Making Parts Instead Of Children : Policy Feedback And No Child Left Behind,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
Making Parts Instead Of Children : Policy Feedback And No Child Left Behind, Jody Maria Schmid
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Most of our hopes and dreams for public education rely on how well teachers teach, and major federal education policies often need teachers to serve as their primary implementers. Yet we know very little about how teachers' responses to federal education policies affect their teaching, their identity and their motivations. Research on "policy feedback" recognizes that policy targets derive important lessons from public policies and political discourse, but there are gaps in terms of how, when and why relationships within organizations, institutions, or communities mediate these effects on policy implementers and citizens. This dissertation uses cultural policy analysis, and in-depth, …
Negotiated Bodies : Institution Building And Participatory Policymaking In Mexico's Public Health Sector,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
Negotiated Bodies : Institution Building And Participatory Policymaking In Mexico's Public Health Sector, Katherine Truby
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
This dissertation examines the relationships between the state and civil society organizations within the context of HIV policy in Mexico. The Mexican context is important in this analysis: Mexico has relatively recently transitioned to a more democratic form of governance, including expanding institutional opportunities for civil society organizations to participate in processes of policy development and implementation. Further, Mexico has an HIV epidemic that is concentrated in the most at-risk communities. These communities typically face political and social exclusion. The extent to which civil society organizations advocating on behalf of these marginalized communities successfully negotiate the creation of new policy …
Who Secedes And Who Succeeds? : Disputing The Uniqueness Of 20th Century Russian Secessionism,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
Who Secedes And Who Succeeds? : Disputing The Uniqueness Of 20th Century Russian Secessionism, Joseph Lepage Varuolo
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
ABSTRACT: During the twentieth century, the Russian sphere has seen no less than 60 attempts of ethnic secession. The diversity of ethnic groups along with the oppression of successive authoritarian governments have produced two distinct waves of secession. The First Wave (1917-1925) followed the fall of the Russian Empire, while the Second Wave (1989-1995) occurred after the Soviet Union disintegrated. The strength and distinctiveness of the region's secession attracted numerous scholars and investigations. Yet, key elements of general secession theory appear to have little in common with the region's secession. Even more astonishing, the exact opposite of several cornerstones of …
Unpacking The Impact Of Democracy On Terrorism,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
Unpacking The Impact Of Democracy On Terrorism, Issares Lertangtam
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
While policy makers assert that democracy can reduce terrorism, academics have produced differing theories explaining the relationship between the two. One theory suggests that democracy discourages terrorism because citizens in democracy can express grievances through electoral process resulting in their less incentive to resort to violence. Another theory argues that democracy encourages terrorism because its enabling environment reduces the cost of terrorist activities. Still another contends that democracy increases terrorism because political contestation in democracy induces some groups to use violence to outbid for their cause. Other strands exist including one suggesting no relationship between democracy and terrorism. These controversial …
Marriage And Family Law : Court Centered Legal Development, 1942-2012,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
Marriage And Family Law : Court Centered Legal Development, 1942-2012, Natalie Priya Johnson
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The goal of this dissertation was to explore the internal problem solving nature of state courts and thus produce a narrative about court-created legal development. By examining four policy areas related to marriage: divorce/annulment, alimony, adoption/custody and loss of consortium, I show the courts turn to performance as a way to adjudicate questions from individuals and couples operating at the margins of marriage, couples who do not live to the marriage ideal or more broadly the breakdown in the marriage ideal. Through an analysis of four unique policy areas I offer conclusions in this dissertation as to why performance matters …
The Tea Party Movement And The American Political Tradition,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
The Tea Party Movement And The American Political Tradition, Lance Roxas
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Abstract
Gender Balanced Or Gender Biased? : An Examination Of News Coverage Of Male And Female Governors,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
Gender Balanced Or Gender Biased? : An Examination Of News Coverage Of Male And Female Governors, Lauren H. Bryant
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Male and female candidates are on an uneven political playing field with women continually disadvantaged in terms of the news media coverage they receive. Research has shown that female candidates receive more negative coverage and coverage based upon traditional gender stereotypes and role expectations of women in our culture. However, what is less clear is the type of news coverage women receive after Election Day. As more and more women are elected, it becomes increasingly important to examine the coverage they receive while in office. This study employed a content analysis to examine the differences in the news coverage of …
A "Silk-Shot" Voice : Constructing Social History In The Future-Bound Novels Of H.G. Wells,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
A "Silk-Shot" Voice : Constructing Social History In The Future-Bound Novels Of H.G. Wells, Sophie Moss
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
ABSTRACT: This thesis argues that H.G. Wells' attempts to craft a successful narrative of the predicted future, as viewed through three primary texts (Anticipations, A Modern Utopia and The Shape of Things to Come) are not only trials at the most effective textual platform for his social ideology but also explicit attempts to create a new hybrid literature. The author first embarks on a close reading of Anticipations to analyze Wells' social ideology and his early theory of the role of fiction. Next, the author examines the two later novels, A Modern Utopia and The Shape of Things to Come, …
The Collision Of Political And Legal Time : Foreign Affairs And The Court's Transformation Of Executive Authority,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
The Collision Of Political And Legal Time : Foreign Affairs And The Court's Transformation Of Executive Authority, Kimberley Liané Fletcher
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
A dynamic institutional relationship exists between the United States executive branch and the United States Supreme Court. This dissertation examines how the Court affects constitutional and political development by taking a leading role in interpreting presidential decision-making in the area of foreign affairs since 1936. Examining key cases and controversies in foreign policymaking, primarily in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, this dissertation highlights the patterns of intercurrences and the mutual construction process that takes place at the juncture of legal and political time. In so doing, it is more than evident that the Court not only sanctions the claims made …
Talking Rights, Talking Politics : The Development Of Abortion Policy In New York And New Jersey, 1970-2010,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
Talking Rights, Talking Politics : The Development Of Abortion Policy In New York And New Jersey, 1970-2010, Jonathan Parent
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Policy can be made by all three branches of government, and the institutional location of change will have an impact on the shape of policy outputs. This dissertation examines the question of what factors will make courts more or less likely to undertake and continue policymaking in a given issue area. In particular, the study presented here considers the development of abortion policy in New York and New Jersey over a forty-year period beginning in 1970. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, this work proposes a theoretical framework whereby issue framing, coupled with institutional first movement, will greatly influence …
The Cradle Of Globalization : The Iroquois, Eisenhower, And Conflicts Over New York State Infrastructure Development During The 1950s,
2014
University at Albany, State University of New York
The Cradle Of Globalization : The Iroquois, Eisenhower, And Conflicts Over New York State Infrastructure Development During The 1950s, Kwinn H. Doran
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
ABSTRACT
The Uncertainty Paradox: Perceived Threat Moderates The Impact Of Uncertainty On Political Tolerance,
2014
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Uncertainty Paradox: Perceived Threat Moderates The Impact Of Uncertainty On Political Tolerance, Ingrid J. Haas, William A. Cunningham
Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications
People respond to dissimilar political beliefs in a variety of ways, ranging from openness and acceptance to closed-mindedness and intolerance. While there is reason to believe that uncertainty may influence political tolerance, the direction of this influence remains unclear. We propose that threat moderates the effect of uncertainty on tolerance; when safe, uncertainty leads to greater tolerance, yet when threatened, uncertainty leads to reduced tolerance. Using independent manipulations of threat and uncertainty, we provide support for this hypothesis. This research demonstrates that, although feelings of threat and uncertainty can be independent, it is also important to understand their interaction.
#Democracy: The Internet And Support For Democracy In Central And Eastern Europe,
2014
University of Mississippi
#Democracy: The Internet And Support For Democracy In Central And Eastern Europe, Matthew Alan Placek
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Since 1989, the countries in central and eastern Europe have undergone a tremendous amount of societal and political change. While previous studies have noted the importance of citizen support for democracy in providing a base for regime stability in these new democracies, there is considerable debate in what influences these values. One possible mechanism of attitude change is mass media. Previous studies in political science have noted the importance of mass media in influencing citizen attitudes and behavior. Though this research has uncovered a plethora of effects that the media can have, the extant literature has mostly focused on this …
On Mass Media, State Capacity, And Civil Conflict,
2014
University of Mississippi
On Mass Media, State Capacity, And Civil Conflict, Jacob Walter Dryden
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
State capacity scholars contend that a state's capabilities objectively predict its likelihood of civil conflict onset. The state capacity literature argues that the likelihood of civil conflict increases when military strength, regime revenue, and/or political institution coherence decrease. However, for this theoretical causal linkage to hold, the state capacity literature must assume that prospective rebels possess complete regime capabilities information; whereas, prospective rebels will know to rebel when the regime has a sufficiently weak, low revenue, and/or an incoherent political institution. I begin my dissertation by contending that incomplete information is more indicative of prospective rebels' informational abilities. Next, I …
Perceptions Of Corruption & External Political Efficacy: Regime Stability & Democratic Legitimacy,
2014
University of Mississippi
Perceptions Of Corruption & External Political Efficacy: Regime Stability & Democratic Legitimacy, Sean Stanley Bentzen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Do perceptions of corruption affect external political efficacy? If so, how? This paper investigates whether perceptions of corruption contribute to external efficacy on the aggregate, country level, and on the individual level. This paper seeks to expand the scope of the current corruption and efficacy literatures by examining, on the aggregate level, ninety five countries, and on the individual level, all available barometer surveys from the period of 2000-2012. Methods of analysis include time series, standard OLS, and hierarchical, or multilevel, modeling. In addition to the primary research question, this paper investigates the potential interactions between perceptions of corruption and …
Brief 9: Undp: Reviving A Practical Human Development Organization,
2014
University of Massachusetts Boston
Brief 9: Undp: Reviving A Practical Human Development Organization, Craig N. Murphy, Stephen Browne
Governance and Sustainability Issue Brief Series
Constant reform has characterized the UN Development Programme (UNDP) throughout its existence, say the authors of two recent books on UNDP. Change bespeaks an organization ready to adapt but also fundamentally uncertain about its proper role. It teeters between two sets of tensions—as coordinator of and competitor within the UN development system, and as exerting priorities from the center while seeking to be flexible in its program countries. These tensions should be resolved, and enable UNDP to be the UN’s sustainable human development organization.
Taking Interests And International Conflict More Seriously,
2014
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Taking Interests And International Conflict More Seriously, Chong-Han Wu
Theses and Dissertations
Democratic peace theory provides theoretical and empirical arguments of the importance about democratic institutions in shaping and promoting the global order. Yet critics propose that it is the similarity of policy interests that prevent conflict between the joint democracies instead of the effects of regime types (Gartzke 1998; Oneal and Russet 1999c; Russett, Oneal and Davis 1998; Gartzke 2000). Scholars mainly question whether interests directly cause peace or interests are indirectly caused by liberal variables, such as trade or international organizations. This debate has no obvious conclusion, but it encourages students of conflict studies to pay more attention to the …
Microfinance And Poverty Reduction: How Risks Associated With Government Policies Affect Whether Microfinance Alleviates Poverty In Latin-America,
2014
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Microfinance And Poverty Reduction: How Risks Associated With Government Policies Affect Whether Microfinance Alleviates Poverty In Latin-America, Brian Warby
Theses and Dissertations
The expansion of financial services to the poor, now widely referred to as microfinance, quickly saw tremendous success in Bangladesh beginning in the 1970's and was exported to a number of other countries. For a time microfinance was spoken of as a panacea, in part because it is more detached from governments than other forms of poverty alleviation. I develop a model based on expected utility theory that looks at how risks associated with government policies and characteristics affect whether this mechanism eases poverty. Using a large N analysis of Latin-American states from 1990-2010 and a case study analysis to …
The Effects Of Political Control And Institutional Structure On State Ethics Commissions,
2014
University of South Carolina - Columbia
The Effects Of Political Control And Institutional Structure On State Ethics Commissions, William Jonathan Rauh
Theses and Dissertations
State ethics commissions serve as both oversight and enforcement bodies. However they are also quasi-judicial institutions whose members are appointed by elected officials. At best this presents problems of oversight, and at worst it implies that commissions can be actively influenced by the very individuals they are tasked with overseeing. Previous studies of ethics commissions have examined the covariates of creating ethics commissions, or have examined the internal functioning of these commissions in the pursuit of their envisioned goals. A largely ignored area of study with regard to these commissions is the degree to which elected officials can exercise influence …
From Heresy To Policy: My Prescription For China's Population Policy 25 Years Ago,
2014
Old Dominion University
From Heresy To Policy: My Prescription For China's Population Policy 25 Years Ago, Shaomin Li
Management Faculty Publications
Recently scholars have been calling for the loosening up of China's one-child policy, and even the Chinese government has begun to show some willingness to do so. The call is not new. In my doctoral dissertation 25 years ago I first showed that China should allow couples to have two children and could still achieve the same population control goal as the one-child policy. I am glad to see that what I proposed 25 years ago is repeated by many scholars and even acceptable to the Chinese government.
