Undergraduate Journal of Political Science

Online extremism is a progressing global threat which requires the attention of policy makers to mitigate its harmful effects on society. With the capability to instantly access media outlets, both terrorists and extremists have the power to spread dangerous content at a more rapid pace than ever before. This thesis explores the three core policies that are debated among governments – censorship, counter-narrative programs, and media accountability. Through data analysis, the successes and limitations of each policy are discussed. This thesis concludes that, amending media protection legislation to include extremist material as unprotected content is the most appropriate policy to implement. Media accountability – as opposed to other policy options – is more practically feasible, constitutionally sound, and will most likely lead to greater security on the general Internet.

From the current hearings for our potential Supreme Court Justice, Brett Kavanaugh, to our most recent presidential election, contemporary United States politics are drowning in accusations of misogyny and are at times, flagrantly sexist. According to Strolovitch (2017), men, and more specifically, women have not only allowed, but encouraged this discrimination and objectification by sporting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign slogans such as “Trump that Bitch” and “Trump Can Grab my Pussy Anytime” across T-shirts and posters alike. This study evaluates how misogynistic language during the 2016 election cycle contributed to the disparity in politics between male and female candidates and if the pornification of female politicians undermines their credibility. In order to quantify this disparity, we will be looking how female candidates’ polling numbers were adversely affected any time explicitly misogynistic language was used against them at a national level.

This paper will discuss and analyze the onset of the Japanese Asset Price Bubble in the late 1980s. It will also discuss how the perspectives of IPE—specifically Economic Liberalism and Constructivism—can be observed in the Japanese Asset Price Bubble. Looking into events, actions, and norms; discussion on how such an event came to fruition will be the centerpiece of this paper. More so, a connection between how such behaviors and actions relate to the specific perspectives stated led to a complete breakdown of the economic system of the Japanese market. This paper will primarily focus on how Economic Liberalism played a substantial role in creating the crisis as we know it.

During the Cold War, the US prioritized military might by rapidly producing weapons of mass destruction, but nuclear plant production is now focusing on cleaner energy initiatives. Though the shift to cleaner energy alternatives is attractive, nuclear production and waste can be harmful to those living near facilities, especially in cases of reactor meltdowns or radiation leaks. the objective of this study is to examine the extent to which public opinion affects Congressional willingness to approve nuclear repository construction in the United States. This data will be analyzed from a case study comparison of the two most popular projected nuclear repository sites within the United States: the New Mexico Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and the Yucca Mountain repository. The data will mainly be compiled from Federal and State Government reports of geography, legal and policy action, and legislative comparison. The study will also use statewide and geographically localized surveys conducted in potential construction locations indicating citizens’ approval or disapproval towards the sites and accessible collective public response. The results of this qualitative analysis suggest that public opinion plays a significant role in congressional willingness to fund and approve construction. Public opinion also appears to be more influential when echoed by state legislators to federal authorities. This research adds to previous examinations of public perspectives on nuclear repositories and analyzes whether public voices are influential if they are at conflict with global prioritization of cleaner energy alternatives.

The United States Census is a population and housing count for the country taken every ten years. This is meant to count every person residing in the US, which the federal the government uses to determine how to allocate funds. Additionally, the census also determines the apportion of seats in the US House of Representatives and is used to define legislative districts. Because the Census is individually filled out, there leaves room for a large margin of error. Many people choose to not take part in filling out the census, or they are simply unaware of how or where to do so. The purpose of this study examines why miscounts and undercounts occur when gathering Census data, and why some groups are commonly missed as opposed to others. Those who do not typically partake in filling out the Census have been identified by past scholars as underrepresented communities, low-income families, and those of ethnic minority background. By interviewing employees and community-based organizations who do outreach regarding the census, the question this paper seeks to answer is what the challenges and barriers are these organizations experience when trying to gather accurate Census information.

is thesis is going to evaluate the crisis in Venezuela and analyze the causes of their democracy backsliding by comparing the country’s timeline and evaluating the different events that have led to the present-day crisis. Many countries have gone through a democratic recession, which has been caused by their economic instability, the choices of their legislative branch, the effects that foreign governments have had on a country and the effects a populist regime has had on a country’s political participation. I will be testing these arguments by assessing data from Freedom House to measure democracy in Venezuela. Additionally, I will be analyzing data sets from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to see how regime changes have affected the economy, if there is any kind of change. Finally, I will analyze data from the latinobarometer by utilizing the survey data from the people of Venezuela to show whether they have trust in their government and to see if they have made an impact using protest and elections.