus on the renewal of domestic infrastructure in addition to military investment which suppresses grievance-driven violence. A logistical regression model of all civil wars since 1945 shows that variables, such as healthcare, are evidently associated with more durable …

Second Class Citizens - A Comparative Analysis Of Lgbtq Quality Of Life, Paige Stuart Moody

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The following thesis explains the differences between the Quality of Life of LGBTQ individuals within the European Union and the United States of America. Looking at the specific Quality of Life index factors of employment and healthcare, this thesis focuses on four regions: Malta, Germany, California and Texas.

Overall, the European Union was found to have a higher Quality of Life for LGBTQ individuals than the United States of America in the realms of employment and healthcare. This is due to Germany and Malta having inclusive laws and regulations put in place that protect LGBTQ individuals, whereas there is various …

Study Abroad And Track Ii Diplomacy, Makena Rafferty-Lewis

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Track II diplomacy, or person-to-person diplomacy is one of the most basic, but also most important types of international relations. Track II diplomacy requires not just effective legislature to be in place, but also requires individuals to have cross-cultural competency. One question that arises is how is this type of connectivity between cultures is formed. One of the most direct links can be found in students. As the political environment changes, young minds and rising experts will be the people who need to handle future international problems, that are possibly different from what we have seen in the past. How …

International Post-Conflict Peacebuilding In Bosnia And Herzegovina And Cambodia, Mia Fisher

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The end of the Cold War brought many changes to the international system, including a rise in intrastate armed conflict and violence against civilians. Consequently, the international community performed increasingly complex and multidimensional peace support operations, and peacebuilding advanced onto the international agenda during the 1990s. Despite the increased attention on peacebuilding in recent decades, most operations have been relatively unsuccessful, and local and international actors continue to struggle with how to implement effective policies to rebuild post-conflict states. The purpose of this research paper is to examine how the international community contributes to post-conflict peacebuilding efforts and to better …

The Fourth Wave Of Democratization: A Comparative Analysis Of Tunisia And Egypt, Ariel M. Dunay

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In the years following the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, Tunisia and Egypt began the process of creating a new government and constitution made by the people and for the people. However, their differing democratic outcomes begs the question of what factors led Tunisia to become a democracy and Egypt to remain stagnant. This thesis analyzes the democratic transition process through a side-by-side comparison of Tunisia and Egypt in the years since the Arab Spring. It will explore the thin lines between the military, economy, and social movements that all affect the state-building process. It will argue that Tunisia has achieved …

Latin American Gender Politics: Examining The Relationship Between Gender And Political Participation, Haley B. Lawrie

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Political participation highlights a great deal about the political system in a given country and how the system responds in turn. Women have a distinct way of participating in politics, particularly in the culture of machismo in contemporary Latin America. In this thesis, I examine the relationship between gender and political participation within two Latin American countries, Peru and Argentina. Through an analysis of voter turnout, political interest, cabinet participation, and political movements, I examine how gender impacts the political sphere. I ultimately argue that gender by itself is not distinctly tied to levels of participatory action for the average …

From Malta To The United States: Addressing Refugee Needs, Elizabeth L. Brannon

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

There are currently 21.3 million refugees worldwide, who have been driven from their homes and are searching for a new life. The current refugee crisis has created a sense of controversy over the integration of refugees, making it further imperative to determine what leads to effective integration of refugees into host societies and how organizations can aid in this process. To determine these factors, I completed field research in Malta and Harrisonburg, Virginia, interviewing a total of ten refugee organizations. In this study, I explore the how community connections, adaptability, and funding constraints determine the effectiveness of organizations in aiding …

Hiv/Aids And The European Union, Victor Hammarin

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is an ailment like no other. Despite huge improvements in treatments for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, those living with the disease continue to suffer from treatment inequality and discrimination. This is especially true in the European Union (EU), which is a supranational entity that works to improve prosperity, equality, and wellbeing among member-states. Despite extensive EU efforts to improve the standard of living across the inter-governmental body, treatment inequality for those living with HIV/AIDS in the EU continues to be a major issue. This study hypothesized that a strong EU initiative, which …

Factors Driving North Korean Military Provocations, Adam F. White

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This paper examines the causal factors underlying North Korea’s decision to use military actions against South Korean and U.S. personnel, both military and civilian, from the post-Korean War until the present day. It tests hypotheses at the systemic, domestic, and individual levels of analysis and draws conclusions as to what forces and theories appear to explain North Korean behavior across three different leaders. It concludes that North Korea is largely leadership-driven and that there has been a shift away from military provocations since the time of Kim Il-Sung in favor of nuclear weapons development.

Jordan: A Negative Case In A Tumultuous Region, Ann Marie Margaret Hager

MAD-RUSH Undergraduate Research Conference

International media brings attention to the worst conflicts worldwide. When ISIS beheads journalists, like Foley and Sotloff (Vourvoulias, 2014) journalists around the globe turn their editorial dockets to these heinous actions. Yet, it is easy to pay attention to conflict when it becomes severe, i.e., escalates to the level of war. It’s no wonder that the Arab/Israeli conflict has such a plethora of literature and media attention while tensions in places like Jordan, right next door, have not. However, Jordan is an example of a negative case: a country that has, despite its significant tensions, not experienced large-scale violence in …