Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

What Relationship Does Social Media Have To Political Participation And Voting Behavior In Adults Aged 18-25 In The State Of Kansas?, Nicholas E. Ladish

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

During the past two decades, the rise of social media has a significantly impacted the lives many individuals in the United States. This is particularly true of young adults between the ages of 18-25 years old. The rapid growth of various social media platforms has given rise to the sharing and exchange of information and ideas in a way that has not previously existed.

This qualitative research study used survey questionnaires, as well as semi-structured interviews to explore both the positive and negative impact, as well as the role of social media when it comes to influencing political affiliation, behavior, …

An Analysis Of The Media’S Coverage Of The Kenyan 2022 Electoral Tallying Process: A Case Of Nation Media Group, Wanjiku Ruth Munyi

Master of Arts in Digital Journalism

In Kenya, the electorate has always turned to the media for information and clarity, especially in political processes such as elections. This is more vital for the citizenry when they feel their democratic rights are being suppressed. This study was limited to the 2022 presidential election tallying process and gathered information from the relevant stakeholders involved, including the NMG, the IEBC, political coalitions, and media and communication scholars. As a case study, the research was also limited to the case of NMG and used a variety of sources of information through triangulation of both methods and sources. To this end, …

Gender-Responsive Budgeting: A Step Closer To Achieving Gender Equity In Egypt?, Malak Sobhy

The Undergraduate Research Journal

This research paper aims to assess whether gender responsive budgeting (“GRB”) has been successful in improving gender equity in Egypt by using qualitative research methods, including interviews and content analysis. Firstly, the paper studies existing literature, which in turn identifies a clear gap in the assessment of such a policy tool and its impact in Egypt. Further, the paper highlights the results and findings of a comparison between two MENA region countries: Egypt and Tunisia.  With Tunisia at a slightly better position in the global gender index gap, the comparison focuses on the initial steps, existing strategies, and …

Evaluating Methods For Examining The Relative Persuasiveness Of Policy Arguments, Jared Mcdonald, Michael J. Hanmer

Political Science & International Affairs Articles

Survey researchers testing the effectiveness of arguments for or against policies traditionally employ between-subjects designs. In doing so, they lose statistical power and the ability to precisely estimate public attitudes. We explore the efficacy of an approach often used to address these limitations: the repeated measures within-subjects (RMWS) design. This study tests the competing hypotheses that (1) the RMWS will yield smaller effects due to respondents' desire to maintain consistency (the “opinion anchor” hypothesis), and (2) the RMWS will yield larger effects because the researcher provides respondents with the opportunity to update their attitudes (the “opportunity to revise” hypothesis). Using …

Analysing The Us—China “Ai Cold War” Narrative, Yujia He, Richard Heeks

Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Faculty Publications

Discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) are gaining prominence in the recent revival of “cold war” narratives comparing US-China relations today to the historical rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union. Drawing on a review of existing academic and policy literature engaging with the “AI cold war” narrative, this paper examines how the narrative is justified, and numerous ways that it can be challenged. It finds that the framing is largely driven by the securitisation of AI, as state actors and policy pundits view AI innovations’ dual-use capabilities as key to national security and ideological competition. However, critics posit that …

Abortion On The Ballot: How Direct Democracy Shapes Abortion Policy Post-Dobbs, Serena E. Klebba

Honors Theses

Since the return of abortion policy to the states following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), sixteen states have considered ballot measures addressing core questions of abortion access. Distinct from pre-2022 initiatives, these recent measures present binary choices on issues such as viability-based access, six-week bans, and the existence or repudiation of a right to abortion in state constitutions. Although existing scholarship generally frames initiatives and referendums as mechanisms that enhance congruence between public opinion and policy outcomes, this focus overlooks the broader effects of direct democratic processes on voters. I hypothesize that there is something unique in the …

Off The Grid: Rural Identity, Environmentalism, And Renewable Energy Policy In Rural New England, Joseph A. Grassi

Honors Theses

This thesis investigates how rural identity, environmental values, and place-based resentment interact to shape support for land use regulation in rural New England. Despite their vulnerability to climate change, rural communities often resist renewable energy development—a pattern commonly attributed to economic concerns or NIMBYism. Using an original survey of over 1,400 New England residents, this study tests six hypotheses through multivariate regression and subgroup analysis. Findings confirm that environmental identity is a strong predictor of support for land use regulation; however, this effect diminishes significantly among rural respondents. Place identity alone is associated with greater policy support, but when combined …

Shared Tracks, Divided Rule: The Role Of Polycentrism In Shaping Public Transportation In U.S. Metropolises, Dev Purohit

Honors Theses

American public transportation is notably less comprehensive and efficient relative to peer nations. The reliance on private automobiles and commercial air travel for routes that can be served by high-speed rail is a uniquely American phenomenon. This inefficiency is deeply rooted in governance structures, where centralized decision-making has often failed to address the complexities of metropolitan transit systems spanning multiple jurisdictions. This project explores polycentric governance as a potential mechanism to address these shortcomings by fostering competition, enhancing collaboration, and promoting localized responsiveness within metropolitan transit systems. By developing an empirical inventory to measure governance polycentricity and comparing transit outcomes …

Pandemics And Partisanship: The Impact Of Political Identity On Public Health Responses, Andy Tuholski

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This literature review examines the intersection of political partisanship and public health responses during pandemics, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Historically, pandemics such as the Venetian plague (1575-1577) and the Great Plague of London (1665-1666) have elicited responses driven by socioeconomic and health factors. In contrast, the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. was distinctly shaped by pre-existing political affiliations, particularly between conservative and liberal factions. Applying Social Identity Theory (SIT), this review explores how group identity and partisanship influenced pandemic-related behaviors and attitudes. Empirical evidence indicates that Republican-leaning states experienced higher COVID-19 mortality rates, …

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

Identifying Intangible And Biocultural Heritage Elements Toward Environmental Understanding: Engaging Stakeholders Through Art, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Grounded in a case study in Barbuda in the Caribbean, this research examines sustainability from the perspective of what arts and heritage can contribute to community engagement and local and broader understandings about the environment. This article documents a growing body of literature recognizing the role of arts and culture, including local knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), in climate change endeavors. Art and TEK present expansive world views. Contextual information situates research done on the island of Barbuda pre- and post-Hurricane Irma. Visual arts workshops engaged community members in mixed methods research. Results documented cultural elements, particularly intangible and …

The Winds Of Change: How China's Focus On Rare Earth Minerals Reshapes The World, Ian Murphy, Kevin Johnston

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This article examines how rare earth minerals and the People's Republic of China's (PRC) strategic dominance in the global economy affect U.S. national security. The PRC's near monopoly on rare earth processing and its use of export controls as leverage pose significant risks to global supply chains and U.S. national security interests. This analysis explores contemporary PRC strategies in the rare earth sector and their implications for U.S. national security by explaining how the PRC's view of international cooperation differs from the United States' view. In essence, the PRC is using the transition to renewable energy to pursue its broader …

Essays On Public And Nonprofit Financial Management In Times Of Crisis, Junoh Jeon

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

This dissertation comprises three essays that examine critical aspects of public and nonprofit financial management, focusing on interorganizational relationships, local government influence, and financial reserve management in times of crisis.

The first essay examines how interorganizational relationships, specifically nonprofit organizations’ board interlocks, relate to their financial distress, depending on the temporal and spatial contexts. Organization-level fixed-effects regression analysis with Kentucky nonprofits from 2018 to 2022 shows that nonprofits with board interlocks in urban areas were less likely to experience financial distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. I suggest that board interlock acts as an adaptive buffering tool that helps manage resource …

The Paradox Of Survival: Gendered Food Insecurity, Labor Inequalities, And Coping Strategies During The 2023/4 Drought In Eastern Ethiopia, Meron E. Lemma

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

In drought-prone regions of Eastern Ethiopia, recurring droughts profoundly reshape everyday life in ways that deepen existing gendered inequalities. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Fedis district, including semi-structured interviews with women, project implementers, and government officials, as well as group discussions with community members, this study explores how women experience, navigate, and resist the gendered impacts of drought. By attending to the sociopolitical dynamics of drought and the development interventions that accompany it, I analyze how these forces restructure labor, land, food systems, and authority in ways that reproduce and exacerbate existing inequalities. Women’s coping strategies, ranging from begging and …

Synthetic Statocracy - Pakistan’S Self-Created Inferno: Examining The Causes And Consequences Of Military Dominance In Pakistan, Umer Lakhani

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the history of military rule in Pakistan. Applying the framework of Johannes Gerschewski in The Three Pillars of Stability: Legitimation, Repression and Co-Optation in Autocratic Regimes, this paper looks to explain how military rulers who presided over the three periods of military rule in Pakistan consolidated and maintained their power, as well as the effects that these periods of rule had on Pakistani society. This paper will also supplement Gerschewski’s general framework by applying the findings of various established authors who have been published extensively on Pakistan’s political history, economy and relationship with the military. Such authors …

A Geopolitical Economy Analysis Of China And India’S Approaches To Transnational Data Governance, Yujia He, Ka Zeng

Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Faculty Publications

Recent literature on the behavior of rising powers in digital trade and data governance highlights their discourses of data sovereignty and desire to preserve domestic policy autonomy. This article contributes to the literature by employing a political economy lens that shifts the focus from the nation-state/inter-state framework towards the dynamics of state–capital relations, allowing for a more historical and contextual understanding of the geopolitics of data governance in emerging economies. Using China and India—two of the largest emerging economies—as comparative cases, and drawing on secondary data from government documents and other sources, the article argues that the interplay between the …

Politics In Public Health: Growing Partisan Divides In Covid-19 Vaccine Attitudes And Uptake Post-2021 Presidential Inauguration, Hongbin Fan, Zhongliang Zhou, Guanping Liu, Chi Shen, Qi Zhang

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objectives: To investigate whether the 2021 U.S. presidential inauguration contributed to a widening of partisan divides in COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and uptake. Methods: We leverage the presidential inauguration as a natural experiment and analyze data from the Household Pulse Survey and CDC vaccination records. Using a difference-in-differences framework with continuous treatment, we examine how the transition differentially affected state-level vaccine refusal rates and county-level vaccination rates, based on varying levels of partisanship as measured by the Trump-Biden vote gap. Results: Following Biden's inauguration, vaccine refusal declined more in pro-Biden states. Distrust in government and vaccines accounted for approximately 80% of …

Healing Communities With Police Divestment: Seeking Abolition Through Transformative Reform And Community-Government Collaboration, Jessica E. Gillson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concerns about the efficacy and sustainability of the U.S. carceral system have persisted throughout the country’s history, recently fueling renewed activism and bipartisan calls for reform. However, proposed solutions remain divisive. This thesis first defines the current status of our prison systems, then explores collaborative alternatives to incarceration and policing that support communities and break cycles of incarceration.

Focusing on partnerships among local governments, community organizations, justice-involved individuals, and law enforcement, this study examines holistic approaches to crime prevention, reentry, and reintegration. Using an interdisciplinary framework incorporating restorative justice, community resilience, and systems theory, it investigates how community-based strategies can …

Securitization Of African Migrants In Europe And North America, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The securitization of African migrants in Europe and North America refers to the framing of immigrants as an existential security threat rather than a socioeconomic or humanitarian concerns. This discourse driven by political rhetoric, media narratives, and policy measures, often depict African migrants as risks to national security, cultural identity, and economic stability. Governments in host countries employ stringent border controls, detention and deportation policies often justified by counterterrorism and crime prevention frameworks. However, critics argue that securitization exacerbates xenophobia, violates human rights, and fails to address root causes of migration, such as conflict, poverty, and climate change. This paper …

U.S. - China Technological Rivalry And The Future Of International Scientific Norms, Tatum Mosley

McNair Summer Research Program

This study is investigating how technological competition between the United States and China is reshaping international norms of scientific cooperation, with a particular focus on the semiconductor and computing sectors. Drawing on constructivist international relations theory, this research evaluates changes in norms of openness, academic exchange, multilateral governance, and ethical convergence. Using sector specific case studies, it compares the current U.S. - China dynamics to Cold War era science diplomacy. The analysis highlights growing fragmentation, norm divergence, and institutional strain as the global scientific order enters an era of techno-nationalist rivalry. It also considers whether new norms are emerging in …

Death Of A Doctrine: The End Of Classical Deterrence In A Complex Multipolar World, Daniel H. Wang

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Today's deterrence is dramatically different from that during the Cold War. This thesis examines how changes in global geopolitics altered deterrent frameworks and how those changes threaten strategic stability. Traditional nuclear deterrence is built on clear adversaries, established escalation protocols, and predictable outcomes that are increasingly obsolete when facing modern realities. Adversaries employ hybrid strategies below the traditional thresholds of nuclear deterrence while integrating nuclear capabilities into these hybrid tactics, driving a distinct disadvantage for traditional deterrence frameworks. Russia uses nuclear signaling with gray zone operations, China combines multidomain operations with nuclear deterrence to employ a full spectrum of capabilities, …

Nuclear Deterrence Strategies And The Balance Of Power In Europe, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The beginning of the Cold War era indubitably defines nuclear deterrence strategies in Europe by reinforcing and re-strategizing security dynamics amongst European States. The balance of power in Europe has been geopolitically influenced by NATO and Russia in a quest to avoid any kind of security dilemmas from either side. In order to maintain a strategic deterrence balance posture, this complex security navigation scenario therefore act as stabilizing factor in the region as well as preventing any future conflict on the Europe continent resulting from security imbalances. NATO eastward enlargement has maintained a significant strategic balance of power in the …

Perceptions And Treatment Decisions For A Drug Offender Based On Social Class, Cocaine Type, Personal Characteristics, And Compassionate Love: A Vignette Study, Yasmin A. Odeh

Theses and Dissertations

Problem: The shift from a focus on rehabilitation to the more punitive, “tough on crime” approach to illegal behavior in the U.S. has been enacted in no small way by policies connected to the use and abuse of drugs. The disparities between crack and powder cocaine—two chemically similar substances—have headlined this shift (Vagins and McCurdy 2006). However, research is scarce on laypeople’s approval of deterrence approaches for drug offenses, including as a function of types (e.g., powder vs. cocaine possession). This study examined people’s perceptions of prosecutorial decisions for drug offenders—whether they are punished, rehabilitated, or both—and whether people perceived …

Civilian Manufacturing And National Defense: Strategic Planning For Globalization's Challenges, Izeck Kohler

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines the interconnection between civilian manufacturing and national defense within the context of globalization. The study aims to identify the challenges faced by the United States in maintaining its manufacturing capabilities and to propose strategic solutions to address these challenges. Through a comprehensive analysis of historical data, case studies, and policy recommendations, the research highlights the critical role of specialized and process manufacturing sectors towards national defense. The findings suggest that the creation of a federal executive department, strategic investment, diversification, policy re-evaluation, and collaborating with allies are essential for sustaining national defense capabilities. The study concludes with …

Esg Federalism: How State Regulations Shape Esg Performance, Kameron Eck

All Master's Theses

This thesis examines how state-level environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations influence corporate ESG performance in the United States. Using a panel dataset that combines state ESG legislation, firm-level ESG scores from S&P Global, and financial data from Compustat (2019–2024), I employ fixed-effects regression models to analyze the relationship between state ESG regulations and corporate ESG performance. The analysis incorporates firm and year fixed effects to account for unobservable heterogeneity across companies and time, while controlling for firm-specific characteristics. Additionally, the study investigates whether board gender diversity moderates this relationship. The findings contribute to the understanding of ESG policy effectiveness …

Assessing High-Speed Rail (Hsr) Policy And Politics In Washington State: Avoiding The Mistakes Of The Past, Landen K. Hashimura

All Master's Theses

While international standard high-speed rail (HSR) has yet to be successfully completed in the US, there is a national interest in the topic, as evidenced by recent federal initiatives to research HSR across various corridors. The Cascadia Corridor has been identified as a region with high potential for HSR, leading to an ongoing study in the State of Washington. Given the tumultuous history of American HSR development, the Cascadia HSR initiative needs to avoid the mistakes of the past. Two major contributing factors to this failure to build HSR are uneven political support for HSR and poor policy frameworks. Despite …

Empowering U.S. Allies In The Indo-Pacific: An "America First" Approach To Great Power Competition, Nathaniel Benjamin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Indo-Pacific is the primary area for Great Power Competition between the United States and China. China’s rapid but cautious rise has allowed it to achieve a position that threatens to upset the norms and rules of the U.S.-led system in the region. The second Trump Administration has pursued an “America First” policy since taking office in January 2025, but pushing U.S. allies to take on more responsibility for their own defense will not be enough. U.S. allies are major regional players and should be trusted to uphold the principles of the current international system; therefore the U.S. must limit …

Indopacom Force Structure: A Trajectory Into The 2030s, Robert Burke

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Over the past ten years Taiwan has become a major point of friction between the United States and People’s Republic of China with both militaries preparing for a potential conflict over the island. China vastly expanded its military forces and capabilities over the past thirty years and is intent on obtaining the ability to both seize Taiwan by force and prevent the United States from generating enough combat power to intervene and defend the island. The Pentagon began to restructure its conventional forces in the Western Pacific at the end of the 2010s, implementing new operational concepts designed to fight …

The Return Of War In International Politics, Chick Edmond, Nkenglefack Dessailly Forku

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This article examines the resurgence of war in international politics after the Cold War. It contends that interstate wars have declined after 1990 and there was high optimism for stability and a cooperative international order, but contemporary conflicts have evolved into complex intrastate and asymmetric confrontations involving non-state actors, ethnic and religious divisions, resource competition, and geopolitical rivalries. The paper uses a constructivist approach and secondary qualitative data to identify and explore key drivers of this trend such as the rise of terrorist and insurgent groups, the politicization of identity, disputes over scarce resources, erosion of international norms, and intensifying …

Futures Assessment Of The Russo-Ukrainian War, Jonathon O'Brien

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report discusses and explores a series of scenarios regarding the end of the Russo-Ukrainian war, which began in February 2022. The three scenarios are a continued stalemate, where neither side gains an upper hand in the conflict, a Ukrainian victory, and a Russian victory. Each scenario also explores several factors that could impact their likelihood, including international support, battlefield prowess, etc. This paper aims to provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation in Ukraine and the likely outcomes of the conflict. Research for this project was conducted between March and April 2025, with findings representing an …