Political Science Commons^™

The Dynamics Of Higher Education In Countries Experiencing Ethnic Conflict, Lillian Nellans

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

My thesis investigates how higher education institutions influence and interact with students and professors, policymakers, the economy, and the general population following ethnic conflict. I use a mixed-method comparative analysis of universities in Kosovo, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Turkey and an in-depth case study of Kosovo to analyze the dynamics of higher education in post-conflict environments. The majority of my research is drawn from personal interviews conducted between June 2017 and October 2017. I interviewed students, alumni, faculty, and administrators from Kosovo’s three most prominent universities: the University of Pristina, the University of Mitrovica, and the Rochester Institute of Technology …

A Kentucky Town Votes Against A Culture War Rematch, Campbell Robertson

Media Collection

No abstract provided.

Better Together: Proposing Participatory Evaluation To Ngo’S, James Hodgson, Dr. Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Rigorous evaluation has become the gold standard in international development. However, evaluations are limited to NGO’s that are willing to potentially be proven wrong and advised to adjust their strategy. Do characteristics of a proposed evaluation make it more or less appealing to an organization? This research focuses on the willingness of NGO’s to participate in different types of evaluations and specifically isolates the effect of proposing participatory evaluations in comparison to more traditional approaches to evaluation proposals.

To Vote Or Not To Vote: The Effect Of Using All-Mail Election On Probability Of Voting, Rehtaeh Beers, Dr. Jay Goodliffe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

All-mail elections are rare within the United States of America. Currently, only Oregon, Washington, and Colorado use mail-in ballots. Alaska will join that list during the 2018 midterm election as they adopt an all-mail ballot mode of voting¹. All-mail election ballots require no more effort than original registration; the ballot comes automatically and all one must do is complete it. Due to the increased convenience, increased turnout is expected among those voters who are already willing to register. Mail-in ballots are proven to be more cost-effective than traditional voting², allowing for the replacement of millions of …

Modern Morality: Understanding Secular Purity In Moral Foundations Theory, Sarah Curry, Dr. Christopher Karpowitz

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Political psychologists Jonathan Haidt, Jesse Graham, and Brian Nosek argue in their influential study that morality is not a “one-dimensional spectrum” with individuals being moral or amoral.¹ Rather, moral foundations theory allows people to be explained across five dimensions: harm/care, fairness/reciprocity, ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, and purity/sanctity. Individuals place varying emphasis across the five dimensions, which they use in making judgements about a situation’s morality. Graham et al. find compelling evidence that conservatives and liberals have different approaches to life and politics due to varying moral foundations. Conservatives usually place equal emphasis across the five dimensions., while liberals tend to value …

How Does The Legality Of Polygamy Affect Domestic Violence?: A Case Study Of Nigeria, Jenah House, Dr. Darren Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Do the presence and legalization of polygamous relationships affect domestic violence in developing countries? While there is some evidence that polygamous relationships influence domestic violence rates, present research on the subject is sparse. Even less discussed in the field is how the legalization of polygamy affects domestic violence. My research suggests that not only does polygamy influence domestic violence levels in the home, but that domestic violence rates vary based on the legality of polygamy. If the legalization and practice of polygamy together affect domestic violence, this will open up discussion on the viability and legality of polygamy within states—and …

Dimensi Ekonomi Politik Dalam Konflik Tata Kelola Pertambangan (Studi Kasus Surat Keputusan Gubernur Bangka Belitung Tentang Penghentian Sementara Operasional Pertambangan Laut Pt Timah, Tbk Tahun 2016), Sandy Pratama

Jurnal Wacana Politik

Tujuan studi ini adalah untuk menjelaskan gambaran kontemporer kebijakan tata kelola dan tata niaga pertimahan di Indonesia. Liberalisasi pertambangan timah pasca orde baru membawa dampak negatif bagi lingkungan hidup. Kontrol akses dan keuntungan yang dikuasai oleh jaringan negara bayangan lokal tak memberikan manfaat besar bagi rakyat. Prakondisi ini menjadi dasar aksi resistensi yang menuntut Pemda untuk menghentikan segala aktivitas pertambangan timah laut yang mengancam kehidupan kelompok nelayan. Gubernur mencoba menanggapi positif tuntutan ini dengan menerbitkan regulasi penghentian sementara pertambangan timah laut oleh PT Timah, Tbk. Riset dilakukan dengan melakukan observasi lapangan serta melakukan wawancara bersama pihak-pihak yang terkait dan kompeten …

Pentingnya Pengawasan Partisipatif Dalam Mengawal Pemilihan Umum Yang Berintegritas Dan Demokratis, Ratnia Solihah, Arry Bainus, Iding Rosyidin

Jurnal Wacana Politik

Tulisan ini mengkaji tentang pentingnya pengawasan partisipatif dalam mengawal penyelenggaraan pemilu, yang bertujuan untuk menciptakan pemilu yang berintegritas dan demokratis. Walaupun telah dibentuk berbagai lembaga pengawas pemilu, baik di tingkat Pusat (Bawaslu), di tingkat Daerah (Panwaslu), maupun DKPP sebagai lembaga yang khusus menangani pelanggaran etik yang dilakukan oleh penyelenggara pemilu, namun dalam penyelenggaraannya masih ditemui berbagai pelanggaran baik yang dilakukan oleh peserta, partai politik, birokrasi, masyarakat maupun penyelenggara pemilu, sehingga pemilu dinilai kurang berintegritas dan kurang demokratis. Dengan dilibatkannya stakeholder dan masyarakat secara independen dalam mengawasi penyelenggaraan pemilu, diharapkan proses pemilu yang demokratis akan terwujud. Melalui studi literatur, tulisan ini …

Caudill To Face Davis This November, The Morehead News

Media Collection

No abstract provided.

Man Denied Marriage License By Kim Davis Loses Primary Bid, Will Not Face Her In Fall, Will Wright

Media Collection

No abstract provided.

Gay Man Denied Marriage License By Kim Davis Loses Bid To Challenge Her For Kentucky County Clerkship, Mahita Gajanan

Media Collection

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Measures Of Democracy And Welfare State Universalism: Lessons From Subnational Research, Agustina Giraudy, Jennifer Pribble

Political Science Faculty Publications

Democracy and the welfare state are two of the most extensively studied concepts and themes in the field of comparative politics. Debate about how to best measure the two concepts has failed to contemplate the extent to which political and social rights are uniformly present across distinct regions of the national territory, despite the presence of substantial subnational research that underscores wide variation inside countries. We argue that this omission hampers our understanding of the two phenomena and we propose a new measure of democracy and healthcare unversalism, which we call the Adjusted Measures of Democracy and Welfare Universalism. …

Kang Teaches The Political Economics Of The Far East, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

“All my life North and South Korea have been a divided country. Almost all young people in South Korea have to serve in the military. I felt that I needed to understand what is going on in the world—not only international relations, but political economy and social relations. I tried to figure it out, and that was the motivation. Another thing was my ignorance of international relations, especially political economy.”

That’s how Dr. Myung-koo Kang explains why he became the political economist he is today. After studying international relations at Seoul National University, he received a master’s and a doctoral …

Does Ideology Trump Party Loyalty? Utah, Mcmullin, And The 2016 Election, Soren Schmidt, Dr. Michael Barber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Do voters prioritize party loyalty or personal ideology when casting a ballot? In the contemporary political climate, it is nearly impossible to tell because the two go hand in hand: almost all Democratic candidates are liberal, and almost all Republican candidates are conservative. Consequently, it is difficult to discern, for example, whether a voter supports a Democrat because the candidate is a Democrat, or because the candidate is a liberal. However, Utah’s 2016 presidential election presented a highly unusual opportunity to separate the two factors. In a state consistently dominated by the Republican Party, the collision of a highly unpopular …

Exploring District Judges' Decision Making In The Context Of Admitting Expert Testimony, Andrew Bryan Dzeguze

Dissertations and Theses

Over the last several decades, multiple schools of thought have emerged regarding what impacts judicial decision making. In contrast to the classic legal model, studies have argued alternatively that judges are policy actors who rule consistent with their political attitudes; that behavioral traits such as race, gender and socialization influence judicial conduct, both consciously and unconsciously; that whatever policy interests judges may have, these are moderated by institutional constraints and strategic considerations; and that judges are subject to some common cognitive shortcuts in decision making, although they may be moderated or present differently than in the general population in light …

Amy Schumer, Susan Sarandon Give Cqsh To Kim Davis' Would-Be Opponent, Andrew Wlfoson

Media Collection

No abstract provided.

Domestic And International Firearm Laws: Can Implementation Be Used To Nationally Decrease Firearm Violence And Mass Shootings, Kenneth Banuelos

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

The issue of firearm violence in the United States is highly controversial, as there are sound arguments on both sides of the discussion. Advocates of stricter gun laws often refer to both international and domestic examples that highlight the effectiveness of more restrictive firearm policies. Japan and Australia are two such countries that are continually referred to when a tragedy, such as a mass shooting, occurs in the United States and initial reactions often emphasis a need for fewer guns in the general public. Opposition to the proposed reforms of firearm policies cite the importance of the Second Amendment which …

Mafia And Globalization: The Consequences Of Economic Integration Without Legal Symmetry, Benjamin White

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project will examine the relationship between mafia and globalization through the lenses of two case studies, focusing on the Calabrian criminal organization known as ‘Ndrangheta. The first case study revolves around the Port of Gioia Tauro, which serves as the drug trafficking hub of ‘Ndrangheta and is emblematic of the overall trends in global commercial traffic and security deficits. The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate how ‘Ndrangheta exploits the advanced economic integration that began in the 1990s and continues to exist in the gap between frantic commercial activity and limited government oversight. This case study begins …

Under Strain: A Robust Russian Foreign Posture Despite Limitations, Chiara Sutton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The geopolitical maneuverability held by the Russian Federation has been considered to be intrinsically connected to the prices of hydrocarbons, as roughly half of the government’s budget derives from hydrocarbon revenues. The year 2008, with oil prices flitting above $150 per barrel, was a particular boon for the Kremlin and its international significance- incidentally, 2008 also oversaw the Russo-Georgian war and the start of that now-frozen conflict. In the quite different current climate, as hydrocarbon prices stay remarkably collapsed for the third year, the Kremlin’s revenue problems are compounded by international sanctions and a level of international mistrust still rippling …

Comparing U.S. And French Approaches To Counterterrorism In Africa, Alexa Audino

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Although terrorism is typically associated, in the U.S., with the Middle East, there is also a significant presence of terrorist groups in Africa. Both the United States and France are involved in counterterrorism in the Sahel region, where the two states often work together. However, the strategies of the U.S. and France in this region also frequently diverge. This project analyzes the differences in the strategies taken by France and the United States in counterterrorism interventions in the Sahel, specifically studying the ways in which these two countries are fighting Boko Haram, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and Al-Shabab. …