2007/2008 Fellows
Hongying Wang and Honggang Tan (Collaborative)
Maxwell, Political Science
Wang and Tan will examine how the Chinese media is shaping the Chinese judicial system even as both the media and the courts are in the process of being transformed. The project aims not only to shed light on the development of the Chinese judiciary, but also to compare the Chinese system with that of the United States, assessing the effects of legal reporting both countries.
LaVonda Reed-Huff (Individual, Faculty)
Law
Reed-Huff will analyze the legality of negative political advertising by examining whether broadcasters may refuse to air negative political ads with a sexual component; whether negative ads can be found indecent or obscene; and whether broadcasters may channel the ads to the safe harbor viewing period of 10:00p.m. to 6:00a.m.
Sarah Pralle (Individual, Faculty)
Maxwell, Political Science
In a first-of-its-kind comprehensive study, Pralle will examine how state attorneys general have attempted to shape national environmental policy through the courts. Pralle will provide a detailed picture of litigation patterns, seek to understand what is driving the trends, and analyze the political and policy consequences of such lawsuits.
Matthew Cleary (Individual, Faculty)
Maxwell, Political Science
As a result of recent legal reforms, sections of southern Mexico are now governed by “usos y costumbres” or “customary rule.” Have these reforms improved the protection and governance of indigenous peoples or have they served as a cover for local strongmen trying to shield themselves from vagaries of political competition? Cleary will explore this question by focusing on the judicial systems in the reformed regions.
Angela Narasimhan (Individual, Graduate Student)
Maxwell, Political Science
Narasimhan will examine the rise of new international legal norms and foreign policy commitments since the end of the Cold War and assess the extent to which they have had an effect on the decisions and operation of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Reecia Orzeck (Individual, Graduate Student)
Maxwell, Geography
Orzeck will critically appraise the theatrics of international criminal trials and tribunals, with the aim of understanding how the media representation of such theatrics is meant to influence the American public.
Danny Hayes (Individual, Faculty)
Maxwell, Political Science
Hayes will assess the influence of specific conceptual “frames” in the mainstream news coverage of American debates over immigration. In particular, he will consider the extent to which law-relate frames have made their way into the media and shaped the way in which the news about immigrants has been reported.
Michelle Orihel (Individual, Graduate Student)
Maxwell, History
Orihel will explore the connections between politics, newspapers, and the law in the context of the early American Republic. Specifically, she will examine the Democratic-Republican societies that emerged in opposition to the Washington administration during the mid-1790’s, focusing on how the rapidly growing ranks of newspapers provided an influential medium in which debates over the legal status of the Societies unfolded.
For a copy of Orihel’s paper, “‘The Infamy of Self Creation’: The Democratic-Republican Societies and Media Politics in 1790’s America,” please contact IJPM.
Jason Plume (Individual, Graduate Student)
Maxwell, Political Science
Plume will undertake a comprehensive survey of the media attention dedicated to medical marijuana advocacy organizations and initiatives. He will identify and assess how the arguments advanced by those for and against legalizing medical marijuana are treated within governing media narratives, and he will consider whether media portrayals of the medical marijuana debate change in relation to the timing of elections.