- office@pisigmaalpha.org
- Pi Sigma Alpha 1527 New Hampshire Ave, NW Washington, DC 20036
Past Winners of Best Student Paper Competitions
FIRST PLACE:
Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! In the Matter of the Highest Court in the Land vs the Court of Public Opinion
Jazmin Jedrzejczyk, Eta Pi, Hofstra University
RUNNER-UP:
Colonial Legacies: A Study of Queer Erasure in Sexual Health Policies in Chile, 1973-1990
Sophie Clinton, Beta Epsilon, Syracuse University
Wages, Voter Turnout, and Minorities: A Case Study of Palestinian Citizens of Israel
Naim Mousa, Beta Eta, New York University
FIRST PLACE:
“It’s the Economy, Stupid”: Understanding and Mobilizing Young Voters
Avery Farino, Beta Eta, New York University
RUNNER-UP:
Aesthetics of Populism: The Impact of Hairstyles and Makeup on the Electoral Success of Populist Women in Europe
Christina Charie, Epsilon Chi, Providence College
Dousing the Fire from Inside the House?
Hannah Peschel, Omicron Alpha, St. Olaf College
FIRST PLACE:
From Dim Sum to Polling Stations: The Electoral Impact of Hong Kong’s Yellow Economic Circle
Jiayi Li, Psi Omega, University of California San Diego
RUNNER-UP:
Politics and the Possibility of Philosophy: Leo Strauss, Theodor Adorno, and the Critique of Instrumental Reason
Oliver Printy, Rho Omicron, Tufts University
Hold the Phone: The Relationship Between Visual Cues and Gender Schematic Language in Supreme Court Oral Argument
Kaitlyn O’Leary, Beta Xi, University of Richmond
FIRST PLACE:
“Stop the Steal” and other Lies: Partisanship Cheerleading and Misinformation
Braden Ball, Omicron Psi, University of North Carolina at Asheville
RUNNER-UP:
The Effect of Regional Trade Agreements on Trade during COVID-19
Zihuai Hong, Alpha Epsilon, Emory University
Siyang Wang, Alpha Epsilon, Emory University
Intra-Party Factions and Polarization Within the American Electorate
Shay Hafner, Alpha Alpha Iota, Monmouth College
FIRST PLACE:
Sacrificing Families Before the Altar of Efficiency: Race and Privatization in American Foster Care
Samuel P. Dorsey, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Regulating the Electoral Process: An Evaluation of Redistricting Principles
Natalie L. Smith, Rhodes College
Indigenous Self-Identification and Racial Identity Conceptualization
Samuel Titus, Temple University
FIRST PLACE:
Environmental Regulation and Green Productivity Growth
Natalia Calderon, Lamar University
RUNNER-UP:
Looking Back to Reconcile Forward: An Analysis of ‘Comfort Women in Post-War Japanese and South Korean Collective Memory
Shae Archambault, Gustavus Adolphus College
Out and Proud Heroes: The Coming Out Imperative in Superhero Films
Maddie Henry, Valparaiso University
FIRST PLACE:
The Impact of Institutions on Access to Voting on US Reservations and Tribal Lands
Sela Dragich, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Social Capital and Disasters: A Study of Post-Hurricane Behavior & Attitudes in the United States
Lee Hughes, University of Vermont
Instrumental vs. Expressive: A Study of Voter Behavioral Models Through the Lens of Identity in the 2016 Presidential Election
Kaitlyn Fales, Bryant University
FIRST PLACE:
Violence Against Journalists in Mexico
Dillon Schweers, University of Mary Washington
RUNNER-UP:
Fiscally Floundering or Credibly Conscientious? Are the States Living Within Their Means?
Christopher Alhorn, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Implied Consent: A Review of Judicial Process and Constitutional Law
Brendon Camp, Lamar University
FIRST PLACE:
Section 5 and Partisanship in Redistricting: The States’ Perspectives
Brianna Yang, Columbia University
RUNNERS UP:
From the Jaws of the Dragon: Why China Dominates the Clean Energy Sector and how the US can Compete
David Yellen, Georgetown University
The Case for Neutrality: A Rhetorical Analysis of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s Opinion for Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
Ryan Christopher Insley, Pennsylvania State University
WINNERS:
The Eternal Objects of our Pursuits’: Understanding the Virtue in the Spirit of the Laws
Samantha Heyman, Tufts University
A Spatial Model of Presidential Strategy in Selecting Supreme Court Nominees: 1937-2016
Lauren Stahl, Creighton University
RUNNERS-UP:
Putin Down Protest: Is Widespread Mobilization Possible in the Shadow of the Oil Curse?
Chase Laspisa, Oklahoma State University
Mercantile Militarism: Out of Sight and Out of Mind
Henry Gilchrist, US Air Force Academy
FIRST PLACE:
Income Segregation Across Schools and The Shapes of School Attendance Zones
Kathleen Bryant, College of William & Mary
Apruebo Este Mensaje’: How the Language of Political Communication Affects the Political Attitudes of Linguistically Diverse Latino Voters
Lorenza L. Ramirez, Tufts University
RUNNER UP:
Before the Peace: Ceasefire Durability in Ethnic Civil Wars
Justin Winokur, Connecticut College
WINNERS:
Speeches or Sermons: A Quantitative Analysis of Religious Rhetoric in Presidential Campaigns
Jacob Nelson, College of William & Mary
Running as a Gay Man in 2018: Do Homophobic Views Still Impact the Congressional Campaigns of LGBTQ Politicians?
Benjamin Kaminoff, Tufts University
RUNNERS-UP:
UN Post-Conflict Rule of Law Building: Challenging Modern Conventions
Joshua Felty, Valparaiso University
Drawing the Boundaries of Liberal Democracy: Redistricting as a ‘Stealth Authoritarian’ Practice
Avery Hitchcock, University of Denver
FIRST PLACE:
To Trust or Not to Trust? Is That the Question?
John Miller, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Exploring ‘The Compassion Gap:’ An Analysis of Gender and Support for Foreign Assistance in Congress
Emily Breakell, College of the Holy Cross
Dixiecrats and Republicans: The Changing Political Landscape of the Florida Panhandle
Georgia Pevy, University of South Florida
FIRST PLACE:
A Curious Trinity: War, Media, and Public Opinion
Laura Olson, US Air Force Academy
RUNNER-UP:
Ideological Magnetism, or Recoiling” Are Votes Influenced by Alignment or Opposition
Eric Burgess, Oakland University
A Comparison of Female Conscription: Israel versus the United States
Kendall Parker, University of Mary Washington
FIRST PLACE:
When Does Counterinsurgency Work? An Analysis of Counterinsurgency Campaigns After 1945
Maryum Alam, Hofstra University
RUNNER-UP:
Flip-Flopping Politicians: How Voters Punish and Reward Changing Opinion
Sophie Laing, Tufts University
Exploring ‘The Compassion Gap:” An Analysis of Gender and Support for Foreign Assistance in Congress
Mallary Taylor, Furman University
FIRST PLACE:
Why Intervene: Influences on US Military Intervention
Elizabeth Kafer, Creighton University
RUNNER-UP:
Holding Culture Close: How Immigration Faciliates the Rise of the European Right
Christopher Dopuch, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Explaining the Emergence of Populism: Political Parties, the State, and the Crises of Representation in Venezuela and Chile
Will Freeman, Tufts University
FIRST PLACE:
User Not Found: The Dynamics of Egyptian Political Parties and Islamist Groups on Twitter
Dennis Quinn, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Uprooted and Unsettled: A Comparative Analysis of the Protracted Displacement of Azerbaijanis and
Palestinians
Matej Jungwirth, Beloit College
Explaining Support for Authoritarianism in New Democracies
Andrew Goss, University of Vermont
Award not given
FIRST PLACE:
Decentralization and Corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa
Maximilian Weylandt, Dickinson College
RUNNER-UP:
Evaluating the Crying Double Standard in American Politics
Kira Hessekiel, Tufts University
Undocumented Developments: Immigrant Students and State Policy-Making
Lisa Frank, Georgetown University
FIRST PLACE:
Palestinian Refugee Camps: Explaining the Intolerability of Camp Living Conditions
Aubree Johnson, Creighton University
RUNNER-UP:
Balancing Act or Inflation Obsession: Content Analysis of Fed Annual Reports
Cameron G. DeHart, Ohio State University
Explaining Policy Convergence: The Bologna Process and the Factors that Influence Cross-Cultural Policy Convergence
Amanda Michalski, Furman University
FIRST PLACE:
The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions? The Effect of U.S. Military Aid Windfalls on Human Development Results in Aid-Receiving Countries
Trevor Kosmo, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Political Representation, Legislative Responsiveness, and Polarized Labor Markets: The Politics of Rising Wage Inequality in the United States
Jonathon Robinson, George Washington University
The Alien Tort Claims Act: Pushing Accountability of International Human Rights Violations through US Courts,
Trisha Jhunjhnuwala, Rutgers University, New Brunswick
FIRST PLACE
Choosing Justly: Evaluating Voting Systems with Social Choice Theory
James Weismuller, Macalester College
RUNNER-UP:
The Ghosts of Violence Past: The Impact of Sexual and Gender-based Violence on Social Capital in Post-conflict Uganda
Taylor Jacoby, Brigham Young University
Telling the Truth: How Truth Commission Findings are Presented to the Public
Lindsay Harroff, Furman University
FIRST PLACE:
Causes of Ethnic Conflict: Examining the Role of Religious Diversity and Contagion Effects
Mai Mai Nguyen, Creighton University
RUNNER-UP:
Persuasion and the Bully Pulpit: Expanded Evidence on Strategies of Presidential Leadership
Anne Morris, University of Mary Washington
Wretched Isolation: American High School Civics Education and Youth Voter Turnout
Aaron Spangler, Temple University
FIRST PLACE:
Toward Democratic ‘No-Rule’: A conceptual Response to Contemporary Challenges to Political Freedom
Alexander Brockwehl, Union College
RUNNER-UP:
Buying Democracy: An Analysis of the Legislative, Judicial, and Empirical History of Campaign Finance Reform
Miles Gilmour, University of Texas-Austin
Diversity on the Bench: The Appointment of Women to the Federal Courts
Allison Lehrer, University of Vermont
FIRST PLACE:
Modeling Consensus with Think Indifference: A Fuzzy Approach to Theory and Application
Michael Gibilisco, Creighton University
RUNNER-UP:
Professional Reputation: Why the First Year of the Presidency is Overstated
Nicholas Jacobs, University of Mary Washington
Obscenity Regulation within the Context of Public Support of Art: Reconsidering the Scatological Art of Andres Serrano
Ryan Cribbs, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
FIRST PLACE:
A Global Analysis of Women in Political office: The Disjuncture between Elections and Apppointments
Alexa Leigh Sendukas, University of Texas at Austin
RUNNER-UP:
Competing to Become Backward: A Study of Demands for Scheduled Tribe Status in India
Komal Hiranandani, Georgetown University
Economic Survival Mode and its Detrimental Effect on the Rule of Law: A Case Study in Argentina
Caryn Devins, University of Vermont
FIRST PLACE:
From Kulturkampf to Kampf der Kulturen: Political Recognition and Representation of Islam in Germany in the Example of Islam Instruction in German Public Schools
Julia Norton, Connecticut College.
RUNNER-UP:
Disturbing the Dragon: Chinese Threat Perceptions and the Influence of the United States
Andrew Berglund, Christopher Newport University.
Are Losers Funny or is it the Funny Who Lose?
Shea Hack and Meredith Rees, Purdue University
FIRST PLACE:
Beyond Modernization Theory: Democracy and Development in Latin America
Peter Johannessen, University of Vermont.
RUNNER-UP:
Manly Women: A Look at the Effects of Masculine Qualities on Women’s Political Progress
Audrey Curtis, Dominican University of California.
The Bench or the Benjamins: An Analysis of Judicial Recruitment and the Effects of Inadequate Compensation on the Federal Judiciary
Joseph Hack, Georgetown University.
FIRST PLACE:
Too Much Cleavage? Regional Implications for Democratic Consolidation in Post-Communist Ukraine
Alex Jakublow, University of Richmond
Generational Differences: Examining Significant Factors Influencing Political Participation among Cohorts
Erin Phillips, Christopher Newport University
RUNNER-UP:
Extracting Fuzzy Preference Functions from Empirical Data
Joshua Potter, Creighton University
The Politics of Pharmaceutical Crops
Michelle Price, Gustavus Adolphus College
FIRST PLACE:
Flip-Flops, Bigots, and Baby Boomers: The Formation of Media Narratives in Modern Political Campaigns
Or Skolnik, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Crisis or Constitution: Rethinking Judicial Deference on Administrative Detention in the U. S., the UK, and Israel
Justin Simeone, University of Mary Washington
The Equity Effects of Education Finance Reform in Missouri
Rafi Nolan-Abrahamian, Tufts University
FIRST PLACE:
Public Support for Environmental Protection: Financial Sacrifices vs. Active Support
Sarah Arpin, Creighton University
RUNNER-UP:
Beyond the Shouting Match: Bilingual Education in Massachusetts and American National Identity
Michael Swigert, Tufts University
State Independence, Leadership Stability, and the Severity of Ethnic Conflict
Petra Hendrickson, Indiana State University
FIRST PLACE:
From Contention to Cooperation: Influences on Party Strategy in Northern Ireland from 1992 to 2007
K. Casey Dunning, Emory University
To Lie or Not to Lie, It Depends on the Question: Understanding Vote Over-reporting in Surveys
Diana Watral, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Unnoticed, Underfinanced, and Underreported Humanitarian Crises: The Gap in Foreign Aid Decision Making
Jeneca Parker, Furman University
FIRST PLACE:
Religion and Environmentalism in America: An Analysis of Green Consciousness among the Christian Right
Marjorie Palmer, Sewanee: University of the South.
RUNNER-UP:
The Free Exercise Clause: A Guarantee of Equality or Exemptions?
Jacqueline Kroll, University of Richmond.
The Effects of Economic Conditions on President Bush’s Approval
Jonathan Olmstead, University of Delaware.
Crimes Against Civil Liberty: An Analysis of the United States Government’s Involvement in Guantanamo Bay
Denene Wambach, Temple University.
FIRST PLACE:
You Can Lead a Horse to Water . . . Youth Voting and the Personal Touch
Timothy Ryan, Tufts University.
RUNNER-UP:
Media Coverage of Genocide: A Comparison of the Rwandan and Sudanese Cases
Sarah Ekels, Dickinson College.
A Study of Absentee Voting in Maryland
Bryan David Jennings, St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
FIRST PLACE:
Candidates’ Use of the Media in the Most Recent Elections in Canada, Great Britain and the United States
Kate Metcalf, University of Richmond
RUNNER-UP:
The Publication of Polls and Voter Selection
Caitlin Dwyer, Hartwick College
In the Converage of the Rolling Stone: The Significance of Politics in a Medium of Popular Culture
Andrew Bloeser, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
FIRST PLACE:
UnderstandinG Civil Liberties Judgments after September 11: An Experimental Study
Chase Samples, Furman University
RUNNER UP:
Affecting Citizen Satisfaction: Transitions to Mixed-Member Electoral Systems in Latin America and the Effects on Citizen Satisfaction
Jason Eichorst, Texas A&M University
Amoral Liberals, Liberal Democrats, and Moral Republicans: Some Explanations for the Democratic Party’s Apparent Debility
Jacqueline Chattopadhyay, University of California-Irvine
FIRST PLACE:
Democracy without Democratic Journalism? A Content Analysis of The San Francisco Chronicle during the Policy-defining Period prior to the Iraq War
Andrew Bloeser, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
RUNNER-UP:
Education in Plato’s Republic
Ariel Dillon, Santa Clara University
Why XY? Explaining Variation in Male Support for Politically Active Women
Katie Jerabek, Creighton University
FIRST PLACE:
The Selection and Appointment Process for Federal Reserve Governors and Bank Presidents
Michael Gramins, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
After Afghanistan: Al Qaeda’s Future in Failed States
Andrew Miller, Dickinson College
Partition as a Solution of Ethnic Conflicts: The Significance of Third-Party Guarantees
Michael McFarland, New York University
FIRST PLACE:
Reducing Drug Use: The Effectiveness of the Harm Reduction and Prohibition Models in Comparison
A. Scott Hauser, University of Idaho
RUNNER-UP:
The Non-Voter Puzzle Solved: Weak Partisanship Explains Demographic that do not Match Candidate Preference
Erik Johnston, University of Mary Washington
Determinants of the Outcome of U. S. House Open Seat Elections
Scott Keller, Purdue University
FIRST PLACE:
Amicus Curiae Briefs in the United States Supreme Court: Utility from the Perspective of Former Law Clerks
Kelly Lynch, University of Pennsylvania
RUNNER-UP:
Violent Democracy: Reconciling the Coexistence of Institutional Democracy and Violence in Colombia
Beth Neitzel, Macalester College
A Decision-Theoretic Examination of the Retirements of U. S. Federal Judges, 1789-2002
Jessica M. Perry, Emory University
FIRST PLACE:
Duelling Paradigms: The Void within the Realism-Globalism Dichotomy and Its Implications for U. S. Foreign Policy
David J. Brule, Stephen F. Austin State University
RUNNER-UP:
Divided Government, Congress, and Balkan Policy
Brett S. Yellen, Tufts University
Mixed Electoral Rules and their Implications for Party Nomination Strategies: The Cases of Russia and Ukraine
Ryan Kennedy, Truman State University
FIRST PLACE:
The Interaction of the Supreme Court, the Media and the Public: A Study on How the Media and the Court Influence the Public
Lauren Ernst, George Washington University
RUNNER-UP:
Politics of Humanitarianism: The Implications that Kosovo and the Extradition of Pinochet Provide for the Future of Human Rights Enforcement
Jessica Shapiro, Johns Hopkins University
The Rise of the Republican Party in the North Carolina General Assembly, 1894-2000
Seth Whitaker, North Carolina Central University
FIRST PLACE:
The Determinants of Labor PAC Allocation to Incumbent Congressional Candidates 1996-1998
Brandon Fitzsimmons, Creighton University
RUNNER-UP: Political Women: Participation, Orientation and Party Identification
Sara Barokas, University of Mary Washington
A Breath of Fresh Air in Northeast Asia/A Proposed Revision to US-Japan Defense Guidelines
Cadet Guyton Lee Robinson, U. S. Military Academy
FIRST PLACE:
The Silent Constitution: An Argument Toward Developing a Conception of our Silent Constitution
Christopher Joseph Roche, Johns Hopkins University
Better Bitch than Mouse: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Feminism, and VMI
Carey Olney, Centenary College of Louisiana
RUNNER-UP:
At the Will of the Party: A Study of Political Liberalization in China during the 1990’s
Michael Mell, Connecticut College
FIRST PLACE:
Early Warning: A Collective Measure for the Prevention of Ethnic Conflict
Amy Nelson, Moorhead State University
RUNNER-UP:
Has the Shooting Begun? A Test of the Culture War Theory on the Issue of Gay Rights
Mari K. Bonthius, St. Olaf College
Gaining Support through Casework: A Quantitative Study of Contractors and the Support They Give Their Representative
Edwin W. Egee V, Mary Washington College
FIRST PLACE:
A Living Past, a Dying Present: An Analysis of Nationalism, National Identity and Ethnopolitics in the Conflict between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
Jennifer L. Tate, Southwestern University
RUNNER-UP:
The Effect of Political Factors, Economic Conditions, and PAC Contributions on U. S. Senate Votes Concerning Chinese MFN Status in the Post-Tianamen Square Era
D. Michael Nardis, Georgetown University
Secular vs. Spiritual: The Development of the State in Medieval Political Thought
Julia Tyurina, University of Arkansas
FIRST PLACE:
Responding to Hate Speech: The Appropriateness of Discriminatory Harassment Codes in College Communities
Mary Carolyn Harris, University of the South (Sewanee)
RUNNER-UP:
The Role of the Speaker, the Chair of the Education Committee, and Other Mechanisms Involved in the Legislative Journey of School Choice Through the North Carolina House of Representatives
Brian Christopher Castrucci, North Carolina State University
Breaking Gender Barriers: Women’s Committee Assignments in the House from the 90th to 104th Congresses
Shari Knoerzer, Nebraska Wesleyan University
FIRST PLACE:
The Cultivation of the Soul and the Just Society: The State of the Self in Maslow and Plato
Michael Todd Sansbury, The University of the South (Sewanee)
RUNNER-UP:
Feminists and Conservative Women: From the Time of ERA to the Present
Anne E. Daugherty, University of Mary Washington
Educating Tomorrow’s Citizens
Iara Duarte Peng, Rollins College
Need There Be a Taming of the News? How the Mass Media Affect U. S. Foreign Policy
David Campbell, Brigham Young University
Best Graduate Student Papers (This award category was eliminated in 2002)
First Place: “Black Feminist Consciousness: Finally It’s Been Factored,” by Evelyn Simien, Purdue University, Delta Omega Chapter
FIRST PLACE:
Amateur or Professional? The California Legislature in the Term Limited Era
Renee B. Van Vechten, University of California, Irvine
RUNNER-UP
Electoral System Design in Russian Oblasts and Republics: A Four Case Comparison
Bryon Moraski, University of Iowa
Managerialism and Public Participatory Geographic Information Systems
Paul Schlomer and Manjusha Gupte, Purdue University
The Supreme Court’s Nullification of Congressional Statutes: An Analysis of the Effect of Political Parties Across Three Partisan Eras
Linda Camp Keith, Univ. Of North Texas
2021 Best Undergraduate Honors Theses
FIRST PLACE:
The Impact of Institutions on Access to Voting on US Reservations and Tribal Lands
Sela Dragich, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Social Capital and Disasters: A Study of Post-Hurricane Behavior & Attitudes in the United States
Lee Hughes, University of Vermont
Instrumental vs. Expressive: A Study of Voter Behavioral Models Through the Lens of Identity in the 2016 Presidential Election
Kaitlyn Fales, Bryant University
2021 Best Undergraduate Paper
FIRST PLACE:
Violence Against Journalists in Mexico
Dillon Schweers, University of Mary Washington
RUNNER-UP:
Fiscally Floundering or Credibly Conscientious? Are the States Living Within Their Means?
Christopher Alhorn, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Implied Consent: A Review of Judicial Process and Constitutional Law
Brendon Camp, Lamar University
2017 Best Undergraduate Honor Theses
FIRST PLACE:
To Trust or Not to Trust? Is That the Question?
John Miller, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Exploring ‘The Compassion Gap:’ An Analysis of Gender and Support for Foreign Assistance in Congress
Emily Breakell, College of the Holy Cross
Dixiecrats and Republicans: The Changing Political Landscape of the Florida Panhandle
Georgia Pevy, University of South Florida
2017 Best Undergraduate Class Papers
FIRST PLACE:
A Curious Trinity: War, Media, and Public Opinion
Laura Olson, US Air Force Academy
RUNNER-UP:
Ideological Magnetism, or Recoiling” Are Votes Influenced by Alignment or Opposition
Eric Burgess, Oakland University
A Comparison of Female Conscription: Israel versus the United States
Kendall Parker, University of Mary Washington
2016 Best Undergraduate Honor Theses
FIRST PLACE:
When Does Counterinsurgency Work? An Analysis of Counterinsurgency Campaigns After 1945
Maryum Alam, Hofstra University
RUNNER-UP:
Flip-Flopping Politicians: How Voters Punish and Reward Changing Opinion
Sophie Laing, Tufts University
Exploring ‘The Compassion Gap:” An Analysis of Gender and Support for Foreign Assistance in Congress
Mallary Taylor, Furman University
2016 Best Undergraduate Class Papers
FIRST PLACE:
Why Intervene: Influences on US Military Intervention
Elizabeth Kafer, Creighton University
RUNNER-UP:
Holding Culture Close: How Immigration Faciliates the Rise of the European Right
Christopher Dopuch, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Explaining the Emergence of Populism: Political Parties, the State, and the Crises of Representation in Venezuela and Chile
Will Freeman, Tufts University
2015 Best Undergraduate Honor Theses
FIRST PLACE:
User Not Found: The Dynamics of Egyptian Political Parties and Islamist Groups on Twitter
Dennis Quinn, Georgetown University
RUNNER-UP:
Uprooted and Unsettled: A Comparative Analysis of the Protracted Displacement of Azerbaijanis and
Palestinians
Matej Jungwirth, Beloit College
Explaining Support for Authoritarianism in New Democracies
Andrew Goss, University of Vermont
2015 Best Undergraduate Class Papers
Award not given
2009 Best Undergraduate Honors Thesis
FIRST PLACE:
Beyond Modernization Theory: Democracy and Development in Latin America
Peter Johannessen, University of Vermont.
RUNNER-UP:
Manly Women: A Look at the Effects of Masculine Qualities on Women’s Political Progress
Audrey Curtis, Dominican University of California.
The Bench or the Benjamins: An Analysis of Judicial Recruitment and the Effects of Inadequate Compensation on the Federal Judiciary
Joseph Hack, Georgetown University.
2005 Best Undergraduate Honors Thesis
FIRST PLACE:
UnderstandinG Civil Liberties Judgments after September 11: An Experimental Study
Chase Samples, Furman University
RUNNER-UP:
Affecting Citizen Satisfaction: Transitions to Mixed-Member Electoral Systems in Latin America and the Effects on Citizen Satisfaction
Jason Eichorst, Texas A&M University
Amoral Liberals, Liberal Democrats, and Moral Republicans: Some Explanations for the Democratic Party’s Apparent Debility
Jacqueline Chattopadhyay, University of California-Irvine
2000 Best Undergraduate Class Papers
FIRST PLACE:
The Determinants of Labor PAC Allocation to Incumbent Congressional Candidates 1996-1998
Brandon Fitzsimmons, Creighton University
RUNNER-UP:
Political Women: Participation, Orientation and Party Identification
Sara Barokas, University of Mary Washington
A Breath of Fresh Air in Northeast Asia/A Proposed Revision to US-Japan Defense Guidelines
Cadet Guyton Lee Robinson, U. S. Military Academy
2000 Best Undergraduate Honors Thesis
FIRST PLACE:
The Silent Constitution: An Argument Toward Developing a Conception of our Silent Constitution
Christopher Joseph Roche, Johns Hopkins University
Better Bitch than Mouse: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Feminism, and VMI
Carey Olney, Centenary College of Louisiana
RUNNER-UP:
At the Will of the Party: A Study of Political Liberalization in China during the 1990’s
Michael Mell, Connecticut College
1999 Best Undergraduate Class Papers
FIRST PLACE:
Early Warning: A Collective Measure for the Prevention of Ethnic Conflict
Amy Nelson, Moorhead State University
RUNNER-UP:
Has the Shooting Begun? A Test of the Culture War Theory on the Issue of Gay Rights
Mari K. Bonthius, St. Olaf College
Gaining Support through Casework: A Quantitative Study of Contractors and the Support They Give Their Representative
Edwin W. Egee V, Mary Washington College
1999 Best Undergraduate Honors Thesis
FIRST PLACE:
A Living Past, a Dying Present: An Analysis of Nationalism, National Identity and Ethnopolitics in the Conflict between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
Jennifer L. Tate, Southwestern University
RUNNER-UP:
The Effect of Political Factors, Economic Conditions, and PAC Contributions on U. S. Senate Votes Concerning Chinese MFN Status in the Post-Tianamen Square Era
D. Michael Nardis, Georgetown University
Secular vs. Spiritual: The Development of the State in Medieval Political Thought
Julia Tyurina, University of Arkansas
1996
FIRST PLACE:
Responding to Hate Speech: The Appropriateness of Discriminatory Harassment Codes in College Communities
Mary Carolyn Harris, University of the South (Sewanee)
RUNNER-UP:
The Role of the Speaker, the Chair of the Education Committee, and Other Mechanisms Involved in the Legislative Journey of School Choice Through the North Carolina House of Representatives
Brian Christopher Castrucci, North Carolina State University
Breaking Gender Barriers: Women’s Committee Assignments in the House from the 90th to 104th Congresses
Shari Knoerzer, Nebraska Wesleyan University
1997
FIRST PLACE:
The Cultivation of the Soul and the Just Society: The State of the Self in Maslow and Plato
Michael Todd Sansbury, The University of the South (Sewanee)
RUNNER-UP:
Feminists and Conservative Women: From the Time of ERA to the Present
Anne E. Daugherty, University of Mary Washington
Educating Tomorrow’s Citizens
Iara Duarte Peng, Rollins College
1995
Need There Be a Taming of the News? How the Mass Media Affect U. S. Foreign Policy
David Campbell, Brigham Young University