Political Science Commons^™

The Normalization Of Sin, Maiya Groff

Capstone Showcase

This paper discusses the normalization of sin, specifically sex work. One question that emerges is how do some behaviors come to be seen as sinful, and then once those behaviors are accepted as sinful, how do they become normalized (ie., become socially acceptable again)? After identifying a gap in the existing literature pertaining to the lack of acknowledgement for the role of institutions in driving change, I seek to fill that gap by using pattern-matching to determine how closely aligned sex work is to the phases of Normalization Process Theory. Ultimately, I am expecting to find that, according to the …

Crime, Illness, & Abolition: An Exploration Through The Connective Tissue Within The Pic/Mic Matrix, Laila Kent

Scripps Senior Theses

This two part zine illuminates the shared mechanisms that construct and respond to ‘crime’, also define and treat illness in the US. Part 1 uncovers the status quo of our prison and health care system via the emergence of the The Prison-Industrial Complex (PIC), and The Medical-Industrial Complex (MIC). Through an exploration of the respective and overlapping histories, logics, and realities underlying the function of these systems, the mechanisms of individualism, objectification, and profiteering become strikingly clear. Part 2 breaks free of the status quo outlined in Part 1 by introducing abolition as the vision and strategy to heal from …

The Economic Reintegration Of Former Child Soldiers In Northern Uganda, Capri Gutiérrez

Honors Program Theses

During the Northern Ugandan War, the Lord’s Resistance Army kidnapped and recruited 30,000 children and forced them to become soldiers. Nearly twenty years since the end of the war, former child soldiers continue to experience extreme poverty, psychological distress, and social isolation. For many, the economic hardship they face, due to stigma and missing out on school, is their greatest challenge upon returning home. This paper analyzes the strategies used by the government and non-state actors to reintegrate former child soldiers back into the Ugandan economy. These strategies are then compared to best practices in the field using secondary research …

The United States’ Stringent Sovereignty: How Foreign Policy Framing Prioritizes Security Over Human Rights, Kathryn Parker

Scripps Senior Theses

American policymakers utilize valence framing, purposeful descriptions of outcomes as positive or negative, to influence the opinions of voters while maintaining the moral superiority felt by many citizens in the liberal Western hegemon. This study intended to combine the political theories of Constructivism and Realism to form Constructive Realism, a theory that emphasizes the significance of state power and norms as joint influences on constituents. Constructive realism was then applied to four case studies – the UN Security Council, International Criminal Court, Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. This study …

Towards Smart Cities As Innovation Systems: The Case Of Macau Sar, Yujia He

Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Faculty Publications

Smart cities are emerging as major engines for deploying intelligent systems to enhance urban development and contribute to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The rise of smart city initiatives is not only seen in North America and Europe but also increasingly in Asia and across the developing world which faces rapid urbanization and technological change. Home to the UNU Institute in Macau, the city of Macau is a special administrative region (SAR) of China where “the East meets the West” in local governance, economy, and society. Our research article, recently published in the Journal of Urban Affairs, …

The Role Of Symbolic Politics In Shaping Political Attitudes: A Study Of Trump And Biden's Campaign Speeches, Nimra Asif

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this study, five speeches by Donald Trump and six by Joe Biden were comprehensively analyzed for their symbolic politics on immigration and social issues. The data revealed a consistent trend, with Trump featuring a greater number of mentions in comparison to Biden—66 and 26, respectively. Furthermore, Trump's symbolic politics exhibited a predominantly negative tone, while Biden's approach was predominantly positive. The results of this analysis confirm my hypotheses, highlighting notable disparities in the rhetoric employed by each candidate. Trump amplified a negative outlook on social issues and immigration, whereas Biden strategically mentioned and positively framed these issues. This research …

The Political And Social Advancement Of Divine Nine Sorority Women., Simara M. Vines

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will explore the correlation between Divine Nine sorority women and politics and civic engagement. There is a low percentage of BIPOC women in politics; however, the majority of them are in Divine 9 sororities. I'll find a correlation between the principles of the Divine Nine and these upstanding women in society through various interviews with women in local politics who are also in the Divine Nine. Furthermore, this will enable political scientists to assess the motivation of these women and the attributes that these sororities have given them to achieve success.

The Complex Landscape Of Lgbtq+ Inclusion Within The Politics Of Africa And The Dynamics Of Anti-Lgbtq+ Laws And Development, Barbara Agyapong

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The politics of LGBTQ+ inclusion has undergone significant transformations worldwide, reflecting evolving societal attitudes, advancements in human rights, and the increasing global recognition of LGBTQ+ rights. However, the politics of LGBTQ+ inclusion in Africa presents a diverse and intricate landscape, characterized by variations in attitudes, legal frameworks, and societal acceptance across the continent. This study explores the complex and evolving dynamics of Anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Africa, with some countries making strides towards LGBTQ+ inclusion by repealing colonial-era legislation, while others have become more repressive. Notably, countries such as Angola, Cape Verde, Lesotho, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, and Seychelles have …

Variations In Refugee Acceptance Among Democratic States, Ryan King

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

What factors account for the variation in refugee acceptance? My review of existing literature and subsequent research paper will seek to further develop the understanding of this phenomenon by identifying and investigating factors that account for the differences in rates of migration flow among democratic states. The literature review will discuss the current body of research surrounding the topic, and the research itself will attempt to further the understanding of the impact of the given variables by using currently available data of international trends in migration, as well as a number of specific case studies. First, the paper will outline …

The Higher Education Risk To National Security: A Case Study Of The University Of Akron, Anna Back

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

There are numerous threats to U.S. National Security within higher education. Through this paper, I will provide an analysis of current and future threats using a literature review and informational interviewing. The literature review revealed four major National Security threats facing higher education institutions due to Foreign Intelligence Entities (FIE): foreign recruitment of faculty and students, increase in foreign students and screening difficulties, campus openness/easy access to facilities and information, and foreign funding for research. A set of informational interviews were conducted with The University of Akron faculty, employees, and partners to evaluate whether these same threats were present. The …

Slava Ukraini: A Psychobiographical Case Study Of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’S Public Diplomacy Discourse, Amber Brittain-Hale

Theses and Dissertations

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's public diplomacy during the Russo-Ukrainian conflict was examined in this dissertation. Zelenskyy’s discourse emphasized his action-oriented traits, Ukrainian identity, and nationalism. The study employed LTA, and LIWC-22, for natural language processing analyses of Zelenskyy's public speeches and diplomatic discourse. Zelenskyy demonstrated agency, adaptability, collaboration, and positive language patterns, suggesting confidence and optimism, according to the data. In addition, the research emphasizes how domestic and international factors influence state behavior, as well as how political demands, cultural, historical, and political factors influence Zelenskyy's decision-making.

This dissertation sheds light on a global leader's psychobiographical characteristics, beliefs, and motivations during a …

The Price Of Peace: Military Aid As A Foreign Policy Tool, Anthony Sclafani

Wayne State University Dissertations

Foreign aid studies overwhelmingly focus on development and economic aid, despite the significant portion of overall aid that security aid comprises. This dissertation seeks to rectify that gap in the literature through a robust analysis of the United States Government’s Security Assistance program, comprised of multiple forms of military aid. It will operationalize and test the effectiveness of Security Assistance in achieving the goals defined in the program’s guiding legislation, through the construction of a framework of empirical analysis. Three hypotheses were developed to evaluate and attempt to determine a causal relationship between the presence over time of a Security …

Military Cooperation And The Relocation Of Quapaw And French Settlements In Colonial Arkansas: A Case Study In Colonial International Relations, Morris S. Arnold

Arkansas Archeological Survey Academic Papers

A previous article made the case that the Quapaw Indians had played a role in the defense of Arkansas Post, and had entered several colonial wars on the side of the French, during the time that France had claimed sovereignty over the Arkansas country.

The purpose of the present effort is to describe and explain the origin and nature of the alliance between the Quapaws and the French, and to identify the considerations that led the tribe to conclude that it was often in its national interest to collaborate with the French in their defensive and offensive military operations. The …

The Challenges And Transformative Experiences Of Promoting Nonkilling With Anti-Nuclear Weapon Activists And Realists, Roland Joseph

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Decades ago, Glenn D. Paige questioned killing and violence in politics, presenting nonkilling political science as an alternative. Activists and researchers from other disciplines have joined the movement by considering this new paradigm in their disciplines. Since then, some scholars analyzed the experience of activists promoting notions related to nonkilling, including peace and nonviolence. However, no previous research focuses specifically on the experience of scholars promoting nonkilling to anti-nuclear weapon activists and realists. To fill this gap and give voice to nonkilling and nuclear weapon risks, a qualitative phenomenological study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted to answer the …

Lear’S Daughters? Unenumerated Fundamental Rights And The Constitution, Thomas Halper

Publications and Research

How to determine whether fundamental unenumerated constitutional rights exist, and if so, what they are? The questions are of obvious enormous importance—witness the current controversy over abortion—and yet courts have generally been content to address the issues superficially, sometimes, cavalierly. Their treatment of the most common rationale, an historical/traditional consensus, exemplifies this shallow approach. The underdeveloped character of the argumentation on this topic stubbornly remains one of the most glaring shortfalls of modern constitutional law.

A Chinese Fallacy Of Communist Lynchpin And American Retort In Nepal, Ashis Adhikary

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Why are Chinese and American activities escalating in Nepal? This research question frames the objective of this study. To opt for an answer, the paper delves into two distinct areas: the rise of Nepal’s communist forces and the corresponding influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the historic role of America in curbing communism inside Nepal. It argues, the visible Chinese intent of forming a favorable communist power in Nepal, especially during and after the general elections of 2017, is a fallacy as it undermines American presence to limit the communist influence. Conceptually, the paper claims that the recent …

Urban/Rural Differences In Food Security In America’S East North Central Region, Eva Marie Long

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The literature on food insecurity in America is extensive, but there is still a lack of understanding of urban/rural differences. Food insecure populations in urban communities undoubtedly experience different and unique challenges to food access than food insecure populations in rural areas. While urban households may face a lack of options for fresh produce, rural households may find that they live an inaccessible distance from the nearest grocer. Through analysis of the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and Food Security Supplement, this project seeks to discover common, underlying variables in food-insecure communities in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas in America’s East …

Elections And Post Traumatic Stress: Evidence From The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Timothy Fraser, Costas Panagopoulos, Kevin Smith

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

The 2020 U.S. presidential election saw rising political tensions among ordinary voters and political elites, with fears of election violence culminating in the January 6th riot. We hypothesized that the 2020 election might have been traumatic for some voters, producing measurable symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We also hypothesized that negative sentiment towards the opposing party correlates with PTSD. We measured PTSD with a modified PCL-5, a validated PTSD screener, for 573 individuals from a nationally representative YouGov sample. We modeled the association between affective polarization and PTSD, controlling for political, demographic, and psychological traits. We estimate that 12.5% …

Civil Liability For Civil Disobedience, David Lefkowitz

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In January 2023, climate activists trespassed on the site of the German energy firm RWE’s Garzweiler coal mine to protest against its plans to expand operations there. The police eventually removed the protestors (including Greta Thunberg), many of whom were charged with committing criminal offenses. A few weeks after the occupation, RWE announced plans to seek compensation from the protestors for the injuries they inflicted on the firm, which included damage to vehicles and other equipment.[1] Should the law permit it to do so? More generally, should a liberal-democratic State hold civil disobedients legally liable to compensate the private …

การย้ายถิ่นของนักกีฬาฟุตบอลจากทวีปแอฟริกาสู่ประเทศไทย, พสิษฐ์ วจนะดิษยาวงศ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ปัจจุบัน การย้ายถิ่นของกลุ่มแรงงานนักฟุตบอลได้รับความสนใจจากกลุ่มนักวิชาการที่ศึกษาการย้ายถิ่นมากขึ้นอย่างต่อเนื่อง อย่างไรก็ดี การศึกษามักมุ่งเน้นการทำความเข้าใจการย้ายถิ่นฐานของนักฟุตบอลจากภูมิภาคผู้ส่งออกนักฟุตบอล โดยเฉพาะแอฟริกาสู่ภูมิภาคยุโรป ซึ่งเป็นอดีตเจ้าอาณานิคม ขณะที่ในความเป็นจริง มีนักฟุตบอลจากภูมิภาคแอฟริกาหลั่งไหลเข้ามายังภูมิภาคอื่น ๆ ทั่วโลกอย่างต่อเนื่อง สำหรับประเทศไทย มีนักฟุตบอลชาวแอฟริกาที่ย้ายถิ่นเข้ามายังประเทศไทยจำนวนมาก และหลายคนได้สร้างคุณูปการแก่วงการฟุตบอลไทย จึงนำมาสู่คำถามที่ว่า ปัจจัยใดส่งผลให้แรงงานนักฟุตบอลจากทวีปแอฟริกาย้ายถิ่นเข้ามาค้าแข้งในประเทศไทย การศึกษาพบว่า พลวัตของโลกาภิวัตน์ รวมถึงการแปลงฟุตบอลเป็นสินค้า กอปรกับการที่ฟุตบอลกลายเป็นอาชีพที่ประชาชนจำนวนหนึ่งมองว่านำมาซึ่งรายได้จำนวนมาก ก็นำมาซึ่งการย้ายถิ่นฐานของนักฟุตบอล สำหรับทวีปแอฟริกาซึ่งประสบปัญหาความยากจน อาชีพนักฟุตบอลกลายเป็นความใฝ่ฝันของเยาวชนชายจำนวนมากที่ต้องการแสวงหาชีวิตที่ดีกว่าเพื่อตนเองและครอบครัว อย่างไรก็ดี ข้อจำกัดด้านการพัฒนาฟุตบอลในทวีปแอฟริกา ทำให้นักฟุตบอลชาวแอฟริกันต้องการไปค้าแข้งนอกทวีป โดยเฉพาะทวีปยุโรปที่ให้รายได้สูงสุด อีกทั้งยังมีอิทธิพลเหนือสื่อที่เผยแพร่ฟุตบอลในทวีปแอฟริกา แม้ประเทศไทยที่จะมีลีกฟุตบอลที่ดี แต่ถือเป็นเพียงทางผ่านที่ช่วยสนับสนุนให้ผู้คนได้เห็นนักฟุตบอลกลุ่มดังกล่าวมากขึ้นเท่านั้น อย่างไรก็ดี มิใช่นักฟุตบอลทุกคนจะประสบความสำเร็จในการยกระดับตนเองไปค้าแข้งในยุโรป ขณะที่จำนวนหนึ่งตระหนักว่าประเทศไทยมีความเหมาะสมและเลือกที่จะค้าแข้งในประเทศไทยระยะยาว