American Politics Commons^™

Social Media Effects On People's Fear Of Terrorism, Cameron Pastore

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In the past few decades, social media has constantly been upgraded to comply with users' needs. Social media has become a prevalent tool today as many use it to share their thoughts and gain a glimpse into other people's lives, but a lot of people also use social media to obtain news about what is going on in the world and their communities. In this article, I examine social media’s influence on people's fear of a potential terrorist attack on their homeland. The data for this research was obtained through The Chapman University Survey on American Fears (CSAF), conducted in …

Qanon Deconstructed: Faith And Lies, Sam Andrus

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

All prior categorizations of conspiracy theories fall short when applied to the system of belief known as QAnon. This paper first examines the previous literature that laid down a basis for understanding the nature of conspiracies and isolates aspects of the QAnon canon to delineate and test the predictors of belief. The data for this research were obtained from the 2020 wave of the Chapman Survey of American Fears (CSAF) conducted by the Earl Babbie Research Center at Chapman University. Layered crosstabulation tests and multiple linear regression results find that conspiratorial thinking outweighs partisanship when predicting QAnon belief. Strikingly, despite …

The Influence Of Religion On Immigration Public Opinion, Olga Alvertos

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study explores the ways in which the religious beliefs of individuals influence their opinion on immigration and immigration related policy. While seemingly separate topics, the two are interwoven through variables such as party affiliation, education level, and age. Previous studies show a clear correlation between frequent attendance of religious services and positive views on immigration and related policies. This topic has yet to be explored in depth and with reference to frequency of religious attendance. Using ANES data, my goal with this research is to determine if a strong attachment to religion affects public opinion of immigration policy and …

The Levels And Discrepancies Of America’S Fear Of Terrorism, Kate Lindfors

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Within the United States, individuals do not appear to possess an accurate understanding of terrorism and the threat it may pose to Americans. This not only creates inaccurate perceptions of the actual risk levels associated with terrorism in the U.S. but a misunderstanding of the potential sources of terrorist threats and the impact they could have on the country. In this paper, I will examine this misunderstanding of contemporary terrorism, particularly in relation to America’s inflated sense of fear and general misplacement of the threat. In order to examine this topic, I have used the Chapman University Survey on American …

Biopolitics And Belief: The Impacts Of Religious Attitudes On Reproductive Rights In The U.S., Katlyn Barbaccia

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade (1973)—a groundbreaking case that legalized the right to have an abortion—which signified a deep rift in the nation between the opinions of its lawmakers and citizens in the wake of a widening partisan gap. Biopower, according to Foucault, can be defined as the governing of bodies wherein citizens are stripped of bodily autonomy and are closely regulated by the nation-state. Manifested in political consequences, this can be defined as biopolitics, or when the nation-state’s ideas are made into a reality in the political realm. …

Public Opinion On Illegal Immigration In The United States: Understanding The Xenophobic Sentiments Towards Illegal Immigrants, Alexandra Martinez

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Over the past 10 years, the topic of illegal immigration has divided Americans with the past three presidencies. This paper investigates the relationship between party ID,media exposure, education and religion with the views a person has on illegal immigration. Using the Chapman Survey of American Fears, I found a moderately strong relationship between an individual's party-identification and how much fear
they show towards the topic of illegal immigration throughout the United States. I found that media exposure and a person’s political identification correlates with their views on illegal immigration. Among the interesting findings, I can conclude that individuals with more …

Political Participation: Beyond The Vote, Miriam Elfahdi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Participation in political and social matters is a core part of democracy. The manner in which people participate varies vastly and can have different outcomes. In this essay I will examine the relationship between respondents' age, income, gender, race, and education level and the way they participate politically. Using reliable data from the American National Election Studies, I will examine the previously listed independent variables to various questions on political participation from the 2020 version of the survey. Among the findings, I find a mild relationship between age and attendance in protests/rallies. These findings point to the importance of analyzing …

Black Americans At A Crossroads In American Politics: Electoral Participation, Protest, And Policy Change, Tenille-Rose Martin

Dissertations

This dissertation explores Black political participation in the United States. I argue there is a relationship between Black political participation and trust in government, political efficacy, group consciousness, linked fate, political knowledge, and desire to engage in social activism. This argument draws on research on political participation, group identity, and political behavior and attitudes within the Black community.

A mixed-method approach was used in the study. Data was collected from Blacks across the country via an original survey and interviews. The data analysis chapter determined some support for the theoretical framework, albeit aspects of the model were rejected. Results determined …

Predictors Of College Student Support Toward Colin Kaepernick’S National Anthem Protests, Brooke Coursen, Nicole Peiffer, Sakira Coleman, Philip Lucius

VA Engage Journal

Racial discrimination and inequality have perpetuated within the U.S. since its inception. In 2016, Colin Kaepernick initiated the national anthem protests to oppose the oppression of people of color in America. This study was developed in 2018 to identify social determinants of health underlying discriminatory beliefs and behaviors. The objective was to investigate the impacts of college students’ race, gender, political ideology, socio-economic status [SES], NFL interest, patriotism, and general protest support on support for the national anthem protests. We administered paper-and-pencil surveys across locations on the James Madison University campus using a convenience sample. There were 408 participants included, …

Model Minority Or Myth? Reexamining The Politics Of S.I. Hayakawa, Vivian Yan-Gonzalez

Asian American Studies Faculty Articles and Research

This article problematizes the model minority myth as an analytic in discussions of Asian American conservatism by reassessing the personal and political development of S.I. Hayakawa, Acting President of San Francisco State College during the Third World Liberation Front strike of 1968–1969. Contemporary activists and Asian American studies scholars influenced by the strike’s legacy have seen Hayakawa as a staunch conservative and an advocate of the model minority myth. However, Hayakawa was primarily motivated by his lifelong identification with the liberal tradition and his work as an advocate for racial equality. His realignment as a neoconservative Republican reflected the shifting …

Languages Of Reform: Populist Revolution Or Middle-Class Progressivism?, Timothy Vest Klein

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Populists and Progressives around the turn of the 20^th century had similar reform goals and many of the same foes. Both wanted to expand the power of the federal government to counter corporate monopolies which were dominating the nation’s economy and political system. In the early 1900s, Progressives enacted numerous reforms that were championed by Populists, including regulating railroads and other large corporations, breaking-up monopolies, implementing a graduated income tax, among other reforms. With so much agreement on policy, why did Populists and Progressives actively work against one another in the 1890s?

Part of their antagonism came from their …

A New Wave Of “Space Nationalism” In The United States: Why Are Evangelicals Good With It?, Andrea Molle

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Despite evidence that shows how the support for space programs correlates with liberal political views and a lower level of religiosity, recent data suggest that more conservative positions may have an even more substantial effect under the appropriate conditions. Using the available data from Pew's American Trends Panel, we seek to clarify this interactional effect of political and religious preferences on the level of interest in the space programs and commitment to space politics support among Evangelicals as it changed during Trump's presidency. Our research hypothesizes that during this time, the simultaneous presence of nationalist views in both accounts of …

From #Stopthesteal To An Insurrection: A Fantasy Theme Analysis Of The Discourse Surrounding The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Guy Riggins

Student Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is to understand the ways in which Donald Trump perpetuated widespread claims of election fraud throughout the 2020 election. I use Fantasy Theme Analysis to examine connections between the rhetorical strategies of #StopTheSteal and the speech Trump gave on January 6, 2021. I argue that Trump facilitated the development and evolution of a shared rhetorical vision of a democracy under attack by perpetuating the fantasy themes of a biased media and an imminent unlawful transfer of power. I argue that the rhetorical strategies developed by #StopTheSteal were evoked during Trump’s speech at The Ellipse, which …

The Impact Of Political Beliefs On Ethical Framework In Adults

Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research

This study aimed to examine the differences between major political philosophies in the United States and whether these beliefs influence a person’s ethical views. This research was a non-experimental correlation design, using a survey methodology with adult participants. The participants were asked to complete the 39-item The Impact of Political Beliefs on Ethical Frameworks in Adults Survey. A Pearson’s r was conducted to determine the relationship between political beliefs and ethical frameworks. The results showed a slightly positive correlation that was statistically significant [r(166) = .28, p = .000]. Therefore, there was sufficient evidence to support the research hypothesis: there …

Framing Of Latinx Vote Choice And Voter Registration, Laurel E. Bennett

Student Publications

This work investigates media framing done by CNN between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Although Latinx voters remain underrepresented and under researched, they have the ability to highly influence elections. Specifically, CNN uses the sleeping giant frame, the need for Latinx voter registration as a frame, and the importance of Latinx voter mobilization as a frame in the 2020 presidential election more prominently than in the 2016 presidential election upon consideration of Latinx vote choice and voter turnout.

How Do You Vote? Breaking Down Party Identification By Racial Resentment, Stellarose B. Emery

Student Publications

Racial resentment has long existed in the United States, with the idea that Black people receive unfair advantages by exploiting their race thus negatively affecting White people. In a time in which politics is drastically polarized, a focus is put onto an individual's political identity. The purpose of this research is to determine under what conditions does race influence vote choice by examining how racial bias influences political affiliation. Using data from the 2012 and 2016 National Election Study, the results revealed that ideological thoughts do have an impact on a person’s political party identity as individuals with a higher …

Political Trust: Nature Or Nurture, Kahlan R. Canty

Student Publications

This paper looked into the relationship between political trust, demographics (race and gender), and presidential election votes for 2012 and 2016. The purpose of this research was to see the baseline feelings of political trust in different demographics, as well as how those feelings of political trust changed depending on if they voted for in the winning candidate in the presidential election. Preliminary research has already been conducted on both of these topics; however, in this paper I sought to examine if an individual's race or gender affected the extent of a person's loss or gain in political trust when …

An Alternate Route: How Ronald Reagan Defied Expectations With His Approach To The Crosswinds Of The Patco Strike, Brock Bellinger

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

One challenge which reveals an executive’s leadership ability involves making the decision to fire an employee. President Ronald Reagan did not enjoy firing employees, due in part to his own father struggling to maintain employment. When the 1981 PATCO strike occurred, several obstacles arose which tested Reagan’s ability to act. The Professional Air Traffic Controller’s Organization (PATCO) had publicly supported Reagan during his 1980 presidential campaign when other unions did not. Additionally, Reagan was sympathetic to unions, even serving as President of the Screen Actor’s Guild. These potential obstacles proved challenging from a political and personal perspective. However, when the …

“The United States’ Broken Immigration Policy: The Labor Shortage And A Public Policy Solution”, Timothy P. O'Brien, Melissa Beaudoin

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The United States is a nation divided. The recent surge of illegal immigration into the United States has been the source of contention and debate among the American public. While some want to welcome all immigrants, others insist that immigrants enter the United States legally. With an emphasis placed on the accommodation and the placement of illegal immigrants, less attention has been paid to the United States’ need for immigration. This article asserts that while illegal immigration is a problem that must be addressed, more immigrants are needed. With sinking birth rates and an aging population, the United States needs …

Gospels Of (Anti)Inequality: The Politics Of Biblical Interpretation In The New Poor People’S Campaign And Capitol Ministries, Jonathan Peter Tschudy

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation explores the role of biblical interpretation in the politics of inequality in the United States. Building on scholarship in American Political Development that identifies ideas as integral to institution building, I analyze the interplay between biblical interpretations, organizational structures, and political strategies within two contemporary religio-political groups: the New Poor People’s Campaign (NPPC) and Capitol Ministries (CM). Methodologically, I combine in-depth, interpretative readings of primary source documents with an historical institutional analysis of the secondary literature on the role of religion in American politics. I argue that the two organizations’ elite leaders – Reverends William Barber II and …