Political Science, Department of
First Advisor
Elizabeth Theiss-Morse
Date of this Version
12-2016
Citation
Trueblood, M. L. (2016). Place matters? Place and legislative behavior in Nebraska. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Abstract
The dissertation is a three-part analysis of the impact of place and place attachment on legislative behavior in the 2011-2012 session of the Nebraska Unicameral. The first analysis explores whether place or type of legislative district has an effect on roll-call voting. In the second analysis, the dissertation analyzes the relationship between place attachment (defined as the emotional bond between a person and a place) and roll-call voting. Finally, in the third analysis, the dissertation investigates through content analysis how often senators refer to their place attachment, and then, it examines the link between geographic scale of place attachment and political ambition. Overall, the dissertation found modest results for the impact of place and place attachment on legislative behavior. Place and place attachment are modest but important predictors of voting and floor behavior. This research serves as a novel attempt to synthesize these concepts and provides a foundation for future study.
Advisor: Elizabeth Theiss-Morse
Comments
A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Major: Political Science Under the Supervision of Professor Elizabeth Theiss-Morse Lincoln, Nebraska December, 2016
Copyright 2016 Melissa Lee Trueblood