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California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Journal of Political Science Spring 2016 Undergraduate Volume 1, Number 1 Letter from the Editor Dear Political Science majors, It is amazing how a mere idea back in Fall Quarter 2015 could blossom into a full- fledged journal this Spring Quarter. I am very pleased to present the first issue for the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Undergraduate Journal of Po- litical Science! I would like to thank everyone who helped the journal grow to be what it is today. This journal would not have been possible without the students who submitted their best papers, the students who volunteered their precious time to peer review those papers, and the Political Science Department’s unwavering support for the journal especially Professor Guerrero for his tireless efforts in making the journal a success. I would also like to profusely thank Jane Pojowa for her invaluable contribution to the journal. Without her artistic vision and experi- ence with publications, this journal would not look as amazing as it does! This journal is inspired by the National Political Science Honor Society Pi Sigma Alpha’s Undergraduate Journal of Politics which is published biannually during the Fall and Spring. The vision for this journal was to provide Cal Poly Pomona students with the opportunity to build up their resumes and examples of well-written papers by their peers. Unlike the Pi Sigma Alpha Journal, however, this journal is campus-specific and will be published in Spring for each academic year. I hope this journal inspires students to spend more time and effort in writing pa- pers for their Political Science classes so that they can aspire to have their papers published as well. If any students are interested in submitting their paper or be a peer reviewer for the next issue, they can email [email protected] for more information. I would love to have more papers submitted and more peer reviewers to assist me in the paper selection process for the Spring Quarter 2017 issue! Please note that the deadline for papers will be the Friday of finals week during Winter Quarter and Political Science majors in their third year and up are preferred to be peer reviewers. There will be more information about paper submissions and peer reviewers as Winter Quarter draws closer. –Tara Kwan CONTENTS JOURNAL 6 CLOSING THE JUSTICE GAP The JusticeCorps are a campus organization that strives to help low- income people get the legal help they need. As part of his senior internship project, student Joshua S. Ebiner conducted a five-month case study of the Pomona Self-Help Center to examine the impact the center has in meeting the legal needs of self-represented litigants. At left, JusticeCorp volunteer and Cal Poly Pomona political science student Carmen Franklin works with litigants. 23 ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM » p.6 Photo courtesy of PolyCentric Why are three National Priorities List (NPL) superfund cleanup sites located in South Gate, California? Noticeable patterns of waste management facilities placed in areas of a low-socioeconomic status lead researchers to point to environmental racism as the culprit. 39 SOLAR POWER Solar panels make sense from both an environmental and healthcare perspective, but will they ever catch on with the American public? Steven Tinsdale’s qualitative research study indicates that Californians are very concerned about air quality but not quite ready for the hefty price tag associated with photovoltaic panels. p.23 p.39 57 SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRESIDENTIAL » » ELECTIONS Since the presidential elections in 2000 the internet, and social media in particular, have played an increasingly large role in both campaigning and financing candidates. Could social media be a deciding factor in the 2016 elections? Alexis Ojinaga finds support for that hypothesis in Obama’s successful bid for the 2008 presidency and the 2012 reelection by his capture of the youth and minority vote. 76 THE EGOCENTRIC PRESIDENCY Does the president speak for all Americans? Travis Barrett explores the use of the pronoun “I” and equivalent statements in State of the Union addresses and finds that modern presidents are entirely comfortable with the use of “egocentric” language - and makes some surprising » p.57, p.76 discoveries about who seemed to talk about himself the most. CONTENTS 94 U.S. AND SAUDI RELATIONS UNDER GEORGE W. BUSH In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, many Americans became mistrustful of key Middle East allies, and not without reason. 15 of the 19 terrorists involved in the attacks on 9/11 were Saudi Arabian citizens claiming allegiance to al-Qaeda. Thomas Davis reviews U.S.- Saudi policy under the George W. Bush administration and finds the traditional relationship to be surprisingly stable. 101 MIGRANTS AND EUROPE As refugees flee the Middle East for safe havens in Europe, the manner in which migrants are received in their host countries differs considerably. Melissa Petersen explores the varying factors of Europe’s migrant affairs and the rise of radical party leaders. 119 WOMEN AND TERRORISM Women are generally the victims of terrorism and not the perpetrators. But when women become radicalized terrorists, the media struggles » p.101 to resolve the stereotypical roles of women as caregivers and sex objects with the reality of suicide bombers and shooters. Natalie Reyes investigates the role of women in terror networks and the media obsession over the attractiveness of female terrorists. 125 THE ATHENIAN MODEL OF REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY Plato’s The Republic has long been interpreted as a system of direct democracy, or rule by the people. Anthony Haddox finds through careful analysis that the roots of representative democracy were there all along and that Athenian democracy has evolved into a system of government that was perhaps not intended by its creator. » p.94 » p.125 © 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, me- chanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the editors and the faculty advisor of the California Polytechnic State University, Pomona Undergraduate Journal of Political Science. The California Polytechnic State University, Pomona Undergraduate Journal of Politics is copyrighted by Cal Poly Pomona. The content of all papers is copyright- ed by the respective authors. The Department of Political Science cannot and will not be held liable for the actions of the California Polytechnic State University, Pomona Undergraduate Journal of Political Science. All assertions of fact and statements of opinion are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Political Science, » p.119 the Editorial Board, the Advisory Board, the Faculty Advisor, Cal Poly Pomona, or its faculty and administration. INTRODUCTION TO THE UNDERGRADUATE JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE “Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting.” –Ivan Illich, Deschooling Society (1990) ere in the Department of Political Science at Cal Poly Pomona, we Hhope to leave students with a life- long toolkit to help them in their careers but also in their daily lives. For many, scholarship bridges the gap between academia and the real world application of politics. As a testament to the dedication of our students, but also to the university’s teacher-scholar model, the department works to encourage our students in the practice of scholarly research. With over 50 undergraduate courses, the work in this journal represents the exper- tise and analysis of our students in six different subfields. The mix of articles in each edition of the journal represents critical issues examined from various places in the discipline. While we hope that this journal engages the greater academic community, we also aspire to provide an ex- ample for underclassmen as they progress through the major. And as academic scholarship evolves, we ex- pect our students to follow and engage in a similar path. Upon graduating from our program, students work in politics, but also enroll in law, master’s and doctoral programs. Again, the work found in the following pages of the journal underscores the department’s commitment in preparing our students for such work. There are many people who have played an integral role to the development of the journal’s inaugural issue. The tireless efforts of the department chair, Dr. Jill Hargis, has made this possible. Her vision and guiding force has propelled the department to astronomical heights during her tenure as chair. Our tireless faculty and instructors are the driving force behind the ideas in this journal. Our department administrative coor- dinator, Ms. Kim Alm, is the glue that holds our major together. And finally, our students really serve as the heart and soul of this journal. Special thanks goes out to the editor-in-chief Tara Kwan, publication designer Jane Pojawa and our student advisory board. Without their work, this journal would never have reached final publication. Dr. Mario Guerrero Faculty Advisor Closing the Justice Gap: A Self-Represented Litigants and the California Courts Joshua S. Ebiner California State Polytechnic University, Pomona The growth in the number of self-represented litigants has created a number of challenges for the California courts. A basic assumption is made in the judicial system that every case is determined by its merits and the parties involved are competent in the practice of law. However, a number of factors have been pointed out that collectively create a justice gap. This gap creates a dilemma for the courts as it is becoming inaccessible to a large portion of its users. The literature review will examine these factors including the adversarial model, financial factors of participating in a legal case, and the high demand of court-based legal aid programs.

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