Senior Independent Study Theses from 2013
Do You Support the War?: A Study on the Effects of Private Military Companies on U.S. Troop Casualties and U.S. Public Opinion, Adrienne G. James
Department: Political Science
The Curious Case of Malnutrition in Guatemala and Honduras, Shannon Latsko
Department: Political Science
Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds You: The Effects of Structural Adjustment Lending on Voting Alignment in the United Nations General Assembly, Lauren Elizabeth Lee
Department: Political Science
Human Rights Organizations As Agents of Change: When Do They Fail and When Do They Succeed?, Kyla J. McEntire
Department: Political Science
The Politics of Anti-Affirmative Action Initiatives: a Comparative Case Study Approach, Jordan McIntyre
Department: Political Science
Neglected Human Rights: Examining the Causes of Socio-Economic Rights Violations Within the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Katherine Morton
Department: Political Science
The Evolution of International Sovereignty Norms and the Process of State-Level Norm Internalization, Katherine A. Mozynski
Department: International Relations; Political Science
Growing a National Economy: a Comparative Analysis of the Economic Growth in a Country Under Authoritarian or Democratic Rule, Girard W. Ogletree-Crawford
Department: Political Science
May it Please the Environment?: A Study of the Role Regional Location Plays in Influencing Federal Court Decisions on Fossil Fuel Cases, Stephen Perrott
Department: Political Science
Ethnoscapes and Nationalism in the Cherokee Nation's Constitutional Law, 1960-2013, Richard Tadd Pinkston
Department: History; Political Science
Peaceful Benefits: A Study of Peace Education Programs and their Effects on Violent Conflict, Anna M. Rella
Department: Political Science
The Balance of Power Has Shifted: How Affluent Interest Groups are Contributing to Income Inequality in the United States, Michele R. Ring
Department: Political Science
Amish War Criminals and Fascist Hippies: How Combatants' Methods of Motivations Affect the Amount and Intensity of Their Nonmilitary Atrocities, Nicholas S. St. Amour
Department: Political Science
More Than Just a Meal: the Economic Utility of Social Capital in the Lives of the Poor, Benjamin Higby Strange
Department: Political Science
The Land of Immigrants?: the Role of Nationalism in the American Public in the Creation of Restrictive Immigration Policies in the United States From the 1920s to the 2000s, Tablet Tesfaye
Department: Political Science
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2012
Revolution Has Gone Viral: the Effect of Facebook and Youtube on Social Movement Mobilization Within the Arab Spring, Zuri Rose Baron
Department: Political Science
Keepin' the 'Hood Intact: Using Civic Capacity to Study and Prevent Displacement in Redeveloping Neighborhoods, Timothy Barz
Department: Political Science
Democracy and Political Citizenry: Wolin From Student Revolt to Superpower, James Bush
Department: Political Science
American Dream: a Foucauldian Analysis of the American Discourse on Education, John P. Carter
Department: Political Science
Landmark Legislation and Models of Presidential Power: a Case Study of the 2010 Health Care Reform Bill, Chris Caventer
Department: Political Science
Which Is Better, Democracy or a Traditional Government?; Fiafia i Malo Democracy o i Aganu'u Malo Matai? Customized Democracy in the South Pacific: Theory, Opinions, and Understanding, Christine Marie Crites
Department: Political Science
Hitting Eject: a Study on the Use of Frames to Influence Public Opinion of the United States Automotive Industry Bailouts, James DeCrispino
Department: Political Science
The South Will Rise Again! A Study of the Effectivnes of South-South Trade Blocs, John Derksen
Department: Political Science
Role of Regimes in the Making of Federal Education Policy, Hannah Haas
Department: Political Science
Let's Talk About Me: a Habermasian Investigation of Discourse in Aristophanes' "Birds" and "Ecclesiazusae", Sidney H. Helfer
Department: Classical Studies; Political Science
Success or Failure of Presidential Power: a Study on the Process of Presidential Legislation, Anthony Jackson
Department: Political Science
Impact of Congressional Perceptions of a Use of Force on United States Military Operations, Sklar Jacob Michael
Department: Political Science
State vs. Norm: the Impact of Culture on State Internalization of International Norms, Cori Kubat
Department: Political Science
Body Wars: Nationalism, the State, and Wartime Sexual Violence in Guatemala and Sri Lanka, Meredith M. Loken
Department: Political Science; Urban Studies
Rocket Science Behind the Political Science: Comparing Space Visions of the Presidents From 1993-2011 and the Rocket Technology That Helped Characterize Them, Alyse Marquinez
Department: Physics; Political Science
Dimensions of Liberation: Transcending Advanced Industrial Society, John P. McGovern
Department: Political Science
That Is All the Details I Have, Scott Merrifield
Department: Communication Studies; Political Science
Cooperation Not Cooption: Organizing Strategies For Food Justice in Youngstown Ohio, Matthew Porter
Department: Sociology and Anthropology; Political Science
When Your Past Hurts Your Present: the Exploration of What It Means to 'Start Over', Yanique Rae
Department: Political Science
Efficacy of the State in Providing Transitional Services to Foster Youth Aging Out of Care, Maria Rodis
Department: Political Science
Balancing Security and Liberty: Supreme Court Decision Making in Wartime, Matthew Rubin
Department: Political Science
Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa: the Impact of International Food Aid Policies, 2006-2011, Kristen Schwartz
Department: Political Science
The Impact of Congressional Perceptions of a Use of Force on United States Military Operations, Jacob M. Sklar
Department: Political Science
Going Green: Assessing the Strategies Sustainability Organizations Use For Mobilizing the Grassroots, Peter Swinton
Department: Political Science
Responsibility to Protect Responsibly: Lessons From Kosovo and Sierra Leone, Mary Elizabeth Walters
Department: History; Political Science
Survival or Collapse? Comparing the Legitimacy of the Communist Regimes in China and the Soviet Union During the 1980s, Yuxin Wu
Department: Political Science
Pura Vida: Costa Rica's Dirty Secret; An Analysis of the Causes of Sex Trafficking in Costa Rica, Caitlin Zusy
Department: Political Science
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2011
Terrorists and the Internet: a Study of Counter-Terrorism's Impact on Group Functions, Benjamin D. Althaus
Department: Political Science
How Has the European Union Led to Sub-Nationalist Movements Gaining Greater Political Control? a Comparative Analysis of Scotland and Catalonia, Emily Billingsley
Department: Political Science
That's What (S)He Said: the Effects of Leader Rhetoric on the Outcomes of Public Diplomacy, Elijah Bresley
Department: Political Science
Conditional Foreign Aid: the Morality and Success of Its Use For Democratization, Ian Carlin
Department: Political Science; Philosophy
Irish Political Society: a Normative Democratic Evaluation, Andrew Dirgo
Department: Philosophy; Political Science
Breakthrough? a Comparison of Civil Rights Era and 21st Century African American Mayors in Washington, D.C., and Newark, New Jersey, Sally Dorman
Department: History; Political Science
American Voting Behavior: Moral Voting Issues and Their Impact on Vote Choice, Brian H. Holmes
Department: Political Science
Laboring to End Child Labor: the Effects of Transnational Advocacy Networks, Fernanda A.M. Iunes
Department: Political Science
Exploring the Evolution of International Organizations Within Food Aid Regimes 1947-2010, Taylor Keegan
Department: Political Science
Faith, Politics, and the State: the Impact of Antagonistic Rhetoric By the U.S.' Christian Right and India's Hindu Nationalism, Linda Kuster
Department: Political Science; Religious Studies
The Media's Effect of Public Opinion of Congress, Nathan Laslow
Department: Political Science
Presidential Character in the Decision Making Process: a Case Study of Richard Nixon, Jacob Lucius
Department: Political Science
United Nations Peacebuilding and Economic Development Programs: Evolution of Peacebuilding Mandates and Impact on Implementation, Sarah Minot
Department: Political Science
Case Studies of States With and Without Educational Voucher Programs, Jeremy P. Petit
Department: Political Science
Electoral Competition and Political Repression: the Effect of Competitive Presidential Elections on State Repression, Ayshna Rajbhandary
Department: Political Science
Framing Conservation: the Implications of Framing For Public Opinion on Conservation Policies, Whitney A. Rappole
Department: Political Science
Interest Group Politics: a Comparative Case Study Analysis Examining the Influence of Interest Groups Representing Minority Populations on Major Immigration Legislation, Jessica Schumacher
Department: Political Science
Instruments De Polyphonie: Les Festivals De Musiques Comme Politique En Europe, Kaia Smith
Department: Political Science; French and Francophone Studies
I'd Like to Talk to You About the Upcoming Election ... : An Empirical Analysis of the Effectiveness of Get-Out-The-Vote Messages, Marijke van Dijk
Department: Political Science; Economics
Policy and Regime Choice: the Missing Link Between Economic Growth and Human Development, Christina Zink
Department: Political Science
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2010
Time to Back Down: Explanations of Sudden Termination of Enduring Rivalries in the Middle East, Davis Bates
Department: Political Science
Continuity or Change? The Strategic Culture of Australia, Andrew A. Charlton
Department: Political Science
What Women Want and What the Media Won't Give Them: An Examination of Media Coverage of Male and Female Candidates in Gubernatorial Elections, Simone C. DiSalvo
Department: Political Science
Observing Political Identity Contestation Among the Political and Societal Elites of the Russian Federation, Stephanie Diane Stanislav Ham
Department: Political Science; Russian Studies
Lens of Perception: Photography's Effect on Environmental Issue Framing, Sarah E. Harbottle
Department: Political Science
European Union As a Negotiator: Understanding How the EU's Actorness Impacts Its Level of Effectiveness, Katie L. Johnson
Department: Political Science
Local Practice or a Western Imposition?: Case Study of Sustainable Development in Senegal, Alexander Richard Jue
Department: French and Francophone Studies; Political Science
Cultural Considerations and Counterinsurgency, Catherine M. Lankford
Department: Political Science
Please Pay Them More: An Examination of Women's Interest Groups and Pay Equity From 1980-1992 and 1992-2009, Alexander Osman Lans
Department: Political Science; History
Right to Participate: Political Rights, Civil Liberties and Colonial Ethnic Stratification in West Africa, Samuel Lewis
Department: Political Science
Deterrence Theory and the Sino-Soviet Split, 1969-1974, John J. McKeegan
Department: Political Science; History
Is the Six O'Clock Evening News Still Informative? An Explanation of the Relationship Between the Quality of the National Network Evening News and Voter Knowledge, William H. Miller
Department: Political Science
Qui Est Ivoirien? Question of National Identity in Cote D'Ivoire, Tess M. Morrissey
Department: French and Francophone Studies; Political Science
Destruction of Identity and Citizenship Through Loneliness & Totalitarianism, Sarah Palagyi
Department: Political Science; Philosophy
Thoughtcrime or Leveling the Playing Field?: Analyzing the Constitutionality of American Hate Crimes Legislation, Alexa R. Roggenkamp
Department: Political Science
Two Major Episodes of European Integration Through the Lens of Intergovernmentalism and Neofunctionalism, Karl A. Ruter
Department: Political Science
Fighting Fire With Friendship: the Connection Between Social Capital and the Effectiveness of Fire Protection, Robert Harrison Wilson
Department: Political Science
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2009
Third Party Interventions in Intrastate Conflicts: An Analysis of the Effects of Third Party Motivations on the Durability of Peace Settlements, Joseph Basalla
Department: Political Science
Democracy on Demand: Barriers to Democratic Consolidation in Post-Communist Eastern Europe in the 1990S, Jeffrey P. Berne
Department: Political Science
Civil Society in An Authoritarian State: Eight Case Studies of China's Grassroots Environmental Movement, Alexandra P. Browning
Department: Political Science
Analysis of State Energy Export Policies Through the Lenses of Realism and Liberalism or Why We Are Not All Doctor Manhattan, Nathan A. Busman
Department: Political Science
Facts on the Ground: Propaganda, Truthiness and Media Distortion, Alexander M. Cacioppo
Department: Political Science
Sustainable Swamp Solutions Bloated Bog Bureaucracies and Marsh Mitigation Meltdowns, Thomas R. Egge
Department: Political Science
National Security For Hire: Effects of the Privatization of Security on the State Monopoly of Force, Brian Frederico
Department: Political Science
Examining Strategic Behavior in the Judicial Decision-Making Process: a Case Study of the Rehnquist Court, Eric Grinnell
Department: Political Science
Towards a Comprehensive Systems Theory of International Relations: Relaxing Neorealism's Assumption of State Primacy, Mark D. Hayward
Department: Political Science
Sprawl! Growth! Crumbling Cities! Oh My! How Do You Create Smart Growth Policies?, Anna Hurley
Department: Political Science
Unified Vs. Divided Government's Effect Upon Treaties and Executive Agreements in the United States, Ian Lilburn
Department: Political Science
Stopping the President From Going to War, Aaron J. Lowry
Department: Political Science
Media Coverage of African-American Candidates Running For Office: Are all Candidates Treated Equally?, Heather E. Madonia
Department: Political Science
Civic Capacity and Public Education Reform: Identifying Components For Implementing Sex Education Curricula, Kayla S. Miller
Department: Political Science
Public Opinion and Executive Decision Making: Does Electoral System Matter?, Jeffrey Neal
Department: Political Science
A State Level Analysis of How Declining Unionization Has Affected Income Inequality in the United States, Andrew R. Porter
Department: Political Science
Moral America: An Examination of Evangelical Voting Behavior in Relation to Social Issues, Billy J. Raines II
Department: Political Science; Religious Studies
Economic Interdependence: Coercion and Cooperation Between the United States, China, and Taiwan, Nicholas C. Robison
Department: Political Science
Rethinking Civil Disobedience: Possibilities For Expanding the Boundaries of Legitimate Political Action, Alexandra Vesta Schmitt
Department: Political Science
The Up and Coming Vote: a Study on African American Voting Turnout in Past Presidential Elections, Andrew Zachary Schultz
Department: Political Science
A Theoretical Study of the Connection Between Ethics and Economics in the Free Market Theories of Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, Joseph E. Stiglitz, and John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, Andrew J. White
Department: Political Science