Research Papers

Corruption and Ethnicity Perceptions in Kenya

Abstract: Ethnicity is a sensitive subject in Kanya. Historically it has been a reason for tension and division, even with Kenya being one of the democratizing states in Sub-Saharan Africa, that is publicly devout to inclusivity and diversity. Yet, the past few presidential elections have all been marred with ethnic clashes, controversy and violence. Those past controversies raise many questions and concerns for the 2022 presidential election. Neither of the candidates would be an incumbent, so they will engage in different strategies to mobilize a substantial voter base. In order to be able to understand the roots of conflict and find a way to prevent future violence, it is important to better understand how corruption, ethnicity and conflict are intertwined in the political culture of Kenya.

This study poses that: H1: Corruption will lead to increase in perceptions of unfair treatment of some ethnic groups, H2: When there is continuous presence of corruption issues, there will be an increase in ethnic identification, and H3: When there is continuous presence of corruption issues, national identity sentiment will decrease. There has been increase in peace rhetoric since the violent election clashes in 2007, with an emphasis after 2012-2013, however elections have still brought clashes and controversies. Data shows that such rhetoric could have served to alter perceptions about different treatment of ethnic groups by the government, decreasing polarization. Further, according to the data, responders have an increased sense of national identity. That data disproved the proposed hypotheses. One can, however, observe a discrepancy between the respondents’ answers and the reality of the political atmosphere, indicating a possible miss in the accumulated data.

PO 340: African Politics (Fall 2021)

Full paper

Why is the R2P doctrine implemented in some cases and not others?

Area of interest: My area of interest for this research is Human Rights, and, more particularly, treaties and doctrines created to prevent and stop those. I’m especially interested in doctrines such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the debates surrounding them. It was used as grounds for involvement in Libya in 2011, but since the complication then, it seems to have been scarcely utilized and greatly debated. The research question I’d like to explore is why the R2P doctrine implemented in some cases and not others. I’m interested in exploring why some nations adopt it while others don’t, and more particularly, the politics and interests involved in deeming an act a genocide in the international realm. I believe this is an important area to study, especially in light of the events in Syria, the continuing struggles of the Uyghurs in China and the possible outcomes of the Taliban taking control over Afghanistan. In times when nationalistic sentiments seem to be strengthening, I think it’s important to investigate the attitudes and actions taken by the international community to prevent human rights violations committed by nations against their own population.

PO 340: International Organizations (Fall 2021)

Research Design step 1

Research Design Step 2

Social Media’s Influence on
Political Opinions

Abstract: Presidential elections have been increasingly turning into a divisive instrument for society. The 2016 elections were accompanied by numerous stories about friends and families fighting and dissolving relationships on the basis of political differences. The current presidential elections are no less contentious than the last ones. Even though President Joe Biden won the elections, Donald Trump refused to acknowledge this for weeks, deeming the 2020 elections corrupt and causing further divide in society and a decline in trust in the government. While this divisiveness has festered and grown, political participation has increased in the past two elections.
A popular suggestion is that the development of Internet and Social Media has played a role in creating that phenomena. Social media has become a tool of political engagement, in addition to being a substantial part of people’s everyday lives, especially when it comes to information gathering. This means that it could play an important role in one’s belief formation. This research will look into the way media is perceived and the different ways social media can influence people directly and indirectly when forming their political opinions.