Global Politics: Thesis

General Information

The senior thesis is the capstone experience in the Politics major. It involves the writing of a major research paper under the close supervision of a faculty member. This paper is subject to multiple stages of criticism and rewriting, intended to deepen students' insights into different forms of inquiry, methods and literature. This process will hone their skills of critical thinking; sharpen their abilities to analyze theory and test ideas through research; and ensure that their research designs and methodologies are effective and appropriate. This designated Writing-Center course if offered every semester.

Prerequisite: a minimum of three credits at the 300 level, two of which must be completed in residence at Willamette University. POLI 390, POLI 396 and POLI 398 do not count toward the three credit minimum.

Select Titles of Past Comparative Politics Theses

Turkey: An Explanation of Capitalism, Democracy and Human Rights
Sex, Drugs and Euthanasia: An Examination of Tolerance in the Netherlands
Two Countries Stand United, Yet Remain Divided: Issues Regrading Search and Seizure and Sex Offender Treatment
Ethnic Relations in the Post-Soviet Era: A Study of Russian Minorities in Ukraine and the Baltic States
Biting the Hand the Feeds Art
Shades of Gray: Political Corruption in Post-War Germany and Japan
The Politics of Diasporas
The Green War and the Meaning of Success
More than an Entree: Exploring the Link Between Food and National Identity
As Well As Can Be Expected: Women's Health Care and the Dissimilar Political Systems of the United States of American and Sweden
Socialism and the Death Penalty: A Comparative Study of France, the United States and Great Britain
Women and Migration: The Marginalization of Mexican Immigrant Women
The Role of State and Society in Economic Policy Making: An Analysis of the Political Dimensions of Economic Liberalization in India
The Feminization of Poverty: An Analysis of Structural Adjustment Policies and Their Effect on Women in Nicaragua and El Salvador
The Left in Mexico
The Evolution of the Nation-State: The Emergence of Indigenous Movements in Bolivia
Select Titles of Past International Politics Theses
Generational Theory in American Foreign Policy
International Terrorism: Theories and Causes
U.S. Nuclear Deterrence in a Post-Cold War Environment: An Analysis of Why it Continues
The Global Ban on Whaling: Regimes, Norms, and International Institutions
Independent Intervention: The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in the Chiapas Conflict
An Exploration of the Effects of Foreign Direct Investment on Women's Labor and Their Participation in Social and Political Movements in Mexico
International Economic Sanctions and Their Effort on the Peace Process in Israel and South Africa