JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want”: Institutional Survival, Political Unrest, and Concessions.

Jeremy R. Backstrom — 2025-09-18

Why do some governments resort to providing concessions to dissident challenges whereas other governments resist giving in to their demands? Political unrest occurs throughout the world regardless of government type; however, some governments concede to concessions while others remain steadfastly against acquiescence. Prior literature provide significant understanding on state repression but less progress has been produced on when regimes give in to dissident demands. To provide a theoretical explanation, I argue that the ability of certain authoritarian regimes to survive after reforms lead to institutional change and the perceived threat of the political unrest are the key concepts that influences the decision of the regime to provide concessions or resist any form of change. Using the NAVCO dataset, I use a direct effects model to represent a nonviolent protest campaign and an interactions model to simulate a violent dissident challenge. I find that regimes such as single party and military regimes are more likely to provide concessions to violent campaigns whereas monarchies and personalist regimes are more likely to give in to reforms if the campaigns remain nonviolent.

The Competitive Advantage in the Car Rental Industry in the United States: A Comparison Study Between the Three Major Car Rental Companies

Ali Alnasif — 2025-10-31

This paper articulates and examines the factors that lead to and sustain the competitive advantage in the US car rental industry. A quantitative approach was adopted to collect data from companies' financial statements. Preliminary data analysis, descriptive analysis, visualization, and ANOVA were used to analyze the competitive advantage variables in the proposed research models. The study indicates that Avis has the highest market share and profit margin, while Enterprise excels in fleet size and research and development investments. Hertz, on the other hand, is struggling to establish a foothold in the competitive market. Continuous adaptation to market changes, technological disruptions, and sustainability trends is essential for these corporations to maintain their competitive edge. Overall, the findings of this research will help corporations re-formulate and implement effective organizational strategies to cope with the brutal competition in the car rental industry and other industries.

“Wherever I May Roam”: Refugees, Grievances, and Social Conflict

Jeremy Backstrom — 2025-08-02

Do refugees affect the outbreak of social conflict in the host country? If so, how do refugees influence the rise of domestic conflict? Prior scholarship demonstrated that there is a significant relationship between refugees in a host country and civil conflict; however, the focus on high battlefield death counts overlooks the potential relationship between the introduction of refugees in a host country and the rise of social conflict. We argue that the migration of refugees can increase the number of social conflict events within the host country by potentially increasing the ethnic-religious composition of the host country, increasing the economic competition by the availability of labor and altering governmental spending, and introducing a new population with complex grievances. Using a negative binomial model to test the relationship on a sample of African and Caribbean countries, we find support for our contention. While refugees are seeking security within a host country, the increase in refugees triggers a negative perception within society concerning them and consequently increases the propensity of social conflict. The development of social conflict can be significantly moderated through the further support and increased funding for refugees and host countries by developed countries.

Quiet quitting in nursing and surgical nursing

Fani Tsolaki — 2025-03-05

Quiet quitting is a common phenomenon among overburdened nursing personnel. Stress, responsibility, lack of motivation, and low payment may contribute to this condition. Early detection, psychological support, training, and payment motivation may solve the problem aiming at the psychological health of nurses and the best possible care for patients.

The Resurgence of Trumponomics: Implications for the Future of ESG Investments in a Changing Political Landscape Innocents Alhamis

Innocents Alhamis — 2025-02-04

Public policy shapes the economic landscape, influencing everything from corporate behavior to individual investment decisions. For Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investors, these policy shifts can create opportunities and challenges as they navigate an ever-changing regulatory environment. The contrast between the Trump and Biden administrations offers a striking example of how differing political agendas can affect ESG investments. Trump’s first term was marked by deregulation and policies favoring fossil fuels, which created an uncertain environment for sustainable investments. When Biden assumed office, his focus on climate action and clean energy reinvigorated the ESG sector, offering a more stable and supportive landscape for green investments. However, with Trump’s return to power in his second term, these policies are being reversed again, leading to further volatility. This paper explores how such dramatic shifts in public policy influence economic strategies and directly impact ESG investors' decisions, forcing them to constantly reassess their portfolios in response to changing political climates.