The Starbucks Workers United Movement emerged in late 2021 and quickly spread to 290 stores in at least 40 states. SBWU cuts against the decades-long trend of decline in the US labor movement, and many hope that it signals its revitalization. I conducted interviews in Arizona's first SBWU location to investigate why workers organized, why they chose to act now, and what obstacles lie ahead of the movement. I found that the movement is driven primarily by young workers (Gen Y and Z) motivated by factors other than pay like toxic management, scheduling concerns, and dignity at work. Findings indicate that the conditions which brought about SBWU will increase in a future of climate change and economic instability.

The objective of my honors thesis was to implement the mindfulness habit of journaling over the course of six months, then use the journal entries as a means to reflect upon observations of pre-selected metrics (connecting Zen teachings to my daily life, accessing my ability to rest, navigating relationships to others, and developing compassion for myself) in order to track how learning about Zen Buddhist philosophy impacts my life.

Anyone can be a leader, and this thesis project will be your guide to becoming a better leader in any aspect of your life! This project listens to the words of wisdom from leaders and compares those against the advice from scholars. From this discussion, a collection of traits emerge which can be built upon to become a better leader.

As the world watched the United States Capitol Building come under siege by thousands of insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021, it was clear that a nation once regarded by conservatives as a “City Upon a Hill” was now in the process of a radical reawakening and party transformation. The American far-right’s radical transformation of the Republican Party and the relentless false belief of “The Big Lie”, that the 2020 election was stolen and fraudulent, delegitimizes America’s political institutions while undermining the nation’s electoral process. This has created a modern rebirth of racism, hatred, and political violence that is seen in American politics and society. Because of this, the far-right has weaponized American institutions to push both racist, discriminatory ideas and laws throughout the country. This study aims to answer the question of "how is The Big Lie dismantling American democracy and reshaping GOP?".

Over the past couple of years, the focus on the prevalence of hate-speech and misinformation on the internet has increased. Lawmakers feel that repealing or reforming Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act is the way to go, considering that the law has been used to protect companies from any liability in the past. In this podcast series, I will be explaining what Section 230 is, how it affects us, and what changes are being proposed. In doing so, I wish to shed a light on how the problems of the internet are not solely in the hands of social media giants and a 26-word long law, but all its users that make up our global community.

The United States and China have entered a geopolitical competition for power and influence unseen since the Cold War. By examining the nature of this contest through the lens of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War and Graham Allison's Thucydides' Trap theory, it is possible to analyze the nature of this relationship, and make predictions as to where it may lead.

The role of technology in shaping modern society has become increasingly important in the context of current democratic politics, especially when examined through the lens of social media. Twitter is a prominent social media platform used as a political medium, contributing to political movements such as #OccupyWallStreet, #MeToo, and #BlackLivesMatter. Using the #BlackLivesMatter movement as an illustrative case to establish patterns in Twitter usage, this thesis aims to answer the question “to what extent is Twitter an accurate representation of “real life” in terms of performative activism and user engagement?” The discussion of Twitter is contextualized by research on Twitter’s use in politics, both as a mobilizing force and potential to divide and mislead. Using intervals of time between 2014 – 2020, Twitter data containing #BlackLivesMatter is collected and analyzed. The discussion of findings centers around the role of performative activism in social mobilization on twitter. The analysis shows patterns in the data that indicates performative activism can skew the real picture of civic engagement, which can impact the way in which public opinion affects future public policy and mobilization.

The influence of John Locke’s political philosophy on Thomas Jefferson is well-documented, from their shared belief in natural rights to their similar theories of property to their shared support of religious freedom. As one of Jefferson’s “three greatest men,” Locke’s influence cannot be understated. The influence of Baron de Montesquieu is far more contested, but nonetheless Jefferson’s close study of Montesquieu and their shared belief in the character of republics and the necessity of education, among other things, provide clear evidence for Montesquieu’s influence. I propose that the dissonance between Montesquieu’s ideas and Jefferson’s adaptation and application of them result from Jefferson’s Lockean lens: a framework based on Locke’s ideas that so profoundly impacted Jefferson’s beliefs that he molded other philosopher’s ideas to conform to Locke. By analyzing the political writings of Locke, Montesquieu, and Jefferson, as well as some of Jefferson’s personal writing (in the form of letters and his Literary Commonplace Book) the influence of both philosophers and the framework Locke provides can be established. Understanding this framework helps us better understand the philosophical foundations of Thomas Jefferson’s politics, and by extension understand the philosophical foundations of American political thought.

This thesis explores the effect that social media has on political mobilization. Going over the arguments that social media is a an effective tool for political mobilization, and the arguments that social media is not an effective tool for political mobilization. Analyzing different mobilization movements it is shown that social media is an effective tool for political mobilization.

This thesis examines the current polarization of news media, specifically written journalism, either in newspapers or on news websites. Americans increasingly get their news from polarized sources, and that is leading to a large divide in information. This issue is also exacerbated by political idealogy. Furthermore, I explore how the traditional business model of advertising-based revenue is leading to more polarized news coverage. To combat this, I offer interventions for news organizations, including the importance of journalistic ethics and the possibility of more news organizations transferring to nonprofit status, which has gained traction in recent years. Access to accurate news and information is essential in a functioning democracy, and if polarization and issues in news continue, it will be harmful to America as a whole.