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OPINIONS ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON SOCIAL SECURITY: A YEAR AND COHORT ANALYSIS
Title
OPINIONS ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON SOCIAL SECURITY: A YEAR AND COHORT ANALYSIS.
Creator
Castora, Melissa, Dietz, Tracy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This paper is an analysis of American's opinions on government spending on Social Security. The main objectives were to analyze the effect of year and cohort membership on the likelihood for American's to say that they think the government is spending too little on Social Security. The data was obtained from the General Social Survey. Results of the analysis conclude that year is statistically significant in predicting the likelihood of those who say the government is spending too little on...
Show moreThis paper is an analysis of American's opinions on government spending on Social Security. The main objectives were to analyze the effect of year and cohort membership on the likelihood for American's to say that they think the government is spending too little on Social Security. The data was obtained from the General Social Survey. Results of the analysis conclude that year is statistically significant in predicting the likelihood of those who say the government is spending too little on Social Security. When comparing every year to 1994, 1996 is the only year that year that respondents were less likely to respond that the government was spending too little on Social Security. Every other test year, up to and including 2004, there is a growing likelihood of respondents indicating that the government is spending too little on Social Security. Finally, cohort membership was included in the analysis. Results conclude that the Swing cohort and the Babyboom cohort are statistically significant in predicting opinions on government spending on Social Security when being compared to the youngest cohort, the Babyboomlet-bust cohort. However, the results of the analysis show opposite direction in opinions between these two cohorts. Interestingly, the only cohort not statistically significant is the Silent generation.
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Date Issued
2006
Identifier
CFE0001016, ucf:46791
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001016
Wealth Over Health? An Analysis of Macro-Level Factors That Influence Public Opinion on Health Care Policy
Title
Wealth Over Health? An Analysis of Macro-Level Factors That Influence Public Opinion on Health Care Policy.
Creator
Reiss, Jacquelyn, Hinojosa, Ramon, Hinojosa, Melanie, Huff-Corzine, Lin, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Currently, the U.S. reports some of the worst health outcomes while spending the most money on health care when compared to other developed countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2018, Americans took out $88 billion in debt to cover the cost of medical care and approximately 28.5 million individuals remained uninsured. Despite poor health outcomes across the country, health care reform is a highly controversial issue and has been for the last...
Show moreCurrently, the U.S. reports some of the worst health outcomes while spending the most money on health care when compared to other developed countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2018, Americans took out $88 billion in debt to cover the cost of medical care and approximately 28.5 million individuals remained uninsured. Despite poor health outcomes across the country, health care reform is a highly controversial issue and has been for the last century. Historically, elites in the Republican party have aligned themselves with New Right political philosophies, which stand for a privatized health care system with minimal government involvement. Elites in the Democratic party have aligned with Pluralist political philosophies, which is an orientation that encourages government oversight to protect the health of its citizens. Recently there has been a rise in political polarization that has stemmed from the asymmetric movement of the Republican Party further to the right escalating the controversy around health care reform. In addition to growing polarization, recent studies have found that politicians are more responsive to the affluent classes while concurrently accumulating an influx of wealth. When neglecting to vote with the majority of their constituents, politicians have tried to change public opinion rather than address it. These short-term manipulation strategies have been found to confuse constituents more than mobilize them, contributing to the controversy around health care reform today. This project aims to understand how macro level structures affect public opinion on government funding of health care utilizing the thermostatic model and the works of Nicos Poulantzas and Michel Foucault as theoretical frameworks to understand how political structures influence public opinion and how political structures are shaped within Capitalistic societies. Specifically, the current study examines how the political leaning of Congress and the Presidency, total lobbying dollars contributed by the top five medical industries, and the number of health care bills passed per year affects public opinion on government funding of health care between 1986 and 2018. The data were accumulated from multiple sources including the General Social Survey, OpenSecrets.org, GovTrack.us, and the Senate, House, and White House websites. After completing bi-variate and multi-variate autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models the only variable that was found to impact public opinion was the political party of the Presidency.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007713, ucf:52453
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007713
AT THE FRONTLINES OF THE KULTURKAMPF: SOCIAL POLICY POSITIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT A LARGE UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
Title
AT THE FRONTLINES OF THE KULTURKAMPF: SOCIAL POLICY POSITIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT A LARGE UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.
Creator
Montanez, Julio, Fine, Terri, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Social policy concerns groups. Specifically, social policies have been implemented as a means to affect the well-being of sexual and gender minorities, including areas such as health, employment, violence, and many others. Undergraduate student opinions on such policies are an understudied area of survey research. Possible correlates of support for such policy areas include, but are not limited to, sexual prejudice, attributions, increased contact with the minority group, gender, Para-social...
Show moreSocial policy concerns groups. Specifically, social policies have been implemented as a means to affect the well-being of sexual and gender minorities, including areas such as health, employment, violence, and many others. Undergraduate student opinions on such policies are an understudied area of survey research. Possible correlates of support for such policy areas include, but are not limited to, sexual prejudice, attributions, increased contact with the minority group, gender, Para-social contact, and many others. This research administered a 55-item survey to undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida. With a sample of 210 individuals, this study aimed to answer the following research question. Which explanatory variables are most correlated with support for social policies and rights regarding sexual and gender minorities? Dimension reduction techniques were utilized to create three sub-scales that measure the dependent variable: Alternative Relationship Recognitions, Socio-Political and Economic Goals, and Basic Freedoms. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were reported, confirming the internal consistencies of the dimensions. Bivariate correlation analyses revealed a number of variables with consistent relationships to the dependent variable: sexual prejudice, attributions that view homosexuality as something with which an individual is born, support for abortion rights, partisan identification, ideology, religious affiliation, and religious attendance. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models further assessed the nature of the relationships; sexual prejudice was the most correlated with support for social policies and rights pertaining to sexual and gender minorities. Discussions of findings, limitations of this research, directions for future research, and empirical implications are provided accordingly.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFH0004533, ucf:45201
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004533
DEATH PENALTY KNOWLEDGE, OPINION, AND REVENGE: A TEST OF THE MARSHALL HYPOTHESES IN A TIME OF FLUX
Title
DEATH PENALTY KNOWLEDGE, OPINION, AND REVENGE: A TEST OF THE MARSHALL HYPOTHESES IN A TIME OF FLUX.
Creator
Lee, Gavin, Bohm, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This thesis tests the three hypotheses derived from the written opinion of Justice Thurgood Marshall in Furman v Georgia in 1972. Subjects completed questionnaires at the beginning and the end of the fall 2006 semester. Experimental group subjects were enrolled in a death penalty class, while control group subjects were enrolled in another criminal justice class. The death penalty class was the experimental stimulus. Findings provided strong support for the first and third hypotheses, i.e.,...
Show moreThis thesis tests the three hypotheses derived from the written opinion of Justice Thurgood Marshall in Furman v Georgia in 1972. Subjects completed questionnaires at the beginning and the end of the fall 2006 semester. Experimental group subjects were enrolled in a death penalty class, while control group subjects were enrolled in another criminal justice class. The death penalty class was the experimental stimulus. Findings provided strong support for the first and third hypotheses, i.e., subjects were generally lacking in death penalty knowledge before the experimental stimulus, and death penalty proponents who scored "high" on a retribution index did not change their death penalty opinions despite exposure to death penalty knowledge. Marshall's second hypothesis--that death penalty knowledge and death penalty support were inversely related--was not supported by the data. Two serendipitous findings were that death penalty proponents who scored "low" on a retribution index also did not change their death penalty opinions after becoming more informed about the subject, and that death penalty knowledge did not alter subjects' initial retributive positions. Suggestions for future research are provided.
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Date Issued
2007
Identifier
CFE0001754, ucf:47259
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001754
Estimating the Effects of Condemned Inmates' Last Statements on Public Opinion About the Death Penalty: A Factorial Survey Approach
Title
Estimating the Effects of Condemned Inmates' Last Statements on Public Opinion About the Death Penalty: A Factorial Survey Approach.
Creator
Colyer, Timothy, Wright, James, Corzine, Harold, Jasinski, Jana, Pals, Heili, Bohm, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
There has been an increase in writings that address the last statements of condemned offenders. Many of these writings suggest that exposure to the humanity sometimes exhibited in these last statements may steer public opinion against the death penalty. This dissertation tests this suggestion by exposing 400 participants to randomly generated vignettes containing various capital crimes, demographic characteristics, and last statements. The survey data are analyzed utilizing multilevel...
Show moreThere has been an increase in writings that address the last statements of condemned offenders. Many of these writings suggest that exposure to the humanity sometimes exhibited in these last statements may steer public opinion against the death penalty. This dissertation tests this suggestion by exposing 400 participants to randomly generated vignettes containing various capital crimes, demographic characteristics, and last statements. The survey data are analyzed utilizing multilevel modeling. Study results include the effects of varying levels of demonstrated humanity in the last statements of condemned offenders on public opinion, and whether specific demographic characteristics appear to influence study participant responses. Findings showed no statistically significant results that indicate any effect on death penalty opinion as a result of reading last statements demonstrating humanity. Condemned inmates who did not provide a statement, or stated they had nothing to say, elicited higher levels of confidence that executing them was the right thing to do. Condemned inmates who claimed innocence in their last statements were associated with the lowest level of respondent confidence that execution was the right thing to do, and a higher level of support for life without parole as an alternative punishment. Recommendations for further research are discussed.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004338, ucf:49437
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004338
MARRIAGE FOR SOME: EXPLAINING THE VARIATION IN GAY RIGHTS AND MARRIAGE POLICY AND OPINION AMONG STATES AND INDIVIDUALS
Title
MARRIAGE FOR SOME: EXPLAINING THE VARIATION IN GAY RIGHTS AND MARRIAGE POLICY AND OPINION AMONG STATES AND INDIVIDUALS.
Creator
Billman, Jeffrey, Pollock, Philip, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This research aims to answer a simple question: Why are some individuals, and some states, more willing to extend protections to same-sex couples than are others? Drawing from the literature, I perform a battery of quantitative tests on variables most commonly associated with gay rights and gay marriage policy development: liberalism, education, age, religiosity, authoritarianism, tolerance, urbanization, and moral traditionalism. While I find that all of these variables have a relationship...
Show moreThis research aims to answer a simple question: Why are some individuals, and some states, more willing to extend protections to same-sex couples than are others? Drawing from the literature, I perform a battery of quantitative tests on variables most commonly associated with gay rights and gay marriage policy development: liberalism, education, age, religiosity, authoritarianism, tolerance, urbanization, and moral traditionalism. While I find that all of these variables have a relationship with gay rights and gay marriage opinion, I argue that those associated with religiosity have the strongest pull. However, religiosity does not act alone; moral traditionalism, age, and ideology play particularly robust roles as well. In conclusion, I contend that the data show a strong likelihood for the continued liberalization of gay rights and gay marriage policy into the foreseeable future.
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Date Issued
2010
Identifier
CFE0003020, ucf:48352
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003020
THE NEWS MEDIA AND PUBLIC OPINION: THE PRESS COVERAGE OF U.S. INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS AND ITS EFFECT ON PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL
Title
THE NEWS MEDIA AND PUBLIC OPINION: THE PRESS COVERAGE OF U.S. INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS AND ITS EFFECT ON PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL.
Creator
McCullough, Kristen, Fine, Terri, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
A standing phenomenon exists in the fields of both political science and communication studies regarding the impact that the news media have on public opinion. This study recognizes the average American citizens' reliance on the press to gain information about international conflicts. Hence, it is theorized that news reports on a political occurrence could very well influence the mass-level opinion of an event such that positive news stories generate positive public opinion, and vice...
Show moreA standing phenomenon exists in the fields of both political science and communication studies regarding the impact that the news media have on public opinion. This study recognizes the average American citizens' reliance on the press to gain information about international conflicts. Hence, it is theorized that news reports on a political occurrence could very well influence the mass-level opinion of an event such that positive news stories generate positive public opinion, and vice versa. Since foreign crises define a presidency in the public's minds, presidential approval ratings determine the degree to which the news media manipulate public opinion. Specifically, news media coverage of two international conflicts, the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, are analyzed in light of their effect on American citizens' public opinion of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and George H. W. Bush, respectively.
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Date Issued
2009
Identifier
CFE0002701, ucf:48167
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002701
WHITE OPINIONS OF UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION: TESTING RIVAL HYPOTHESES, 2004
Title
WHITE OPINIONS OF UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION: TESTING RIVAL HYPOTHESES, 2004.
Creator
Bulkley, Celeste, Knuckey, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Few issues in the contemporary American political and social environments are as salient and emotionally charged as the debate over immigration. The thesis tests several competing hypotheses concerning the determinants of public opinion – among white respondents – on immigration issues. These include: the contextual considerations of southern residence and proximity to large numbers of Hispanic immigrants, as well as the individual-level factors of economic insecurity, political...
Show moreFew issues in the contemporary American political and social environments are as salient and emotionally charged as the debate over immigration. The thesis tests several competing hypotheses concerning the determinants of public opinion – among white respondents – on immigration issues. These include: the contextual considerations of southern residence and proximity to large numbers of Hispanic immigrants, as well as the individual-level factors of economic insecurity, political knowledge, national identity, group pride, and racism. Using data from the 2004 American National Election Study, the thesis provides a critical test of the competing hypotheses using multivariate analysis. Furthermore, conditional relationships are posited, facilitating a more refined analysis of the structure of attitudes on immigration issues. The results indicate that racism, group pride, symbolic patriotism, ideology, and isolationism are the most consistent and significant predictors of immigration policy preferences. The use of four distinct dependent variable questions also highlights the inconsistency in public opinion regarding immigration and the division between public perception of documented and undocumented entries. Future research should focus on the interrelationship between variables that are used by the individual to define group associations, as well as the change in national and personal identity brought about by the events of September 11th, 2001.
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Date Issued
2006
Identifier
CFE0001407, ucf:47075
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001407
Supranational Organizations and Legitimacy: How the 2008 Global Economic Crisis has affected Public Opinion on Membership in the EU
Title
Supranational Organizations and Legitimacy: How the 2008 Global Economic Crisis has affected Public Opinion on Membership in the EU.
Creator
Vargas-Gonzalez, Briana, Kim, Myunghee, Kinsey, Barbara, Knuckey, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This thesis examines public opinion towards membership in the EU, before and after the 2008 global economic crisis, in the newest member states to join the institution in 2004 (the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania). Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1989, socialist economies and communism maintained a citizenry that never experienced unemployment and that did not have a political...
Show moreThis thesis examines public opinion towards membership in the EU, before and after the 2008 global economic crisis, in the newest member states to join the institution in 2004 (the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania). Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1989, socialist economies and communism maintained a citizenry that never experienced unemployment and that did not have a political voice. Because free-market economic policies and democratic values are new to these countries, public opinion regarding membership in a supranational organization that promotes and fosters these ideals is important to study. Data from the Eurobarometer Public Opinion Survey spring waves 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the World Bank, and Eurostat are used to measure multiple indicators of support for membership in the EU. Ordered logistic regression and means comparison analyses are employed to measure the effect of national-level economic prospects, economic winner/loser status, political party power, age, national identity, gender, and individual-level political ideology on public opinion toward membership. The results demonstrate that multiple indicators affect attitudes toward membership and that a negative shift in public opinion is apparent following the 2008 global economic crisis. At the individual-level of analysis, economic winner/loser status and national identity are significant in the predicted direction in all five models. Age is a significant indicator of support only in 2008, 2009, and 2010. At the aggregate-level, means comparison analyses and t-test statistics indicate that GDP annual growth rates have a positive effect on attitudes toward membership in the EU. As GDP annual growth increases, approval of membership in the EU increases. Eurozone membership and unemployment rates indicate varied support for membership in the EU, and the results of means comparison analyses of political party power at the national-level are inconclusive and exploratory in nature. With all findings considered, future studies can further examine the implications and long-term effects of global financial crises on public opinion towards membership in various international economic organizations.
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Date Issued
2014
Identifier
CFE0005435, ucf:50414
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005435
THE FORGOTTEN THIRD BRANCH: THE SUPREME COURT, PUBLIC OPINION, AND THE MEDIA
Title
THE FORGOTTEN THIRD BRANCH: THE SUPREME COURT, PUBLIC OPINION, AND THE MEDIA.
Creator
Pitchman, Adrien, Schmidt, Cynthia, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The three branches of government rely on public engagement for the prosperity of the nation. Moreover, informed public opinion is a fundamental tenant of democracy. With that in mind, this paper aims to explore the relationship between the Judicial Branch and the public. Specifically, this paper examines and questions the Supreme Court's efficacy communicating with the public. American constituents are inundated on a daily basis by the clamor of D.C. politics. The twenty four hour news cycle...
Show moreThe three branches of government rely on public engagement for the prosperity of the nation. Moreover, informed public opinion is a fundamental tenant of democracy. With that in mind, this paper aims to explore the relationship between the Judicial Branch and the public. Specifically, this paper examines and questions the Supreme Court's efficacy communicating with the public. American constituents are inundated on a daily basis by the clamor of D.C. politics. The twenty four hour news cycle has given way to politicized headlines and exaggerated pundit commentary on contentious national issues. In a technological age where information is instant and the public has become accustomed to soundbites for education, the Supreme Court is left out of place. Both the Executive Branch and Legislative Branch converse directly with the public when necessary. Politicians frequently address their constituents or discuss complicated issues with voters first hand. However, the Supreme Court has rejected this strategy and instead relies almost exclusively on the press to relay their decisions. The judicial branch is the only third of our government without constant communication to the American people. As a result, the judiciary is relatively ignored by its citizens. By discussing a number of landmark cases since the turn of the century, this paper aims to analyze how those decisions were both announced to the public by the media and how the public received them. The Court has certainly adopted the press as an agent of communication. But is the media truly the proper outlet for the Court's rulings?
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFH0004771, ucf:45392
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004771
DIVIDED GOVERNMENT AND CONGRESSIONAL FOREIGN POLICY: A CASE STUDY OF THE POST-WORLD WAR II ERA IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Title
DIVIDED GOVERNMENT AND CONGRESSIONAL FOREIGN POLICY: A CASE STUDY OF THE POST-WORLD WAR II ERA IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.
Creator
Feinman, David, Houghton, David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The purpose of this research is to analyze the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of American federal government, during periods within which these two branches are led by different political parties, to discover whether the legislative branch attempts to independently legislate and enact foreign policy by using "the power of the purse" to either appropriate in support of or refuse to appropriate in opposition to military engagement abroad. The methodology for this...
Show moreThe purpose of this research is to analyze the relationship between the executive and legislative branches of American federal government, during periods within which these two branches are led by different political parties, to discover whether the legislative branch attempts to independently legislate and enact foreign policy by using "the power of the purse" to either appropriate in support of or refuse to appropriate in opposition to military engagement abroad. The methodology for this research includes the analysis and comparison of certain variables, including public opinion, budgetary constraints, and the relative majority of the party that holds power in one or both chambers, and the ways these variables may impact the behavior of the legislative branch in this regard. It also includes the analysis of appropriations requests made by the legislative branch for funding military engagement in rejection of requests from the executive branch for all military engagements that occurred during periods of divided government from 1946 through 2009.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0003657, ucf:48840
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003657