Political Science Commons^™

Two Steps Forward And One Step Back: An Assessment Of How Uneven Economic Development Affects The Number Of Civil Wars, Cassandra M. Scheiber

Student Publications

The effects of economic development are enormously important in understanding the causes of civil war and the requirements for successful post-conflict reconstruction. In recent decades we have seen an increase in the number of civil wars because of a phenomenon known as the conflict trap. I question why we see an increase in civil wars and what role unstable economic development plays in contributing to the conflict trap. This paper offers evidence to support the hypothesis that uneven economic development increases the risk of multiple civil wars occurring in a short amount of time. Based on the results of testing …

Socioeconomic Differences In Antenatal Care Between The United States And Scandinavia, Joshua B. Kiehl

Student Publications

Despite their analogous status as economically developed nations, the United States and Scandinavian countries have marked differences in their healthcare systems. In particular both areas discernibly differ in the antenatal treatment provided for expecting women and their babies. Sweden and Denmark’s healthcare systems are universal, run primarily on taxpayer dollars, and provide equal antenatal care regardless of socioeconomic status. The United States’ healthcare system is run on a combination of private and government run insurance, in which socioeconomic status often determines insurance coverage. This variability in insurance coverage often results in differing levels of antenatal care. An overarching question remains …

Americans Attitudes Toward The Political Parties And The Party System, Howard J. Gold

Government: Faculty Publications

Drawing on survey data from ANES, Gallup, Pew, and other polls, this article examines attitudes toward the parties and the party system from 1996 to 2014. A previous Poll Trends analysis of the parties, through 1995, found antipathy toward the party system but not toward the parties themselves. The data since 1996 demonstrate that extreme discontent now extends beyond the party system to the Republican and Democratic parties. The data also show that Americans have grown more likely to see sharp differences between the major parties, and to perceive both parties as too ideological. As for the party system, Americans …

What Does Genocide Produce? The Semantic Field Of Genocide, Cultural Genocide, And Ethnocide In Indigenous Rights Discourse, Jeff Benvenuto

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

The semantic field of genocide, cultural genocide, and ethnocide overlaps between Indigenous rights discourse and genocide studies. Since the 1970s, such language has been used to express grievances that have stimulated the construction of Indigenous rights in international law. These particular words signify general concerns with the integrity of Indigenous peoples, thereby undergirding a larger framework of normative beliefs, ethical arguments, and legal claims, especially the right to self-determination. Going back to the post-World War II era, this article traces the normative and institutional processes through which this overlapping discourse has emerged. Culminating with the adoption of the …

Liberating Genocide: An Activist Concept And Historical Understanding, Tony Barta

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

From the outset, historians of genocide have seen themselves as activists. Among historians of colonial societies that is what distinguishes them most in relation to indigenous peoples. An ethnographic sensibility should be visible in any such study, and the more so when a question of genocide is raised. After all, if we do not have a sense of difference between peoples we fail the test of genocide at the first hurdle. And if we do not have an ethnographic sensibility towards our own cultures (including academic cultures) we will fail to make the most of our role in affecting deeply …

Moving Beyond The Crossroads: Strengthening The Atrocity Prevention Board, James P. Finkel

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

2015 Louisiana Governor Election Poll, Edward E. Chervenak, Survey Research Center, University Of New Orleans

Survey Research Center Publications

The University of New Orleans Survey Research Center, in association with the software company Lucid, has released the results of a statewide opt-in Internet poll that gauges voter preferences in Saturday’s primary election for governor of Louisiana. The poll surveyed 623 registered voters from Oct. 14-19, 2015.

The poll shows that Republican David Vitter has a slight lead over Democratic candidate John Bel Edwards. Two other Republicans, Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle, lag behind the top two candidates by double-digits.

The Most Unkindest Cuts: Speaker Selection And Expressed Government Dissent During Economic Crisis, Alexander Herzog, Kenneth Benoit

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Economic crisis and the resulting need for austerity budgets have divided many governing parties and coalitions in Europe despite strong party discipline in the legislative voting on these harsh budgets. We measure these divisions using automated text analysis methods to scale the positions that legislators express in budget debates in an effort to avoid punishment by voters for supporting austerity measures while still adhering to strict party discipline by voting along party lines. Our test case is Ireland, a country that has experienced periods of rapid economic growth as well as one deep financial and economic crisis. Tracking dissent from …

Being Chinese Again: Learning Mandarin In Post-Suharto Indonesia, Charlotte Setijadi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

For thirty-two years under former President Suharto’s New Order regime (from 1966-1998), the teaching of Chinese languages in schools was banned in Indonesia. During this period of total assimilation, public displays of Chinese characters were prohibited along with other forms of Chinese cultural expressions, allegedly for the sake of national unity. From 1966-69, hundreds of Chinese medium schools and Chinese language press were closed in Chinese settlements throughout the archipelago and the formal teaching of Chinese languages in Indonesia effectively ceased. As a result, the majority of contemporary Chinese Indonesians no longer have the ability to speak, let alone write …

Islamophobia: Religious Affiliation, Religious Markets, And Attitudes Towards Islam In Three European Countries, Linda A. Lockett

Political Science Faculty Presentations

The paper compares the effect of religion on public attitudes toward Muslims in three different countries; Germany (religiously pluralistic), Sweden (predominately Protestant) and Spain (predominately Catholic): Are religious affiliation and commitment more common in religiously diverse (competitive) countries? Does religious affiliation or commitment increase or decrease negative affect (feelings) toward Muslims in different religious markets. Catholic and Protestant respondents in Germany, and Protestants in Sweden, are more likely to accept Muslims as neighbors than are the religiously non affiliated. Self-reported Catholicism is not significantly related to attitudes toward Muslims among Spanish respondents.

Evaluation, Coordination And Execution: An Analysis Of Military Coup Agency At Instances Of Successful Coup D’État, Karim El-Baz

Theses and Dissertations

Theoretically, members of the ground forces are the normal coup plotters as they have sufficient training and equipment to accomplish the objectives of a successful coup. Henceforth, what is quite puzzling is mixed coups. These coups include other officers from other service branches; taking into account, the ability of ground forces to execute the coup without the interference of other service branches. Therefore, the question is why would the coup leader involve those whom he would not tactically need for the coups’ execution. This is only one side of the puzzle that asks why and how a mixed coup agency …

Review Or Rhetoric? An Analysis Of The United Nations Human Rights Council’S Universal Periodic Review, Sameer Rana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fifty, thirty, or even just twenty years ago, would one ever imagine a powerful country like the U.S., China, or Russia preparing a national report on the human rights situation in their country, then presenting it in front of a UN political body, engaging in dialogue, answering questions, and responding to recommendations from fellow Member States? This became a reality in 2006 when the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) replaced the problematic UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) and established a new and unprecedented mechanism known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Under this instrument, the human rights records and …

The History Of Us-Iran Relations And Its Effect On The Jcpoa Negotiations, Chase Mccain

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Relations between the United States and the Islamic Republic have ranged from limited to non-existent over the past 36 years, and have been impeded by threatening rhetoric and perceived betrayals on both sides. The elections of Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani allowed for relations to move forward, but both presidents are hampered by people within their governments who are unwilling to let go of ingrained threat perceptions and distrust of the other. Despite these challenges, the P5+1 and Iran managed to create the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for Iran’s nuclear program, which can be used as a starting point …

Where The Plains And Hills Collide: Understanding Nepal’S Political Tension Through Tharus In Chitwan, Cameron Calato

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nepal's new constitution was received with both jubilation and violence. Protests swept across the plains of Terai leading to a blockade with India and a deadly fuel crisis. One’s opinions on the situation depend heavily on one’s own ethnicity, caste, and regional location. This research takes a deeper look into one ethnic minority, Tharu, to better understand Nepal’s complex political situation. Through many conversations in Chitwan, with both high and low castes, one can piece together a most intriguing analysis of Nepal’s politics. The political divide in the nation is severe and shows no willingness of compromise. The constant struggle …

How South Africa’S Collective Memory Of The Anc’S Armed Struggle Has Shaped Political Allegiances And National Identity In Modern South Africa, Will Corvin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper focuses on how certain narratives from the ANC’s armed struggle are “lived out” through modern South Africans’ political allegiances and concepts of national identity. This article starts by discerning which strands of history the popular narrative of the armed struggle fails to adequately acknowledge. From there, the research analyzes how those forgotten narratives have impacted South Africans’ faith in the ANC government and path toward becoming a reconciled, rainbow nation. The data indicates that a more inclusive narrative of the ANC’s armed struggle is necessary for the country to attain its goals of becoming a nonracial, reconciled democracy …

Energy As A Factor For Turkish - Russian Rapprochement, Saltuk Bugra Karahan

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation started with a simple question: What was the main source of Turkish-Russian rapprochement seen generally after the end of the Cold War, specifically within the last 15 years (2001-2015)? A review of the literature on the subject revealed three explanations for Turkish-Russian rapprochement: (1) Perception of the U.S. as a threat in the Black Sea and Caucasus region, (2) Deterioration of Turkey’s relations with the West, and (3) Turkey’s need for energy. Thus came the main question for this work: To what extent does Turkey’s need for energy play a role in Turkish-Russian rapprochement? Although each of the …

'Home Was Congo': Refugees And Durable Displacement In The Borderlands Of 1,000 Hills, Erika Frydenlund

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

As forced migrants linger at the borders of the world’s conflicts, refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rwanda remain in camps where they have waited for ‘durable solutions’ to their geographic and political existence for nearly two decades. Protracted displacement such as this results from processes at the local, state, regional, and international levels, with consequences reverberating each of these levels, including insecurity, expenditure of already limited resources, and strained interstate political relationships. As refugees’ stays extend to increasingly long periods of time, situations once assumed to be temporary take on a semblance of permanence. Forced displacement increasingly …

Dwelling In Time, Dwelling In Structures: Disintegration In World Politics, Jan Adam Nalaskowski

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation aims to propose a general theory of disintegration. This subject is not treated directly by some theoretical accounts and mistreated by others. European integration theories are fashioned to explain the greater integration process while game-theoretic approaches to withdrawals and secessions, even if treating disintegration directly, fail to include critically responsible factors. This dissertation offers a constructive criticism of both accounts. Since neither turning integration theories symmetrically around nor direct, game-theoretic assessment of disintegration help to provide sufficient explanation, it is suggested that the problem of symmetrical reversal and rational conduct must be revised.

Disintegration fails to follow the …

The Impact Of Governance In Sports Institutions On Olympic Achievements From Decision-Makers' Perspective In The United Arab Emirates, راشد إبراهيم المطوع النعيمي

Theses

The success of sports institutions depends on the extent of achieving outstanding sports results not only at the local level but on all regional and international levels. Hence, efficiency of sports institutions is measured by the number of achievements, especially at the Olympics level as it is the highest rank in the hierarchy of sports achievements. The present study begins from a basic assumption that the weakness of the UAE’s Olympic achievements is due to the governance pattern and management and leadership styles in various sports institutions and especially in the sports federations and sports clubs. In this respect, this …

'Hope For Every Addicted American' An Opioid Epidemic In The Age Of Ethopolitics: Implications For U.S. Drug Policy And Governing Problematic Subjects, Elizabeth Newcomer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The United States is in the midst of an unprecedented drug epidemic instigated by overprescribed pain relievers and cheap, accessible heroin. Beyond its immense scope, what makes this opioid epidemic distinctive is a widespread awareness of its effects among privileged populations and a political consensus that it cannot be effectively addressed with existing, punitive drug policies. Building upon analyses of the drug addict identity and policy change as well as critical addiction studies, I critically examine the discourses of the opioid epidemic, considering their impact on U.S. drug policy since 2000 and analyzing the implications of these changes for governing …