Current Search: Honors Student Theses (x)
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- Title
- DNA profiling and Fourth Amendment privacy.
- Creator
- Ohm, Daniel., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
DNA profiling is a newly developed technique used by law enforcement agencies in the United States as a form of individual identification to prove whether a suspect is guilty. Due to the fact that it is a newly developed technology there is little legislation to regulate its proper uses and restrictions. Therefore restrictions are largely determined by court decisions as to whether DNA profiling violates constitutional rights. Current decisions in state and federal district courts tend to...
Show moreDNA profiling is a newly developed technique used by law enforcement agencies in the United States as a form of individual identification to prove whether a suspect is guilty. Due to the fact that it is a newly developed technology there is little legislation to regulate its proper uses and restrictions. Therefore restrictions are largely determined by court decisions as to whether DNA profiling violates constitutional rights. Current decisions in state and federal district courts tend to permit use of DNA profiling without a warrant. These decisions violate principles of privacy guaranteed by the US Constitution as interpreted in pre-DNA fourth amendment cases. By drawing on fourth amendment case law and commentaries, I shall argue that while in some cases no warrant is required for DNA profiling - when it is conducted upon people who have been convicted of a felony - or all other people, a warrant should be required.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325084
- Subject Headings
- DNA fingerprinting, Privacy, Right of, Criminal justice, Administration of
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Centrosome recruitment: analysis of protein changes during S phase.
- Creator
- Raborn, Erik., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The centrosome is a dynamic and highly active organelle within the cell. It plays a pivotal role in mitosis driving several of the physical changes that are taking place. The centrosome self-replicates before mitosis in order to set up two spindle poles on opposite sides of the cell. This leads to the creation of a mother and daughter centrosomes within a cell that have distinct components. This project will examine the recruitment of proteins to the centrosome as a cell progresses through...
Show moreThe centrosome is a dynamic and highly active organelle within the cell. It plays a pivotal role in mitosis driving several of the physical changes that are taking place. The centrosome self-replicates before mitosis in order to set up two spindle poles on opposite sides of the cell. This leads to the creation of a mother and daughter centrosomes within a cell that have distinct components. This project will examine the recruitment of proteins to the centrosome as a cell progresses through the cell cycle. The proteins examined are (Sd(B-tubulin, (Sf(B-tubulin, Nek 2, Centrin2, p150Glued, EB-1, and dynein intermediate chain. In addition, chromosome arrangement was determined. By examining these proteins we hope to establish a logical order for the interactions of these proteins and their key contributions to cell cycle progression and completion, specifically dealing with the development of the mother and daughter centrosomes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325085
- Subject Headings
- Cell organelles, Formation, Cytoskeletal proteins, Cell division, Tubulins, Microtubules
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- We are Limestone Creek: an oral history of Limestone Creek community Jupiter, Florida.
- Creator
- Stout, Sara M., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Limestone Creek is an unincorporated community existing within the planning and zoning boundary lines of Jupiter, Florida. Contrasting the economically flush and rapidly developing surrounding municipality of Jupiter, Limestone Creek is a predominantly African American community with an apparent economic gap that leaves the community untouched by development. This thesis project attempts to capture the voices of Limestone Creek and Jupiter residents pertaining to their accounts with an...
Show moreLimestone Creek is an unincorporated community existing within the planning and zoning boundary lines of Jupiter, Florida. Contrasting the economically flush and rapidly developing surrounding municipality of Jupiter, Limestone Creek is a predominantly African American community with an apparent economic gap that leaves the community untouched by development. This thesis project attempts to capture the voices of Limestone Creek and Jupiter residents pertaining to their accounts with an unincorporated area surrounded by a much wealthier municipality. Interviews were conducted with the residents of the community, Palm Beach County and the Town of Jupiter residents and officials, in an effort to explore the existence of an isolated African American community. The research resulted in varied responses to the idea of incorporation because of lack of funds. Conclusions to this research reveal that, to the members of the community, while race underlies all discussions of incorporation the more immediate issue is about securing basic services and infrastructure.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2009
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3325089
- Subject Headings
- Municipal government, Suburban African Americans, Social conditions, Social aspects, Political aspects
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- "Our fellows in mortality": kindness to animals in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure.
- Creator
- Brockway, Jessica L., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
In Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy depicts characters who are especially sensitive to the suffering of all living creatures and thus engages his novel in the topic of animal rights. In this project I examine the human-animal relationships in Hardy's novel in terms of the ideas of two different philosophers: Peter Singer and Cora Diamond. I argue that, while Singer at first seems to provide a useful model for understanding these relationships in Jude, Diamond's account of these relationships is...
Show moreIn Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy depicts characters who are especially sensitive to the suffering of all living creatures and thus engages his novel in the topic of animal rights. In this project I examine the human-animal relationships in Hardy's novel in terms of the ideas of two different philosophers: Peter Singer and Cora Diamond. I argue that, while Singer at first seems to provide a useful model for understanding these relationships in Jude, Diamond's account of these relationships is ultimately a more helpful tool for understanding Hardy's ideas about animals. Diamond helps us see that Hardy believes people should help all living creatures in pain, no matter the cost to themselves, not because they recognize their suffering, but because they recognize a shared commonality with all sentient creatures.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334248
- Subject Headings
- Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Animal rights (Philosophy), Human-animal relationships in literature, Symbolism in literature, Animals and civilization
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- "You are the one fixed point in a changing age": the immortality of Sherlock Holmes in Japan.
- Creator
- Chick, Amanda., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Sherlock Holmes has been popular in Japan since the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), but no critic has yet connected Holmes and the protagonist of the recent graphic novel Death Note (2003-2006). While American detective fiction has defined itself somewhat in opposition to Arthur Conan Doyle, Japan embraced Sherlock Holmes and created a series of detectives modeled on the English icon. These characters live and work in Japan, but they are never more than Japanese versions of an English original...
Show moreSherlock Holmes has been popular in Japan since the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), but no critic has yet connected Holmes and the protagonist of the recent graphic novel Death Note (2003-2006). While American detective fiction has defined itself somewhat in opposition to Arthur Conan Doyle, Japan embraced Sherlock Holmes and created a series of detectives modeled on the English icon. These characters live and work in Japan, but they are never more than Japanese versions of an English original. Although Japan has a long history of adaptations and translations of Doyle's writings, no Japanese character has exemplified Holmes as fully as L, the protagonist of Death Note. While L is clearly similar to Holmes, he also blends English and Japanese characteristics in a way that no Japanese detective figure before him managed to do, and thus becomes the first quintessentially Japanese Sherlock Holmes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334249
- Subject Headings
- Criticism and interpretation, Immortality in literature, Detective and mystery stories, Japanese, Criticism and interpretation, Detective and mystery stories, English, Appreciation, Holmes, Sherlock (Fictitious character), Appreciation
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Modeling piezoelectric material and ultrasound transducers.
- Creator
- Crimi, Sarah., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
We discuss piezoelectric and piezoceramic material as well as ultrasound transducers. We study the analytical methods for calculating the impedance of a simple bar of piezoceramic material and a simple ultrasound transducer, and discuss the methodology behind the numerical technique (Finite Element Method) to model a complex ultrasound transducer. With a simple ultrasound transducer model created in the software program PZex, we find out how the impedance is aected when the scale of the...
Show moreWe discuss piezoelectric and piezoceramic material as well as ultrasound transducers. We study the analytical methods for calculating the impedance of a simple bar of piezoceramic material and a simple ultrasound transducer, and discuss the methodology behind the numerical technique (Finite Element Method) to model a complex ultrasound transducer. With a simple ultrasound transducer model created in the software program PZex, we find out how the impedance is aected when the scale of the relative permittivity is varied. We then create a working model of a complex ultrasound transducer and learn how impedance is affected by varying the size of the electrode driven and adding a propagation layer. We saw that there was not a direct relationship between varying the relative permittivity and the change in impedance as we expected. We saw that varying the size of the electrode and adding a propagation layer created expected impedances.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334250
- Subject Headings
- Piezoelectric transducers, Finite element method, Ultrasonic waves, Microelectromechanical systems
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Aussie rules: scheduling as a determinant for attendance demand in the Australian Football League.
- Creator
- Charlton, Lauren M., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The determinants of attendance at Australian Football League (AFL) games have become increasingly important due to a rise in international recognition of the sport and recent structural changes in the AFL. Scheduling has received little attention in the sports economics literature as a determinant of demand. This paper estimates the effect of day-of-the-week scheduling on attendance demand using OLS regressions on panel data gathered from the 1985 to 2008 AFL seasons. One implication of this...
Show moreThe determinants of attendance at Australian Football League (AFL) games have become increasingly important due to a rise in international recognition of the sport and recent structural changes in the AFL. Scheduling has received little attention in the sports economics literature as a determinant of demand. This paper estimates the effect of day-of-the-week scheduling on attendance demand using OLS regressions on panel data gathered from the 1985 to 2008 AFL seasons. One implication of this study is that attendance, and thereby revenue, could be increased by scheduling certain fixtures on specific days and times.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334251
- Subject Headings
- Sports teams, Economic aspects, Professional sports, Economic aspects, Stadiums, Finance
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Optimizing atrazine catabolism in Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP.
- Creator
- Anderson, Robert., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Atrazine is a popular herbicide used in over 80 countries to inhibit the growth of broadleaf and grassy weeds. Atrazine is a common pollutant in soil and groundwater, and high concentrations of atrazine cause developmental defects in fish, amphibians, and birds. The bacteria Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP (P.ADP) uses atrazine as a nitrogen source by transforming atrazine to ammonia through a number of enzymatic reactions. In this project I measured the growth and atrazine degradation of P.ADP in...
Show moreAtrazine is a popular herbicide used in over 80 countries to inhibit the growth of broadleaf and grassy weeds. Atrazine is a common pollutant in soil and groundwater, and high concentrations of atrazine cause developmental defects in fish, amphibians, and birds. The bacteria Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP (P.ADP) uses atrazine as a nitrogen source by transforming atrazine to ammonia through a number of enzymatic reactions. In this project I measured the growth and atrazine degradation of P.ADP in media with atrazine as the sole nitrogen source. A mutant strain isolated after mutagenesis with UV light showed faster growth and reached higher densities than the control strain. A series of mating experiments were performed to determine whether the growth mutation was on the atrazine degrading plasmid or in the chromosome. The limitations and potential of P.ADP for atrazine degradation are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334252
- Subject Headings
- Plasmids, Genetics, Alginates, Physiological effect, Microbial ecology, Biotransformation (Metabolism)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Rethinking religious competition: church-state relations in Catholic- and Islamic- majority authoritarian states.
- Creator
- Chase, Heather., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
In his book Rendering Unto Caesar, Anthony Gill suggests that in countries with repressive authoritarian governments, religious competition plays a crucial role in determining whether the dominant religious institution will support or oppose the regime. Gill's theory, however, assumes that religious institutions are unitary rational actors. While this assumption may be reasonable in Catholic countries of Latin America where Gill based his theory on the hierarchical National Bishops' Councils,...
Show moreIn his book Rendering Unto Caesar, Anthony Gill suggests that in countries with repressive authoritarian governments, religious competition plays a crucial role in determining whether the dominant religious institution will support or oppose the regime. Gill's theory, however, assumes that religious institutions are unitary rational actors. While this assumption may be reasonable in Catholic countries of Latin America where Gill based his theory on the hierarchical National Bishops' Councils, it is not applicable to Sunni Islamic countries of North Africa because of the decentralized Sunni Islamic religious structure. This finding suggests that although religious actors behave rationally in the religious market to maximize the souls for their religion, not all religious actors necessarily view the same religion and its role in the politics of the society in the same manner: in some cases, intra-religious competition is a larger factor in church-state relations than inter-religious competition.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334253
- Subject Headings
- Church and state, History, Islam and state, Religion and politics, Religion and politics
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Just grin and bear it?: proactive coping and PTSD in nursing students.
- Creator
- Borges-Garcia, Raquel., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Past research has found that among traumatized undergraduate women, proactive coping style was independently negatively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity. It also shows that nurses experience many work-related traumas. The present study tests the PTSD symptom level in nursing students and measured whether proactive coping and other personality variables could successfully buffer the effects of trauma. This study found a surprisingly low PTSD symptom level among...
Show morePast research has found that among traumatized undergraduate women, proactive coping style was independently negatively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity. It also shows that nurses experience many work-related traumas. The present study tests the PTSD symptom level in nursing students and measured whether proactive coping and other personality variables could successfully buffer the effects of trauma. This study found a surprisingly low PTSD symptom level among the nursing students though they reported several distressing traumas. Also surprising, participants reported more distress from traumas relating to verbal abuse than to traumas relating to death and/or severe injury. Proactive coping, optimism, and self-esteem were negatively related to PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Further research will be needed to support these findings.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334254
- Subject Headings
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, Nursing students, Mental health, Nurses, Job stress, Nurses, Conduct of life, Resilience (Personality trait), Stress management, Burn out (Psychology), Prevention
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Knockdown of KIF9 leads to defects in mitotic entry and progression in mammalian cells.
- Creator
- Alsina, Laura., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Kinesin motors bind to microtubules and function in mitosis and intracellular transport depending on the position of the motor domain within the primary sequence (Hirokawa and Noda 2008). KIF9 has recently been shown to be involved in MTOC positioning and mitotic entry in Dictyostelium (Tikhonenko et al. 2009). To determine if a similar role for KIF9 exists in mammalian cells, we are using siRNA-mediated knockdown of KIF9 in COS-7 cells. Analysis of unsynchronized and cell-cycle synchronized...
Show moreKinesin motors bind to microtubules and function in mitosis and intracellular transport depending on the position of the motor domain within the primary sequence (Hirokawa and Noda 2008). KIF9 has recently been shown to be involved in MTOC positioning and mitotic entry in Dictyostelium (Tikhonenko et al. 2009). To determine if a similar role for KIF9 exists in mammalian cells, we are using siRNA-mediated knockdown of KIF9 in COS-7 cells. Analysis of unsynchronized and cell-cycle synchronized cells treated with siRNA to KIF9 reveal that the transition from G2 to M phase is delayed and that mitotic progression is also affected. Additionally, our data indicates that spindle pole function during anaphase may be abnormal in cells treated with siRNA, suggesting a role for KIF9 during that stage.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334255
- Subject Headings
- Cells, Motility, Protoplasmic streaming, Cell organelles, Formation, Cellular signal transduction
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The Alspach norm in classifying complemented subspaces of L[p], p > 2.
- Creator
- DeFrain, Isaac., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Identifying and classifying the complemented subspaces of L p , p > 2, has provided much insight into the geometric structure of Lp . In 1981, Bourgain, Rosenthal, and Schechtman proved the existence of uncountably many isomorphically distinct complemented subspaces of L p , p > 2. In 1999, Dale Alspach introduced a systematic method of studying the complemented subspaces of Lp , p > 2. In this thesis, the theory of Lp spaces is developed with a concentration on techniques used to study the...
Show moreIdentifying and classifying the complemented subspaces of L p , p > 2, has provided much insight into the geometric structure of Lp . In 1981, Bourgain, Rosenthal, and Schechtman proved the existence of uncountably many isomorphically distinct complemented subspaces of L p , p > 2. In 1999, Dale Alspach introduced a systematic method of studying the complemented subspaces of Lp , p > 2. In this thesis, the theory of Lp spaces is developed with a concentration on techniques used to study the complemented subspaces. We define the Alspach norm and show that the possible complemented subspaces of Lp , p > 2, generated by two compatible partitions and weights are £2, £p, £2 EB £p, and(2.:EfJ £2)ep ' We have not discovered any previously unknown complemented subspaces of Lp , but this method has reduced the study and classification of these subspaces to a study of partitions of N.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334256, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT3334256
- Subject Headings
- Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, L[p] spaces, Banach spaces, Multipliers (Mathematical analysis), Functional analysis
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Quine and Peirce on counterfactual conditionals.
- Creator
- Bailey, Mary Allison., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Willard Van Orman Quine and Charles Sanders Peirce each create systems in which counterfactual conditionals can be meaningful. A counterfactual conditional is a statement whose antecedent is known to be contrary to fact. Counterfactual conditionals are important in making predictions. It would be irresponsible to implement any major change in the current state of affairs without first assessing the consequences. Quine's work seems to undermine the use of counterfactual conditionals, but I...
Show moreWillard Van Orman Quine and Charles Sanders Peirce each create systems in which counterfactual conditionals can be meaningful. A counterfactual conditional is a statement whose antecedent is known to be contrary to fact. Counterfactual conditionals are important in making predictions. It would be irresponsible to implement any major change in the current state of affairs without first assessing the consequences. Quine's work seems to undermine the use of counterfactual conditionals, but I show that his system does allow for certain types of counterfactual conditionals to be meaningful. I conclude that counterfactual conditionals are more meaningful in Peirce's system because the ability to make predictions is a primary concern for him. Although Peirce's system gets more meaning out of counterfactual conditionals than Quine's system, Quine's system aids in the understanding of science.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334257
- Subject Headings
- Criticism and interpretation, Criticism and interpretation, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Modern, Conditionals (Logic)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- More social capital please!: a study of a Brazilian immigrant community.
- Creator
- Esteves, Jessica., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Researchers who study Brazilian immigrants in the United States have noted a lack of camaraderie and social networks among Brazilians. Based on recent research conducted in Broward County, Florida, Manuel Vâasquez argues that while there are clear structural impediments to community formation among Brazilian immigrants, Brazilians do form social networks. This thesis examines the survey and ethnographic data from Vâasquez's sample to test a series of hypotheses about which factors impact...
Show moreResearchers who study Brazilian immigrants in the United States have noted a lack of camaraderie and social networks among Brazilians. Based on recent research conducted in Broward County, Florida, Manuel Vâasquez argues that while there are clear structural impediments to community formation among Brazilian immigrants, Brazilians do form social networks. This thesis examines the survey and ethnographic data from Vâasquez's sample to test a series of hypotheses about which factors impact levels of social capital and the potential for network creation and mobilization among Brazilian immigrants. Analysis of the data suggests that religious participation and levels of perceived discrimination are correlated with higher levels of social capital in this sample. For a group of immigrants characterized by a lack of collective solidarity and facing an increasingly hostile economic and social climate, religious organizations may be essential locales for achieving sufficient social capital for social, economic, and political integration.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335017
- Subject Headings
- Social capital (Sociology), Infrastructure (Economics), Social networks, Brazilian Americans, Social conditions, Brazilian Americans, Cultural assimilation, Brazilian Americans, Ethnic identity, Emigration and immigration
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An analysis of the effectiveness of dichloroacetate as an anti-cancer agent.
- Creator
- Flint, Valerie., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a chemical with potential to be a cancer therapy due to its ability to treat mitochondrial metabolic disorders. Previous studies have affirmed DCA's ability to target cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unharmed (Bonnet et al., 2007). Javonia Washington continued research that Bonnet et al. began by testing DCA's effectson a greater number of cell types (Washington, 2008). This project collects and analyzes the data generated by Washington's research using the...
Show moreDichloroacetate (DCA) is a chemical with potential to be a cancer therapy due to its ability to treat mitochondrial metabolic disorders. Previous studies have affirmed DCA's ability to target cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unharmed (Bonnet et al., 2007). Javonia Washington continued research that Bonnet et al. began by testing DCA's effectson a greater number of cell types (Washington, 2008). This project collects and analyzes the data generated by Washington's research using the computer programs Excel and SPSS. The analysis shows that DCA concentration is vital when considering the chemical as an anti-cancer drug ; it had a significant effect on the cancerous cells from 0.5mM and higher, but both cancerous and non-cancerous cells died at similar rates when the concentration reached 10mM. Further, DCA affects some cancer cells more quickly than others, which could increase the risk of harming surrounding healthy cells if used improperly as a cancer treatment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335018
- Subject Headings
- Chloroacetic acids, Therapeutic use, Antineoplastic agents, Apoptosis
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The facts behind the FCAT.
- Creator
- Gamsey, Erin., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 makes schools accountable for the performance of their students, and measures that goal through standardized testing. Florida's standardized test is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This paper investigates how the incentive structure of the FCAT accountability system has resulted in costly unintended consequences, such as the disruption of local home prices, teaching towards the test, manipulation of the test pools, and an increase in the...
Show moreThe No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 makes schools accountable for the performance of their students, and measures that goal through standardized testing. Florida's standardized test is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This paper investigates how the incentive structure of the FCAT accountability system has resulted in costly unintended consequences, such as the disruption of local home prices, teaching towards the test, manipulation of the test pools, and an increase in the number of school dropouts. The State of Florida officially estimates that the cost to administer the FCAT is $19.44 per student. My claim is that the Florida Department of Education's estimate is profoundly understated because it does not take into account an array of internal and external costs associated with the test. By including these costs of the FCAT, I show that the FCAT does indeed cost more than $19.44 per student.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335019
- Subject Headings
- Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Achievement in education, Educational tests and measurements
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Foreign aid and economic growth.
- Creator
- Dimanche, Ketsia S., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
The effect of foreign aid on economic growth is still ambiguous in the economic literature. In this paper, we analyze the effect of foreign aid on economic growth in 79 developing countries from the Latin America Caribbean Region, Africa, and Asia. Using data for the year 2000, we find that foreign aid has an insignificant negative effect on economic growth when we control for other factors.
- Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335020
- Subject Headings
- Sustainable development, Economic assistance, Developing countries, Economic indicators, Developing countries, Developing countries, Foreign economic relations, Statics and dynamics (Social sciences)
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- The miseducation of Hugo Chavez: political learning and populism in Latin America.
- Creator
- Fertitta, David., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
This project examines the role of political learning in predicting the recent rise of left-of-center governments in Latin America, ranging from moderate center-left coalition governments to one-party populist regimes. Studies of populism consistently point to the role of natural resources and economic crises in predicting the rise of populist regimes. This study adds the concept of political learning by using measures of moderation in the current regime as a dependent variable and measures of...
Show moreThis project examines the role of political learning in predicting the recent rise of left-of-center governments in Latin America, ranging from moderate center-left coalition governments to one-party populist regimes. Studies of populism consistently point to the role of natural resources and economic crises in predicting the rise of populist regimes. This study adds the concept of political learning by using measures of moderation in the current regime as a dependent variable and measures of oppression in earlier regimes as independent variables. Utilizing case studies of Venezuela and Chile as ideal types and plotting ten further cases on indicators of repression, military spending, corporate tax rates, government spending, the percent of votes going to moderates, and economic freedom scores from Freedom House, I argue that the likelihood of the rise of populist regimes is greater in countries that have not experienced the sort of intense political repression that generates political learning.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335021
- Subject Headings
- Power (Social sciences), Populism, Politics and government, Politics and government
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Democracy and economic growth in Argentina.
- Creator
- Lotarynski, Uriel., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
By now, a vast literature has attempted to answer the question of whether democracy is conducive to economic growth. The empirical side of the literature has not come to any consensus on this issue. My thesis examines Argentina's economic and political history from 1960 to the present, including particularly volatile episodes with many military regimes. Specifically, I attempt to contribute to the democracy-growth literature by examining whether Argentina's level of democracy affected its...
Show moreBy now, a vast literature has attempted to answer the question of whether democracy is conducive to economic growth. The empirical side of the literature has not come to any consensus on this issue. My thesis examines Argentina's economic and political history from 1960 to the present, including particularly volatile episodes with many military regimes. Specifically, I attempt to contribute to the democracy-growth literature by examining whether Argentina's level of democracy affected its economic growth. Controlling for a number of factors, I construct an econometric model that focuses on GDP as the dependent variable and democracy as the independent variable of interest. I claim that there is no correlation between Argentina's economic growth and its level of democracy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335104
- Subject Headings
- Democracy, Economic development, Politics and government, Economic conditions
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- A cross cultural perspective on the issue of gender and contamination in urban legends.
- Creator
- Herndon, Kirstin Renee., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
- Abstract/Description
-
In his article, "The Kentucky Fried Rat : Legends and Modem Society", Gary Alan Fine suggests that American society is a folk community in which urban legends play the role of negotiating changes in social structure and other aspects of daily life (Fine 2005). Fine's argument, however, is limiting in that it only considers urban legends within the United States and fails to encompass those from abroad. As such, this thesis expands Fine's original argument to a global scale by examining urban...
Show moreIn his article, "The Kentucky Fried Rat : Legends and Modem Society", Gary Alan Fine suggests that American society is a folk community in which urban legends play the role of negotiating changes in social structure and other aspects of daily life (Fine 2005). Fine's argument, however, is limiting in that it only considers urban legends within the United States and fails to encompass those from abroad. As such, this thesis expands Fine's original argument to a global scale by examining urban legends, crossculturally, that involve instances of women being brutalized and objects or people being contaminated. Ultimately, the thematic elements and grotesque imagery that are used in these two categories of legends are a symbolic expression of tensions surrounding the movement of women out of the home and the increased global spread of urbanism.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3335105
- Subject Headings
- Urban folklore, Sex role in literature, Feminist theory, Legends
- Format
- Document (PDF)