Voters, Stakeholders, Citizens
Ben Herzog
Dual Citizenship and the Revocation of Citizenship
In this paper I will compare revocation of citizenship laws is three democratic counties – Canada, Israel and the US. In the first glance it appears that in on each of the countries there is one factor that explains expatriation - wars. This explanation corresponds to the existing literature on citizenship. I show that there is a greater principle that all countries share that play a role in the perception of citizenship and its revocation. I argue that the extent to which a country desires immigration (and fears emigration) that explain revocation of citizenship laws. That is, forced expatriation as a policy grew with the institutionalization of the national world order which does not tolerate multiple national allegiances. However, states start to allow dual citizenship, in opposition to the national world order, when they fear that it will undermine desired immigration to the country.
Elizabeth Roberto
Affording Opportunity: A Comparative Analysis of Household Expenses inthe United States
In metropolitan areas across the United States, housing and jobs are increasingly decentralized and workers are commuting longer and farther than ever before. The costs associated with housing and transportation are burdensome for many households, particularly the working poor. Affording these costs is critical given that the ability to access employment throughout a region enhances employment opportunities and increases earnings. This presentation will describe the cost burdens of commuting and housing experienced by the working poor and other households, and compare these findings across major metropolitan areas in the U.S.
Inge Schmidt
When Good Ballots Go Bad: Ritual Failure in the 2000 Presidential Election
There is an enormous breadth to the literature on voting and elections. From voter participation to electoral systems to civic culture and beyond, the field covers a vast territory of sociological and intellectual inquiry. Yet one aspect of voting and elections remains consistently absent: the ballot. Though often ignored, the premise of this paper is that the significance of the ballot far surpasses the role of technological medium designed for pragmatic need. To make such an argument, however, requires a theory of voting that goes beyond instrumental, rational action. In this paper, I will develop a culturally-sensitive theory of voting as political ritual. In doing so, I will argue that the ballot is a sacred object, the representative of democracy which the voting ritual protects and celebrates. And finally, I will present a brief case study of the 2000 Presidential Election. In it, I will illustrate that the crisis of the 2000 Election was not technological failure, but instead, the symbolic failure of the ballot.
Commentator: Prof. Phil Gorski
