Proceedings of the Georgia Political Science Association 
Annual Meeting

2007 Edition

Table of Contents

Proceedings Abstracts & Access to Papers

The Feasibility of Legalized Casino Gambling in Georgia 

Ross C. Alexander

North Georgia College & State University

 This study addresses whether or not Georgia should consider the adoption of legalized casino gambling for two purposes primarily—first, to guarantee the solvency of the HOPE Scholarship program which primarily provides tuition assistance to eligible college students and, second, to aid in the development and redevelopment of select cities throughout the state. Politicians, citizens, and interested stakeholders must consider several factors before gambling can even be investigated as a revenue generation vehicle, including social factors, economic factors, and the political environment of the state, which, like many other southern states, was initially resistant to legalized gambling in any form, including the lottery. However, since its institution in the early 1990s, the Georgia lottery has been considered one of the more successful and best-administered lotteries in the nation. Therefore, the state may be ready to consider the adoption of additional gambling ventures. If so, Georgia would be best served by modeling its casino gambling development on the Midwestern riverboat gambling model, like the one utilized by the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri primarily.

Reflections on Legitimate Authority and Commercial Power:

Implications of the New Surveillance Industrial Complex

 Daniel Baracskay

Valdosta State University

 This article examines how surveillance technology has advanced during the past two decades to become a powerful tool in the exercise of political and commercial power. The evolution of modern technology has expanded access of various modes of surveillance and computer science applications to societal organizations at all levels in every sphere, making the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate authority often unintelligible in many instances. This open access has had significant implications on personal freedoms. In previous eras, the public sector was largely regarded as the principal source of authority. This was particularly true in historical periods of intense growth in the American state with the construction of new political institutions. This contrasts postmodern society where technology has encouraged an expansion of surveillance technology beyond the traditional boundaries of the public sector. Methods once predominantly associated with the public sector are now utilized in the private sector, taking the form of commercial power rather than legitimate exercises of authority that are grounded in constitutional and legal traditions. The distinctive lines of authority that once existed where government represents the pinnacle of power and authority are now blurred as joint relationships between the private and public sectors have reformulated public administration and governmental bureaucracy, as well as citizens’ expectations and distinctions of legitimacy. This article will explore the contemporary surveillance complex in relation to legitimate authority and commercial power, and how technological advancements like biometrics systems and data mining present new possibilities, but also challenges to personal liberty.  

The Price Africans Pay for Leadership Longevity

Napoleon Bamfo

Valdosta State University

Staying in power when their time is past due is a questionable legacy African leaders have bequeathed to world politics. This study analyzes the negative political, economic, and social effects caused by African leaders who decide to stay past their official term in office. Too many African nations have had to deal with the prospect of their leaders refusing to leave office due in part to their ability to muster parliamentary majorities to approve the move or successfully stifling opponents. The legacy of leaders staying beyond their official term dates from the early 1960s when many constitutions did not place legal limits of how long a leader could serve. Even those that had term limits were either amended or ignored. Serving indefinite terms was believed at the time to be a reward for men who had dedicated their lives to freeing their people from colonialism. However, the practice set a cascading and dangerous precedent as many leaders were drawn to it, and the military also used leaders’ disinclination to leave office as one of the excuses for intervening. African politics experienced a freefall. Leaders tried to perpetuate their rule; the military tried to dislodge them; and as military leaders also tried to entrench their rule, they became prime targets for countercoups. As leadership succession experienced disarray, economies faltered and human rights worsened. Sadly for Africa, the shameful legacy of leaders not wanting to leave office continues even in an era of multiparty governance when open and fair contestation for office are presumed to hold sway.

Revisiting 1976:

Jimmy Carter and the Role of Public Opinion in Presidential Elections

Gregory Domin

Mercer University

This study analyzes the successful interpretation of public opinion of the 1976 presidential campaign.  As a one-term governor from the Deep South, Jimmy Carter rose from virtual obscurity to win one the closest presidential elections of the past sixty years.  In so doing, Jimmy Carter unwittingly provided an intriguing case study for the student of public opinion in American politics.

After the Crash:

Assessing the Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Disaster on a Small Town

 Kelly Edwards, Kristie Johnson Gregory,

Greg Mason, Darryl Nettles,

Lucas Rakovsky, Saundra Reinke,

Eric Schweser, Jeane Silva,

Katarzyna Steinka-Fry, Shatareia Stokes,

Jody Wilson

Augusta State University 

On January 6, 2005, a northbound Norfolk Southern train derailed after slamming into a parked train in the small town of Graniteville, South Carolina.  The collision derailed 14 cars, including two carrying chlorine.  One of those cars was breached.  As a result, nine people died and over 5,400 people were evacuated from the area. In the ensuing two years, lawsuits have been filed, damages awarded, politicians have squabbled, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has filed its report.  But what impact did this accident have on the community itself?  This research used personal interviews with residents, community and political leaders, and local experts, along with secondary data, to assess the immediate and continuing impact of the accident on Graniteville.

Diverging Theoretical Influences between the United States and the European Union: Comparing Current Grand Strategic Statements

 Craig B. Greathouse

North Georgia College and State University

The current security environment has seen a separation of American and European approaches to global threats. Alternative grand strategies represented by the European Security Strategy and the American National Security Strategy illustrate a disconnect between the “post-modern” approach of Europe and the classical power-driven approach of the United States. This study argues that Europe is incorporating elements of social thinking into its defense policy, drawing on constructivist theory, while America continues to rely on a realist interpretation of the international system. It examines the theoretical basis of each of the grand strategies and how the implementation of those grand strategies represents the differing theoretical assumptions. Finally the study examines potential points of disagreement which will affect future cooperative action.

 

Are You One Of Us, Or Are You One Of Them?

Five Decades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers

 Mark Kiyak

Valdosta State University

It has long been possible to make the most grandiose political statements within the context of science fiction, and in 1954 Jack Finney wrote a serialized three-part science fiction/horror story in Collier’s magazine called “Body Snatchers” which, aside from being published one year later as a novel, has also spawned four movie versions.  The premise of fear and paranoia has always been a staple of the horror/science fiction genre, and the related theme of loss of identity through alien invasion has also been quite popular as well.  In its various permutations and titles, “Body Snatchers” has proven to be quite durable in its ability to exploit that fear within the context of science fiction, and the fantastical aspects of the filmic versions of Finney’s story have sometimes obscured the most common anti-communist/anti-conformist political themes since tied to it.  These themes are indeed important, but perhaps it is more fascinating to take the frightening idea of the invasion of an individual body and turn it around to where the individual is a nation.  The uniqueness of this storyline’s staying power is not only that can be studied on many different levels, but that it can be so easily updated for every generation of audience for which it has been produced.

An Introduction to the Atlanta Beltline Project from a Neo-Pluralist Policy-Making Perspective

 Gerald M. Neumark

Central Michigan University-Atlanta Center

The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it is to continue the process of developing a coherent neo-pluralistic model. It is also to introduce the reader to the Atlanta BeltLine Redevelopment Project as it begins its 25-year implementation period. The Atlanta BeltLine is a 22-mile transit, green space, trail, and economic development loop around downtown Atlanta. It is the largest non-emergency redevelopment effort currently underway in the United States. The study focuses on the neo-pluralist model with particular emphasis on how this model differs from the more traditional pluralist model. A working hypothesis is presented. The remainder of this study presents a discussion of the policy issues as well as early conflicts presented by the BeltLine, and ends with a suggestion towards future research.

Closing Gaps in Internal Governmental Responsiveness:

The Service Expectation Survey

Brenda A. Sullivan

Fulton County Human Services Department

Office of Planning and Community Partnerships

The current drive for measuring performance within public agencies is rooted in government’s accountability to its citizen-customers in the delivery of quality services. There have been numerous discussions on the importance of taxpayer feedback; but there is a dearth of literature that explores government’s response to its internal customer base; that consists of other governmental agencies, contractors, and in the case of human service entities, partner non-profit organizations. Roch and Poister (2006) challenge researchers to investigate the factors that underlie the formation of citizen’s or customer’s (emphasis mine) expectations for public services. Using an internal instrument, the Service Expectation Survey (SES), the Fulton County Human Services Department surveyed human service grantees to determine what aspects of quality services were most important to them as partners with the county’s Human Services Department. Moreover, this study is a report on how a local government seeks to meet the expectations of its internal customers.