Senior Independent Study Theses from 2026
Mechanisms for Restraint: Why do some states forego nuclear weapons?, Thomas J. Abrams
Department: Political Science
When Music Resists: Nueva Canción Chilena and the Voice of Democracy, Evan E. Amend
Department: Political Science; Spanish
Economic Crisis, Political Choices: Explaining Domestic Terrorism Through Discrimination, Regime Type, and Counter Terrorism Policy in Europe After 9/11, Anthony Aye
Department: Political Science
More Than Deterrence? U.S. Military Base Presence on Host-State Economies, Cooper H. Baer
Department: Political Science
Effects of Misinformation and Media Framing on Public Opinion Toward U.S. Tariff Policy: A Survey Experiment, Owen Bosland
Department: Political Science
Democratic Political Judgment in the Age of Post-Truth: An Analysis of Arendt, Habermas, and Foucault, Emme Buckel
Department: Political Science
From Inner Cities to Outer Cities: A Qualitative Case Study on Racial Inequality, Metropolitan Resegregation, Displacement and Gentrification In Modern American Cities, James Rashaun Carter
Department: Political Science
The Innocence Gap - How U.S and Israeli Media Enable the Hyper-dehumanization of Minority Protest, Desmond P. Conn
Department: Political Science
Media Framing of Irregular Migration and Political Contestation in United Kingdom News Coverage: A Longitudinal Content Analysis, Liam Alexander Donovan
Department: Political Science
Performing Empathy: Clicktivism, Deservingness and Gen Z Assignment of Police Brutality Victimhood Based on Race and Gender, Nwanne Eke
Department: Political Science
Sustainable Development of The Past is Now The Future: The Development of Bike Lanes in Cities and Their Social Sustainability Aspects, Ava Y. Fink
Department: Environmental Studies; Political Science
Deciding Who Belongs: Immigration Through Deliberative and Agonistic Democracy, Madeleine Rae Frazier
Department: Political Science
If I Look at the Mass I Will Never Act: News Media Format and Public Sensitization to the Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan, Amy Gabrovsek
Department: Global Media and Digital Studies; Political Science
Big Brother or Nosy Neighbor? An Analysis of the Effects of Journalist Intimidation on Portrayal of the United States in Mexican Media Within the War on Drugs Context, Zachary Goode
Department: Political Science; Spanish
Power to the Pupils: Gerrymandering in the United States and Its Effect on Per-Pupil Public School Funding, Claire Elizabeth Goodwin-Kelly
Department: Political Science
The Politics of Death: Race, Class, and the Legitimacy of Capital Punishment in America, Samanatha Harris
Department: Philosophy; Political Science
Restrained Liberation: The Converging Realms of The New Woman, Hannah Höch, and Marxist Feminism in Germany's Weimar Republic, Elizabeth Heatwole
Department: Art and Art History; Political Science
Genuine Interest or Deflection Attempt? An Account of Saudi Arabia's Sportswashing Efforts, Reese D. Johnson
Department: International Relations; Political Science
Cascading Failures, Course Reversals, and Closures: An Analysis of the Federal Republic of Germany’s Post-Disaster Nuclear Energy Policy and News Coverage of Nuclear Energy, Ian J. Kelly
Department: German Studies; Political Science
Implementation of Asylum Law: The Effect of the Criminalization of Immigration on the Outcome of Asylum Cases in the United States and Spain, Danielle E. Libby
Department: Political Science; Spanish
The United States Information Agency and Domestic Support for Public Diplomacy During the Cold War, Emma C. McKone
Department: History; Political Science
Citizens United Impact: Effects on Party Power and Legislative Responsiveness to Constituents, Malaina M. Millhouse
Department: Economics; Political Science
Remote Sensing as a Policy Entrepreneur? A Multiple Streams Analysis of Urban Heat Island Mitigation, Kelsey Mize
Department: Political Science; Urban Studies
Ratification of The United States Constitution: Analyzing the Role of Elite Level Polarization and Institutional Constraint, Alexis Neal
Department: Political Science
From Rhetoric To Reality: An Exploration of the Effects of Othering Rhetoric On Evaluations of Approval, Kameryn Nelson
Department: Political Science
The Manosphere at the Ballot Box: A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Affect of Hyper-Masculine Media on Young Male Vote Choice, Cooper J. Nichols
Department: Political Science
The Primary Problem: How Nomination Rules Shape America's Political Divisions, Hadley Reckard
Department: Political Science
Faith, Feminism and the Future of Democracy: A Case Analysis of Evangelical Political Mobilization in the United States, Lauren R. Riley
Department: Political Science
Who Belongs? A Comparative Case Study Between the U.S. And Canada’ S Use of Citizenship Revocation, Colette O. Rodriguez
Department: International Relations; Political Science
Racial Perceptions and Political Polarization: Examining the Impact on Black and Latino Political Behavior, Laura Sfeir
Department: Political Science
Tacit, Explicit, Hypothetical, and Nonexistant: An Investigation of Political Consent Theory In The Modern World, Andrew J. Simpson Jr.
Department: Political Science
Red Scares in the New Republic: The Politics of Sovereignty in Early Postcolonial South India, Tarsha Swami
Department: History; Political Science
The Pink Tax: A Reflection of Democratic Responsiveness and Gender Inequality Within The U.S., Kathleen R. Williams
Department: Political Science
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2025
Liberal Feminism and Laïcité: The Role of French Liberal Feminist Support in the Neocolonial Erosion of Women’s Rights, Madison Lily Ackley
Department: Political Science; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
I Need a Hero: Exploring the Impact of Crisis on Leadership Traits, Tucker Andrewjeski
Department: Political Science
The Talent Tug of War - Brain Drain Vs. Brain Gain: Analyzing Attractants and Deterrents in International Student Migration., Yogitha Babu
Department: Political Science
The Needle and the Damage Done: How Does Chinese Participation in Illicit Global Economies Affect Domestic Security?, Finley Bodnar
Department: Chinese Studies; Political Science
An Analysis and Critique of International Space Law: Monitoring Orbital Space, Maeve E. Boley
Department: Political Science
Climate Crisis or Climate Change? The Impacts of Gain Framing, Loss Framing, and Ideology on Political Engagement and Agency, William Christopher
Department: Political Science; Psychology
May God Protect Us: The Effect of Perceived Existential Threat and White Christian Nationalism on Political Participation Among American Evangelicals, Alaina Kathleen Cline
Department: Political Science; Religious Studies
‘Obnoxious and Disliked’ and the ‘Bastard Orphan’: 1776 and Hamilton’s Role in Shaping Individuals’ Knowledge of John Adams’s and Alexander Hamilton’s Contribution to the Creation of the American Standards of Governance, Heather Cook
Department: History; Political Science
Democracies versus Dictatorships: Which Political System Drives Sustainable Economic Development in Africa?, Kennedy Damtse
Department: International Relations; Political Science
Contact with Homeless Populations, The Social Construction of Homelessness, and Punitive Policy, Ciru Feldman
Department: Psychology; Political Science
Advisors and Influence in Foreign Policy: Expanding Leadership Trait Analysis to the U.S. Secretary of State, Alexander M. Gerdenich
Department: Political Science
The Ideological Influence of American Neoliberalism on Individual Conceptions of Liberal Language, Morgan Bradley Graham
Department: Political Science
Aid and Protect? The Limits of Neocolonial Saviorism and Humanitarianism, Emma Jones
Department: Political Science; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
That’s No Moon: An Analysis of How Developments in Military Space Weaponry Influence United States’ Security Strategies, Riley Magdalene Jones
Department: Political Science
The Effect of Gender Identity on Political Participation, Teagan M. McCullough
Department: Political Science; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Water Rights and Wrongs: A Comparative Case Study of Water Management Frameworks in South America, Gavin Neff
Department: Global and International Studies; Political Science
Let Them Eat Cake: How Economic Sanctions Affect Repression and Leader Survival in Authoritarian States, Samuel J. Peppers
Department: Political Science
First Nations, First Knowledge: Indigenous Sovereignty and Environmental Governance in Australia, Brazil, and Aotearoa New Zealand, Ainsley Grace Duggan Phillips
Department: Environmental Studies; Political Science
Cash is King: Contextualizing the Political Effects of Citizens United vs FEC and SpeechNow vs FEC, Kyle Roether
Department: Political Science
The Impact of the Criminal Justice System on the Civic Engagement and Political Participation of Young Adults, Ellie Saguto
Department: Political Science; Sociology and Anthropology
Violent Legacies: Transitional Justice and Postwar Violence in Guatemala, Carter R. Stanley
Department: History; Political Science
The Impact of Political Instability on Nepal's Economic Development, Sarya Thapa Magar
Department: Economics; Political Science
Down with France: True Independence or Continued Political Instability?, Aku Unvu
Department: Political Science
Towards an equal Landscape of Understanding: Dialogue in an Age of Political Closure, Yahia A. Yahia
Department: Political Science
More Than a Game: The Political Impacts of Participation in Mega Sporting Events, Rory Zahren
Department: Political Science
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2024
The Impact of Lobbying by the Military Industrial Complex on the Voting Behavior of Maryland Democrats, Nathaniel Buckley
Department: Political Science
Our Quest for a New World Order: The Effects of Collective Narcissism and Conspiratorial Belief on Sharing Conspiratorial Headlines, Carrie Buckwalter
Department: Political Science; Psychology
Maximizing Engagement: The Impact of Combined Framing Strategies on Men and Women’s Response to Climate Change, Christian Yvetot-Antoine Condé
Department: Political Science
Election Candidates on Social Media: Does Having a Strong Social Media Presence Affect a Candidate’s Electability, Benjamin Cornelius
Department: Political Science
Diversifying the Pocketbook: The Rise of Criminal Funding in International Terrorism, Noa Davny
Department: Political Science
Advocacy or Authorship: A Sustained Organizational Influence Analysis of the American Legislative Exchange Council's Voter ID Act, 2011-14, Hannah D. Eastman
Department: History; Political Science
Monetary Policy in the Political Arena: Quantifying the Impact of Party Control on Federal Fund Rates around the Humphrey-Hawkins Report, Zachary Galdo
Department: Political Science
The Security Dilemma Between the United States and China and its Implications for United States Regulations of TikTok and Semiconductors, Rahel Gelaw
Department: Political Science
Digital Politics: Assessing the Influence of Election Officials’ Social Media Usage on Youth Voter Turnout, Delaney Gross
Department: Political Science
Perceptions and Prejudice: Investigating the Link Between Anti-Muslim Sentiment and Support for Torture Among White Americans, Pat Hrabak
Department: Political Science
Red, Blue or Purple: An Analysis of Government Configuration and Party Control and Its Impacts on Poverty, Crime, and High School Graduation Rates, Benjamin N. Huntington
Department: Political Science
The Authoritarian Backslide: Democratization and Repression in Transitional Regimes, Elise Jones
Department: Global and International Studies; Political Science
Vaccines, Transplants, and Ethical Dilemmas: Navigating COVID-19 Vaccination Statuses and Organ Transplant Allocation, Naomi Mann
Department: Political Science
Rhyme and Reason: Examining the Causes of Variance Within the Absolute DW Nominate Scores of U.S. House Members, Ian C. A. Marshall
Department: Political Science
Party Lines and Policy Designs: The Influence of Presidential Administrations on Texas State Legislation, Lilly McLendon
Department: Political Science
Voter Restrictions, Political Efficacy, and Latinx Turnout: Do You Belong?, Madison Delaney Mycoff
Department: Political Science
The Positive Economic Impact of Women’s Education in Countries with a Colonized Past, Jemima Sambu Ndandu Kaleta
Department: Political Science
Supreme Stereotyping: The Effects of Gender and Race on the Editorial Media's Coverage of Nominees to the United States Supreme Court, Austin Piatt
Department: Political Science
Coups d’État and Foreign Policy Change: A Multiple Streams Approach, Thomas Pitney
Department: Political Science; French and Francophone Studies
Equality, Representation, & Legitimacy: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of Healthcare, Education, and Civil Rights Legislation in the Ohio Revised Code, Emma Place
Department: Political Science
Crossing the Rubicon: Brazilian Water Access from Public Provision to Privatization, Tyler Rak
Department: History; Political Science
Is Voting From Your Dorm the New Norm: Understanding College Students' Preferred Vote Method, Alana Rivas-Scott
Department: Political Science
The Final Frontier of Diplomacy: Analyzing the Intersection of Space Policy and Private Corporations, Holly Shaum
Department: Political Science
Taiwan: Public Diplomacy and Foreign Perception, Elijah W. Shoaf
Department: Global and International Studies; Political Science
Rebel Girl: Gender Inclusive Ideology, Leadership Opportunities, and Female Participation in Rebel Groups, Emma-Jean Stanley
Department: Political Science
Regulating the Digital Frontier: A Comparative Analysis of Bitcoin Regulatory Policy in El Salvador and the Central African Republic, Earl Steve Stephens III
Department: Political Science
A Surge of Personality or A Bureaucratic Struggle? How Presidential Personality Affected the Influence of Bureaucratic Politics in Troop Surge Decisions, Jacob Ullom
Department: Political Science
Hero, Villain, Victim Policy Narratives on Automatic Voter Registration: Which Narrative is the Most Persuasive?, John Varley
Department: Political Science
How Gender Framing Affects the Success of Women’s Rights Movements, Ella E. Weber
Department: Political Science
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2023
La Violencia en Las Sombras: Epistemic Violence in The United States Immigration System and Its Implications, Hannah Rosemary Baker
Department: Political Science; Spanish
Exploring Small State Foreign Policy Through Shelter: A Case Study on Mongolian Foreign Policy, Bilegsanaa Battulga
Department: Political Science
Legalization v. Decriminalization: An Analysis on the Impacts of Marijuana Policy Reform on State’s Crime Rates, Owen Belfiore
Department: Political Science
Understanding Integrative Rhetorical Complexity’s Effect on Public Opinion of Ballot Initiatives in Conjunction with a Contingent Valuation of a Ballot Initiative to Improve Water Quality Trading Systems., Tanner C. Burt
Department: Economics; Political Science
Women’s Place in the House (of Representatives): A study of Gender or Ideology on Congressional Voting Behavior, Morgan Carson
Department: Political Science
A Grasp for Global Dominance? Analyzing Russian Leaderships' Impact on Russia's National Role Conception, Colin Edward Czubaruk
Department: Political Science
How Does a City’s Migrant Identities Affect Urban Governments’ Implementation of Affordable Housing Policies?, Ethan Dasilva
Department: Political Science
Power Corrupts But Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely: What Effects Do Political Crisis Have on Political Stability of Emerging Democracies, Ayse Ergon
Department: Political Science
How National Role Conceptions Affect Japanese Foreign Policy in the Taiwan Strait, Jonah Brick Freedman
Department: Political Science
Polarized Insurrection? An Ethical and Empirical Analysis of the January 6th Insurrection and Surrounding Media Coverage, Noah D. Golovan
Department: Philosophy; Political Science
Measuring The Impact of TRC: The Involvement With Cities’ Use of Housing Policies and Hate Crimes, Elizabeth Hall
Department: Political Science
Measuring the Impact of TRC: The Involvement with Cities' Use of Housing Policies and Hate Crimes, Elizabeth A. Hall
Department: Political Science
Fatal Extraction: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Conflicts in Ecuador during the Presidency of Rafael Correa, Joey Harris
Department: Political Science