Distinguished Majors Program

The Department of Politics offers a Distinguished Majors Program (DMP) as an advanced program for students who major in Government or Foreign Affairs. The program provides qualified majors with the opportunity to pursue in-depth research on issues related to the major. Students in the DMP take one more upper-level course in the Department than other majors and write a thesis under close faculty supervision during the year in which they are graduating (typically their fourth year). Participants in the program meet regularly throughout that year to discuss progress on their theses.

The director of the Distinguished Majors Program is Professor David Waldner.

The standards for admission, program requirements, and the procedure for evaluation are outlined below.

Informational Meeting

Potential applicants are invited but not required to attend an informational meeting, generally held in March. Details will be announced at a later time.

Admission to the Program

Unless they intend to graduate early, students apply to the program in the spring of the third year. Students wishing to join the program should first declare a major in the Department, either in Government or Foreign Affairs. Students seeking admission to the DMP should be on track to graduate with Departmental and University grade point averages of 3.4 or above.

Students are encouraged to complete a Politics research methods course, such as PLAD 2222, PLAP 4300 or PLAD 4500 before the start of the DMP year. However, we are aware that space in these courses is often limited. Moreover, not every student’s thesis project is forwarded by these courses, and many students may find equally useful research methods courses in other departments.

DMP application materials are due in early April (specific date TBA). Application materials should include the following:

An unofficial copy of your most recent transcript.
A statement of up to three-pages (double-spaced) explaining your proposed research topic, as well any relevant abilities that you plan to utilize in conducting that research. The strongest applications will meet the following criteria:
1. Does the statement include a clear research question?
2. Does the statement explain why that research question is of personal and broader scholarly?
3. Does the statement show preliminary knowledge of relevant literature related to the research question?
4. Does the statement discuss practicable research methods appropriate for addressing the research question?
A one-page list of works relevant to your proposed research question or topic.
Two confidential letters of recommendation by faculty members submitted directly to the DMP faculty director, David Waldner, daw4h@virginia.edu. At least one of these letters should be from among Politics faculty. Try to familiarize your recommenders with your proposed research so that they might comment on its significance and on your competence to undertake it.

Deadline

Declared Politics majors should submit complete application files by Monday, April 8th at 12 pm (noon). There will be an informational meeting held in mid March. Special arrangements may be made for outstanding transfer students on an ad hoc basis. The admissions committee will begin reviewing files immediately, with the hope of notifying students of decisions by within a few weeks.

Academic Requirements

GPA Requirements

Students in the DMP must maintain grade point averages of 3.400 or better, both cumulatively and in the department.

Course Requirements

Students in the DMP are required to take 3 credits in the Department as a prerequisite plus 30 credits in the major. These 30 credits must include: (1) At least l2 credits at the 4000 and 5000 levels including six credits of PLAD 4960. (2) Courses to satisfy general departmental distribution rules for Government or Foreign Affairs majors.

The DMP Seminar

In the fall semester, members of the DMP will meet regularly to discuss issues related to conceptualizing, researching, and writing social-science theses. In the spring semester, members of the DMP will present their preliminary hypotheses and findings to the seminar.

The DMP Thesis

Students in the DMP are required to write a thesis of high quality, earning six credits, during the fourth year. The thesis seminar, PLAD 4960/PLAD 4961, is a year-long course, carrying six credit hours. Students are responsible for obtaining a faculty member to serve as their thesis advisor for both semesters of the course.

Limited funding is available to support thesis research. Please see the Funding page for more information about the funds and application process.

Complete first drafts of theses are typically due during the last week of March. The final deadline for completed theses, reflecting all revisions, is typically in the third week of April, on a date set each year by the director.

Program Evaluations

Students who successfully complete the requirements of the DMP will be evaluated based on the following: (1) quality of the thesis, (2) overall work in major field of study, (3) overall College record.

Faculty thesis readers will forward evaluations to the Department’s DMP faculty director, who will review the evaluations and students’ records, and forward recommendations to the College Committee on Special Programs.

Superior theses will be nominated by faculty advisors for the Emmerich-Wright Prize, which is given annually to the outstanding thesis.

Where can I find the official academic requirements for the University?

The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only. The Undergraduate Record and Graduate Record represent the official repository for academic program requirements. These publications may be found at http://records.ureg.virginia.edu/index.php.

Questions

Please direct questions not answered above to Prof. David Waldner, daw4h@virginia.edu.

Recent DMP Theses

Emmerich Wright Prize Winners are in bold.

2020-2021

Dodwani, Shriya Devi - “Defense-Based Cyber Strategy: An American Necessity in The Face of a Cyber War”
Finelsen, Russell Mason - “Perceived Weaknesses of Transportation Methods in the Charlottesville, Virginia Area – and How to Resolve Them”
Gagne, Avery - “The Asian-American Vote – Does it Exist? An Analysis on the Origin and Relationship of the Political Preferences of Asian-American Ethnic Groups”
Groetsch, Abby Rose - “An Intentional Exclusion: The Genocide Convention’s Neglect of Protections for Political Groups and the Contemporary Consequences”
Gulas, Seth Davies - “Authoritarian Intensification Political Effects of COVID-19 and the Long-term Implications for Democracy”
Huffman, Nicole Elizabeth - “An Intersectional Analysis of Gender, Race, and Place Identities’ Impact on Political Cognition”
Newberry, Matthew - "Perplexity Of Nuclear Terrorism: Changing Landscape of Nuclear Terrorist Threats and Deterrence”
Ryan, Matthew Tanner - “Assessing the Assertive China Meme: A Critical Review of the Operationalization and Intensification of PRC Assertiveness in the South China Sea Disputes"
Scocos, Garrett Matthew - “Politicking The Road To War: Insights into How the United States Decided to Invade Iraq”

2019-2020

Arnold, Vincient – “Land of the Resurgent Sun: Japanese Security Policy in the Post-Cold War Era”
Baratta, Patrick – “From Investment to Consumption in Higher Income Economies: Implications for Economies in the Middle-Income Trap”
Castroparedes, Max – “A New More Hopeful Future: James A. Baker and American Foreign Policy in Nicaragua”
Dai, Arnold – “Healthcare Please: An Examination of the Effectiveness of the US Affordable Care Act’s Managed Competition Principles Post-mandate Repeal with Regards to Socioeconomic and Geographic Inequality”
Grotenhuis, Olivia – “The 2008 Beijing Olympics and North Korean Human Rights: Crackdowns on North Korean Refugees in China Between 2002-2008”
Libby, Jacob – “An Offer You Must Refuse? Understanding Foreign Exploitation of the US Political Finance System”
McLaughlin, Will – “A Long-Term Study of Small-Town and National Newspapers on Coverage of Presidential Scandal”
Merrin, Balthazar – “What does a Gift Buy? The Art of Gift Giving by China and the United States in Africa”
Petkosek, Logan – “The Latin American Conservative Wave: A Profile of the Southern Cone Voter”
Rose, Lettie – “Association Between Features of Emergency Mental Health Evaluations and Subsequent Civil Commitment Outcomes”
Williams, Taylor – “A Sealed Fate for Conflict Settlement? The Relationship Between Civil War Grievances and Settlement Type in the Post-Cold War Era”

2018-2019

Cook, Alexandra – “Community Charitable Food Systems: Analyzing the Role of Charitable Food Organizations in Addressing Charlottesville Food Insecurity”
Di Maro, Geremia – “Uncivil Discourse: Challenging Conventional Structures of Public Engagement at Charlottesville, Virginia City Council Meetings”
Li, Zhuoran – “The Chicken Game and the Taiwan Strait Crisis”
Lopez, Laura – “The Context of Secularism and Religion in American Foreign Policy”
Pupatelli, Jayme – “Repatriation and Reintegration Policies: The Fate of the Foreign-Born Women & Children of the Caliphate ”
Sostre, Corey – “Twitter Trump: Influencer of Future Social Media Tactics or a One-Hit Wonder? Examining the Prevalence of Trump’s Twitter Style Among Midterm Congressional Candidates”
Wallace, Matthew – “A New ‘Era of the Woman?’ A Survey Experiment Relating Women’s Involvement to Attitudes Toward Participation in Contemporary American Politics”
Wichtermann, Jenna – “Histories of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: How the Israeli Yitzhak Rabin Museum and the Palestinian Yasser Arafat Museum Differ in Their Portrayals of the Conflict’s History”

2017-2018

Anderson, Parker – “Mass Shootings and Political Sociability: A Survey Experiment”
Brake, Jack – “Aston Martins and Atom Bombs: Exploring Attitudes on Prestige and Nuclear Weapons”
Brough, Rebecca – “Who Gets In? The Determinants of refugee recognition rates across 19 OECD Countries”
Davis, Olivia – “The Implications of Juvenile Transfer Laws: Sentencing Severity and Deterrence”
Genovese, Sarah – “The Effect of Citizen Economic Dependence on the State on Authoritarian Regime Durability”
Ghazar, Tania – “Confronting Crisis: Analyzing the Rhetoric of President George W. Bush and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Before and After Major Terror Attacks”
Holler, Madeline – “The Influence of Periods of Conflict on Child Marriage Rates and Trends in Sub-Saharan Africa”
Kraft, Liam – “Domestic Politics and Asymmetric Relationships: Insights from Nepal”
Parker, Elizabeth – “How Do Top Tier Ethnic Lobbies Influence Elections in the United States? Electioneering Efforts Orchestrated by the Pro- and Anti-Engagement Cuba Lobbies”
Risberg, Pearl – “Filial Piety and the Expansion of China’s Pension Scheme: The interplay of contemporary culture and policy”
Shaeffer, Andrew – “Storm the Field or Shut the Blinds: The Impact of Anger and Anxiety Appeals in Political Ads on Voter Turnout”
Smith, William – “Why Some Caribbean Nations Create Citizenship by Investment Programs: A Study of Antigua and Barbuda”

2016-2017

Anderson, Kara – “Islamic Behavioral Radicalization on U.S. Soil: An Analysis of the Profile of Terror and the Generational Divide”
Boisjolie, Rachel – “The Knowledge Question: Predictors of Political Knowledge in the European Union”
Brooks, Brandon – “Media Constraints on Wartime Decision-Making:The Other CNN Effect”
Gates, Madeline – “Judicial Vacancies and the Quality of Judicial Decisions on U.S.Federal District Courts”
Griff, Clara – “Food Deserts and Food Swamps: An Analysis of Rural Central Virginia Food Insecurity”
Gutmann, April – “When Hostility Takes Over: Sexism in the 2016 Presidential Election”
Hensel, Pascal – “Defying the State: How Executive Constraint and State Capacity Affect Pro-Government Militias”
Jacobs, Aaron – “The Structure of Machine Politics in Virginia, 1930-1965: An Analysis of Harry Byrd, His Organization, and Byrd’s Correspondence
Keach, Madeleine – “Illegal, or Inconvenient? A Comparative Approach to Understanding Central American Asylum Claims”
Pulliza, Lucas – “A Qualitative Analysis of Presidential Convention Acceptance Speeches from 1960-2016: The Slow Drift Towards Incivility since the 1980s within Presidential Campaign Rhetoric”
Wang, Yule – “Sowing Uncertainty: Examining Chinese Internet Users’ Self-Censorship Under Government Media Control”
Warren, Brett – “Make America Remember Again: Media Coverage of 1940s Japanese vs. 21st Century Muslims”

2015-2016

Blair, Christopher – “Divergent Trajectories: The Origins of Institutional Capacity and Economic Development in De Facto States”
Burden, Jack – “Napoleon in Rags: Left-Wing Israeli Civil Society Recruitment in the Era of Neo-Liberalization”
Giorno, Taylor – “Breaking Through the Echo Chamber: Understanding Factors that Hinder the Enactment of the Uniform Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking (UAPRHT)”
Koolman, Porter – “Terrorism and the State: The Implications of State Capacity for Terrorist Groups and Alliance Networks”
MacDonnell, Patrick – “Binding the Republican Party to the Mast: Conservative Ideological Enforcement and Countering the Siren Calls of Liberalism”
Myers, Emma – “Será bom para nós e será bom para África: Brazilian diplomatic discourse in Africa”
Pritchard, Bethany – “In Ten Seconds or Less: Snapchat and Campaign Discourse”
Winkler, Sandra – “Lessons from Ukraine: Reevaluating Russian Foreign Policy Frameworks”

2014-2015

Beeber, Zev Gershon – “Examining the Motivational Impacts of Terrorism on Political Leaders: A Thematic Content Analysis of Israeli Political Discourse before and after Terrorist Attacks
Blusiewicz, Jessica Nicole – “Multiparty Civil Wars”
Bondoa, Fritz N. – “21st Century Mentoring Programs for Black Males: An Analysis of the Principles that Mentoring Programs Promote”
Colalillo, Ben Joseph – “Outside Spending in U.S. Congressional Campaigns: 2000-2014”
Comey, Matthew Lyman – “The Politics of Mixed-Income Housing Development: Why American Localities Pursue Policies That Facilitate the Intermingling Of Low-Income and Higher-Income Residents”
Ducharme, Madeline Jane – “Demographics and Party Preference in the 21st Century”
Godbold, Tristan Henry Alaric – “Alliances and Hegemony”
Kincaid, Matthew James – “Advice and Consent in a “Nuclear Senate:” The Historical and Statistical Effects of Filibuster Reform”
Korban, Emilie Josette – “Transitional Justice, Public Opinion and Trust: A Study of the Effect of Increased Knowledge on Public Attitudes towards Trust and Truth and Reconciliation Commissions”
Noronha, Gabriel Luke – “Life is Easy between a Rock and a Hard Place: Omni-leveraging and the Effects of Great Power Rivalry on Small States”
Shreve, Emma Elizabeth – “Civil Legal Aid in the United States: An Examination of its Structure, Emerging Service Strategies, and the Efficacy of Non-monetary Reform”

2013-2014

Alley, Katlyn Marie – “She’ in Shar’ia: Rape and Marriage in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan”
Bentall, Nia Leanne – “No More Mistress, No More Maid, No More Work That’s Underpaid!” Domestic Worker Organizing Groups and Representation”
Chia, Shang Hui – “Evaluating Explanations for Applications of Preventive Detention Laws: A Study of the Use of the Internal Security Act in Singapore and Malaysia”
Gruber, Samuel Joseph – “Implementing Party-State Democracy in China: An Analysis of Existing Policy Measures and Potential Reforms”
Hadford, Christina Elizabeth – “Family Unfriendly: How Paid Parental Leave and Subsidized Day Care Impact American Mothers”
Johnson, Erica B. – “Reevaluating The Troubles: Quantifying the Relationship between the IRA, Sinn Féin, and Voter Preferences in Northern Ireland, 1969-1998”
Luckey, Taylor Leah – “Perceptions of Decline Among American Elites: Charting Declinist Sentiment 1913-Present”
Sease, Kasey Marie – “John C. Calhoun and Majority Tyranny: An Exploration of a Theoretical Problem in American Politics”
Strubler III, Albert Daniel – “Redistribution and the Welfare State: An Econometric Approach to Public Social Expenditure and Inequality Reduction in OECD Countries From 1983-2009”
Swick, Melanie Amy – “From Domestic to Transnational: Explaining the Strategic Shifts of Non-State Actors”
Tosun, Leyla Mariam – “Oil, Public Service Provision and Regime Instability: A cross-sectional analysis of the Middle East and North Africa, 1990-2011”

2012-2013

Ballagh, Victoria – “Measuring Partisanship Trends in the Changing News Media Landscape”
Belberova, Radina – “Accounting for Intervention Variation in Libya and Darfur: Threshold, Scale and Motivation”
Cahill, Andrew – “Can Google Docs Support the Global Economy? A Study of the Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Economic Growth and Productivity”
Carullo, Nicholas – “India and China: Conflict, Cooperation or Both?”
Carrigan, Samuel – “What’s So Special About Drones? Illegality, Inefficiency and Blowback”
DiCocco, Alexandra – “Kazakhstan’s Multi-Vector Foreign Policy: Trends in Relations with Russia, the West, and China”
Gallogly, Owen – “A Point of Privilege: The History, Consequences, and Future of the Supreme Court’s Privileges or Immunities Jurisprudence”
Hopkins, Rachel – “Nuclear Deterrence in South Asia: A Comparison Study of the Second Kashmir War and the Kargil Conflict”
Reid, Ann – “Incentive and Opportunity: Examining Variations in Party Aggregation Success During the Egyptian Parliamentary Elections of 2011”
Roos, Eileen – “Church and State in Russia: An Analysis of the Russian Orthodox Church as a Lobbying Institution”
Snail, Melanie – “The Long Revolution: Prospects for Algerian Democratization”

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