RESEARCH TOPICS
Many Political Science dissertations and theses published over the past five years align with the goals discussed in the "Disciplinary Goals" page. Three of the most common themes in my review of recent dissertations and theses pertaining to American Politics were political polarization (voter education/ voter behavior), legislative influence (policy making, financial influence on policy makers), and media influence (voter education/ voter behavior). Political Polarization
Topic or Inquiry
Why
aren't young people voting?
How
do beliefs about the types of people associated with a particular political
party influence peoples' feelings towards those types of people? What types of stories about an opposing party
do people search out? What does this say
about political polarization in America?
The political polarization in America and the role of media in failing to explain it
Dissertation/ Thesis
"The Young American Voter." -Michael J. Pomante II, Northern Illinois University, 2016.
"Party Coalitions and
Partisan Behavior in the American Public." -John V. Kane, State
University of New York at Stony Brook, 2017.
"Political Polarization Amongst the American Public." -Gary Curtis Fullmer, University of Idaho, 2017.
Legislative Influence
Topic or Inquiry
The role of political interest groups in influencing state courts
What influence does the supreme court exert on public opinion regarding social issues?
How do finances from the private sector and financial motives among government personnel impact public policies and judicial decision-making?
Dissertation/ Thesis
"State Political
Interests and American Judicial Federalism." -Paul Lohse, Arizona
State University, 2017.
"Impact: The Supreme
Court in American Politics." - Logan Strother, Syracuse University,
2017.
"Private Interests in American Government Institutions." - Jordan Carr Peterson, University of Southern California, 2018.
Mass-Media Influence
Topic or Inquiry
How is modern media and entertainment shaping the behavior
and persona of politicians? How is the
public impacting the behavior and public persona of politicians?
Do media-influenced political beliefs influence perceptions on reality, or does experience have a stronger impact on social and political beliefs?
Dissertation/ Thesis
"The Entertainment Presidency: American Politics in the Digital Age." -Thomas Gallagher, Temple University, 2016.
"A Computational Model
of Belief System Construction and Expression with Applications to American
Democracy." -John Bjorn Nelson, George Mason University,
2019.