American Politics Commons^™

‘Casar Public Lecture: 100 Days Of Trump: America, The Middle East, And Beyond’, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

The entire world is literally getting new updates about Trump's internal & external policies almost everyday now....can you imagine that we are still yet to reach 100 days?? USAID cuts, Chinese and Canadian Tariffs, DEI revokes, Gaza War, Ukraine War, the case of Iran, National Economic Emergency in the US, ICE arrests in the US & so much more to discuss.....Trump's policies impact the US as well as everywhere in the world, but what are the repercussions so far?

Speakers: From AUC: Dr. Sean Lee, Assistant Professor, Political Science Department - Amb. Dr.Alaa El-Hadidi , CASAR Adjunct Professor.

The panel …

Analyzing The Impact That Partisan Media Had On Vote Choice In The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Hannah E. Fox

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines whether the partisan media that voters consume significantly influenced their vote in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. The study tests the hypothesis that individuals who frequently engaged with left-leaning media such as CNN were more likely to vote for Joe Biden, while voters consuming right-leaning media like FOX were more likely to vote for Donald Trump. This research contributes to a broader discussion of how different political, social, and economic factors influence voters' choices. Understanding the intersections between these ideas can provide deeper insights into some influencers in the outcomes of major elections as well as broader …

Vacant Voices - An Architectural Response To Spatial Neglect, Logan G. Handwork

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Vacant Voices explores how architecture can confront and reverse urban neglect by transforming long-abandoned land into civic space. Centered on the vacant lot at 3rd Avenue and James Street in Seattle—left undeveloped for over 20 years beside City Hall—this thesis investigates how public spaces can reflect the priorities of a government and the voices of its people. Through literature from Charles Wolfe, Rem Koolhaas, and Margaret Crawford, the project builds a theoretical foundation around everyday urbanism, adaptive reuse, and spatial justice.

The methodology incorporates case study analysis, expert interviews, and iterative prototyping. Precedents such as Zuccotti Park, Boston City Hall …

Recent U.S. Government Policy Literature On Critical And Strategic Minerals, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Critical and strategic minerals have become increasingly important in U.S. government civilian and military policymaking in recent years. This is demonstrated by the heavy use of such minerals in many critical civilian and military infrastructures. This work will discuss how this subject has been addressed in laws, presidential documents, and works by government agencies along with congressional oversight committees and support agencies. It will stress how the United States is heavily dependent on strategic minerals from adversarial foreign countries such as China and will examine U.S. efforts to increase its ability to produce such materials in the United States by …

Defining The Enemy Within: Examining The Case For A Federal Mechanism To Designate Domestic Terrorist Organizations In The United States, Evelyn Schneider

College Honors Program

Domestic terrorist incidents are on the rise within the United States. Activities of domestic terrorism increased by 357% between 2013 and 2021. While the United States has experienced a dramatic growth in domestic terrorism from violent organizations, other countries have faced this similar problem with a different approach as they have created mechanisms to officially designate domestic terrorist organizations. In this thesis, I will answer the question: Could and should the United States create a federal proscription mechanism for domestic terrorist organizations? Chapter 2 explores whether the Proud Boys, a domestic organization within the United States, could be considered a …

Shifting Alliances: Are Black People Increasingly Identifying As Republican?, Clamont C. Mack

Student Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates claims that Black Americans are increasingly aligning with the Republican Party. Drawing on theories of party identification and political realignment, I compare competing perspectives to determine appropriate indicators of realignment within the Black community. Using quantitative analysis across several datasets, I find a modest rise in Republican identification over the past decade, but a more pronounced decline in Democratic affiliation. These findings suggest not a realignment toward the Republican Party, but rather a dealignment from the Democratic Party. This challenges popular media narratives of realignment and instead points to growing political disengagement among Black Americans.

The Influence Of Money In Politics, Aminata Dieng

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Money plays a powerful role in shaping political outcomes by significantly influencing who gets elected and which policies are prioritized. Campaign financing, which includes donations from individuals, corporations, and Political Action Committees (PACs), often determines a candidate's visibility, resources, and ability to compete effectively. Those with greater financial backing tend to dominate media coverage and reach more voters, which can tip the scales in elections.

To What Extent Is Social Media A Tool For Political Mobilization?, Bridget Westrum

Political Science Theses and Capstones

This study looks at the potential impacts of social media advocacy on mobilizing the pubic. Drawing from the Pew Research Center’s 2018 American Trends Panel, I look at Americans’ views of technology, political involvement, and their perceptions of social media and online engagement. I found that younger respondents view social media as more important to their political engagements. I find a significant relationship between census region and perceived importance of social media on issue involvement, as well. Respondents from the southern United States who consider themselves to be "very liberal" report a greater influence of social media on their involvement …

Deadly Choices: Political, Legal, And Moral Understandings Of U.S. Supreme Court Death Penalty Decisions, Anabelle S. Bergstrom

University Scholar Projects

This thesis explores the political, legal, and moral factors that influence Supreme Court justices when penning capital punishment decisions. It also examines the evolution of thinking toward the death penalty by former justices John Paul Stevens and Harry Blackmun throughout their tenure on the Court. Cases are analyzed through fact-pattern analysis and the jurisprudential regime theory, which quantitatively build upon existing literature detailing the theoretical background of judicial decision-making through the attitudinal model. An analysis of Justices Blackmun and Stevens’ papers at the Library of Congress focuses on rhetoric that reflects utilitarian and retributive theories of punishment. Findings show that …

The Use And Implications Of The Visual Presentation In The 2024 Presidential Debates, Emma L. Rasmussen

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this study, the two 2024 presidential debates were analyzed for a variety of different trends including: who was on screen, the different camera shots used, and camera movement. Looking specifically at who was on screen, coding counted the moderators, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris. Six different camera shot types were also analyzed including: wide-overview shot, split-screen format, single medium shot, two-shot head on, two-shot low camera angle, and two shot high-camera angle. Camera movement behaviors were: counterclockwise motion, clockwise motion, zoom-in, zoom-out, and no movement. Video formats of the 2024 CNN and ABC debates were run through …

The Different Rhetoric Between Upholding And Overriding Disability Rights Inside The United States Supreme Court, Shane Egan

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper seeks to explain the rhetoric the U.S. Supreme Court uses when deciding disability cases, specifically when the Court upholds or overrides disability rights. The paper attempts to show how when the Court upholds disabled rights they use passive and weak rhetoric, and utilizes active and enforcing rhetoric when overriding disability rights. This paper analyzes this rhetoric inside education, healthcare, and employment cases heard by the Supreme Court.

Comparative Trends In Campaign Finance For United States Senate Elections After Citizens United, Jackson P. Terrell

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

While experts and laymen alike have agreed that United States politics have become more polarized over the last few decades, there are few answers about what has driven that polarization, as well as how that polarization has affected the campaign system. In addition, changes to campaign finance as a result of Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, 558 US 310 (2010) altered the ways that money could be raised and spent to support or oppose candidates. The effects of these changes in presidential election campaigns have been well documented. This research will investigate changing trends in campaign finance in United …

When 'Weird' Means 'Dangerous': Viruses And Firewalls In Affective Polarization, Nathan J. Locke

All Theses

As traditional sources of epistemic authority face declining trust, alternative narratives have gained prominence - often leveraging the emotional and cultural resonance of seemingly simple terms. In the 2024 election cycle, the term “weird” emerged as a potent meme in American political discourse. Using a memetic perspective that incorporates elements of framing theory and Social Judgment Theory, this thesis investigates the use and reaction to “weird” and its role in shaping perception of Donald Trump, his political allies, his followers, and his opposition during and immediately after the 2024 Presidential election. The memetic perspective, which views ideas as units of …

2024 Presidential Election Results, Ryan Carson, Noah Thomas, Katie Akateh, Jan Knoedler, Carrie Pirmann

Election Data

The data contained in this dataset cover the 2024 Presidential election results. Also included in this dataset are the winner results for the 2016 and 2020 election. Data were sourced from finalized (certified) state election board results wherever possible. All data is reported at the county level. Refer to the Presidential Election General Election 2024 Data Dictionary for a full list of data sources. To view a list of all variables included in this dataset, please see the Presidential Election General Election 2024 Codebook.

This dataset is already prepared for GIS mapping. Data for Alaska and Connecticut is not included …

Trading Diversity? Judicial Diversity And Case Outcomes In Federal Courts, Ryan W. Copus, Ryan Hübert, Paige Pellaton

Faculty Works

Are federal lawsuits resolved differently based on the race or gender of the judges assigned to hear them? Recent empirical research posits that women and judges of color decide cases more liberally, at least in some identity-salient areas of law. However, these studies analyze small numbers of cases and judges, and use research designs that limit their causal interpretations. Using an original dataset of all civil rights cases filed in 20 federal district courts over multiple decades and a strong causal identification strategy, we find that assignment of cases to judges of color or women has no statistically significant effect …

Who Gets To Have Fun? The Alternative Earmarking Of A Memecoin Marketplace, Mia Tanner

Sociology Honors Projects

Past research on cryptocurrency has highlighted its sociotechnical aspects, framing crypto projects as community-grounded movements disrupting traditional state and market structures through technological advancements. What happens when these disruptive promises are absent or only playfully invoked? Cryptocurrencies known as “memecoins” have grown their own followings without pledging future legitimacy that would seriously challenge existing institutions, instead linking their value to the meme they brand themselves with and vague democratic promises. That new scheme of valuation is especially evident in coins launched on the site pump.fun, which has lowered the barriers to crypto-coin creation. The platform's accessibility provides a new dimension …

Beyond The Legislature’S Website: Strategies And Tools For State Legislative Research That Informs Advocacy Work, Jennifer Horne

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

As the nation’s state legislatures increasingly decide the issues that affect citizens most directly, the ability to identify, track, and understand state legislation is key to successful advocacy efforts. While all state legislative websites provide the status and authoritative text of the bill, this may be insufficient to understand what the bill seeks to do and why the change is being proposed. To find plain English summaries and necessary context and background information on proposed bills, advocates may also need to find appropriate news sources and identify key stakeholders—those who care the most about the bill or are the most …

Democracy Divided: How Class Divisions Influence Political Participation And Political Attitudes In The United States, Ashlyn K. Boyd

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

How does an individual's socioeconomic status impact the level and type of their participation within the political realm? This research explores the many different participatory categories and behaviors within modern-day politics and examines how income, career, and social class affects participation. Using data from the American National Election Studies 2020 Time Series Study, this paper illustrates the most common forms of political engagement within the United States and displays the connection between participation and income level.

Recollections Of A Tejana Life, Carolina Yáñez

Art Theses and Dissertations

This thesis encompasses the life of a young woman navigating life in Texas through various political and social barriers. My interdisciplinary practice analyzes the historical context of Mexicans in Texas from its Revolutionary period into current injustices. Through fiber, printmaking, and photography I create a visual diary to illustrate what the political has made personal. These works display the beauty of Tejano culture, but also the power struggles that threaten communities I care for, as well as my own existence that persists against far-right wing agendas.

Current politics and government leadership in Texas have inspired me to make artwork calling …

Epistemic Dysfunction In American Politics: The Impact Of Misinformation On Knowledge Acquisition., Megan Crowley

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Political misinformation has become an increasingly prominent topic of discussion among scholars across disciplines, particularly in the wake of the 2020 American presidential election. Despite growing scholarly interest in this phenomenon, however, contemporary research has yet to examine misinformation alongside traditional epistemological theory. This thesis aims to remedy this gap by synthesizing classical epistemology, journalism and media research, and political science to investigate the impact of misinformation on political knowledge acquisition. To accomplish this goal, the analysis will focus on the justification condition, conceptualized according to both internalist and externalist perspectives. The internalism section will cast misinformation as a form …