Political Science Commons^™

Black Radicals And Marxist Internationalism: From The Iwma To The Fourth International, 1864–1948, Charles R. Holm

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This project investigates historical relationships between Black Radicalism and Marxist internationalism from the mid-nineteenth through the first half of the twentieth century. It argues that contrary to scholarly accounts that emphasize Marxist Euro-centrism, or that theorize the incompatibility of “Black” and “Western” radical projects, Black Radicals helped shape and produce Marxist theory and political movements, developing theoretical and organizational innovations that drew on both Black Radical and Marxist traditions of internationalism. These innovations were produced through experiences of struggle within international political movements ranging from the abolition of slavery in the nineteenth century to the early Pan-African movements and struggles …

Debating Their Beliefs To Victory: How The Beliefs Of Presidential Candidates Transform The Rhetoric Used In Presidential Debates, Aubrey Marks

HIM 1990-2015

As presidential candidates rhetorically articulate their beliefs during presidential debates, they reveal a lot about their underlying ideological beliefs. These beliefs were examined through the lens of an established methodology called the Operational Code, which uses a program to decipher a candidate's beliefs through what they say in debate transcripts. In this study, the belief trends of the Operational Codes of all presidential candidates from 1976-2012 were examined through a rhetorical lens, and it was found that rhetoric was indeed the driving force for the apparent changes in Operational Code beliefs. These changes were examined on a greater level of …

Political Transition In A Post-Arab Spring Middle East: A Comparative Analysis Of Tunisia, Egypt, And Yemen, Dominic Martin

HIM 1990-2015

The Arab Spring that began in Tunisia and spread throughout the Middle East shook the region. These populous movements unseated authoritarian rulers whose power and position were well entrenched, potentially setting numerous countries on a path towards democratization. This project seeks to explain why the democratic transitions within the countries of Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen have been largely unsuccessful. The large amounts of literature that flooded the academic forums through articles and books are analyzed, providing numerous explanations as to why these transitions have been unsuccessful such as polarization, deadlock, sectarianism, violence, and institutional conflict. This literature focuses on either …

The Case For A New College Governance Structure In Nevada: Integrating Higher Education With Economic Development, Magdalena Martinez, David F. Damore, Robert Lang

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

As Katz and Bradley (2013) document, the confluence of partisan politics and budget cuts have left the federal government and to a lesser extent, state governments impotent to address the countless economic and education challenges facing the United States. Out of necessity, metros and regions are taking the lead in collaborating, innovating, and governing in Post-Recession America. Instead of waiting for federal or state governments to impose prescriptive, one-size fits all “solutions,” localities are seizing opportunities to strengthen their economies by working with stakeholders to develop policies tailored to their unique and complicated needs.

Governing Energy: Asia’S Future And The G20, Ann Florini

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Asia’s future peace and prosperity depend on whether it can solve its energy challenges. The region’s striking economic growth in recent decades has been – literally – fueled by massive and reckless development of fossil fuel-based energy systems, in ways that are clearly unsustainable. The costs, in environmental devastation, damage to health, and geopolitical instability, are high and growing, and increasingly unnecessary as new technologies reach a transformative tipping point. But new technologies alone will not change the current grim realities. Such change requires overcoming enormous vested interests, deeply entrenched practices, and above all habits of thought and assumptions. And …

Hollywood’S Invention Of The Native American, And The Myth Of The Cowboy As A History, Kathleen Labbe

All Theses And Dissertations

A major institution in perpetuating beliefs of Native Americans as the “other” during the Twentieth Century was the Hollywood Western. This highly popular genre perpetuated the myth of Native Americans as the “other,” an animal like savage that could be saved only with the intervention and assimilation of White ideals and society. This paper focuses on the following questions. Firstly, why and how has the Native American been continuingly labeled, invented, and accepted as the other both in American academia and the cultural consciousness? Lastly, how has the myth of the good, white, rugged pioneer cowboy versus the savage Native …

An Assault On Liberty: The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act And The Indefinite Military Detention Of Us Citizens Without Charge Or Trial, Matthew M. D'Angelo

Political Science

In the wake of 9/11 the U.S. Government has passed a host of counter-terrorism laws that provide the Executive Branch and the President of the United States frightening levels of authority. The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists of 2001 (AUMF) and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (NDAA) include provisions or have been interpreted to allow the President to indefinitely detain terrorism suspects in military custody without charge or trial. This includes the potential application of these laws to American citizens. This thesis will analyze these statutes and relevant jurisprudence on the subject of …

Presidential Epideictic Rhetoric During Times Of Crisis: Barack Obama's "9/11" Moment, Michael Eisenstadt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Epideictic or ceremonial rhetoric, in its most basic and essential function, praises or blames an object. Ceremonial speakers seek to articulate why those particular objects are worthy of honor or the reverse. In the unfortunate event of a national tragedy, citizens may be confused or troubled, presenting the need for clarification and reassurance. Often times, concrete political solutions do not satisfy these needs because they do not explain what has occurred in terms the public can understand and proceed from. Presidents often inject memories of the past into public address to define these troubling situations in ways that broad, national …

Party Building Factors To Encourage Third Party Support Among 18-24 Year Olds, Amy Timmerman

Honors Theses

Third parties have always existed within American politics, yet have never claimed the ultimate political victory: the Presidency. Third parties often enjoy support from a strong, concentrated group of serious devotees and brief flashes of public support, but they often fail to attract the larger, more consistent backing enjoyed by the two major parties. A significant source of third party patronage is also found on the university campus, yet this support often fades shortly after college. Using survey data, this research analyzes the potential impact party building and media campaign strategies would have on third parties in gaining the lasting …

The Singapore Opposition: “Credibility” – The Primary Impediment To Coalition Building, Brian Steinberg

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This thesis studies opposition party behavior in competitive authoritarian regimes using the Singapore 2011 general election as a case study. The study asks, what is the primary reason Worker’s Party, the strongest opposition party in Singapore, did not pursue the formation of a pre-electoral coalition? I analyzed the pre- existing theories and conducted fieldwork, interviewing opposition party leaders, academics and activists, to ascertain a direct impediment and not just a background condition to coalition building. Many of the pre-existing theories contained insights relevant in Singapore, but the operationalization of the variable limited their significance. I demonstrate that Worker’s Party did …

Tunisia: Democracy And Islam In Post-Arab Spring Politics, Mary E. Shults

Honors Theses

Since the ousting of the former regime and the first free and fair elections in 2011 in Tunisia, political Islamist parties have been in the majority. The ruling party did not have a mandate, which necessitated concessions. Nonetheless, religion, balanced with a history of institutional secularism enforced by a dictator, has impacted the creation of a democracy. Inequality and repression drove protestors to the streets to demand new governance. These problems, along with religion and societal norms, influence the meaning of democracy in Tunisia. This paper will explore the thin lines between religion, democracy and the everyday politics of Tunisia, …

Tennessee: The Birth And Development Of Performance-Based Funding In Higher Education, Evan Williams

Honors Theses

Tennessee was the first state to introduce performance based funding metrics into their higher education system in 1979. Over the past 30+ years, the state reevaluated and amended their formula every five years. What was initially an additional allocation that could be earned on top of an institution’s standard budget has now become the sole method of allocating funds for higher education in Tennessee. In 2010 the Tennessee legislature passed the Complete College Tennessee Act, Which put the state on the path to be the first state in the nation that allocates 100% of higher education funds on the basis …

From Inclusion To Empowerment: The Political Implications Of Microfinance, Kateri R. Ciccaglione

Honors Scholar Theses

There has been extensive literature on the positive effects of microfinance in developing countries with regards to financial inclusion of the poor, economic growth and poverty reduction. This paper seeks to take these facts one step further, arguing that microfinance paves the way for the political empowerment of the poor because it creates social capital in developing economies. I make the case that a growth in social capital due to financial inclusion helps impoverished people realize their political potential by instilling a need for political awareness and increased participation in the political process. An analysis of the current literature concerning …

Examining The Success And Failure Of Multiethnic Coalition Governments In Sub-Saharan Africa: The Cases Of Kenya And Senegal, Emily Cunningham

Honors College Theses

This thesis is focused on multiethnic coalitions in Africa. Specifically, it seeks to identify the causal mechanisms at play in the formation of multiethnic coalitions and whether or not they succeed or fall apart. It also seeks to identify whether multiethnic coalition success or failure is related to the emergence or lack thereof, of violence. Case studies and process tracing are the primary methods of analysis, using Kenya and Senegal as cases under the most similar systems design. There is an examination of the actors involved in the formation of multiethnic coalitions in both nations, why the opposition coalitions fell …

Competing Identities In The U.S. South: The Role Of Youth And Southern Identities In Politics, Olivia Mcclure

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Voting In Latin America: Understanding Turnout Decisions, Claire Q. Evans

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The American Invasion Of Grenada On Anglo-American Relations And The Deployment Of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces In Britain, Timothy Anglea

All Theses

This thesis studies the impact the American invasion of Grenada in 1983 had on Anglo-American relations and the deployment of cruise missiles in Britain. Anglo-American nuclear relations were dependent on a strong level of trust between the two governments. The deception employed by President Reagan's government in concealing American intentions concerning Grenada from the British government broke that trust. The American invasion also furthered doubts held by the general British population concerning the placement of American owned and operated cruise missiles on British soil. The deployment of Intermediate-Range Nuclear forces in Britain and Western Europe was crucial to Prime Minister …

Influences On Foster Care Reentry Rate, Ashley L. Morris, Andrew Battista, Dilshod Achilov, Rebecca L. Keeler

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Influences on Foster Care Reentry Rate looked at demographic and socioeconomic characteristics in each state within the United States. Those characteristics were then studied to see how they related to foster care reentry rates. Then, a case study analysis was conducted on three states, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tennessee, because of their similarity in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and divergence in foster care reentry rates. The case analysis was an in depth pursuit of differences in each of the state's policies that may be a driving force of higher reentry rates.

The Influences Of The American Boxer Indemnity Reparations Remissions On Chinese Higher Education, Xiaojuan Zhou

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to consider the influences of the American Boxer Indemnity Reparations Remissions (ABIRR) on Chinese higher education. These remissions were used to establish two universities, to establish the American Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program (ABISP) to support Chinese students’ studying in America, and to support other higher education- related projects.

This study focused on higher education considering ABISP as an individual case. The ABISP students were selected from all the students who studied in America in the corresponding period in part because of the inconsistencies of research before 1949.

Through tracking 1,152 ABISP students of Type …

Corporal Punishment: An Analysis Of The Constitutionality Of Domestic Corporal Punishment, Brian Junquera

Political Science

No abstract provided.