Student Research and ScholarshipPolitical Science

Gustavus students complete research projects in many classes that can be shared with a wider audience through conference presentations and publications. Here are a few places our students have presented their research in recent years.

Grace Worwa ('22), "Championing the Child: Concepts of Childhood in Latin America's Anti-Abortion Rhetoric," presented at the Pi Sigma Alpha Research Conference, March 2022

Renate Willer ('13), "Perversion of Justice: A Social Relations Approach to Sex Offender Laws," Winner of the Best Paper Award at the Midwest Political Science Undergraduate Research conference, April 2013, Winner of the Best Paper Award in the Department of Political Science (2013).

Casey Hagadorn ('13), "No Student Left Behind: Achieving the Least Restrictive Environment," presented at the Midwest Political Science Undergraduate Research conference, April 2013.

Karin Lund ('12), “Marriage as Expressive Conduct: A Free Speech Argument for Expansive Civil Marriage Rights,” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 2012.

Rebekkah Steinwand ('12), "Separate and Equal: How Public Single-Sex Education is a Viable Educational Option for United States Public Schools," Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2012

Nick Prince ('12), “Homosexuality in Recent United States Politics,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2012

Kyle Vick ('12), “1940: Breaking the Precedents of the Presidency, Roosevelt vs. Willkie,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2012

Jackie Schwerm ('11), “A New Wave: Conservative Feminism and Women’s Interest Groups in the 21st Century,” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, March 2011.

Courtney West ('11), The Conflict Within: The Multiple Identities of Catholics for Equality,” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, March 2011.

Jackie Schwerm ('11) and Dr. Kate Knutson, “Minnesota's Joint Religious Legislative Coalition: An Experiment in Interfaith Advocacy,” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, March 2011.

Eric Cox ('11), “Modeling Interest Group Interaction: Environmental Groups vs. Auto Companies,” Published in The Pi Sigma Alpha Undergraduate Journal of Politics, Fall 2011

Mikka McCracken ('09) and Dr. Kate Knutson, “Sharing the Faith: How Religious Interest Groups Build Media Strategies,” The Journal of Communication and Religion, Vol 34, No 2 (November 2011): 157-180.

Erica Koos ('09), “NAFTA and Its Effects on the Mexican Illegal Immigrant Population in the United States,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2009

Amanda Capelle ('09), “Advocacy: Policy Tactics in Response to Social Construction,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2009

Kristin Knudson ('09), “U.S. Army School of the Americas, U.S. Foreign Policy and Human Rights,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2009

Amy Erickson ('09), “Ensuring Survival: The Role of Feminist Interest Groups in Senator Clinton’s Presidential Campaign,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2009

Ryan Lee ('10), “Negative Campaigning in 1988: Influence on a Presidential Election” Ryan Lee, Gustavus Adolphus College, Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, March 2010.

Lynn Hillen ('10), “Interactive Marketing in the 2008 Election: Setting the Bar,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, March, 2010.

Nick Harper ('10), “The Modern Crisis of Political Myth,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, March 2010.

Mikka McCracken ('09) and Dr. Kate Knutson, “Sharing the Faith: How Religious Interest Groups Build Media Strategies,” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 2008.

Michelle (Price) Chitambar ('08), “The Politics of Pharmaceutical Crops,” Published in The Pi Sigma Alpha Undergraduate Journal of Politics, Fall 2008

Sid Selvaraj ('08), “The Rhetoric of Security: How the Bush Campaign Effectively Capitalized on 9/11 in the 2004 Elections,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2008

Luke Anton ('08), “When Success Leads to Failure: Foreign Policy During the Bush Administration and its Influence in the 1992 Presidential Election,” Presented at the Midwest Undergraduate Political Science Research Conference, 2008

Kathryn L. Johnson ('07) and Dr. Kate Knutson, “One God, Many Arguments? Examining Argument Frame Diversity in Religious Group Rhetoric,” Presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 2007.

Nathan R. Sellers ('06), “A First Amendment Analysis of Hate Crime Laws: Revisiting Wisconsin v. Mitchell and Recommending Change,” Published in The Pi Sigma Alpha Undergraduate Journal of Politics, Spring 2006.