Comparative Politics Commons^™

When Does Sexuality-Based Discrimination Motivate Political Participation?, Douglas D. Page

Political Science Faculty Publications

The established consensus in political behavior research is that discrimination by political institutions motivates marginalized groups to vote and protest their conditions. However, existing studies miss a comparison between states with high and low levels of political discrimination, and they miss a comparison between states before and after the development of opportunities for groups to mobilize. In particular, a growing body of research shows that sexual-minority groups face discrimination to varying degrees across Europe. Sexual minorities in states with high levels of discrimination lack the support of other minority-group members, which encourages political participation. The analysis is based on surveys …

When Rules And Common Sense Collide: Expressions, Roots, And Impact Of Informal Civil Society In Ukraine, Svitlana Krasynska

Dissertations

Western donors have dominated third sector developments in contemporary Eastern Europe in efforts to replicate their own institutional models as a way of reconstructing the region’s post-totalitarian civil society. These efforts resulted in limited success, frustrating the donor community and puzzling scholars. Civil society in the region has long been labeled as weak based on a general lack of citizen participation in formal organizations. This dissertation argues that such assessment of civil society fails to recognize the role of below-the-radar civic engagement in contexts where informal practices permeate economic, political and social spheres.

Based on 70 in-depth interviews with civil …

Strategic Culture In Sub-Saharan Africa: The Divergent Paths Of Uganda And Tanzania, Kevin Frank

Dissertations

Strategic culture is a concept accepted by scholars and practitioners, but with problematic applicability to states newly independent or emerging from conflict. The elements that comprise strategic culture in the developed world are not always present in emerging states. This research addresses the pertinency of strategic culture in Uganda and Tanzania, and then tests the operationalization of the concept using the case of participation in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The African Union and the international community expected Uganda and Tanzania to contribute troops to AMISON in 2007. In the event, Uganda did and Tanzania chose another path. …

Monarchical Stability In The Gulf Coast States, Sean Miner

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council are thriving today, despite the decline of monarchies everywhere else in the world. I explore the significant factors that allow these countries to maintain monarchy as a viable governing system. I find that Gulf Cooperation Council states employ a diverse set of tools to control the populace and provide stability. These tools include generous social welfare programs, a repressive state security apparatus, a large guest worker population, and strong ties and cooperation with other gulf monarchies. Using these tools allows these states to overcome the political challenges that threaten monarchical stability in our …

What We Bring With Us And What We Leave Behind: Six Months In Post-Apartheid South Africa, Virginia Casper, Donna Futterman, Evan Casper-Futterman

Occasional Paper Series

The authors, a family, reflect on their experiences living, volunteering, and going to school in South Africa for six months. They sought to live in a society in which white people were not the majority and to experience the transformation of the new South Africa, not as tourists, but as participants.

Collective Memory Of Past Human Rights Abuses-South Korea, Ñusta Carranza Ko

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

The discourse on transitional justice by academics and practitioners center upon a common understanding of the importance of truth-seeking or truth-telling, reparations, prosecutions, and other institutional reforms in addressing a state’s past abuses. Policies of memorialization complement these processes of transitional justice, with the production of collective memory and history that helps transitioning states from authoritarian pasts toward reconciliation.

This study builds on the growing interest in memory initiatives by bringing to light the integral and "visible" role memory practices have played in truth-seeking and reparations processes. Particularly, it focuses on the building of collective memory integrated in truth commission …

The Power And Pathologies Of Language: How Human Rights Messaging Can Also Affect Support For Violent Non-State Actors, Alexandra Haines, Michele Leiby, Matthew Krain

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Are framing strategies that are effective at encouraging pro-social behavior such as participation in human rights campaigns also effective at mobilizing support for “anti-social” and violent causes? Using an experimental research design, we seek to understand under what conditions individuals will express support for retributive violent action.

We hypothesize that a personal story of victimization, wherein the humanity and vulnerability of the victim and the intensity of the violence suffered are described in vivid detail, will be necessary and sufficient to cause the audience to express support for the victim’s subsequent participation in organized, retaliatory violence. We expect that personal …

Agency, Equality And Courage: A Case Study Of Women On The Front Lines Of Egypt’S 2011 Revolution, Carol Gray

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

How were women involved in Egypt’s 2011 revolution/uprising? What role did they play vis-à-vis male activists? To what degree were Egyptian women “equal” during those 18 days in Tahrir Square? These questions will be explored within the context of interviews conducted by this writer in Cairo during and following Egypt’s 18-day revolution (uprising). This essay will explore the public/private sphere split, political consciousness-raising, and gender equality within the context of the stories of Egyptian women on the front lines of protest.

Much of the recent literature on women's protests in Egypt has focused on women's victimization. Critical gender theorist Ann …

The Forgotten Ones: Domestic Child Soldiers In The United States, Jesse Bach

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

The term child soldier conjures up images of a war-torn Sub-Saharan African child holding a battle-worn rifle, staring into the distance of an uncertain future. Their story is well known: A paramilitary organization entered an area and forcibly recruited children to engage in conflict — protecting arms, drugs, or "turf." Through the marketing of the child soldier story and its emotional response, the international community has been moved to action through hosting awareness raising campaigns, generating mass donations for care, and establishing recovery and rehabilitation programs.

There is no doubt that the international child soldier is viewed as a victim …

The Path To 'Never Again': Human Rights Protest In Latin America, James Franklin

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

The systematic study of political repression and human rights violations has found a number of factors that consistently explain political repression. These especially include domestic structural and institutional factors, such as civil war, democracy, a youth population bulge, aspects of the legal and judicial system, and the role of oil in the economy.

These findings do not chart a clear path for human rights advocates, as it is difficult to change a country’s institutions or demographics or to end a civil war (Toft 2010). This growth of scholarly interest followed an expansion in international human rights advocacy, evidenced by a …

Providing Refuge: A Regime Analysis Of Legal Protections For Displaced Persons In Sub-Saharan Africa, Natasha Bennett, Hannah K. Brown

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

While refugees are entitled to the right of asylum vis-a-vis the U.N. 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the subsequent 1967 Protocol, which includes rights of a legal resident in the host country, African states vary in their domestic implementation of refugee rights.

Sub-Saharan Africa host approximately 29 percent of the world’s refugees and as such represents a key region for understanding the dynamics of refugee rights and protections. With 45 member states having ratified (another 4 having signed) the Organization of African Unity’s 1969 Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of the Refugee Problem in Africa (OAU …

A Political Theory Of The Chinese Stock Market, Liang Kong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Chinese stock market crash of 2015 attracted much attention from both the media and academia. Yet it was not a unique incident. The Chinese stock market fluctuates more frequently and drastically than most mature stock markets. The purpose of this work is to explain these unusual stock market fluctuations through a political lens. Traditional financial models and behavioral finance cannot sufficiently explain the unusual fluctuations of the Chinese stock market. Traditional financial models find that economic forces cannot explain all fluctuations in China’s stock market. Behavioral finance attributes the fluctuations to investor’s irrational behavior without explaining why investors behave …

The Geopolitics Of Rare Earth Elements: Emerging Challenge For U.S. National Security And Economics, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Rare earth elements (REE) contain unique chemical and physical properties such as lanthanum, are found in small concentrations, need extensive precise processes to separate, and are critical components of modern technologies such as laser guidance systems, personal electronics such as IPhones, satellites, and military weapons systems as varied as Virginia-class fast attack submarines, DDG- 51 Aegis destroyers, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and precision guided munitions. The U.S. has some rare earth resources, but is heavily dependent on access to them from countries as varied as Afghanistan, Bolivia, and China. Losing access to these resources would have significant adverse economic, …

Geopolitics Of Rare Earth Elements, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Rare earth elements (REE) contain unique chemical physical properties such as lanthamum, are found in small concentrations, need extensive precise properties to separate, and are critical components of modern technologies such as laser guidance systems, personal electronics such as IPhones, satellites, and military weapons systems as varied as Virginia-class fast attack submarines, DDG-51 Aegis destroyers, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and precision guided munitions. The U.S. has some rare earth resources, but is heavily dependent on access to them from countries as varied as Afghanistan, Bolivia, and China. Losing access to these resources would have significant adverse economic, military, and …

Lgbt Adoptions In The Us & South Africa, Samantha Moore

The Eastern Illinois University Political Science Review

With the increased commonality of gay relationships, marriages, and unions, there is a growing conversation about the LGBT and their adoption of children. The purpose of this case study analysis is not to sway your opinion of LGBT adoptions, but instead to examine the recent policy implications for LGBT adoption in the U.S. in comparison to current South African adoption policies.

European Drug Policy: The Cases Of Portugal, Germany, And The Netherlands, Steve Anderson

The Eastern Illinois University Political Science Review

Drug abuse is a problem that reaches all corners of the globe. In Europe, the case is no different. The author examines how the incorporation of different drug policy methods affects illicit drug use in Portugal, Germany and The Netherlands.

Book Review: Smart Risks: How Small Grants Are Helping To Solve Some Of The World’S Biggest Problems, Susan Appe

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

No abstract provided.

Problemas Y Retos En La Implementación Del Gender Mainstreaming En La Política Pública De Mujeres De Medellín (2012-2015). Una Lectura Desde La Meta-Gobernanza, Alejandra León Rojas

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

This article examines the difficulties in the implementation of gender mainstreaming in the Public Policy of Medellin’s women, under the lens of the meta-governance literature. The purpose is to determine how the problems of coordination between actors and means of governance have influenced incorporation and implementation processes of this international strategy, within the Municipal Administration of Medellin, and especially for the period 2012-2015. For this, a review of the experiences around protocols and routes of mainstreaming within the Women's Secretariat and its Mainstreaming Team was necessary; as well as a semi-structured interview and the mainstreaming workshops which were carried out …

Gobernar: Una Oportunidad Para Renovar La Investigación En Administración Pública Comparada, Oscar Oszlak

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

No abstract provided.

Editorial - English, Nadia Rubaii, Santiago Leyva

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

No abstract provided.

El Análisis De Políticas Públicas: La Evolución De Una Disciplina Y Su Relevancia En Colombia, Carlos Andres Olaya

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

For several decades, the so-called public policy turn has become more relevant in the context of Latin America in general, and Colombia in particular. Both in the political and academic spheres, research projects or intervention have been put forward which, directly or indirectly, relate to a vague and general notion of "public policy." However, the advances in the specific field of the policy theory are timid. Therefore, it is necessary to deepen and energize the proper disciplinary debates of public policy, beyond the study of any policy in particular. Thus, this article explores the historical development of policy studies as …

Los Fundamentos Del Análisis Prospectivo De Políticas Públicas, Juan Guillermo Vieira Silva

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

Given the inexistence in Spanish of an introductory synthesis to prospective policy analysis, this article proposes its conceptual and historical bases, the analysts' work and skills, and the ways to approach it, listing some of the most used methods and techniques . For this, the article reviews an important part of the English literature on the subject, organizing it descriptively for pedagogical and analytical purposes. Initially, the use of the expression public policy analysis is clarified, differentiating the field of public policy studies from the analysis applied within it to produce information for decision making; then the definition of policy …

El Discurso De La Transición Al Socialismo De Hugo Chávez (1999-2008), Josefina Bruni Celli, Javier Rodríguez

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

The purpose of this study is to trace Hugo Chavez’s transition-towards-Socialism efforts in Venezuela between 1999 and 2008, and by means of discourse analysis. Through combined qualitative and quantitative analyses of a random transcript sample from the ‘Aló Presidente’ Sunday program, the study: 1) analyzes the president's discourses that have to do with production relations, for the purpose of clarifying the trajectory of Hugo Chávez's policies regarding these, and in associated models of production; 2) identifies the discursive strategies employed by Hugo Chávez to legitimize and push forward changes in the very production relations that he promoted. Through the analysis …

Biciactivismo En Medellín. De La Acción Colectiva A La Agenda Política, Gloria Estela López Lopera, Diana Patricia Salinas Arango

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

The analysis of collective action from Medellin’s cycling advocacy groups on the political agenda of the city, when seen through an Interpretativist Theoretical Perspective, is a reflection of the actual gap between the citizens and the public policy. This fact gives importance to the contexts, local knowledge, and the citizenry’s arguments. The case study is in itself a tool of methodological inquiry. Empirical evidence is gathered by applying semi-structured interviews, direct observation, and documentary review. Such evidence is systematized using matrixes and map-analysis. Cycling advocacy groups of Medellin become visible through proposals which represent the bicycle as a symbol of …

Editorial - Spanish, Nadia Rubaii, Santiago Leyva

Gobernar: The Journal of Latin American Public Policy and Governance

No abstract provided.

Fleeing War, Fighting Xenophobia, Andrea J. Danziger

International ResearchScape Journal

The purpose of this research is to identify the key differences between German and American refugee policies as they relate to the ability of each country’s native population to successfully integrate refugees into their society. This body of work looks specifically at the German and American Refugee Resettlement Programs submitted to the United Nations. As shown in this research, new legal policy that can fight systematic distrust and discrimination becomes achievable by identifying the practices that contribute to in- and out-group dynamics between host country and refugees. Such policies will allow for the building of stronger, more integrated societies in …

The Bourgeois Crown: Capitalism And The Monarchy In Thailand, 1946–2016, Puangchon Unchanam

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the age of capitalism, monarchy has been treated as if it were an irrelevant institution. Once capitalism becomes the dominant mode of production in a state, it is argued, monarchy must be either abolished or transformed into a constitutional monarchy, a ceremonial institution that plays no significant role in a capitalist state that is ruled by the bourgeoisie. The monarchy of Thailand, however, fits neither of those two narratives, as it enjoys hegemonic status in the capitalist state, preeminent status in the market, and popular support from the urban bourgeoisie. What explains the resilience of the Thai monarchy in …

The Impact Of State-Promoted Participation In Democracy And Development: A Comparison Of Venezuela And Mexico, Domenico Romero

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

During the past two decades participatory democracy policies came to be seen as a useful alternative to address high inequality and lack of meaningful political representation allowed by clientelist politics in various parts of the world. This project explores the question: what is the impact that state-promoted participation has on democracy and development, the two key areas that political reformers in Latin America attempted to improve at the turn of the millennium? The hypotheses that this project proposes in response to that question are that participatory policies do not underperform neoliberal policies on macroeconomic or human development; that state-promoted participation …

Stayin' Alive: Transnational Sanctuary And Insurgency, Matthew Murray

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The conventional wisdom of counterinsurgency runs that insurgent groups with bases in neighboring states (transnational sanctuaries) are relatively more difficult to defeat than comparable groups without such bases. Insurgents with transnational sanctuaries benefit from relative protection from attack by counterinsurgents, they may recruit, train, and arm safely in their sanctuaries, transmit propaganda into their target state, and use these sanctuaries as staging points for infiltration or raids into their target state. Counterinsurgents have gone to great lengths to disrupt or destroy insurgent bases in neighboring countries based on the belief that this is necessary to defeating insurgents. However, several groups …