Category: Political Science and International Affairs
-
Comparing the Legislative Process for Protections Against Gender Based Violence in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan
By Aleksandra Poletes Faculty Mentor: Surupa Gupta Abstract Gender equality in Uzbekistan has seen both progress and regression since the country gained independence in 1991. Both scholars and public opinion agree that women enjoyed more freedom under Soviet rule, largely through workers’ rights and welfare programs, which disappeared in the turmoil of the USSR’s collapse.…
-
Intraparty Factions in the 2024 Republican Primary
By Amede Karina-Plun Faculty Mentor: Rosalyn Cooperman Abstract Amidst heightened polarization between the two major parties, the continued dominance of former president Donald Trump, and an uncertain future for the Republican Party, how do ascendant and descendant groups within the Republican Party compete for attention and resources? Recent scholarship demonstrates how competing groups of policy-demanders…
-
The Effect of Gender Bias on the Confirmation Hearings of Federal District and Circuit Court Appointees
By Hannah Walker Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jared McDonald Abstract I explore the presence of gender bias in the judicial confirmation process by turning to the number of judicial philosophy questions asked of lower federal court nominees. Prior research on the subject has found that the Senate uses judicial philosophy, an ideologically-based idea of justices’ interpretations…
-
China’s AI Technology Growth: Implications for U.S. Policy
By Hennry Paredes Faculty Mentor: Jason Davidson Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly become more important to countries today for its great potential. This includes the US and China, the top two competitors in AI. China’s AI technology has rapidly been growing in recent years due to its unique advantages in big data, implementation, increasing…
-
Exploring the Impact of Social Media Usage on Misinformation Beliefs
By Corbin Poyer Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jared McDonald Abstract Does diminishing access to print news have an impact on people’s propensity to believe misinformation? What if this misinformation emanates from an online source as opposed to a print source? The focus of recent research on misinformation has been narrow: (1) recognizing its existence and acknowledging…
-
Electing Generational Immigrants: Asian American Campaign Messaging in Virginia
By Jane Michael Faculty Mentor: Rosalyn Cooperman Abstract Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing minority groups in the U.S. due to immigration – so why don’t we hear more of their stories in electoral politics? Ninety percent of Asian Americans are immigrants or children of immigrants, which is an identity that can and…
-
Presidential Influence on the Bureaucracy: The Curious Case of Lina Khan
By Nickolas Remish Faculty Mentor: Jared McDonald Abstract How effective can a president be in promoting his or her policies through the bureaucracy? Most theories postulate the president has influence – via appointees, budgeting, and executive orders. This paper unpacks the president’s influence on the bureaucracy by analyzing President Biden’s effect on antitrust, particularly with…
