Political Science

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/10066/344

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 1083

A Case for Addressing the Poor Quality of Sex Education in the United States
(2009) Irshay, Dana; Waldman, Sidney R., 1940-2016
Over the past few decades, policymakers and their constituents have become increasingly preoccupied with the prevalence of sexual activity among teenagers. Though causality is not always clear, teenage childbearing is associated with numerous negative effects, such as living in poverty and little educational attainment for both mothers and their children. Additionally, the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s put into perspective the fatal and irreversible effects that are possible to obtain from sexual activity. Though teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates are down from the 1990s, teenage sex is still a very important issue in American society. In terms of the sex education debate, restrictions in research dealing with the prevalence of teen sex in the U.S., unplanned pregnancy rates, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates, make it difficult for the government to deal with these problems effectively. However, with the budget crisis, it is even more important that government funding is properly allocated to programs that benefit all of its constituents in the long term, and to those who are most affected, immediately. This paper delves into the analysis of what characteristics are successful in combating the harmful consequences of teenage sexual activity, as well as what populations are most at risk. Ultimately, the aim of this thesis is to provide input on how to better counter the occurrence of STIs, unplanned pregnancies, and other negative effects associated with sex among teenagers.
A case for rescinding professional baseball's antitrust exemption
(2004) Schwartz, Craig; Waldman, Sidney R., 1940-2016
My thesis has attempted to give the reader an objective overview of the issues surrounding Major League Baseball's antitrust exemption. In addition, I have presented the history leading up to the exemption as well as the subsequent history that has served to maintain the exemption. Finally, I have presented the arguments both for and against maintaining the exemption and have concluded that Congress as well as the Supreme Court has shirked their responsibility in not removing the exemption.
A Century of Examination: DuBois, Baldwin, and Self in the Racial Construct
(2007) Taylor, Brianna; Beltrán, Cristina
A Comparative Perspective on the Decline of the Liberal in American Politics: Analysis and Recommendations
(1997) Volkman, Eric; Beltrán, Cristina; Krippner, James
A Comparison of Christian Perspectives in the United States Political Realm
(1998) Symons, Katherine S.; Shumer, Sara Mayhew
There are many Christian voices in the political realm; the loudest often bring the conservative voices, which have captured the most media attention. However, Christian political voices range from social conservatives to social progressives and from libertarianists to socialists. The following thesis elaborates on the views of eight Christian articulators and highlights their propensities towards justice and/or moral cultural issues in addition to their views on the appropriate role of the church in public life. Also, the work demonstrates congruence between the Christian and political principles of widely varying Christian political views, and suggests paths towards achieving a unifying discourse.
A Comparison of Peron in Argentina and Castro in Cuba
(1981) Danly, Matthew
A Cooperative Theory of Success for INGOs in Developing Countries
(2012) Clark-Brown, Aubrey; Mendelsohn, Barak, 1971-
A District Divided: Analyzing Policy Responses to Racial Isolation in U.S. Schools
(2017) Daviduke, Natasha; Oberfield, Zachary W.
Desegregation is no longer a word reserved for history books. In response to the growing instance of majority-minority and predominantly low-income schools, a number of districts across the country have adopted socioeconomic status-based school integration policies. These programs aim to help equalize educational opportunities for all students by creating more diverse learning environments. This thesis examines four case studies to determine whether attendance zone policies or controlled choice plans offer a better solution to modern segregation. While the former option involves redesigning the boundaries within a district to make their corresponding schools draw from a more diverse population, the latter offers parents a choice of schools and balances their preference with diversity goals and other factors when assigning students. This analysis examines attendance zone policies in Wake County, North Carolina and Eden Prairie, Minnesota, in addition to controlled choice plans in Jefferson County, Kentucky and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Each policy is evaluated using a set of four criteria: effectiveness, cost, political feasibility, and ease of implementation. After careful quantitative and qualitative analysis, I conclude that both policy options have the potential to be successful in small districts, but that controlled choice offers a more feasible, flexible, and sustainable solution to segregation overall. While each policy design presents unique virtues, choice plans are successful in upholding pro-diversity sentiment, which is essential to building widespread integration efforts in the future.
A Formula for Success? Utilizing Culture in Social Movements: The Civil Rights Movement, the Antiwar Movement, and the Music of the 1960's
(2000) Haines, Jeffrey A.; McGovern, Stephen J., 1959-
Everyone who was alive at the time with access to a television certainly can remember the events that transpired the night of April 29, 1992. That marked the night of the unforgettable Rodney King beating at the hand of the Los Angeles Police Department, and an aerial camera was there to capture those unbelievable proceedings blow-by-blow. It did not take long for the video to soon be broadcast on every news report in the nation, nor did it take long for the black community of Los Angeles to initiate riots in response to acquittal of the white policemen accused of the beating. For every face, white or black, who viewed the images from that video, acquittal did not seem to be the likely verdict and the masses certainly voiced their displeasure through their actions. Millions of dollars in damage was done to the city courtesy of fires, looting, and general violence and vandalism. Though the case was quickly re-tried and the policemen were then found guilty for the unnecessary beating of Mr. King, no one will ever forget that tape. Even upon reviewing the video or simply observing a single image of the beating again some time later, those brutal moments of anger and rage can quickly paint all of the events that ensued as a result back into one's mind as if it had just happened. The beating of Mr. Rodney King is just one example of how a social movement, no matter how large or how small, can use culture to its advantage in achieving its goals. But does this theory hold true across the board in relating to all social movements? What methods are most effective, why are they effective, and is it possible to augur them before they actually happen? In the following pages we will attempt to answer these questions, first by studying how four sets of established scholars in the field of culture and social movements have answered them. They are Ron Eyerman and Andrew Jameson, David Snow et al. and Robert Benford, William Gamson, and Todd Gitlin. Then, in an attempt to answer the question ourselves, we will investigate the music of the 1960's and the effect it had on the Civil Rights Movement and the Antiwar Movement as our case studies. Finally, drawing from the established theories in addition to the information we have gathered from the case studies, we will ultimately determine how social movements consistently utilize culture in fulfilling the goals it sets out to accomplish.
A Framework for Accounting for Latino Immigrant Integration: The Case Study of Mexican and Central American Immigrants in New York City
(2019) Safter, Katharine; Isaacs, Anita, 1958-
This thesis stems from the idea that Trumpian politics are the latest incarnation of a longstanding Latino Threat Narrative, which “posits that Latinos are not like previous immigrant groups, who ultimately become part of the nation” and they are instead viewed as “unwilling or incapable of integrating, of becoming part of the national community” (Chavez 3). In response, this investigation asks, what accounts for Latino immigrant integration? In other words, what facilitates their integration and what are the major obstacles or challenges that the Latino community faces as it seeks to find a place in the United States? These questions carry enormous intellectual, political and policy-relevant weight. Intellectually, this inquiry holds significance for its fundamentally interdisciplinary nature. The question of immigrant integration has drawn attention from a wide array of scholars. This thesis adds to the interdisciplinary literature, quintessential to this area of research (ex: Waters and Pineau). Politically, this investigation is notable in that it provides the opportunity to unpack attitudes that threaten stability within the nation as Trump’s virulent rhetoric leads to political polarization and violence (Stewart; Zanona; Illing). This thesis seeks to analyze and challenge dangerous claims in efforts to illuminate truth. In regard to policy, this thesis delves into critical policy issues, examining the efficacy of federal and local initiatives in shaping the immigrant experience. Methodology and Literature Review: This thesis studies Mexican and Central American immigrants in New York City as a case study to understand the interplay of factors that account for Latino immigrant integration. Specifically, to answer the central inquiry, it draws on a combination of primary and secondary sources including secondary literature specific to the case and related to the case, data, as well as ethnographic interviews with individuals from immigrant families, teachers and principals, nonprofit leaders and local policy makers in New York City. A review of the pertinent literature invites consideration of several core scholarly debates. To begin, what is the definition of integration and how is it distinct from key related terms (Brown and Bean; Kazal; Lalami; Waters and Pineau; Jiménez; Penninx; Former principal at a high school that serves immigrant youth in NYC; Fix; Policy Advisor at Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs). Salient from this exploration is our working definition of integration that grounds the term in “inclusion” (Policy Advisor at MOIA) rather than the more traditional vision of integration as “convergence” (Brown and Bean; Waters and Pineau 20) or “conformity” (Kazal 438). Additionally, a review of the relevant scholarship displays the broad approaches that academics adopt in efforts to account for immigrant integration. A trifold strategy for accounting for immigrant integration surfaces (framework in part adopted from Waters and Pineau 160), as some scholars analyze the individual or familial experience of an immigrant in order to account for their propensity to integrate (Beck et al; Soehn; Bleakley and Chin; Waters and Pineau; Teshima; Dixon and Wu; Isphording; Landale et al; Brandon), while others name the role of the community, as seen in the form of neighborhoods and schools, as a key determinant of immigrant integration (Baalbaki; Cherng et al; Schüller; Waters and Pineau; Boyd; Kazmipur and Halli; Danzer and Yaman), while a third group of scholars underscores the role of federal, state, and local policies and their varied influence on immigrant integration (Jones-Correa; Bloemraad and Graauw; Jiménez; Omidvar; Waters and Pineau; Niessen). Key Findings and Implications: This thesis reaches a twofold conclusion. First, the family, the community, and federal and local policy all shape Latino immigrant integration. In regard to the familial experience of the case study, this thesis illuminates how language spoken at home, single-parenthood, deportation, and unaccompanied minor status inform immigrant integration. Pertaining to the community, this thesis demonstrates how the “Pan- Latino” or “Latino panethnic” (Dávila Culture in the Battleground 26; Ricourt and Danta 10) nature of neighborhoods in New York City has a distinct influence on a migrant’s propensity to integrate. Findings also demonstrate that in New York City general linguistic approaches and whole school models at the high school level are available that demonstrate the ability to support the integration of new Latino immigrants. Still, the convoluted nature of the high school application process harms immigrant integration as it restricts access to supportive options. In regard to policy, findings demonstrate the clout of federal policy and the limits of local policy in serving immigrant communities. Second, through providing a window into the goals, successes, and hardships of these immigrant groups, this investigation confirms our working definition of integration as “the process by which immigrants become accepted into society,” (Penninx) and relatedly, when immigrants “have access to all opportunities as everyone else, including jobs, housing… cultural inclusion” (former principal at a high school that serves immigrant youth in NYC) and other entites that support everyday life and wellbeing. These findings have paramount implications. At their core, they dispel the Latino Threat Narrative (Chavez 3) through illuminating that integration is the product of an interplay of factors. Second, these findings are critical for governments and nonprofits aiming to support Latino immigrants, in that this thesis provides a definition of integration responsive to the experiences of these immigrant groups. Lastly, this thesis has valuable insights for the New York City government as it illuminates shortcomings and successes of their local policies.
A Game of Preferences: The Origins of U.S. Unwillingness to Commit to Significantly Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(2015) Oxenham, Ian; Ibrahim, Raslan
A History of Racial Redistricting From a Constitutional Standpoint
(2001) Grackin, Jennifer L.
A Judge's Vote, and the People's: How Do Elected Judges Make Decisions?
(2020) Feist, Lillian; Oberfield, Zachary W.
There exist three major schools of thought regarding how judges make decisions: the legalistic model, popular among judges themselves and high school government classes, which argues that judges render decisions on the merits of each case; the attitudinal model, which suggests that judges release decisions in accordance with their personal values and beliefs; and institutional models, which consider that pressures derived from the processes by which judges are selected and retained impact their decisions. The major variable factor in judicial selection methods is whether judges stand for election or not, and elected judges clearly face pressures that appointed judges do not. Scholarship on the pressures elected judges face has noted the importance of both campaign contributions and public endorsements in determining the outcome of judicial elections. However, while many scholars have analyzed how judges have ruled in cases in which one party had contributed to their campaign, there is little scholarship to address the way judges approach cases concerning litigants who have lent them public support during their elections. My thesis explores various theories of judicial decision making and seeks to address this limitation.
A Liberation That Would Overcome the World: The Catholic Church and Religious Communal Democracy in Chile, Nicaragua, and Brazil
(1991) Wilkins, Christopher; Isaacs, Anita, 1958-
A Nation for Pakistan: On the Role of Identity in the pursuit of Freedom and Sovereignty
(2006) Murtaza, Zehra Nadine; Borowiak, Craig Thomas, 1971-
A National Energy Policy for the United States: A Policy Analysis
(1991) Kravitz, Kyle R; Waldman, Sidney R., 1940-2016
A New Model for Drug Policy: Working Toward Individual Freedom, Health, and Racial Justice
(2018) Jortner, Natalie; Donahue, Thomas J.
I argue that no existing model of drug policy fulfills the ethical requisites set out by the critical race theory, structural injustice, and progressive democratic theory. However, these theories support a new model which I call targeted equitable intervention. To have a democracy in which all people are meaningfully able to participate in their government and enjoy the same rights as their fellow citizens, it is important to give consenting adults maximum freedom in addition to implementing policies that protect their safety, by reducing risks of addiction and drug overdoses. Targeted equitable intervention’s combination of liberalism with minimal intervention to protect health and well-being while reforming systems to avoid reproducing structural injustice is in line with the implications of each of these frameworks. Examples of alternative drug policy in Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and certain U.S. states suggest this model’s policies that reduce punitive action and increase health-based policy have positive results.
A New Revolution: The Struggle Between Political Culture and Economic Reality in Contemporary Costa Rica
(1992) Maue, David J.; Glickman, Harvey
A New Vision for Public Schools: Reforming Urban Public Education Magnet & Charter Schools
(2004) Cummings, Sherine; McGovern, Stephen J., 1959-
A Pathway to Legislation: Making the DREAM a Reality: A Study on the Social Movement and Policymaking Process behind the Dream Act
(2021) Canning, Isabel; Isaacs, Anita, 1958-
The popularity of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, referred to as the Dream Act, has only grown over the years; however, it continues to fail in Congress. This study seeks to understand why the Dream Act has yet to pass into law and concludes with some recommendations for how it could pass in the current political context. To assess what has contributed to the bill's stagnation, I have conducted interviews with advocates and lawyers from the immigrant rights movement, as well as policymakers and staffers in the legislative sphere. I have paired these interviews with quantitative and qualitative secondary sources and relevant literature to strengthen the claims made in the interviews and contextualize them in a broader theoretical framework. In the following sections, I provide an overview of the history of the Dream Act and the relevant theory on policymaking, social movements, and US immigration. I then assess the challenges for passing the bill from the movement’s perspective by exploring the wins and losses of the Dreamer social movement. After establishing the general success of the advocacy realm, I turn to the legislative sphere to understand what institutional dynamics may have contributed to the bill's failure. I close with a set of recommendations that apply lessons learned from the previous legislative failures to inform how the current iteration of the Dream Act could be successful. I argue that political dynamics in the legislature have ultimately stunted the policy's progress and suggest that supporters of the Dream Act prioritize building bipartisan support in order to pass the bill. Understanding the Dream Act’s legislative failure and how to address it could have significant implications for the future of the policy, as well as immigration reform more broadly.

Browse

Browsing Political Science by Title

Results Per Page

Sort Options