Political Science Commons^™

Examining Joe Biden’S Cabinet Selections, Onu Institute For Civics And Public Policy

Critical Questions

For a president to be successful, it is critical they surround themselves with capable administrators with shared goals, who work to support the newly elected leader’s agenda. Building a successful cabinet is among the first priorities of a new president. A president’s cabinet selections can send signals to their various constituencies and can provide a glimpse at how they plan to govern over the next four years. It would appear that Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees largely satisfy his promises to promote diversity and a “return to normalcy” with his presidency.

Examining The 2021 Inauguration, Onu Institute For Civics And Public Policy

Critical Questions

The peaceful transition of power in the United States is marked by the inauguration of a president every four years. This has been the case since the first president of the United States, George Washington. Though the date, location, and time have changed since then, the oath of office has remained the same. This past Wednesday America witnessed the inauguration of our 46th president, Joe Biden. However, the absence of his predecessor, the storming of the United States Capitol on January 6th, and the COVID pandemic made it an inauguration like no other.

Just Like The Others: Party Differences, Perception, And Satisfaction With Democracy, Hannah M. Ridge

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

A robust literature on citizens’ satisfaction with democracy argues that system satisfaction is based on the policy outcomes that citizens anticipate from electoral results. A tacit assumption in this research is that there are differences between the parties and that citizens are aware of the ideological and preference diversity in their political environment. Some citizens, however, fail to perceive these differences. Using a multi-national set of post-election surveys, regression analysis, and propensity score matching, perceived party difference is shown to substantially impact citizens’ systemic satisfaction. Those who believe all parties are the same are substantially less satisfied with the functioning …

Secrecy In U.S. National Security: Why A Paradigm Shift Is Needed, Steven Aftergood

Secrecy and Society

No abstract provided.

State Secrecy: A Literature Review, Stephane Lefebvre

Secrecy and Society

What is secrecy? What is a state secret? Which state secrets deserve protection from disclosures? How are state secrets protected from disclosure? In this review, I use these questions as an organizing framework to review the richness of a very disparate, largely US-centric, but also multidisciplinary literature. In doing so, I highlight the social nature of secrecy - that it is a social construct with social effects and consequences - and the need for further research to unveil those rationalities that specific discourses on state secrecy put forward to legitimize the nondisclosure of state secrets.

Questions Of Professional Practice And Reporting On State Secrets: Glenn Greenwald And The Nsa Leaks, Rebecca M. Rice

Secrecy and Society

In 2013, journalist Glenn Greenwald met with Edward Snowden, who leaked the most documents in the history of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). Greenwald reported on these documents and proved that the NSA spied on millions of American citizens. However, he also provided commentary about the state of journalism and argued that journalists are often complicit in the keeping of state secrets. Using a rhetorical analysis of Greenwald's writings in The Guardian and his later book, this essay argues that journalists function as a technical audience that debates professional standards for leaking secrets. In Greenwald's case, journalists were …

Inauguration Day And The Politics Of A Partial Exorcism, Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Our nation is possessed by various spirits, and the parties are far from united on which ones should go and which should stay."

Posting about the 2021 Presidential Inauguration from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/inauguration-day-and-the-politics-of-a-partial-exorcism/

In Understanding The Makings Of An Extremist, There's A Lot Of Work Ahead, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The article explores the complexities and challenges of understanding and preventing extremism, particularly in light of the Capitol riot. It highlights the importance of addressing the root causes of extremism, such as socio-economic disparities, political polarization, and misinformation. The piece emphasizes that extremist behaviors are often the result of a combination of personal grievances and broader societal issues. It discusses the role of social media in radicalizing individuals and spreading extremist ideologies, noting that platforms can both enable and disrupt extremist networks. The article also underscores the necessity of a multi-faceted approach to counter-extremism, involving law enforcement, community engagement, mental …

Concentrated Lunar Resources: Imminent Implications For Governance And Justice, Martin Elvis, Alanna Krolikowski, Tony Milligan

History and Political Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Numerous missions planned for the next decade are likely to target a handful of small sites of interest on the Moon's surface, creating risks of crowding and interference at these locations. The Moon presents finite and scarce areas with rare topography or concentrations of resources of special value. Locations of interest to science, notably for astronomy, include the Peaks of Eternal Light, the coldest of the cold traps and smooth areas on the far side. Regions richest in physical resources could also be uniquely suited to settlement and commerce. Such sites of interest are both few and small. Typically, there …

Resolution Impeaching Donald John Trump, President Of The United States, For High Crimes And Misdemeanors, David N. Cicilline, Ted Lieu, James Raskin, Jerrold Nadler

United States House of Representatives: Documents

Resolved, That Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following article of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:

ARTICLE I: INCITEMENT OF INSURRECTION

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, …

Once A President: Trump Must Be Denounced And Stripped Of Even The Appearance Of Presidential Legitimacy After He Leaves Office, Jason M. Schlude

Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Counterproductivity Of Protectionist Tariffs, David Korn

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

This paper questions whether protective tariffs are counterproductive as political-influence tools. This thesis will examine protective tariffs implemented throughout history in different circumstances and levels of technological development. In every case examined, the results and principles behind protective tariffs remain constant. The historical examples utilized in this research include Civil War taxes, the Smoot-Hawley tariff, and Trump’s tariffs against China in 2018. Each of these examples serve as consequential representations of protectionist tariff policy. Protectionist tariffs artificially raise prices and restrict markets while simultaneously propping up inefficient industries. Thus, this paper explores whether the benefits of protectionist tariffs justify their …

Limits And Possibilities Of The United States Military In Post-Conflict Reconstruction And Stabilization, Alcir Florentino Dos Santos Neto

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

This study probes the limits and possibilities of U.S. military efforts to facilitate the transition from warfighting to nation-building. Most comparative studies conceive the complexity of this transition along a spectrum from conflict to humanitarian assistance to post-conflict stabilization. While the last two stages have often been interpreted as a coordinated act of civil-military ‘nation-building’, the spectrum, in fact, represents an ideal type simplification. At one level, outcomes depend on the players involved, including sovereign nations, national militaries, international and regional institutions, U.N. peacekeepers, private security contractors, and non-governmental humanitarian providers, among others. On the other hand, because …

Advocating For The Law Of Subsidiarity, Braeden T. Fleck

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Today in our nation, a steady rate of increased centralization has contributed to a society that seems fixated on the prospect of personal gain. This has had a direct adverse impact on our nation’s economic growth and efficiency, and has dampened our sense of duty as citizens who are gifted with a government administration that acknowledges constitutional rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The inefficient results of federal government’s political action highlight the ineffectiveness of current procedure. The question then arises, does the principle of subsidiarity when applied to government provide measurable gain for the parties …

Evolutionary Possibilities Of Democratization And Atavistic Nationalism: A Comparative Study Of Unrecognized States, Hilmi Ulas

Peace Studies Faculty Articles and Research

The question of how rising atavistic nationalism will affect democracies worldwide is an essential one of our time. In this paper, I focus instead on conducting a comparative historical analysis of atavistic nationalism in two unrecognized states: North Cyprus and Taiwan. I argue that the democratic crisis of our times is, in its essence, economic and has been precipitated by the failure of democracies to build domestic capacities to support democratic values. Furthermore, I posit that engaging populaces at the local political level will prove essential to preserving democracies around the world. I conclude by underlining that atavistic nationalism is …

The National Interest And The Roots Of American-Saudi Diplomacy, Oliver B. Wiegel

Theses and Dissertations

This paper analyzes the beginnings of diplomacy between the United States and Saudi Arabia during the interwar years and World War II. It explores how national interest was decided upon, how oil companies affected American foreign policy, and the American government’s strategic interest in Saudi oil reserves.

Pay Your Debts: Moral Dilemmas Of International Debt, Alessandro Del Ponte, Peter Descioli

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Should a government repay its international debts even if this imposes severe hardships on its citizens? Drawing on moral psychology, we investigate when people think a government is morally obligated to pay its debts. Participants read about a government that has to decide whether to default on its debt payments or cut vital programs. Across conditions, we varied the number of jobs at stake and whether a full or partial default is required to save them. Overall, most participants judged that a government should pay its debt even when the damage to the debtor is greater than the benefit to …

Toward A Feminist Ethics Of Nonviolence [Toc], Timothy J. Huzar, Clare Woodford

Philosophy & Theory

Edited collection of original essays debating Adriana Cavarero’s feminist ethics of nonviolence. Including an original essay by Adriana Cavarero and responses from Judith Butler, Bonnie Honig, Olivia Guaraldo, Simona Forti, Christine Battersby, Lorenzo Bernini, Mark Devenney, Tim Huzar and Clare Woodford. Although inspired by Cavarero’s recent work on an ethical maternal posture of inclination the responses situate Cavarero’s argument in her wider corpus of nonviolence and uniqueness, that critiques and offers an alternative to the masculine symbolic of philosophy. This introduction endeavours to not only introduce Cavarero’s work, but to chart the journey of an increasingly productive dialogue between Cavarero …

Covid-19 Has Killed Globalization As We Know It, But It Is Not Too Late For A Different Approach, John Zak

Glatfelter Gazette

In this article I discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has led to the overall decline of globalization in its current form. I discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the shortcomings of globalization in its current form that proves it to be unsustainable in the long term. In addition, I discuss new ideas for what a new form of globalization would look like that would be more stable and prosperous, along with being better able to manage global crises such as the current pandemic.

Was Trump’S Deployment Of Federal Officers To Portland, Oregon And Other Cities During The Summer Of 2020 Legal And Constitutional?, Celina Tebor

Copley Library Undergraduate Research Awards

Amidst nationwide protests calling for racial justice after the killing of George Floyd, President Donald Trump deployed federal troops to several cities across the country, including Portland, Oregon. The legal basis for sending the troops was to protect federal property, and relied upon the powers of the Department of Homeland Security and an executive order from summer 2020. However, President Trump’s rhetoric surrounding the deployment suggested that they were truly sent into cities to serve as domestic law enforcement and quell the protests. And as the troops’ presence lengthened and increased in Portland, reports of kidnapping and tossing protestors into …