Political Science Commons^™

The Occurrence Of Place-Based Narrative In U.S. Senatorial Campaign Advertisements, Brian K. Munis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Narratives have been increasingly subject to study within social science disciplines. However, research pertaining to narrative within political campaigns is incomplete. For example, there has been a relative lack of attention in the literature to the symbolic discourse and imagery in many political campaign advertisements that—seemingly—exists in order to link candidates to specific geographic “places” within their constituencies. A more complete understanding of the association between narratives of place and political campaigns will allow us to more effective and accurately gauge how, when, and why candidates use this potential strategy; as well as its possible effectiveness in election outcomes. This …

Strength In Numbers: Collaborating To Support Nonprofit Advocacy, Emily J. Shields

Graduate Research Papers

The focus of this research is to examine the current literature on the nature and level of nonprofit lobbying activity, as well as the barriers that keep that activity relatively low in most cases. It will also consider factors that impact whether a nonprofit organization's leadership chooses to engage in lobbying activity, what makes that activity successful, and how collaborations can support greater and more effective activity. This review will help to provide best practices and recommendations to nonprofit executives, leaders, and board members who are interested in being a part of critical policy conversations and influencing the overarching, systemic …

A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis Of Web 2.0 Technology Use In Egypt & China, 2005-2010, Monica D. Morales

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Taking a cue from scholars' suggestions to focus on the intersections of various fields of study, this research aims to find the commonalities among representative theories of democracy, mass media and social movements. Assessment of each reveals that all three areas of study encompass space for the interface of the media and the public. The confluence of these elements, when paired with Information and Communication-based technologies, yields what is introduced here as the Integrative Conceptual Model of Internet Analysis. Using this model gives way to a focus on Internet-mediated scenarios through a framework that evaluates the type of agent interaction, …

Privacy, Police Power, And The Growth Of Public Power In The Early Twentieth Century: A Not So Unlikely Coexistence, Carol Nackenoff

Political Science Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Power And Global Economic Institutions, Ayse Kaya

Political Science Faculty Works

What is the relationship between states' economic power and their formal political power in multilateral economic institutions? Why do we see variation in states' formal political power across economic institutions of the same era? In this book, Ayse Kaya examines these crucial under-explored questions, drawing on multiple theoretical traditions within international relations to advance a new approach of 'adjusted power'. She explains how the economic shifts of our time, marked by the rise of Brazil, Russia, India, China and other emerging economies, have affected and will impact key multilateral economic institutions. Through detailed contemporary and historical analyses of the International …

Rebel Leaders And Conflict Processes: An Individual Level Analysis, Serhan Yalciner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Civil conflict is a complex and ambiguous phenomenon that requires a multi-dimensional investigation. A concentration on rebel leaders in the study of conflict promises a good amount of potential for obtaining interesting findings. This dissertation examines rebel leader survival and rebel leaders’ influence on various conflict processes. It demonstrates that relative rebel strength, external support favoring the government, and oil production of the state have a significant impact on rebel leader tenure. To explain why we observe some considerable increases in the number of civilian killings in the course of conflict, the dissertation develops a theoretical model, putting the emphasis …

Political Factors And The Adoption Of The Merit System Of Judicial Selection, Joshua E. Montgomery

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

There is widespread debate among politicians and academics as to the effectiveness and appropriateness of the merit system of judicial selection. Much of the literature on this subject is dedicated to the effects of the merit system after it has been adopted. The purpose of this paper was to examine the effects of certain political factors that may have created a political environment conducive to the adoption of the merit system. In this paper, three hypotheses were postulated and subsequently tested. The results of each test, while not as conclusive as anticipated, confirmed each of the hypotheses. The first conclusion …

Political Content And Political Behavior: Using Functional Theory To Test The Ability Of Political Content To Stimulate Political Interest, Ryan Stouffer

Wayne State University Dissertations

The health of the American democracy is up for debate. Digital natives will decide the future of this democracy. Fewer digital natives--those who have grown up with Internet access--are engaging in formal political participation, compared to their parents. Digital natives lack the information needed to participate. This study examined the effects of interactive political content on digital natives' political information efficacy (PIE) through an experiment. The results revealed a decrease in the participants' political confidence and a decrease in the likelihood they would vote. Exposure to political information harmed most digital natives' PIE and reinforced political attitudes in some. The …

Inclusive Representation In Global Decision-Making Processses: Challenges Of Democracy, Sovereignty, And Liberatory Politics For Marginalized Groups, Laurel Dawn Sprague

Wayne State University Dissertations

This project proposes a framework for liberatory representation that institutionalizes processes to remove domination and meaningfully increasing respect and concern toward marginalized groups on issues that substantively affect them. It argues that decision-making processes that do not offer meaningful influence to those people who are most affected by particular decisions turn those who are supposed to be political equals into wards of dominant groups; essentially turning adults into political children. To meet ideals of political equality, liberatory processes for inclusive decision-making are required. The concept of political adulthood provides the foundation for an examination of current processes designed to bring …

Understanding The Behavior Of States As Their Nuclear Status Changes, Patty Zakaria

Wayne State University Dissertations

Can a state’s nuclear status influence its behavior in dyadic relationships? The present study examines the role played by nuclear status on the proliferating state’s level of hostility and cooperation towards other states in dyadic relationships. The study builds on the existing literature by looking at the behavior of states prior to becoming nuclear weapons states by strictly examining states with nuclear weapons development programs. This phase in the nuclear process is lacking in the current literature on nuclear weapons. Hostile behavior is measured based on the level of hostility in militarized disputes between states attempting to develop nuclear weapons …

Laughing Our Way To Stronger Democracy: Political Comedy's Potential To Equalize Political Interest And Political Knowledge In Community College Students, Lisa Lynne Lawrason

Wayne State University Dissertations

Political comedy is the one off-line news source – albeit soft news – that young adults access in higher rates than older adults. They are tuning into political comedy to be entertained, but while watching, they also get a healthy dose of politics. For otherwise apolitical young people, does exposure to politics in this format heighten their political interest? Does it make them more politically knowledgeable citizens? Through a 4-weeklong experiment, this study tests the effects of exposure to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on political interest and political knowledge in a sample of community college students in mid-Michigan. …

The Dynamics Of Compression On Presidential Nominations, Samuel Raymond Gedman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The way in which political parties in the United States choose to nominate presidential candidates is a dynamic process. States operate with a great deal of autonomy as to when and what type of contest to hold, strategic candidates seek to enter the race at an advantageous time, and voters adjust to the electoral environment presented to them. The movement of statewide contests earlier in the nomination calendar, the shortening time between subsequent contests, and the expedited conclusion that is often reached before the official nominating convention has led to a compression of the nomination contest. This compression of the …

Truth Commissions And Collective Memory In Latin America, Mona Schwartz

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Human rights violations have an enormous effect on future generations and have the potential to divide or unite society in their wake. My research examines how a national, collective memory is formed after human rights abuse occurs, and how the work of a truth commission contributes to this process. My hypothesis is that when a truth commission is instated after an experience of human rights abuse, a nation will be better able to reconcile conflicted memories and experiences and to create a unified, collective memory of that human rights experience. More specifically, my hypothesis is that, in order to be …

Exploring Potential Associations With The Presidential Discretionary Power Of Fema Funds Dispensation, Matthew Thomas Eagles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

US presidential approval of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding has been the subject of much research that largely has been inconclusive or contradictor as it relates to whether funds may have been distributed in a biased way through the use of presidential discretionary power. The purpose of this study was to explore if or to what degree US presidents acted in a potentially biased manner with the approval of FEMA approvals during election years in election battleground states. This study was an exploration of whether there was presidential political favoritism in approving FEMA funding from 1996-2012. The theoretical constructs …

Young Sceptics: The Role Of Youth Voters In Increasing Euroscepticism, Chase J. Ellinger

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

“Eurosceptic” or anti-European Union (EU) political parties are notably gaining traction in EU elections across the political bloc. The continued importance of the Eurosceptic phenomenon was most recently evidenced in the pan-EU elections of May 2014, when parties like the UK Independence Party and France’s Front National gained scores of seats – and, therefore, influence – in the European Parliament (EP). This trend is disturbing to pro-EU politicians and Europhiles alike. Based on my review of existing literature, however, there is a notable lack of research into the role of youth voters in electing these political parties. In this paper, …

Vishal Mangalwadi: The Book That Made Your World Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Polarization And The Presidency: From Fdr To Barack Obama, By Robert C. Smith., Michael A. Genovese

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Imperial From The Beginning: The Constitution Of The Original Executive, By Saikrishna B. Prakash, Michael A. Genovese

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Presidential Leadership In Public Opinion: Causes And Consequences, By Jeffrey E. Cohen, Michael A. Genovese

Political Science and International Relations Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Three Essays On Public Organizations, Changgeun Yun

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Organizations play key roles in modern societies. The importance of organizations for a society requires an understanding of organizations. In order to fully understand public organizations, it is necessary to recognize how organizational settings affect subjects of organizations and organizing. Although public and private organizations interrelate with each other, the two types are not identical. In this dissertation, I attempt to describe public organizations in their own setting by discussing three important topics in public organization theory: (1) innovation adoption in the public sector; (2) representative bureaucracy; and (3) decline and death of public organizations.

In Chapter II, I scrutinize …