Political Science Commons^™

Political Uncertainty And Firm-Level Stock Market Reactions In The United States, Nozomi Tanaka

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Political uncertainty has become an increasingly important feature of the global economy, with major geopolitical events often triggering rapid reactions in financial markets. This study examines how geopolitical shocks affect firm-level stock market performance in the United States. Using an event study framework, the analysis evaluates cumulative returns and stock return volatility for fourteen publicly traded firms across nine major geopolitical events between 2016 and 2022, including the Brexit referendum, the U.S.–China trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia–Ukraine war.

The results indicate that most firms experienced negative abnormal returns around geopolitical events, suggesting that political uncertainty is generally …

Beyond The Legal Black Hole: Hyper-Legality, Deferral, And Detention In Northeast Syria, Grace T. Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the detention of suspected ISIS affiliates and their family members held in facilities administered by the Kurdish-led authorities in North-East Syria. Thousands of foreign nationals remain detained without trial, without repatriation, and in conditions widely criticized as inhumane. Existing scholarship and political discourse often describe these facilities as legal voids, limbo, or black holes where law has broken down or ceased to apply. This thesis challenges that characterization. Rather than existing outside the law, the facilities are governed through overlapping frameworks of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, counterterrorism security resolutions, and domestic laws. I argue …

Egypt’S Accession To Brics: Hedging And Strategic Positioning In A Multipolar Order, Daria Konstantinova

Theses and Dissertations

Amid Egypt’s longstanding, multifaceted cooperation with the U.S. and Western institutions, spanning political support, economic partnerships, and IMF/World Bank programs, 2024 BRICS expansion included Egypt as one of the new group’s members. This move might be explained by leadership strategic vision, domestic constraints, and geopolitical global and regional dynamics. This research explains the drivers behind Egypt’s accession to BRICS and the way this decision reflects Egypt’s strategic positioning in a changing global order, using agency-centered approach and the theoretical framework of strategic hedging.

While existing literature on BRICS expansion partially explains the reasons behind the new members’ accession and its …

The Functioning Of The Refugee Regime In The Global South, Rihem Sejil

Theses and Dissertations

Why do states continue to sign compacts and reaffirm responsibility-sharing, even as protection burdens fall increasingly on the Global South? This thesis argues that this concentration is a direct result of, rather than an exception to, international cooperation. It introduces the concept of "selective cooperation" to explain how states maintain formal commitments to protection while repurposing cooperation: shifting it from a remedial tool designed to assist burdened hosts to one focused on containment and preventing arrivals. Three mechanisms facilitate this shift: donor retrenchment, resettlement contraction, and externalization, with each mechanism closing gaps left by the others. Analyzing cases spanning resettlement, …

How Traditional And Social Media Shapes Public Perception Of United States Surpeme Court Decisions On Civil Liberties, Leila P. Martin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study examines how traditional and social medai shape public perception of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on Civil liberties, focusing on four landmark cases: Dobbs v. Jackson, District of Columbia v. Heller, Materpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, and Obergfell v. Hodges. Using Entmans framing theory, the research analyzes how tone, language, emphasis, and ideological slant differ across media platofrms and how these frames infleunce public attitudes, insitutional trust, and civic understanding. A mixed-methods design combines archival media analysis, national polling data from Pew Rsearch Center and gallup, and an independent survery to asses how media narratives, rather than …

Pathways Of Influence: Indigenous Peoples’ Agency And Leadership In Arctic Governance, Justin Barnes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

For the peoples and communities who have lived in the Arctic since time immemorial, Arctic governance is not only about international cooperation, environmental management, or geopolitical competition. It is also about sustaining and advocating for Indigenous livelihoods, relationships with land and water, rights and responsibilities, and opportunities for future generations – all themes directly affected by political decisions made across local, regional, national, and international levels. This dissertation begins from a central question about how Indigenous Peoples exercise their agency and influence in Arctic governance despite operating within an international system largely organized around states. It examines this phenomenon by …

Does The Court Follow The Election Returns?, Thomas Keck

Political Science - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

I, Too, Am America: Latino Men, American Identity, And Support For Conservative Immigration Policy, Nadia Ratib-Eixarch

Holster Scholar Projects

In the 2024 Presidential election, Donald Trump won 43% of the Latino male vote and 32% of the Latina vote, despite his history of anti-immigration and anti-Latino rhetoric. This 11-point gender gap among Latino voters exceeded the seven-point gender gap among white voters. Although Trump ran on anti-immigration policy, Latino male voters recorded their main concerns as inflation and jobs, suggesting a divergence between Latino male voters’ perceptions of their interests and those of the larger Latino community. Schaffner and Soler (2025) argue that this divergence is because Latino men who support Trump no longer identify primarily as Latino.

This …

Algorithmic Oversight: Caremark's Fiduciary Framework Applied To Artificial Intelligence, Samar Singh

Political Science and International Relations: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Artificial intelligence now drives core corporate decision, such as loan approvals and hiring screens, yet corporate boards have largely treated its governance as a management-level policy questions rather than a fiduciary obligation. This paper argues that this framing is mistaken, using Delaware's Caremark doctrine, as refined by Marchand v. Barnhill, In re Boeing, and In re McDonald's. The relevant cases already impose an enforceable duty on boards to actively oversee mission algorithmic systems, and by applying Marchand's mission-critical standard, this paper demonstrates that AI performs core business functions that expose companies to anti-discrimination, consumer protection, and …

Kosovo’S Strategic Missteps With International Law, Parker W. Remick, Robert Muharemmi

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

This paper interrogates the principle of selective engagement with international law in the foreign policy of Kosovo, arguing that international law functions less as a neutral arbiter between states and more as a pliable instrument wielded in the pursuit of national objectives. Through a meticulous analysis of Kosovo’s post-2008 trajectory, the study unveils a pattern of selective engagement with international legal mechanisms highlighting both moments of strategic acumen and critical miscalculations. Despite possessing the legal attributes of statehood, Kosovo’s struggle for international legitimacy is hampered by a failure to fully exploit legal avenues, from multilateral treaty accession to litigation and …

Arms Proliferation And Its Control Mechanism In Nigeria: An Assessment, Mubarak Sulaiman Jamiu, Seyid Ishola Hassan, Adedoyin John Towoju

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

The proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs) in Nigeria has emerged as a critical threat to national security and political stability. Despite the enactment of various legislative frameworks, including the Firearms Act of 1959, the circulation of illicit firearms continues unabated, exacerbating terrorism, militancy, and organized crime across the country. This study critically examines the causes, implications, and potential solutions to SALW proliferation in Nigeria, focusing on governance failures, legal inefficiencies, and institutional weaknesses. Utilizing State Fragility Theory and Failed State Theory, the research identifies how poor governance, corruption, and the lack of effective enforcement have contributed to …

One Land, “Different Owners”: Theoretical Explanations Of Communal Conflicts In Nigeria, Chukwudi G. Njoku

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

Communal conflicts are prevalent in Nigeria, with thousands of fatalities recorded. Literature suggests that an overwhelming percentage of these conflicts are land ownership related. Through a systematic review of literature and an analysis of conflict data, this study provides further understanding of the role of land ownership and competition in the occurrence and lethality of communal conflicts. It argues that land competition, more than other socio-economic factors is the key driver of communal conflicts in Nigeria. The findings from the analyses are explained with three theories – the tragedy of the commons which proved that the conflicts are triggered by …

Assessment Of Nigeria Military’S Efforts In Combating Boko Haram Terrorism (2015-2023), Adedoyin Jolaade Omede, Oluwafemi Babatunde Oladimeji

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

This study assessed the Nigerian military’s efforts in combat against Boko Haram's terrorism between 2015 and 2023. This study adopted a qualitative methodology. Secondary data was utilised, and the data was analysed using content analysis to achieve the objectives of this study. The key findings are: initially, the Western states particularly the US hesitated to give Nigeria support against Boko Haram due to Herskovits Factor and human rights (Leahy Law) concerns but later in 2015, they provided military aid and financial support alongside other international actors; there was a decline in Boko Haram’s attacks and fatalities between 2015 and 2023 …

Shu World Review- September 28th 2026, Diplolab, Seton Hall University

SHU World Review

No abstract provided.

When Every Policy Is Called Innovation: Innovation Inflation And The Politics Of Policy Labelling In Indonesian Local Government, Anggia Ermarini, Anry Firmansyah, Rio Yusri Maulana, Ahmad Zaini Miftah

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This study examines how local governments construct policy innovation claims and the extent to which such claims are supported by substantive novelty, regulatory conformity, institutional capacity, and evidence of public benefit. The study employed a qualitative document analysis with a comparative multiple-case design. The analysis covered 29 documents, consisting of 21 documents related to six policy cases and eight national regulations used as comparative standards. The cases included Sekolah MAUNG, Panca Waluya Character Education, the 5 a.m. school policy, Qlue, Electronic Parking Terminals, and i-Jus Melon. The data were analysed using directed qualitative content analysis across three dimensions: substance, regulation …

Cartelized Parliament And The Decline Of Legislative Oversight In Indonesia’S Multiparty Presidentialism, Shanty Kartika Dewi, Anis Fuad

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This article examines the tendency of Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR RI) in the 2024–2029 term to move toward a cartelized parliament within Indonesia’s multiparty presidential system. It addresses how the dominance of an oversized governing coalition after the 2024 election weakens parliamentary opposition and reduces the effectiveness of checks and balances over the executive. The study employs a qualitative explanatory approach using a single-case study design, process tracing, and documentary analysis. The data are drawn from official state and parliamentary documents, KPU decisions, legislative agendas, democracy monitoring reports, credible media coverage, and public statements by political elites. The findings …

Mapping Coastal Community-Based Tourism Empowerment: Public Policy And Sustainable Development On Bangka Island, Putra Pratama Saputra, Hadiyanto Abdul Rachim, Arie Surya Gutama, Moch. Zaenal Hakim

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This study analyzes the conceptualization and practice of community-based tourism empowerment on Bangka Island, serving as a strategic approach to promote sustainable and inclusive coastal tourism. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were gathered through interviews with nine key informants, observations, and policy document analysis. Findings reveal that these empowerment initiatives significantly strengthen individual and institutional capacities, enhance community participation in tourism planning, and drive economic diversification from extractive industries to sustainable tourism. Furthermore, this approach facilitates economic transformation through the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and coastal ecotourism, concurrently reinforcing environmental conservation and cultural preservation. However, …

Developing A Climate-Adaptive Public Service Framework For Sustainable Agriculture: Preliminary Evidence From A Disaster-Prone Village In Indonesia, Susila Susila, Rizky Aditya Surya Pratama, Muhammad Daud Yusuf, Diah Apriliani

Jurnal Wacana Politik

Artikel ini bertujuan mengkaji bagaimana pelayanan publik tingkat desa dapat diintegrasikan dengan Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) untuk mendukung kapasitas adaptasi petani di kawasan rawan bencana hidrometeorologi di Jawa Barat, Indonesia, serta mengidentifikasi dimensi kandidat bagi kerangka Climate-Adaptive Public Service for Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSSA). Menggunakan desain studi kasus kualitatif eksploratif yang dilandasi tinjauan literatur terstruktur dan analisis dokumen kebijakan, penelitian ini menghimpun wawancara semi-terstruktur dengan empat informan di Desa Cibiru Wetan, Kecamatan Cileunyi, Kabupaten Bandung—Kepala Desa, Kepala Dusun, Ketua RW, dan anggota kelompok tani setempat—disertai kajian dokumen kebijakan kebencanaan dan pertanian tingkat kabupaten dan provinsi yang tersedia untuk publik. Analisis awal menemukan …

Transforming Military Spectrum Management With Spectrack, Rachel Mccoy, Rafa Gould, Abby Fornadel

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

The U.S. military faces operational and financial challenges due to inefficient electromagnetic spectrum
management. This poster and accompanying research statement introduce our minimum viable product, SpecTrack, which we created in response to a challenge presented by the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Spectrum Agency. SpecTrack centralizes and visualizes spectrum requests to offer insights, streamline communication, and reduce costs. It integrates with current tools like Spectrum XXI and HUNSWDO while enhancing usability through a visual Common Operating Picture (COP). Our user-centered design process included stakeholder interviews and site visits to Germany. The result: a scalable platform that modernizes and simplifies military …

Going Back To The Past: Veto Players, Historical Institutionalism, And The Asia Financial Crisis 1997/1998, Muhamad Iksan, Arif Haryadi

Jurnal Wacana Politik

Our article proposes a novel explanation of 1997/1998 Asia Financial Crisis (AFC) by going back to the past. As 2026 remarked twenty nine year anniversary of AFC. Our humble aim here is two folds. First, our paper attempts to investigate effect of veto players. Furthermore, we attempt to explain more on the concept and measurement of veto players. By incorporating such concept, it would enrich our understanding of the interlocking ideas of economic consequence of political institution with historical institutionalism. Moreover, we elaborate the concept and measurement of veto players explained how Asia-Pacific countries could learned from history for …