http://hdl.handle.net/2144/1257 Department of Political Science Tue, 21 May 2013 18:27:45 GMT 2013-05-21T18:27:45Z http://hdl.handle.net/2144/5450 State power and the Colonial Mindset: Defining state legitimacy in postcolonial South Asia Tewarie, Pradyuman Abstract: This paper will argue that the way in which the Pakistani and Indian states have legitimized their rule over the past sixty year is influenced by the legacy British colonialism. This case is made by analyzing and contrasting the way pre-colonial empires legitimized their rule to the British Raj. This investigation has shown that the pre-colonial empires were accompanied by an ideology that sought legitimacy exclusively through the furthering of Dharma. Dharma in the context of state power meant the promotion of “good governance” that was specifically contingent on the fulfillment by the ruler of basic forms of citizenship rights. Absent in these pre-historic documents was an emphasis on “divine rights” or “absolutist” rule that was accorded to state authorities. As such, the administrative structures in India’s pre-colonial empires were highly decentralized and boasted many measures of checks-and-balances on the power wielded by the state. On the contrary, the British ruled India through an ideology that was tinted with a Euro-centric, racialist lens. This had the effect of delegitimizing the previous form of Indian rule and promoting a political culture in which post-enlightenment ideas founded on the premises of a powerful and coercive unitary state were imported to replace the pre-colonial political system of layered and shared power. But there was embargo on the export of rights of citizens of sovereign states to Europe’s colonies. This distortion of in ideas of state power and citizenship rights has had fundamental implications in post-colonial South Asia, resulting in a crisis of political legitimization that has plagued the Indian and Pakistani state for the past 60 years. Since this analysis has shown how ideas and discourse can affect the way states legitimize their rule, this paper concludes by arguing that the path to progress for both nations lies in undergoing an ideational shift in the way the states have legitimized their rule. Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2144/5450 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2144/5447 Running in Heels: Evaluating Women Candidates for Office in the Age of Appearance Rutenberg, Rebecca Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2144/5447 2013-05-07T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2144/5446 Education through Engagement and Empowerment: The Impact of An Action Civics Program on Student Academic Engagement Outcomes Ridley-Kerr, Abby There has been relatively little research on the effectiveness of civic engagement programs at promoting student achievement. This thesis attempts to provide some context for the potential of civic engagement programs like Generation Citizen. It examines the link between student participation and attendance and student achievement for those students enrolled in the Generation Citizen program. It builds on previous academic studies around absenteeism and student participation to determine more conclusively the potential benefits of civic engagement programs on student academic achievement. Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2144/5446 2013-05-07T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2144/5445 The Effect of Social Media on Civic Engagement Ghosh, Rajani “The most serious danger Americans now face, greater than terrorism, is that our country’s future may not end up in the hands of a citizenry capable of sustaining the liberty that has been America’s most precious legacy.” (Damon, 2011) According to many, the younger generation of today is seen as politically unmotivated, uneducated, and uninterested. Declining levels of civic engagement have incited panic and have caused people to question the strength of American democracy. “If trends continue, young Americans will grow up without an understanding of the benefits, privileges, and duties of citizens in a free society, and without acquiring the habits of character needed to live responsibly in one.” (Damon, 2011) The conclusion drawn by many is that the younger generation’s lack of participation is a direct result of their lack of interest, respect, or any semblance of appreciation for politics and civic engagement more broadly. (Coley, 2012) If this is true, it certainly is a cause for panic, but are young people today really isolated and removed from the world of politics? Do they not feel a need to give back or participate in their community? This paper proposes that the question is not one of waning motivation or interest, but instead a matter of changing forums for action. Is it that the millennial generation has become less civically engaged or is it that forms of civic engagement have shifted in such a way that interests and motivations are not rewarded with the same recognition? Civic engagement is defined here as “individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern.” (APA, 2012) To understand the supposed lack of interest among the young, millennial generation, attention must be paid to the changing nature and environment in which civic engagement is occurring. The supposed terror that will ensue when the country is left in the hands of the millennials must be understood not as a consequence of disinterest or lack of involvement, but instead as a consequence of a changing world in which civic engagement has been relegated to the cyber realm through social media and the internet. The goal of this paper is to shift the discussion of civic engagement away from focusing solely on an individual’s intention or motivation for volunteering, and instead to focus on the resulting action or lack there-of. Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2144/5445 2013-05-07T00:00:00Z