Politics
Internet Freedom and Cyberattacks: Diverging results of the rapidly developing web
Sabrina Baum ('11); Sarah Cook ('05)*; Mentor: Pierre Englebert
* Freedom House, Washington, DC
Abstract: In 2009, Freedom House, known for its
annual Freedom in the World report and Freedom
index assessing political rights and civil liberties,
published a pilot index of internet freedom. I
worked on the second edition of Freedom on the
Net, editing country narratives by experts in
African and Latin American countries. Each report
addresses questions under the following
categories: 1) Obstacles to Access, 2) Controls on
Content and 3) Violations of Users’ Rights. The
expanding reach of cyberattacks contributes to
restricted internet freedom. Cyberattacks range
from spam, which now makes up 90% of emails,
to identity theft, espionage networks and
cyberwars. What are the different forms of attacks
and how do they work? Who launches
cyberattacks and who is targeted? What are the
financial, national security and civil rights
impacts? In addition to addressing these questions,
my policy brief for Freedom House will discuss
policy recommendations to handle this threat.
Funding provided by The Faucett Family Foundation
Challenging the Constitutionality of the Senate Filibuster
Nick Hubbard ('11); Christopher McGuire ('11); Kyle Grossman ('12); Samuel Levy ('13); Mentor: Michael Teter
Abstract: We conducted legal and historical
research including: the creation of the Senate and
the origins of “Each Senator shall have one Vote”;
the historical progression of the filibuster; the
modern-day filibuster; the Supreme Court
malapportionment cases, of the “one-person, onevote”
and cases showing that a Senator could
challenge the filibuster in court. The research
contributed to a 60-page article by Professor Teter
that will be published in a law review supporting
the argument that the Senate filibuster is
unconstitutional and that the 60-vote requirement
to cut off debate in the Senate distorts the weight
of individual Senators’ votes making the filibuster
legally identical to electoral apportionment
schemes that distort the value of individual
citizens’ votes. Because the Supreme Court has
abolished such systems by declaring them
unconstitutional, the filibuster could and should
meet a similar end. The argument provides a clear
blueprint for the Senate to reinstate majority rule.
Funding provided by The Fletcher Jones Foundation
(NH, CM, KG, SL)
Envisioning the East Asian Liberal Arts College
Wei Jun Mun ('12); Mentor: John Seery
Abstract: There has been a growing interest in the
liberal arts education model by countries outside
of America. Interestingly, as a parallel but
opposite trend, the US is experiencing a declining
interest in the very same product. Although there
are many institutions outside of America that
brand themselves as “liberal arts”, there is a
paucity of those that are of comparable quality and
caliber to those in the US. To conceptualise the
East Asian Liberal Arts College, which is without
precedent, interviews are conducted with
professors and higher education officials from US,
Japan, and Singapore. There is a unanimous
conviction that the conceptualisation must be
reframed in the East Asian context – a meritocratic
schooling system, strong governmental presence,
influential neoliberal forces, pervasive rice bowl
and time-to-market mentalities, and intra East
Asia cultural differences etc. Once conceived
within this context, the EALAC is radically
different from any existing liberal arts institution.
Funding provided by The Fletcher Jones Foundation
The Idea of America
Emily Saliba ('11); Mentor: John Seery
Abstract: I set out to explore the political,
historical, cultural and social components that
constitute the idea of America through the review
of American texts and editing assistance of A
Political Companion to Walt Whitman. I also
examined the specific concept of the right to run
for federal office and worked to bring John
Seery’s proposal for an amendment to the U.S.
Constitution to reduce the age of office eligibility
to the legal age of majority as explained in his
forthcoming work, Too Young to Run?, to the
attention of American citizens. To do so, I
designed and launched a website,
http://right2run.org, to provide education and
outreach. During the SURP, I achieved greater
understanding of the many aspects of the idea of
America, along with tangible attempts to improve
upon these ideas of America that continue to shape
our country.
Funding provided by The Fletcher Jones Foundation
Investigating the Relationship Between Women and the State in Burkina Faso
Sarah Thompson ('11); Nestorine Sangaré*;
Rosalie Compaoré*; Mentor: Pierre Englebert
*CRIGED
Abstract: This project investigates the
interactions of Burkinabé women with their state,
as perceived by individuals. Background scholarly
research was supplemented by observations and 9
interviews, all of which occurred in the capital,
Ouagadougou. Because of the language barrier,
only women with a certain level of education were
interviewed. Despite the relatively limited sample
size, the views of Burkinabé women varied greatly
in terms of their perception of the state as it
concerns women. Because of the subjectivity of
the research, clear conclusions are hard to draw;
Still, women expressed the need for much
improvement in gender equality and credited male
dominated “African” society with resistance
against change. One sentiment that appeared
nearly across the board was that of hope. Although
women bear the brunt of hardships facing the
Burkinabé population, there is great faith and
optimism regarding their future relationship with
the state.
Funding provided by The Paul K. Richter and
Evalyn E. Cook Richter Award
The Buganda kingdom: An inquiry into the political power of a cultural institution
Kaitlyn Boecker ('11); Mentor: Pierre Englebert
Abstract: The Buganda kingdom, an institution
which blends cultural conservation with quasigovernment,
has enjoyed enormous popularity
since its king’s reinstatement in 1993. Despite
bald political aims and a large “membership,”
until 2009 it had avoided direct conflict with
Museveni’s government. After legislative clashes
over land rights, unpaid taxes and a federal system
tensions became physical. Riots in September
2009 resulted in death, destruction and the virtual
shutdown of Kampala, revealing both the
powerful influence of the kingdom and the latent
unrest in the capital. With the 2011 elections
drawing nearer, any potential rallying force must
be accounted for. Through interviews with senior
officials, Buganda pressure groups and average
citizens, as well as research into kingdom
institutions and affairs I attempt to evaluate
Buganda’s mobilization power. I find that the
organization holds tremendous potential, though
the leadership’s wariness of the “dangers of
African politics” means it will likely remain
unutilized.
Funding provided by The Fletcher Jones Foundation