Political Science Commons^™

Controlling The Narrative: The Effects Of Media Coverage On Fear Of Crime And Socio-Political Ideology, Andrew Koppelman

Theses

Several decades of study have established an understanding that media have a unique power to influence the perspectives and worldviews of audiences. This phenomenon has been explored through the lenses of Social Learning and Cultivation theory, wherein media appeal to base human tendencies of self-preservation and teaches audiences how to maximize rewards for their actions by acting as a sort of instructor or friendly warning from members of the community. While prior studies have suggested the presence of this effect, little research has been devoted to understanding the ways that this may influence behaviors in viewers. My research seeks to …

Political Values, Democracy, And The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, George K. Kieh

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Limits Of Free Speech And Election Misinformation: A Case Study Of 2020, Scott Hofer

Ralph Bunche Journal of Public Affairs

none

How Does This End?: The Ukraine War And The Future Of Russia, Jonathan M. Acuff, Hannah N. Clegg

Intelligence and Security Studies

We analyze a range of future scenarios for Russia related to the Ukraine War. Although regime change is a publicly-stated objective for several leaders of NATO countries, we find very little prospect for it. The Russian economy has largely evaded the effects of the sanctions. Despite enormous casualties and incompetence in the management of the war, both Putin and the war remain popular with the Russian public. Contrary to most analysis to date, the Wagner Group mutiny of June 2023 is not an indication of Putin’s weakness, but his strength. The coercive mechanisms of the Russian state remain intact. Indeed, …

Is Asia On The Precipice Of A Currency Crisis? Exploring Regional Risks And Implications On The Global Economy, Hannah Deng

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the economic stability of Asia in the face of a potential currency crisis through drawing upon the historical context provided by the 1997 East Asian Financial Crisis. It systematically explores the characteristics and precursors of currency crises, analyzes the Asia-Pacific region’s response to past financial upheavals, and evaluates current macroeconomic vulnerabilities as well as policy frameworks. By juxtaposing the changes in Asia’s financial landscape from the late 20th century to the present, the study identifies persistent structural weaknesses and the region’s ongoing exposure to volatile global financial markets. It also considers the possibility of emerging markets establishing …

Exploring Diasporic And Local Perspectives: Overseas Vietnamese’S Relationship With Their Homeland’S Culture, People, And Development, Amanda Le

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Given its global presence and decades-long history of migration, the Vietnamese diaspora is a unique cultural, social, and economic phenomenon. Thus, examining the nuances of Vietnam’s diaspora-homeland connections can contribute to broader knowledge about transnational relationships. While past research has delved into the diaspora’s historical contexts, cultural ties, and contributions to Vietnam's development, contemporary studies often overlook the personal interactions and perspectives that are formed between diaspora members and locals. This study compares perceptions from both Vietnamese locals and Overseas Vietnamese on diasporic engagement with Vietnamese culture, people, and development. A mixed-method study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods: …

Beyond The Ballots: An Exploration Of Indonesian Democracy Through The Lens Of Campaigning And Dynasticism In The 2024 Indonesian General Election, Alexandra Richmond

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper offers a comprehensive exploration of Indonesian democracy, focusing on the dynamics of campaigning and dynasticism within the context of the 2024 Indonesian General Election. Drawing on the anthropological frameworks of historical particularism and functionalism, the research employs a mixed-method approach, combining cultural and participant observation, archival review, and interviews. Through cultural and participant observations in Bali and Java, the study unveils the intricate connections between political support, community unity, and the influence of vote-buying practices. Archival review delves into contentious issues surrounding electoral laws, particularly the Constitutional Court's exception to the age requirement for presidential candidates, revealing conflicts …

The Reconfiguration Of The Spanish-Moroccan Border Regime: The Impact Of The 2021 Diplomatic Border Crisis, Shayra Nunez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The paper focuses on the relationship between Morocco and Spain, particularly those affecting migration control at the border in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. The research question is: how do the events of May 2021 (the unauthorized opening of the border by Morocco) impact migration control practices in Ceuta and Melilla, and what are the implications for Spanish-Moroccan operational cooperation? The unauthorized opening of the border is conceptualized as a “diplomatic border crisis,” which is also a main contribution of this paper. The study analyzes this incident, which has impacted the border regime and led to changes in …

Interpretative Representation And Justice: The Effects Of Inadequate Translation On The Human Rights Of Migrants In The Justice System In Spain, Danielle E. Libby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Across the world there is an increasing human rights issue regarding the improper treatment of immigrants in the justice system. Fundamental human rights are protected by Spanish and European Union law, which includes the right to interpretative representation. Adequate interpretation and translation are recognized by many individuals in academia and law as crucial for adequate communication. The right to interpretative representation is essential to address the cross-linguistic and cross-cultural needs of migrants when entering a state that does not standardize their native tongue institutionally. When inadequacies appear with interpretation throughout the justice system, improper communication often occurs, causing issues for …

Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Chinese Digital Yuan, Mikayla Cheng

Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies

China’s rapid progress toward a completely cashless society through the release of its digital yuan marks a pivotal point in monetary history. In recent years, China has taken the next step in digital payment technology by proposing and implementing a fully digital, government fiat, legal tender currency known as the digital yuan. The focus of this paper is understanding the implications of the widespread adoption of digital yuan from the perspective of the Chinese people. I propose that there are three main advantages of the digital yuan for the Chinese people. First, the digital yuan reduces transaction costs through eliminating …

Is The Future Female? Lessons From A Conjoint Experiment On Voter Preferences In Six Arab Countries, Ellen Lust, Lindsay J. Benstead

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite growing evidence of pro-female bias in the electorate elsewhere, conventional wisdom holds that voters in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) prefer male candidates, presumably due to sexism. We test this conventional wisdom using a conjoint experiment administered to over 30,000 respondents in six MENA countries. We find both male and female respondents are more likely to express support for female candidates and see them as more capable than their male counterparts, even in stereotypically male domains. We argue the increasing demand for political outsiders explains these results. In highlighting the importance of such changes, our study expands …

Race And Republicanism In The Political Thought Of Simón Bolívar, Jeremy Cumplido

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

This thesis examines how Simón Bolívar’s political thought on race, republicanism, and governance evolved during the Spanish American wars of independence. Early in his revolutionary career, Bolívar drew heavily from Enlightenment ideals, particularly those of Rousseau and Montesquieu, envisioning a future republic grounded in liberty, unity, and the rule of law. However, Bolívar’s initial writings reveal that he paid relatively little attention to the racial divisions that deeply fractured colonial society. Thus, his appeals for independence primarily focused on political subjugation and economic exploitation, reflecting both his Creole background and the broader colonial system’s blind spots.

Yet, as Bolívar faced …

The Electoral College: Representative Accuracy, Public Opinion, & Proposed Reform, Catherine Harris

Honors Projects in Politics, Law, and Society

In recent years, there has been a lot of criticism of the Electoral College coming from scholars, the public, and some politicians. This paper will investigate the creation and history of the Electoral College before analyzing the accuracy of its representation of voters and current public opinion of the Electoral College. The data collected for this research will assist in the analysis and comparison of proposed ideas to highlight reform that would be the most effective for the U.S. population and election cycles in the future. Qualitative research will be used to analyze the Electoral College and surrounding themes. Findings …

Analyzing The Intersectionality Of Race And Socioeconomics In Foster Care And Child Welfare, Isabella Gallardo

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Racial disparities continue to persist in the child welfare system, resulting in disproportionate representation and differential treatment for children from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Understanding the root causes, systemic factors, biases, and consequences of these disparities is vital for discovering solutions to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all children. I synthesize existing research conducted on racial disparities in child welfare, delving into systemic factors, biases, and their consequences. The dataset I most utilized is from the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN). Correlation analysis was used to show the relationship between racial disproportionality and systematic …

Winners And Losers: Emotional Shifts Across Elections Are Conveyed By A Politician’S Smile, Carl Senior, Patrick A. Stewart, Erik Bucy, Nick Lee

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The human smile can convey both rewarding and affiliative social intent and thus has significant utility in politics, where the ability to bond with and reassure voters is vital to electoral success. We examine experimental evidence from the 2019 UK general election to investigate the influence of a politician’s reward or affiliative smile on voter emotions. It was hypothesised that the winner’s affiliative smile would engender positive affect across all partisan groups compared to the winner’s reward smile display. Participants from a nationally representative sample were shown campaign footage containing both types of smiles from the leaders of the main …

School Choice: An Analysis Of State And Federal Level Data And Conversations, Tyler Lindner

ALL - Honors Theses

In this paper, I will attempt to answer two questions: 1) why has school choice legislation been successfully passed at the state level, but not the federal level; and 2) have the school choice programs implemented at the state level been successful? To answer the first, I will conduct a political analysis of state governments and our current federal government. To answer the second, I will analyze two different school choice programs (Florida’s and Wisconsin’s) and consider success based on academic achievement, standardized test scores, level of competition in area public schools, enrollment in 2 and 4 year colleges and …

Russia In A Changing Climate, Debra Javeline, Robert Orttung, Graeme Robertson, Richard Arnold, Andrew Barnes, Laura Henry, Edward Holland, Mariya Omelicheva, Peter Rutland, Edward Schatz, Caress Schenk, Andrei Semenov, Valerie Sperling, Lisa Mcintosh Sundstrom, Mikhail Troitskiy, Judith Twigg, Susanne Wengle

Political Science

Climate change will shape the future of Russia, and vice versa, regardless of who rules in the Kremlin. The world's largest country is warming faster than Earth as a whole, occupies more than half the Arctic Ocean coastline, and is waging a carbon-intensive war while increasingly isolated from the international community and its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Officially, the Russian government argues that, as a major exporter of hydrocarbons, Russia benefits from maintaining global reliance on fossil fuels and from climate change itself, because warming may increase the extent and quality of its arable land, open a new …

Refugees And The Eu: A Study Of The Preferential Treatment Of Ukrainian Refugees, Madelyn Cooper

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

The war in Ukraine created one of the largest refugee crises in the world today, and the European Union has played a significant role in accepting these individuals into various Member States. The protection of Ukrainian refugees, or any refugee for the record, is important. However, the European Union has been more accepting and welcoming to Ukrainian refugees compared to refugees coming from other places, indicating potential biases of European Union policies and the othering of non-Ukrainian refugees. To study this, this paper will utilize a comparative case study of Ukrainian and Syrian refugees. The paper will compare these two …

Resistencia Artística Bajo Dictaduras En Argentina Y España A Través De La Lente De Las Teorías De Comunicación, Adrian Self, Adrian Self

World Languages and Cultures Student Papers and Posters

Under dictatorships in Spain and Argentina, artists used their mediums to criticize the actions of the Catholic church and oppressive conditions enforced by the government, using allegories, metaphors, and symbolism in their art. While many artists tried to create works that fell within authoritarian guidelines, others intentionally created cinema and literature criticizing the Argentine and Spanish governments, values, and practices, knowing the works would be banned. This investigation uses examples of cinema and literature created and published deliberately to be prohibited or censored under the regimen of Francisco Franco from 1939-1975 in Spain or the last civil-military dictatorship from 1976-1983 …

La Traducción Política: El Silenciamiento Narrativo Y La Traducción Inglés-Español Bajo Francisco Franco, Avery Austin

World Languages and Cultures Student Papers and Posters

We tend to live under the assumption that translations will always attempt to be faithful to their original texts, blindly believing in the infallibility of the translator. However, in doing so, we ignore how translation can be used to take advantage of the reader – how can one know that a change has occurred in a translated work if they have no knowledge of the text’s original language? This paper studies the power dynamics of translation, and how it can be used as a tool to aid censorship. By focusing on translated literary works under the Franco regime, this work …