Oral Session II: 1:00-2:00PM
Oral Session II- Rooms A-C
Abstract Volume and Quick Reference Guide
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ROOM A
Political Science
1:00-1:20PM
Gun Control: The Gender Gap Within Parties
Presenter(s): Maggie Kabilafkas
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
The recent uptick in mass shootings partnered with rhetoric in politics has led to a growing discussion about gun control within both the Democratic and Republican parties.While past research has discovered that women voters in the United States tend to be more moderate and that there is a prominent gender gap within the Republican party, it has failed to account for the recently changing climate on gun control policies. I hypothesize that the Democratic party will tend to vote in support of gun control regardless of gender, whereas, Republican women will be more divided with their male counterparts in support of gun control. Additionally, I will analyze if population density influences voting behavior. I hypothesize that there is a significant gender gap among rural, Democratic women (no gender gap among rural Republican women), a gender gap among Republican suburban women (no gender gap among suburban Democratic women), and no significant gender gap among urban women among both parties in support for gun control. Using data from the American National Elections Survey, I will study trends within the Democratic and Republican parties have respectively become more liberal or conservative regardless of gender, or if there is a growing gender gap in support of gun control.
1:20-1:40PM
The Structure of Environmental Racism in Long Beach, California
Presenter(s): Mallory Warhurst
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
Research related to the geographic spatiality of environmental racism has focused on analyzing relationships between community demographics and proximity to environmentally hazardous conditions. More recently, studies have focused on broadening the understanding of environmental racism as not only the consequence of specific discriminatory actions, but also the result of structural, institutionalized forms of racism. Using Long Beach, California as a case study, this project integrates historical records, census data, and ArcGIS StoryMap software to explore patterns of contemporary environmental racism within the city. In addition to mapping the features of the built environment that explicitly contribute to environmental inequities, this study represents an exploration of the historic and current hegemonic structures that create conditions of environmental injustice and racism in Long Beach.
1:40-2:00PM
Catholicism’s Effects on American Public Opinion In the Kennedy Era
Presenter(s): Nikki DeBonis
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
Joe Biden is only the second Catholic to be elected President. The first Catholic President, John F. Kennedy, was not elected until 1960 – nearly two centuries after the nation’s founding. This paper will examine the driving factors of anti-Catholic bias in the electorate and evaluate how this bias has changed over time. Little research has been done regarding the evolution of anti-Catholic attitudes in the electorate. I hypothesize that less-educated Protestant voters are the most biased voters and the major force behind anti-Catholic bigotry. In addition, I hypothesize that anti-Catholic bigotry has declined over time.
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ROOM B
Political Science
1:00-1:20PM
The Great American Divide: How Race has Shaped the Republican Party and Modern Politics
Presenter(s): Madison Demaris
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
After the 2016 United States Presidential election, I conducted research examining the causes for fundamental shifts in the Republican party that led to the election of Donald J. Trump. I concluded that from comparing 2008, 2012, and 2016 American National Election Studies results and the Chapman Fear survey, overwhelmingly, the biggest shifts in the party came from views about race. In the four years since, we have seen a national rise in populism, fracturing of the Republican party, and a conglomerate of domestic and foreign issues fester to novel heights including domestic terrorism and an attempt to overthrow the United States government. I am going to probe into the 2020 Presidential election, 2016 Presidential Election, and collective data from every election since 1948 to delineate the progression and development of the Racism that we see today. During the Trump Presidency, we saw an unprecedented rise in hate crimes, murders of unarmed Black people, and exuberance of racist rhetoric. I argue that former President Donald Trump and his policies and rhetoric led to an increase of racist acts and aggression within the American public. I also argue that his candidacy allowed for the Republic party to become outwardly racist and has led to a higher correlation between racism and Republicanism.
1:20-1:40PM
Is Modern Media Driving Political Polarization?
Presenter(s): Iain Richards
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
Current research into how an individual’s preferred sources of information influence their political beliefs is somewhat underdeveloped. There are many existing studies demonstrating which sources of information are typically associated with an individual’s political preference, but there are remarkably few that delve into the effects that individuals’ preferred news source have on their beliefs for specific political issues. Furthermore, while there are also multiple studies that suggest social media has a polarizing effect on its users, very few of these studies derive their claim from a comparison with other, more traditional media types. Rather, they often focus solely on empirical psychological analysis of social media’s effect on its users or on the correlation between social media use and the increasing polarization throughout the country. Both types of studies are lacking in key areas; the former type (psychological analysis), while useful, cannot be used to make claims specifically about the polarizing effect of modern media on key political issues, while the latter often does not account for the fact that the correlations which they observe are merely that, correlations. This paper will attempt to remedy this deficiency by examining the effects of different media types on individuals’ beliefs on a select number of important political issues: immigration, discrimination, and respondents’ overall view of the United States. The independent variable (the different media types) will be split into two categories: modern ones, such as the internet and social media use, versus more traditional sources of news (newspapers and news analysis programs). After controlling for age, this paper expects to find that not only will there be a statistically significant difference in all three of these areas between the modern and traditional media types, but also that the traditional media has a moderating effect on its users relative to modern media.
1:40-2:00PM
Racial Resentment and Voting Behavior in the Trump Era
Presenter(s): Lillian Lachman
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
The U.S. Census Bureau published a report twelve years ago stating that by mid-century the country’s population would shift to the majority being minorities. In other words, white people would be the minority. White identity was held up by certain groups and in certain press as being in a threatened state. Clearly, there is fear. The question is whether this fear among white people translates to higher voter turnout and votes for politicians that share negative attitudes toward minorities and immigrants, amplifying these groups as infringing on the patriotic - white - way of life. My two hypotheses are that white citizens who perceive the demographic shift as a threat to their American identity are more likely to vote and more likely cast that vote for national politicians who talk about fear and anger towards people of color. Using survey data from the 2016 and 2020 American National Election Study, I will look at respondents’ magnitude of racial resentment and their voting rates and their planned vote for national elections. This will determine the level of connection between white citizens who perceive the demographic shift as a threat to American identity and translate that threat into higher voter turnout and casting these votes for national politicians who talk about fear and anger towards people of color.
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ROOM C
Political Science
1:00-1:20PM
Social Media’s Influence on Negative Partisanship and Affective Polarization
Presenter(s): Amanda Ellis
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
Affective polarization refers to the increasing tendency of Republicans or Democrats to view members of the other party in a negative light. A similar issue, negative partisanship is the tendency of voters to form their political or policy opinions in direct opposition to whichever political party they do not like or identify with. The current literature on these issues focuses on the origins of this polarization. However, although there is analysis on the effects of negative partisanship or affective polarization, there is still little conclusive evidence on what causes these phenomena. In this thesis, I will analyze data from the American National Election Study (ANES) Time Series Study to continue my understanding of these concepts in order to determine the factors behind the sharp increase of negative partisanship and affective polarization. I hypothesize that one of the principal sources of these issues is due to the increase of social media usage and the growth of the internet. With the data, I will use feeling thermometer questions on political party identification in comparison with social media usage. I will do additional analysis using the 7-party ID scale. Finally, my controls will be race, education, age, economic status, religious affiliation, and sexual identity.
1:20-1:40PM
Who Supports Raising the Minimum Wage?
Presenter(s): DJ Sollender
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
There is much debate in the United States about whether to raise the minimum wage, as many argue that wages have not kept up with the standard of living. Others argue that the increased cost to small business’ owners will put many of them out of business and therefore lead to more job loss than financial gain for employees. Current research on who supports raising the minimum wage has focused primarily on ideological party lines which has made it a partisan issue. This narrow view has led to a poor understanding of who supports raising the minimum wage even within party lines. In turn, this essay seeks to utilize data from the 2016 American National Election Survey (ANES) that has not been previously taken into account to show how even those who share similar ideological views can have radically different opinions on raising the minimum wage. I hypothesize that younger people (age 25-40) will support raising the minimum wage regardless of party affiliation. In addition, I hypothesize that women will be more likely to support raising the minimum wage than men even after controlling for income level.
Religious Studies
1:40-2:00PM
How Religion Affects Views on Abortion in the U.S.
Presenter(s): Lillian Grabowski
Advisor(s): Dr. John Compton
For my final paper, I will be writing about how different religions in the United States view abortion and American abortion legislation. Since the enactment of Roe v. Wade in the year 1973, abortion has been a prominent discussion in the American political arena. While most Americans have a somewhat informed stance on abortion, some of those most active and passionate members of the debate are those practicing religion. The United States of America is full of religious diversity, and while there is a separation of church and state, religious advocates play a vital role in encouraging certain legislation to be passed. In this paper, I hope to accomplish a deeper understanding of what drives certain religion’s views on abortion, and how that ultimately affects its legality. Throughout my research, I will study the major religions that are prominent in the United States and their specific views on abortion. With this in mind, I will test whether or not the teachings of the religion affect an individuals stance on abortion. I believe it will be clear to see whether abortion laws are restricted or embraced depending on the dominant religion of the voter’s. My hypothesis is that religions with stricter views on abortion will create individuals who are more pro life and who advocate for stricter abortion laws.
