The Inextricable Link Between Gendered Security And State Stability: Strategic Costs Of U.S. Humanitarian Retrenchment,
2025
Claremont McKenna College
The Inextricable Link Between Gendered Security And State Stability: Strategic Costs Of U.S. Humanitarian Retrenchment, Kirby Eh Kimball
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis examines the strategic consequences of the 2025 U.S. foreign aid freeze on gendered security in conflict-affected states, focusing on Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine. It argues that gendered security—the protection, empowerment, and rights of women and girls—is not a peripheral humanitarian concern but a foundational determinant of state stability, development, and democratic resilience. Through a qualitative comparative case study methodology, the research synthesizes empirical literature, United Nations reports, human rights documentation, and cross-national statistical analyses to demonstrate how the collapse of gender-focused humanitarian programs following the aid freeze will critically exacerbate conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), weaken state institutions, and …
Towards A New Paradigm Of Ownership: Employee Share Ownership As A Tool For Governance And Csr,
2025
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Towards A New Paradigm Of Ownership: Employee Share Ownership As A Tool For Governance And Csr, Zyed Achour, Mark J. Kaswan, Wajdi Ben Rejeb
Political Science Faculty Publications
Employee Share Ownership (ESO) is emerging as a model redefining corporate ownership and labor relations, within the broader context of “shared capitalism.” Despite growing research, gaps remain in understanding its relationship with corporate governance and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This chapter explores how ESO aligns employee interests with organizational goals, enhances governance, and fosters sustainable business models. It examines the theoretical foundations of ESO, its impact on governance, and its role in promoting CSR, addressing both benefits and challenges. The chapter also considers how ESO redefines capitalism and property rights, pushing towards more inclusive economic models. Finally, it discusses the …
In Search Of The Rational Voter In The 2020 Presidential Election: Understanding The Impact Of Voter Costs And Benefits On Turnout,
2025
Old Dominion University
In Search Of The Rational Voter In The 2020 Presidential Election: Understanding The Impact Of Voter Costs And Benefits On Turnout, Norou Diawara, Tiffany Henley, Samuel L. Brown, Md Iqbal Hossain
Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications
The ability to vote is one of the most valuable rights and privileges afforded by the Constitution of the United States to its citizens. For many, voting is not just a civic duty; it is also a choice. Voting is crucial to our democracy, and any changes to it may affect the efficiency of the democratic process. The bigger question is whether voters behave rationally by engaging in a cost-benefit calculus in deciding whether or not to vote. Using data science, this paper will examine the probability of voting and investigate its impact via cost and benefit among other variables …
The Luxury Belief: How Casual Political Labeling Harms The Lower Classes,
2025
Parkland College
The Luxury Belief: How Casual Political Labeling Harms The Lower Classes, Yan Lei
A with Honors Projects
This essay argues that casual political and moral labeling, when used as a luxury belief, misleads followers, fosters intellectual complacency, and amplifies misunderstandings about complex issues such as race.
Cold War Karl Mundt: The Utility Of Anticommunism During The Eightieth Congress,
2025
University of South Dakota
Cold War Karl Mundt: The Utility Of Anticommunism During The Eightieth Congress, Wattier Zachary
Dissertations and Theses
This thesis examines South Dakota House Representative Karl Mundt during the Eightieth Congress and his role in helping to build a movement and consensus over domestic and international communism. I argue that not only did Mundt help facilitate the Second Red Scare that allowed for the “McCarthyism” of the 1950s to thrive, but Mundt also aided in selling a combative diplomacy towards the USSR which intensified relations into a Cold War. As a ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mundt advocated for the use of soft power, education, information, and propaganda to sell his idealized Americanism to …
The Role Of Economic Sanctions In Shaping International Trade Relationships Case Study: Russia,
2025
Old Dominion University
The Role Of Economic Sanctions In Shaping International Trade Relationships Case Study: Russia, Chick Edmond
Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications
Economic sanctions play an influential role in international relations by shaping the behavior of states. To address security threats and uphold international norms, countries seek to punish those responsible in violating these principles through the use of economic sanctions. The paper examines the impact of economic sanctions on trade relationships and its consequences on the Russian Economy. It also seeks to analyze the evolution of trade embargo during the post-cold war era to a more resilient and sophisticated measures in the age of globalization. Through this historical perspective, this analysis examines an important case study such as Russia by evaluating …
Nuclear Disarmament And The Erosion Of Deterrence Effectiveness Case Study: Ukraine,
2025
Old Dominion University
Nuclear Disarmament And The Erosion Of Deterrence Effectiveness Case Study: Ukraine, Chick Edmond
Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications
The invasion of Ukraine demonstrates an interesting security paradox between nuclear disarmament norms, territorial integrity and deterrence in a self-help unpredictable international environment. Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons under the Budapest Memorandum in order to receive security guarantees resulting in brutal betrayal by nuclear armed Russia. The research investigates how Russia maintains an effective nuclear deterrence capability against other nuclear powers in the region through threats despite challenges on the battlefield. Through the combination of military resistance, strategic partnerships and robust combat methods, Ukraine has established an unmatched ability to deter a nuclear-armed enemy - Russia. This research ponders …
Upending The International Order: Russia’S War Against Ukraine,
2025
Old Dominion University
Upending The International Order: Russia’S War Against Ukraine, Chick Edmond
Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shook the foundations of the global order. It exposed just how fragile international security, economic stability, and old geopolitical alliances really are in a tense self-help security environment. This analysis looks at how the conflict started, tracing it back to years of tension between Russia and NATO, especially around Ukraine’s desire to move closer to the West. The war has made it clear that international rules are only as strong as countries are willing to follow them, and that global organizations like the UN often fall short in preventing these wars as Russia ignored …
Challenges Of The Opposition In Cameroon Multipartism,
2025
Old Dominion University
Challenges Of The Opposition In Cameroon Multipartism, Chick Edmond, Nkenglefack Dessailly Forku
Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications
The main goal of this study was to explore the challenges faced by Cameroon opposition political parties and how these challenges affect presidential electoral outcomes since 1990. We employed both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data for the study. The research design was the case study design, and the sampling technique was nonprobability sampling (precisely purposeful sampling). We employed the constructivist research philosophy to show that reality resides in the different views of people. Consequently, it finds out that the opposition in Cameroon lacks credibility and vision to achieve victory in presidential elections. They also face challenges of suppression, …
[Review Of The Book Alternative Politics In Contemporary Japan: New Directions In Social Movements, By D. H. Slater And P. G. Steinhoff (Eds.)],
2025
Old Dominion University
[Review Of The Book Alternative Politics In Contemporary Japan: New Directions In Social Movements, By D. H. Slater And P. G. Steinhoff (Eds.)], Charmaine N. Willis
Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications
[Introduction] Scholars have characterized Japan’s civil society as having been in an “ice age” for several decades, especially when focusing on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Robert Pekkanen, Japan’s Dual Civil Society: Members Without Advocates, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006). This is in stark contrast not only with the vibrant civil societies in most Western democracies but with prominent social movements in Japanese history, such as the anti-Anpo protest movement that began in the late 1950s. This movement opposed the renewal of the US-Japan security treaty (Anpo), which permitted the US its massive military base presence in Japan. There were strikes, mass …
Ethnic Insurgency Of Myanmar: Resilience And Fragility,
2025
Northern Illinois University
Ethnic Insurgency Of Myanmar: Resilience And Fragility, Lei Tong
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
This research studies insurgent resilience in the context of Myanmar’s civil conflicts. In the face of repression, some ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) continued to mount significant resistance to the state and even grew their territorial control and capacities. Others merely survived, but lost their operational functionality, while others still were forcibly disarmed and disbanded. What explains this variation in the resilience of Myanmar’s EAOs? To answer this question, I build on conflict scholarship that highlights the importance of lootable resources to armed insurgent organizations. However, I extend this work by showing that access to resources alone is insufficient. To maintain …
Nexus Of Fear, Deterrence, And Prestige: The Role Of Russia's Exotic Nuclear Toolkit,
2025
Missouri State University
Nexus Of Fear, Deterrence, And Prestige: The Role Of Russia's Exotic Nuclear Toolkit, Ryan Christenson
Graduate Theses/Dissertations
This thesis examines Russia’s development of “exotic” nuclear weapon systems, specifically the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo, the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, and the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, to determine how and why Russia diverged from traditional nuclear platforms. Drawing on open-source data and comparative analysis against the standard nuclear triad, it investigates the doctrinal, technical, and political motivations driving Moscow’s nuclear modernization, including paranoia over U.S. missile defense, aspirations for great-power status, and domestic economic influences. Scenario-based assessments illustrate the potential destabilizing effects of these systems, which compress decision-making time and raise risks of inadvertent …
Caregiver Policies In The United States: A Systematic Review,
2025
Northern Illinois University
Caregiver Policies In The United States: A Systematic Review, Makenna R. Green, M. Courtney Hughes, Sadia Afrin, Erin Vernon
Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship
In the United States, there are nearly 53 million informal or unpaid caregivers, many of whom experience mental and physical stress related to their caregiving duties and increased financial responsibility. We identified federal and state informal caregiver support policies authorized by specific legislation along with their key provisions and conducted a systematic review of the academic literature related to quantitative evaluations of these policies. Twenty policies, eight academic studies, and four gray literature reports were included in the study, with half of the policies introduced since 2000. Our study criteria yielded few academic valuations tied to caregiver policies and few …
Polarization And Civil Discourse In America: A Case Study Of Respectful Dialogue As A Moderating Influence On Generation Z,
2025
Pepperdine University
Polarization And Civil Discourse In America: A Case Study Of Respectful Dialogue As A Moderating Influence On Generation Z, Liane Weintraub
Theses and Dissertations
Animosity between opposing political parties is longstanding, but the phenomenon is now acutely pervasive and dangerous. Today, polarization is further fueled by social media algorithms that create echo chambers, limiting discourse about diverse viewpoints. Consequently, polarization has become pernicious and threatens the founding principles of American democracy. This dissertation considers the roles of free speech, civility, and social capital in the US polarization problem. Through an exploration of historical scholarship on virtue, ethics, and civility, the study seeks to identify actionable tools for promoting civil discourse. The dissertation investigates Generation Z (Gen Z), focusing on intergenerational differences, the role of …
Digital Orthodoxy And Political Populism In Eastern Europe: How Orthodox Media Facilitate Political Mobilization,
2025
Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University
Digital Orthodoxy And Political Populism In Eastern Europe: How Orthodox Media Facilitate Political Mobilization, Dmytro Garaschuk, Oleh Sokolovskyi
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This article examines the intersection of Orthodox digital media and political populism in Eastern Europe, focusing on how religious institutions utilize digital platforms to facilitate political mobilization, reinforce nationalistic narratives, and undermine democratic institutions. Drawing on a comparative analysis of six countries–Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, and Montenegro–the study identifies a shared ideological matrix that fuses populist rhetoric with theological motifs. The research highlights the strategic use of digital media by Orthodox actors to construct moral binaries, sacralize political resistance, and disseminate disinformation framed in religious language. Particular attention is given to the role of the Russian Orthodox Church and …
Lessons Learned From The Trump Rule Of Law Stress Test: Beware Bad Faith Actors,
2025
Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
Lessons Learned From The Trump Rule Of Law Stress Test: Beware Bad Faith Actors, Brian Z. Tamanaha
Scholarship@WashULaw
The second Trump Administration has engaged in a vast swath of actions that press against the outer boundaries of legality. These actions provide a unique opportunity to identify potential vulnerabilities and expose how the rule of law can be undermined. While I will elucidate well-known points along the way, my primary aim is to bring out aspects of the rule of law that usually go unnoticed or under the radar. After setting out basic aspects of the rule of law, I cover three topics: 1) adhering to the truth, 2) pretextual arguments, and 3) flooding the field with actions and …
The Limits Of Technocratic Degrowth: A Review Of The End Of Capitalism: Why Growth And Climate Protection Are Incompatible—And How We Will Live In The Future,
2025
CUNY Kingsborough Community College
The Limits Of Technocratic Degrowth: A Review Of The End Of Capitalism: Why Growth And Climate Protection Are Incompatible—And How We Will Live In The Future, Michael Kirby
Publications and Research
This book review discusses Ulrike Herrmann’s The End of Capitalism: Why Growth and Climate Protection Are Incompatible—and How We Will Live in the Future, situating it within contemporary climate debates. Herrmann’s central claim—that capitalism’s dependence on perpetual growth renders meaningful climate protection impossible—is presented as a clear, accessible synthesis of degrowth arguments. The book is particularly notable for its rejection of techno-utopian solutions such as carbon capture and its skepticism vis-à-vis large-scale renewable transitions under market conditions. However, the review ultimately questions the feasibility of Herrmann's proposed alternative (the “survival economy”), demonstrating that it overlooks political power, class interests, and …
Reconciling Theory And Praxis. Defending Subjective Agency Against Althusser's Structuralism - Daniel Guerrero,
2025
University of Central Florida
Reconciling Theory And Praxis. Defending Subjective Agency Against Althusser's Structuralism - Daniel Guerrero, Daniel Guerrero
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Louis Althusser labels Marx’s early works as humanist, pseudo-materialist, and self-contained within the ideology of German idealism. Therefore, all attempts to develop a Marxist theory based on these works are futile and ideological. Instead, Althusser proposes a ‘scientific’ reading of Marx developing a structuralist theory based on dialectical materialism. I argue that his interpretations deny individual agency and reduce social relations to mechanistic processes, which directly conflicts with fundamental Marxist ideas like alienation, production, and species-being. By discussing authors within the Marxist Humanist tradition, I argue that a theoretical framework based on Marx’s early works is not only possible, but …
Forcing Freedom: An Analysis Of Liberal Intervention From 1945-2017,
2025
Brigham Young University
Forcing Freedom: An Analysis Of Liberal Intervention From 1945-2017, Will Ford
Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies
The United States has a unique role on the international stage. Over the course of its history, especially since the Cold War, it has shown a proclivity for intervening in other country’s affairs (Peceny 1999, 1–2; Muravchick 1991, 222). This is no surprise, given that the U.S. has long borne the self-assigned role of the “world’s policeman” (Etzioni 2016, 508). One of the driving factors behind U.S. intervention is the United States' commitment to a grand strategy that uses liberal intervention to create a world friendly to the U.S., its allies, and its interests (Pickering and Peceny 2006, 540). The …
Wealth, Public Goods, And Terror Damage,
2025
Brigham Young University
Wealth, Public Goods, And Terror Damage, Annie Ackerman Speers, Kendra Pinegar
Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies
The connection between macroeconomic status and terrorism is disputed; some find links between macroeconomic status and terrorism while others find no link between overall economic status and terrorist occurrence. We theorize that a country’s economic status, defined as overall GDP, is linked to the damage that terror groups do. However, we theorize that this link is contingent on public goods distribution by terror groups. More specifically, we theorize that terror groups provide public goods to compensate for a lack of public goods spending by governments. Using OLS and instrumental modeling, we find a negative link between GDP and terror damage, …
