Investigating Various Personality Factors As Predictors Of Poor Belief Updating Regarding Controversial Political Issues,
2024
University of Central Florida
Investigating Various Personality Factors As Predictors Of Poor Belief Updating Regarding Controversial Political Issues, Eric E. Haseman Jr
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Belief updating is a research area investigating how individuals refine or fail to refine their preexisting beliefs when confronted with corrective sources. Understanding the various drivers of poor belief updating in a political context is essential to maintaining an informed democracy, as the ideal voter in a democratic nation updates political misconceptions and false beliefs when presented with corrective sources. Despite the importance of this topic, the literature examining potential factors that could contribute to poor belief updating in a political context remains particularly limited. I aimed to address this limitation by recruiting undergraduates from the University of Central Florida’s …
The Quest For Racial Equality After The Revolution: How Black Intellectuals Envision The Struggle For Equality After Jim Crow And Apartheid,
2024
University of Central Florida
The Quest For Racial Equality After The Revolution: How Black Intellectuals Envision The Struggle For Equality After Jim Crow And Apartheid, Shelby Morgan
Honors Undergraduate Theses
This paper examines the ideas presented by Black public intellectuals from South Africa and the United States regarding their solutions on how to achieve real racial equality after the achievement of equality under the law. It will provide a historical comparative analysis of the two countries by examining the works of George Fredrickson, as well as some contextual background on the existence of racial disparities in the modern day. It will then present various publications by American intellectuals Ibram X. Kendi, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Cornel West, and South African authors Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, Songezo Zibi, and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi that discuss their …
Justice As Fairness Or As Inclusion: Putting Rawls In Conversation With The Bans On Transgender Athletes,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Justice As Fairness Or As Inclusion: Putting Rawls In Conversation With The Bans On Transgender Athletes, Nicole Player
Pomona Senior Theses
The last decade has seen a flurry of anti-transgender bills introduced and passed in the United States, and the topic that has likely been the most hotly debated regards the dozens of state bans on transgender athletes. While most discussions of these bans go straight to a debate about physiology, this thesis centers instead on a question of justice. In the debate of whether to allow a transgender girl to compete in girls’ sports, is it more “just” to prioritize fairness in women’s sport, as these bans do, or is it more just to prioritize inclusion? This thesis, in finding …
Water Challenges At The U.S.-Mexico Border: Learning From Community And Expert Voices,
2024
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Water Challenges At The U.S.-Mexico Border: Learning From Community And Expert Voices, Kyle Haines, Owen Temby, Josiah Heyman, Mya J. Brown, Fonna Forman, Christopher Fuller, Dongkyu Kim, Alex S. Mayer, Alexis Racelis
Political Science Faculty Publications
We discuss the results of a multi-dimensional learning process (expert surveys, community workshops) addressing water challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border. The grand institutional and political framework of the international border, and the tensions and gaps in it, dominates the water literature and expert concerns. However, social inequality and spatial and temporal diversity on both sides of the border emerge as important considerations from community input. Our goal is to make planning for regional water sustainability more comprehensive, both spatially and temporally, and more community responsive in a context of important divisions and inequalities. This is because the “sustainability” frame, as …
Multipolar Melting Pot: A Spatial Analysis Of Political Orientation In The United States,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Multipolar Melting Pot: A Spatial Analysis Of Political Orientation In The United States, Nathanael Baumann
CMC Senior Theses
Politics at the national level seems increasingly polarized – but what does polarization really mean in a political context? Is the American political landscape so unidimensional that voters throughout the country can be represented by a linear left-right spectrum? By classifying gubernatorial candidates across the country based on their distinct social and economic positions, then mapping them in a two-dimensional space, I posit a very different kind of political landscape – one made up of diffuse, fluid political preferences.
Community-Centric Approaches To Coastal Hazard Assessment And Management In Southside Norfolk, Virginia, Usa,
2024
Old Dominion University
Community-Centric Approaches To Coastal Hazard Assessment And Management In Southside Norfolk, Virginia, Usa, Dalya Ismael, Nicole Hutton, Mujde Erten-Unal, Carol Considine, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin, Christopher Davis, Yin-Hsuen Chen
Engineering Technology Faculty Publications
Urban communities in environmentally sensitive areas face escalating challenges due to climate change and inadequate infrastructural support, particularly in underserved regions like southside Norfolk, Virginia. This area, characterized by its vulnerability to flooding and a predominantly low-income population, lacks equitable inclusion in broader urban flood protection plans. This research focuses on the development of community-centered resilience strategies through active engagement and collaboration with local residents. The methodology centered around building trust and understanding within the community through a series of interactions and events. This approach facilitated a two-way exchange of information, enabling the research team to gather crucial insights on …
Enforcement Through Voluntary Participation: The Impact Of Non-Binding Informal Groups On The International Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime,
2024
CUNY City College
Enforcement Through Voluntary Participation: The Impact Of Non-Binding Informal Groups On The International Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime, Claudia M. V. Hampton
Dissertations and Theses
The present thesis analyzes the policy impact of the informal group known as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a non treaty-bound grouping of states organized to define mutually agreed upon nuclear export controls with the aim of advancing the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, in line with the values of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). As informal groups or voluntary forms of interstate cooperation are often criticized for their lack of enforcement mechanisms, two case studies in this thesis review the implementation of amendments and changes in national laws for states participating in the NSG (The United …
Reporting On Un Security Council: Decoding Media Bias,
2024
CUNY City College
Reporting On Un Security Council: Decoding Media Bias, Alessandra Loiero
Dissertations and Theses
This thesis explores Western media's representation of the United Nations (UN), focusing on the Security Council's role in global conflict resolution. It examines how UN-accredited correspondents perceive the effectiveness of the Security Council, particularly when the body faces deadlock. The study employs text analysis techniques to identify biases and perceptions in media coverage, using The New York Times' reporting on the Ukraine conflict as a case study. It illuminates framing effects in journalistic narratives, revealing how journalists subtly interject their views when reporting, often revealing unrealistic expectations and shedding light on the limitations of the UN's mandate or its inability …
Brics Currency And Dollar Hegemony: Passing Of The Torch?,
2024
CUNY City College
Brics Currency And Dollar Hegemony: Passing Of The Torch?, Sami Tomaihi
Dissertations and Theses
The dawn of the 21st century has brought with it tremendous uncertainty with regard to the nature of global dominance. As doubts concerning the United States’ viability as a hegemon emerge, questions about how new powers may come to prominence circle (Rapayane, 2020). The BRICS bloc -- consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, respectively -- is a collection of regional powers in the developing world that have engaged in a series of high-profile collaborations together in the ostensible interest of increasing global advocacy within the developing world (Kubayi, 2022). One radical means that has been proposed within …
Serving With Pride: Analyzing Lgbtq+ Personnel Policy In The U.S. Military,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Serving With Pride: Analyzing Lgbtq+ Personnel Policy In The U.S. Military, Sonja Woolley
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis examines the evolution of LGBTQ+ personnel policies in the U.S. military, analyzing how these changes reflect broader social transformations and the military’s role as both a mirror and catalyst in societal shifts. It traces the historical roots of discriminatory practices against queer and transgender servicemembers, identifying key periods of reform and resistance. Using institutional theory to dissect the mechanisms of policy adaptation, this paper focuses on coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism, which illustrate the complex interplay between external societal pressures, internal demands for legitimacy, and the professionalization of the military. Through detailed case studies, the thesis highlights how …
Democratic Decay: Public Deliberation And Nuclear Weapons,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Democratic Decay: Public Deliberation And Nuclear Weapons, Frank Applebaum
CMC Senior Theses
Many modern nations that consider themselves democracies rely on strategy of national defense involving nuclear weapons. These weapons, however, almost always require a compromise of many of the values these democracies typically claim to value and uphold in the world. Most importantly, the deliberative process that is required for democracy is removed from the decision to either launch or not launch nuclear weapons. Even if policies were changed to attempt to make the process for democratic, research shows that there is reason to believe nuclear weapons would be incompatible with democracy practically as well as theoretically. Nuclear weapons and nuclear …
Pathways For Recognition: Indigenous Land Rights In Panamá,
2024
Claremont McKenna College
Pathways For Recognition: Indigenous Land Rights In Panamá, Caruna Gillespie, William Ascher
CMC Senior Theses
Indigenous communities in Panamá face the same challenge that many Indigenous communities experience around the globe: a lack of recognition of their land rights. Over the last several decades, the Panamanian government has developed policies and ratified international agreements that recognize Indigenous rights. The comarcas that institutionalize these rights have had some success. However, despite a seemingly progressive framework for recognition, Indigenous communities across the country continuously have their rights violated by conservation projects and resource extraction efforts in the name of economic development. The Panamanian government crafts recognition policies using loopholes, exceptions, and ambiguous language that allow for them …
The Politics Of Criminalization: Examining The Complex Legacy Of The 1994 Violence Against Women Act,
2024
Claremont Colleges
The Politics Of Criminalization: Examining The Complex Legacy Of The 1994 Violence Against Women Act, Genevieve Mccloy
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis explores the interconnected issues of violence against women, patriarchy, and criminalization to understand the 1994 Violence Against Women Act and the factors that shaped it. Using Johns Kingond’s multiple streams framework, this paper investigates how the Act was constructed by the battered women’s movement and the United States’ shift towards tough-on-crime policies. Ultimately, this paper seeks to understand how the issue of domestic violence became rooted in criminalization and if that framework has helped deter violence against women in the United States or if it caused more problems than it solved.
Exploring The Factors That Influence Female Offending In The U.S. And Mexico,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Exploring The Factors That Influence Female Offending In The U.S. And Mexico, Dana Villasenor
CMC Senior Theses
Hollywood has painted a picture of the criminal woman as a sexy, sneaky, and often psychotic female fatale. This is because men run Hollywood. Much like movies, research on why women offend had historically focused on men as their stellar. However, towards the turn of the century and with the disproportionate rise in female incarceration, literature caught up to the fact that women and men do not experience the same socialization, standards, or reality and, therefore, have different reasons for and ways of offending. This research explores those reasons for women in the U.S. and Mexico and paints the picture …
Emerging From Behind The Curtain: A Comparative Analysis Of Polish And Czech Reforms Based On Quality Of Life Improvements,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Emerging From Behind The Curtain: A Comparative Analysis Of Polish And Czech Reforms Based On Quality Of Life Improvements, Summer Ellis
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis examines the economic reforms undertaken by Poland and the Czech Republic during the 1990s transition period. It seeks to ultimately differentiate reform quality between the Czech Republic and Poland in terms of well-being. The basis of reform success is determined using a quality of life scale that spans economic, health, and environmental indicators. Reform quality is then assessed based on improvements in well-being, instead of high-level economic metrics that often evaluate in a manner that fails to capture individual citizen sentiment. From this point, it is possible to determine which transitioning country underwent the most optimal reform process …
The State Of Our Republic: State Constitutions’ Role In Creating A More Perfect Union,
2024
Claremont Colleges
The State Of Our Republic: State Constitutions’ Role In Creating A More Perfect Union, Caroline Bullock
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis situates state constitutionalism in the modern context of federal constitutional paralysis. By tracing patterns of state constitutional development, we find that states were always the fundamental setting of democracy, and there has always been critical action happening at state legislatures, in state courts, and through state constitutional change. State constitutions provide an active means to achieve progress and protect rights not federally enshrined (and thus, endangered by the political process). The use of state constitutions to prescribe ways of life, protect individual and specialized rights, and to limit local governments has always occurred, but with the current federal …
Police Flight Oversight: Lapd Drone As First Responder Implementation,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Police Flight Oversight: Lapd Drone As First Responder Implementation, Nathaniel Worley
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis explores the feasibility of implementing a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program within the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), analyzing the operational, social, and financial implications compared to traditional police helicopter usage. The thesis investigates helicopter flight patterns, demographic correlations, and the potential for drones to provide a less invasive and more cost-effective aerial support system. Key findings include the use of incorrect identifying hex codes by LAPD helicopters, suggesting potential transparency issues in aerial operations. The thesis recommends DFR due to substantial cost savings and enhanced surveillance transparency and asserts that a DFR program can mitigate negative …
Health Politics, Covid-19, And The Vaccine: A Comparison Of How Germany And The U.S. Cultivated Public Trust During The Covid-19 Pandemic.,
2024
Claremont Colleges
Health Politics, Covid-19, And The Vaccine: A Comparison Of How Germany And The U.S. Cultivated Public Trust During The Covid-19 Pandemic., Kai Gundlach
CMC Senior Theses
Public trust is important during an ongoing crisis as it determines people’s compliance with government mandates and laws. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Germany and the U.S. operated with different levels of public trust and people placed their trust in different public institutions. My thesis examines how political tactics such as fear, use of science, and expert pronouncements impacted public trust and the COVID-19 response in both countries.
The People Are A-Changin’: The Political Groupings That Built American Folk And Country Music,
2024
Claremont Colleges
The People Are A-Changin’: The Political Groupings That Built American Folk And Country Music, Nicholas Taubenheim
CMC Senior Theses
Since the Civil War, American folk and country music have become deeply political cultural mediums. This thesis posits that the history of the folk-country family can be broken down into three distinct “eras.” During the first era, the post-Civil War South gave rise to a new form of “Dixie,” or “hillbilly” folk music derived from traditional European folk ballads. In the second era, the Dust Bowl migrants of Southern California pioneered the “Okie” sound, which built upon Dixie/hillbilly music. And in the third era, the political and cultural dissidents of the 1960s produced a new type of folk music in …
The Impact Of Armed Drones On Human Security Goals,
2024
Claremont Colleges
The Impact Of Armed Drones On Human Security Goals, Sarath Kakani
CMC Senior Theses
The rapid proliferation of armed drones around the globe has sparked a debate on their benefits and their tradeoffs. Through a traditional security perspective, drones are the ideal weapon of the future: incredible technological capabilities lend tactical advantages to any military that owns drones. They allow actors to strike at enemy combatants without no risk to their own troops and minimal risk to any civilian bystanders. Yet through a nontraditional human security lens, armed drones have been nothing short of a disaster in protecting civilians and reducing collateral damage. The tactical advantages they lend users are some of their most …
