What department are you a graduate student in? I am a sixth-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Political Science. Why did you decide to go to graduate school? I wanted to go to graduate school to increase my professional options and career prospects. It has given me the necessary skills to prepare me both…
Tag: political science
Masters Thesis Spotlight: How To Ask
In 2015, nonprofit organizations in the U.S. made up 5.4% of the country’s GDP—and that number continues to rise. Private donations obtained through fundraising total billions of dollars annually. This money provides vital programs and services to those in need in communities across the country. Professional fundraisers and consultants work tirelessly to recruit quality and…
Talking to Teachers: Interview with Award Winning Teacher Dr. Na’ama Nagar
Associate Dean Deana Rohlinger talks with Dr. Na’ama Nagar, teaching faculty in the Department of Political Science and the International Affairs program. Nagar received a 2021 College of Social Sciences and Public Policy Teaching Award. In this interview, Dr. Nagar talks how she challenges her students to think critically about Middle East politics and talks…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Corporatist, Catholic, Catalyst, Crank: Patrick Belton’s Role in Ireland’s Involvement in the Spanish Civil War
In the summer of 1936, a civil war erupted in Spain and changed the course of the nation’s history, laying bare the worst-case scenario of partisanship, factionalism, and religious zeal. As much as the conflict affected Spain, however, it also led to a reckoning in surrounding states as they grappled with how to handle the conflict. The…
Research Spotlight: Constitutional Innovation and Imitation in the American States
Today virtually all sovereign countries have written constitutions, but such documents are only a recent innovation. A century ago, roughly 60 written constitutions existed and 250 years ago there were none. While the US Constitution serves as a prominent early example of these documents, it was far from the first written constitution. By the time…
Aging Today: Is it True that Younger People are More Politically Engaged than Older People?
This post is based on Aging Today’s Minutes and Moments segment. It depends on how you define political engagement. Take voting, for example. It is true that older Americans vote at higher rates than younger ones. According to the United States Census Bureau, 70.9% of individuals 65 and older eligible to vote cast a ballot…
Humanities Graduates in High Demand in Business World
The post first appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat. A bill intending to discourage students from enrolling in majors that “do not directly lead to employment” is winding its way through the Florida Legislature. Unfortunately, this bill seriously misunderstands the nature of current labor markets. A person’s major does not necessarily lead to employment in any…
How Partisan Representation Shapes Citizens’ Views of Accountability and Efficiency during COVID-19
The first cases of what would become a global pandemic emerged in November of 2019, and would within months spread rapidly on an international scale. The nature of the virus put unprecedented pressure on governments both abroad and in the United. In response, local, state, and national governments instituted protective measures in an effort to…
Research Spotlight: Air Superiority and Battlefield Victory
Is there a democratic war-fighting advantage? A significant body of research finds that democracies are more likely to win wars than non-democracies. A recent study challenges this argument. In their new publication, Dr. Souva and Ph.D. candidate, Richard Saunders, argue that the outcome of major battles and interstate wars is primarily a function of which…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Right-Wing Political Violence in Modern Colombia (1970-1990): The State Legitimacy
In Colombia, during the early 1960s, leftist guerrilla groups were created following the spread of socialism during the Cold War. Later in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the first regional and local paramilitary groups were created to counter the spread of leftist insurgent groups. Nationalist and anti-communist sentiments fueled paramilitary ideology in Colombia as…
