Politics & International Relations majors often engage in original research, with faculty members serving as mentors for student-initiated research projects. Opportunities for original research include independent study during a semester, participation in the Summer Fellows Program, and honors research. Honors thesis topics recently completed by Politics and International Relations majors have included:
Understanding the motivations influencing INGO behavior in fragile and conflict settings is important for scholars and practitioners: INGOs are a major part of the network of international third-party actors in conflict and fragile settings and provide much of the services funded by third-party state donors. While previous literature investigates the selflessness of INGOs, or lack thereof, and the behavior of INGOs within specific sectors, this thesis proposes a comprehensive analysis of the factors that impact INGO behavior in conflict settings at multiple levels. Read More
Forests play a major role in reducing levels of Greenhouse gasses which are a major contributor to global warming. Conversely, deforestation is a major contributor to climate change. This study examines the concept of good forest governance, dispelling notions that resource use needs to be a zero-sum game. Read More
While European countries have improved health outcomes through universal healthcare systems (UHC), they also face pressures to contain the high cost of these systems. In order to control expenses, governments have reduced services covered under UHC and increased co-payments. Voluntary health insurance (VHI) can help cover gaps in publicly financed health coverage, but this is not affordable for all. This research focuses on the relationship between VHI and health outcomes for both men and women in UHC systems within the OECD. Read More
Under Xi Jinping, China has expanded its aid allocation worldwide and has introduced global infrastructure projects to connect itself to countries everywhere. With such ambitious aid allocation, China has been the recipient of both admiration and scorn on the international stage. This paper assesses these concerns using data from 2000 to 2017 to determine how Chinese aid affects recipient states’ economic and political institutions. Read More
Conflict-related rape—once thought to be an inevitable symptom of war—has been legally recognized as both a distinct weapon of war and a crime against humanity, yet it continues to be utilized with impunity. To understand why combatants rape, this paper examines the aspects of military culture that create environments in which raping is not only permissible, but encouraged; additionally, this paper considers cases of genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda in which rape was used systematically to achieve political goals, and how these conflicts contributed to new conceptions of rape in international criminal law. Read More
Why is it that different governments in the OECD support sustainable energy at different rates? In the effort to explain this difference, Feed-in-Tariffs (FITs) will be closely examined to see if it can explain the significant portion of the variation among countries. This project serves as a continuation of previous scholars’ works, to better understand the variation between countries in adopting renewable energy, even though all members of the OECD have pledged that by 2030 half of their energy will come from sustainable energy. Read more
Since women make competitive candidates, what explains the fact that fewer women run for political office? This paper analyzes women’s emergence as candidates and finds that expectations of gender discrimination, women’s tendency to underestimate their own abilities, a lack of encouragement and role models, and greater party support and funding for male candidates have discouraged many women from running for political office. Read more
Research has found that women in politics are important for representation and women’s rights, but can women’s increasing involvement in politics also stabilize fragile democracies? This research analyzes the relationship between women in politics and democratic consolidation, asking whether and how women help consolidate democracies and prevent the erosion of democratic institutions. Read more
Other theses in the past included:
“COVID-19: The Impact of a Nation’s Political Economic Structure on its Labor Market Spending Policies”
“Piety and Mayhem: How Extremist Groups Misuse Religious Doctrine to Condone Violence and Achieve Political Goals”
“The Case of Kashmir: Ethnic Mobilization and Insurgency”
“Health Care Access for Children in Latinx Immigrant Families in the Greater Philadelphia Area”
“The Democratization Process in Chile and Its Global Implications”
“Radical vs. Rational: Examining Western Media Portrayal of Islamist Terror”
“Immigration in the Thought of America’s Founders and Its Implications Today”
“A Critical Analysis of France’s Role in the Arab Spring”
“Spheres of Development: Factors Behind the Successful Development of the Asian Tigers and the Unsuccessful Development of Africa”
“An Investigation of the Evolution of Political Feminism in Argentina, 1930s - Present”
“Rape in Islam: How Misinterpretations of the Qur’an, Sunnahs, and Ahadith Enabled a Perpetuation of Rape Culture”
Students regularly present their work at research conferences. Majors also edit and publish their own research in the department’s Journal of Politics and International Relations.