Past the time of traditional coups, today’s would-be dictators are seeking out more ambiguous ways to undercut democracy. These norm violations are often difficult to identify, and sometimes are conceived of as less threatening to outsiders. So, what can an intergovernmental organization do if its member states begin to violate common democratic norms in an ambiguous way? While some have claimed IGO action is determined by the violating state’s power or the pressure of third parties, few have explored the influence of an IGO’s structure and design on its decision to enforce norms. This paper explores some ambiguous measures being taken to undermine democracy, and seeks to disaggregate the complex process of IGO norm enforcement and subject the moving parts to initial scrutiny. In this paper, I assess the impact of five IGO characteristics on its decision to enforce democratic norms in member states: IGO composition or democratic density, democratic norm legalization, enforcement provisions, voting rules in the IGO’s intergovernmental branches, and delegation to the IGO’s supranational bodies. I develop six, independent hypotheses, relating one IGO characteristic to one aspect of the decision-making process. Using a pattern matching research design, I conduct a comparative case-study analysis of the Peruvian autogolpe facing the Organization of American States in 1992 and the Hungarian constitutional crisis challenging the European Union today to test each variable’s predicted effect.

This project explores the human tendency of fleeing the real world and constructing a more desirable other. While the notion of creating an alternate world—worldbuilding as it is referred—may seem extremely individualistic, and therefore insular, personal worlds always have political implications and can, therefore, serve to critique larger cultural structures and societies. This paper will particularly analyze worldbuilding as an intentional process of constructing a new space without socially prescribed constraints that is in some way better than a person’s current reality. While worldbuilding is at times a survival tactic, can it simultaneously promote isolation from others? Additionally, if worldbuilding is a strategy to achieve other-worldly transcendence, what are the consequences of losing earthly ties? These questions are addressed through an exploration of the alternative worlds within the works of authors, artists, and characters of various countries and time periods, presenting the universal and timeless need to create an otherwise.

The Philadelphia Aphasia Community at Temple (PACT) utilizes a group therapy approach for people with aphasia (PWA) by providing opportunities for PWA to enhance communication skills in an interest-driven setting. Recent research demonstrates how theater can improve the communication of ideas through both non-verbal and verbal means and can offer a medium through which PWA can interact and share their experiences. The main goal of this project was to examine how theater has been used with PWA and how theater games and experiences can be adapted for PWA at PACT. Existing studies were reviewed in regard to the benefits of theater for people with communication disabilities and the theories underlying different theater games. These concepts were applied to a pilot theater group at PACT. Nine PWA attended six weekly sessions throughout Summer 2019, and eight PWA attended weekly sessions throughout the Fall 2019 semester. Sessions incorporated different theater games and activities to gauge interests and skills, with support from Physical Therapy. Pre-/post-group testing included the Communication Confidence Rating Scale for People with Aphasia and a theater survey examining participant’s interests, skills, and knowledge of theater. Results from pre-test and post-test were compared to determine changes in perception of theater, enjoyment, and overall benefits of a theater group for PWA.