Publication Type: Proceeding
Abstract: This paper traces the roots of Ghana’s contemporary party system back to a divergence in the country’s fledgling movement for independence. Four republics and more than a half a dozen national elections later, the social base of these movements remains significantly intact. This paper explores the “stickiness” of the social cleavages that provide the foundations for the contemporary Ghanaian party system and attempts to explain the limited role vibrant policy debates over the course of several elections have played in altering the status quo. To make this case census data from 1960, 1970, 1984, and 2000 is combined with election results from each of Ghana’s national elections to see where social cleavages and votes interact. In addition, the paper will use the results of a three-constituency survey conducted in 2005 that focuses on perceptions of Ghana’s major parties to highlight the way voters use stereotypes derived from superficial analysis of social cleavages by commentators and politicians to decide how to vote.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The debate between Fish, Connolly, Rorty and Gray regarding the "foundations" of liberal democratic theory are critically examined for the political consequences regarding elite competition.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: My research examines the interplay among foundations, politics and public policy. This paper uses data from the Foundation Center Foundation Directory, foundations’ tax forms, and foundation publications, as well as the existing literature on policy grant-making, to create a grant and foundation classification system that will be used to answer questions related to the making of policy grants and the relationship between foundation characteristics and the type and purpose of grant making. Using a correlation study, the paper provides an understanding of how foundations fund school districts (are grants made for sports, curricular programs, policy changes, etc.) and whether the purpose of funding varies by the characteristics of the foundations. This paper clarifies the role that foundations play in supporting school districts and improves our understanding of the role that foundations play generally in supporting pre-collegiate education. It also adds to the literature on the relationship between foundations and education and on who influences education policy making.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: One of the most significant phenomena in organized religion over the past two decades is the development and growth of the “megachurch.” While these drastically out-sized campuses and congregations are a relatively new aspect of religious life in the United States, these very large and often very wealthy churches are already having a profound impact on the way in which Americans worship. With the capacity to effectively leverage the organizational resources and technological tools of our time—through educational programs, pastoral associations, and a wealth of materials—these churches are in a position to alter the social, economic and political circumstances of the communities in which they reside (and beyond). Given their size and potency, where they are located takes on special significance. Taking the nine states with the largest number of these entities, we assess their location within the context of a range of demographic factors.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: There is power in numbers, and we are now beginning to see that the increasing proportion of racial/ethnic minorities in the United States is having a significant impact on electoral politics. Utilizing data from the 1999 Washington Post/Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University National Survey on Latinos in America, I examine individual attitudes of Latinos and their propensity to motivate affinity toward African Americans. The driving theory of this analysis is that perceived commonality between Blacks and Latinos is integral to constructing political associations at the mass level. The statistical analysis provides strong support for the contention that Latino internal commonality leads to greater commonality with African Americans, Therefore panethnicity, or a common identity among Latinos of different origin groups is a necessary component of common identity with external groups.

Perceived discrimination also suggests that group consciousness has a meaningful impact on commonality with Blacks. As expected, Latinos who believe that discrimination is a major problem for Latinos are more likely to express commonality with African Americans. Recognizing that your group faces external discrimination provides the basis for commonality, as this connects individuals to the larger experience of being a racial/ethnic minority in the United States. In regard to national origin, it is clear that Caribbean Latinos (Puerto Rican/Dominicans) and Cubans are more likely to believe that they share similarities with African Americans. These perceptions are strongest among Caribbean Latinos who live in close proximity to African Americans and face similar circumstances to African Americans due to their skin color.

Supporting Publications:
Supporting Document