Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- Creators: School of Politics and Global Studies
Description
The purpose of this study is to first investigate the role of political socialization on young men and women and what motivates them to become politically active and make the ultimate decision to run for elected office. These effects include parental attitudes, exposure to political shows and news sources, participation in voluntary organizations, and overall community involvement. After understanding these direct and indirect effects of political socialization, I can attempt to explain the causes for the gender gap in political ambition \u2014 meaning that significantly more men are running for elected office compared to women.
ContributorsOsgood, Shannon Marie (Author) / Woodall, Gina (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Though extensively studied in the modern era, the Kansas-Nebraska crisis of the mid-1800s continues to evade being comprehended in its entirety. In this paper, the theories that have been proposed for why it occurred are presented. Subsequently, each known theory is analyzed for its strengths, weaknesses, and how it contributes to the understanding of the period. With this information in mind, I employ a historical diagram to propose ways that this cataclysmic event could have been avoided. However, by doing this, it also brings about unwelcome consequences. I leave it up to the reader to decide if the actual crisis or the presented alternative series of events would have been any better in avoiding civil war.
ContributorsBehnke, Kalyn Dyanne (Author) / Simpson, Brooks (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The intent of this paper is to first demonstrate the consistency of a U.S. based poultry technology incentive program regarding Nigeria, with current United States State Department and related United States Agency for International Development mission, and present day programs. By implementing the proposed incentive strategy, Nigeria in the midst of a devastating famine will become more food secure, and as a result the country as a whole will gain political stability. The correlation between food security and political stability will be discussed in greater detail further in the essay. The basis of an incentive strategy stems from the lack of poultry companies entering the current Nigerian market, due to risk factors and lucrative alternatives, however there are increasing benefits to companies willing to partner with or supply Nigerian domestic producers. The proposed incentive strategy is limited to U.S. poultry technology companies for the efficiencies inherent in poultry production. Limiting the incentives to U.S. poultry technology companies only entering the Nigerian domestic markets as partners or suppliers has its pros and cons, but will have a positive effect on Nigeria. Most importantly, the economic benefits, strengthening of U.S. and Nigerian diplomatic relations and promotion of stable democracies in the region are all compelling reasons for the United States to implement the proposed strategy. Nigeria is in the grips of a devastating famine threatening millions of its citizens with malnutrition and starvation. While there are ongoing humanitarian efforts that stem this tragedy, most focus solely on short term needs. The United States has an established diplomatic relationship with Nigeria, which supports key trade dependencies, both inbound and outbound from the US. The frailty of the present political and human conditions, while presently friendly to the US, presents risks to subversion to this important relationship. This proposal seeks to deploy strategies in the local food production, specifically the poultry segment, which; address frailties in the current environment, can be implemented within intermediate timeframes, are sustainable in the long term, and create synergistic outcomes for both the US and Nigerian interests.
ContributorsMoreno, Nathaniel Arnold (Author) / Iheduru, Okechukwu (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Morrison School of Agribusiness (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
In the midst of our nation's heightened political climate, it seems as if politics is polarized more than ever. Voters witnessed the impact of identity politics in the previous national election. As Facebook and Twitter are flooded with political debate, it seems as if the ability to engage in civil discourse has been lost. In the past election cycle, women's issues were a major focal point. Firstly, the country was presented with the potential to elect its first female president. Discussions of workplace diversity, the gender pay gap, and racial divide brought up serious concerns of inequality. Women were infuriated so much so that they organized all across the nation and came out strong, but not unified, in the notable Women's March. The March was arguably politically fueled and perceived by conservatives as an anti-conservative movement. Since the March was purposefully scheduled the day after President Trump's inauguration, the idea of "resistance" was interpreted as "anti-Trump." Interestingly enough, a pro-life feminist population was excluded from being sponsors of the movement. This story received national coverage, and is a topic of debate. The 2018 Women's March proved to be just as political with speeches encouraging people to only vote Democrat in the following elections. The Women's March is a microcosm of our nation's inability to find common ground. This project will explore the ideologies of conservatism and feminism and develop the concept of the "conservative feminist." In this study, we surveyed students studying political ideologies at Arizona State University, assessed results, and then conducted informational interviews to explore those results in greater depth. Accordingly, this thesis explores questions such as: Why did a civil rights movement become seemingly polarized? What are the semantic and conceptual obstacles to "conservative feminism?" The goal of this analysis is to explore the stigma of political ideologies and labels, and to open the discussion for better understanding of feminism, conservatism, and conservative feminism.
ContributorsDe Gravina, Aundrea Marie (Author) / Lennon, Tara (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Abstract What began in 1971 as a "War on Drugs," led to the political position of being "tough on crime" and has ultimately given birth to the mass incarceration crisis that we see in 2017. The United States composes 5% of the world's population, yet holds 25% of the world's incarcerated. At least 95% of those incarcerated in the United States will be released at some time and each year, 690,000 people are released from our prisons. These "criminals" become our neighbors, our colleagues, and our friends. However, the unfortunate reality is that they will go back to prison sooner than we can embrace them. In order to end this cycle of recidivism, higher education in prison must be made more available and encouraged. Those who participate in education programs while incarcerated have a 43% less chance of recidivating than those inmates who do not participate. This thesis dissects that statistic, focusing on higher education and the impact it has on incarcerated students, how it affects society as a whole, and the many reasons why we should be actively advocating for it. Additionally, I wish to demonstrate that students, educators, and volunteers, as a collective, have the power to potentially change the punitive function of the prison system. That power has been within education all along. While statistics and existing research will play heavily in the coming pages, so will anecdotes, first-hand experiences, assessments of established programs, and problems that still need to be overcome. By no means are the following pages a means to an end, but rather a new beginning in the effort to change the interpretation of being "tough on crime." Keywords: higher education, prison, recidivism
ContributorsGood, Hannah Rose (Author) / Wells, Cornelia (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig recently stated that his sport should be considered the role model for competitive balance to other professional sports. The following paper seeks to reveal the truth about the state of competitive balance in baseball by analyzing the past thirty years. Through examining regular season wins, games behind, and average divisional standing, it will be demonstrated that competitive balance has not improved significantly.
ContributorsChacon, Michael Jeremy (Author) / Simpson, Brooks (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / Roberto, Anthony (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
The Guantánamo Bay detention center received its first detainees on January 11, 2002, four months after the 9/11 attacks that precipitated the facility’s creation. According to the rhetoric of Bush Administration officials, the detention facility’s purpose after 9/11 was simple and obvious: it was there to keep ordinary Americans safe by keeping the most dangerous terrorists the United States military and intelligence communities could find under lock and key. But the administration’s reasons for creating the Guantánamo Bay facility, and the legal and political foundations on which they did so, were far more complicated.
That detention center was at the center of two conflicting responses to 9/11, which the Bush Administration tried to pursue simultaneously. One response was to investigate the 9/11 attacks in order to find the terrorists responsible for their planning and execution, detain those individuals, and try them for violations of law. The second response was to initiate an armed conflict against terrorist organizations and their state sponsors more broadly, including against those with loose or no ties to the individuals responsible for the 9/11 attacks. However, administration officials conflated these different responses and failed to develop a coherent strategy for fighting terrorism that would further either objective. The Guantánamo Bay detention program embodied that failure. The legal, political, and moral crisis that it has represented for fifteen years serves as evidence of the dangers of responding to national tragedies outside the bounds of established policy and legal frameworks.
That detention center was at the center of two conflicting responses to 9/11, which the Bush Administration tried to pursue simultaneously. One response was to investigate the 9/11 attacks in order to find the terrorists responsible for their planning and execution, detain those individuals, and try them for violations of law. The second response was to initiate an armed conflict against terrorist organizations and their state sponsors more broadly, including against those with loose or no ties to the individuals responsible for the 9/11 attacks. However, administration officials conflated these different responses and failed to develop a coherent strategy for fighting terrorism that would further either objective. The Guantánamo Bay detention program embodied that failure. The legal, political, and moral crisis that it has represented for fifteen years serves as evidence of the dangers of responding to national tragedies outside the bounds of established policy and legal frameworks.
ContributorsLoucks, Andrew Glennon (Author) / Simon, Sheldon (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This work will provide insight into the concepts and strategies that may help explain how racial/ethnic minority groups, particularly racial/ethnic minority populations within the United States, exact change for their communities while working in/outside historically inaccessible, deep-seated institutional systems of power. This paper will draw context pertaining to the collective action theories through several sources, how they apply to racial/ethnic minority socio-political groups and movements and provide insight on how these two particular communities build coalitions amongst one another as a means to uplift their respective communities facing similar forms of oppressive legislation and systems. After its investigation, this piece will conclude that collective action, and active coalition-building, amongst minority communities, is key to empowering these respective communities to catalyze the change necessary to secure true equity and equality within the United States.
ContributorsAcuna, Edward Jacob (Author) / Hero, Rodney (Thesis director) / Herrera, Richard (Committee member) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05