In the 1972 the death penalty was briefly abolished by the Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia, before swiftly being reintroduced by the Supreme Court in the case Gregg v. Georgia. This thesis...Show moreIn the 1972 the death penalty was briefly abolished by the Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia, before swiftly being reintroduced by the Supreme Court in the case Gregg v. Georgia. This thesis argues that in both cases the Supreme Court wanted to protect the states’ autonomy to decide over their criminal justice repertoire, including the death penalty. As a result, the 1972 abolition was easily overruled by the Gregg case that caused the reintroduction. For these cases, states’ rights was a central issue, and both cases could be seen as an early adoption of the 1980s legal philosophy of New Federalism, in which more power was granted to the states that had initially been the responsibility of the federal government. These cases provide a clear look into the issue of states’ rights and their link to Supreme Court challenges during 1970s America.Show less
This study carried out a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of 120 articles from American and international news outlets to uncover the framing of legitimacy of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests...Show moreThis study carried out a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of 120 articles from American and international news outlets to uncover the framing of legitimacy of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in 2020. Language mechanisms, such as the framing and sourcing of both BLM activists and law enforcement were considered, tallied and analysed from differing news outlets such as CNN, Fox News, New York Times, China Daily, NOS and BBC. It concludes that overall, all outlets are found to frame the BLM protests as illegitimate - as they are unacceptable according to the law. However, the degree to which they engage in this discourse differs substantially between each network and so with it, the manner in which these protests were framed as justifiable. The results from international media also provides interesting insight into how BLM is perceived from third parties and each network was found with their own biases and inclinations. This study preposes that to a large degree, news coverage regarding BLM both in the US and beyond proves significantly biased in relation to outlets’ own political stances and origins.Show less
This thesis argues that practice of presenting gifts to the UN by member states constitutes a vital part of the diplomatic discourse at the UN, as the gifts contribute – positively or negatively –...Show moreThis thesis argues that practice of presenting gifts to the UN by member states constitutes a vital part of the diplomatic discourse at the UN, as the gifts contribute – positively or negatively – to social solidarity by reflecting on the identity of the UN and the gift-giving motives related to instrumentality and power. This argument is substantiated by drawing on Komter’s (2009) theoretical framework, by drawing on Lister and Wells’ (2004) cultural studies approach to visual culture and by the analysis of an American gift, Canadian gift, and Soviet gift. The main findings of the analysis of the historical context, the context of viewing, the context of production and distribution and the material, cultural and social properties of the gift indicate that the gifts donated to the UN contribute to social solidarity irrespective of the political or cultural dispositions of the donating member-state based on the three aforementioned aspects. Nonetheless, the gifts do emphasize different aspects based on the self-interest of the donor.Show less
An investigation into the viability of populist arguments in academia, by example of journalist William Greider. Are there arguments for including emotional arguments and opinions in political...Show moreAn investigation into the viability of populist arguments in academia, by example of journalist William Greider. Are there arguments for including emotional arguments and opinions in political debate, and if so, which? How do they hold?Show less
This thesis assesses what the influence was of European opinions on the debate in the United States between the executive and the legislative on wether or not to withdraw American troops stationed...Show moreThis thesis assesses what the influence was of European opinions on the debate in the United States between the executive and the legislative on wether or not to withdraw American troops stationed in Europe during the Presidency of Nixon.Show less
