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Constraints and Conservatism: The Effect of Presidential Choices on Voting Patterns of Supreme Court Justices
No full textThe decisions of the Supreme Court are constantly featured in news headlines with the accusation that the core institution of the judicial branch is completely politicized. In fact, justices are directly chosen by presidents who have clear political and constitutional agendas. But what about justices whose voting behavior and opinions seem less politically motivated than others? One major answer to that query may lie in the difference between constrained and unconstrained choices. When a president chooses a nominee based on political promises made or limitations imposed by other branches of government, that choice is constrained because those nominees must appeal to a broader political constituency and thus the selection pool is smaller. Among historical examples of constrained choices are Sandra Day O’Connor, Anthony Kennedy, and David Souter, all three of whom were instrumental in moderating the Court with their swing votes for the decades they were on the Court. In this paper, I explore the hypothesis that being a constrained choice makes a justice less faithful to their appointing president’s constitutional agenda by quantitatively assessing voting records across their tenures on three main issues: abortion, affirmative action, and the Establishment Clause. Ultimately, my research shows that constrained choices do tend to follow their appointing presidents’ agendas less faithfully and aggressively
Statistical Monitoring of Hard Faults in Digital Systems
No full textAchieving a high test coverage is crucial for helping to ensure that integrated circuits are working correctly and are non-defective. Although scan-based structural tests are used throughout the industry, high-level functional tests may be needed to detect some defects— especially those that are environmentally sensitive. Unfortunately, the character of functional test makes it difficult to obtain high coverage, and it is even hard to estimate coverage because fault simulation times of large circuits are long. As a result, some method is required for predicting the ability of a functional test that has not been fault simulated to detect defects. In this thesis, we extend the analysis of a previously proposed approach for the implementation of hardware monitoring to predict the detection of the hardest-to-detect faults in a circuit. This thesis will explore the ability of the approach to predict fault detections in larger circuits with known functionalities and realistic input sets for functional mode
Advancing Single-Molecule Nanopore Sensing: From Protein Conformation and Metal Binding to DNA Transport via Hybrid Nanostructures
No full textThis dissertation presents the development and application of solid-state and hybrid nanopore platforms for single-molecule analysis of biomolecular interactions. First, a silicon nitride nanopore was employed to characterize the conformational states of the transferrin receptor (TfR), enabling discrimination between its monomeric and dimeric forms, as well as from its ligand, human serum transferrin (hSTf), despite their similar molecular weights. In a separate study, the same nanopore configuration was used to track the real-time binding of titanium ions to transferrin, demonstrating single-molecule sensitivity to metal-induced conformational changes. A hybrid microtubule–solid-state nanopore (MT–SSN) was then engineered, repurposing microtubules as electrostatically anchored conduits for ionic current. This hybrid system exhibited enhanced signal-to-noise ratios and significantly prolonged DNA translocation times, overcoming key limitations of traditional solid-state nanopores. Additionally, it provides the first experimental method to directly measure the electronic current through the microtubule lumen. Finally, a machine learning pipeline combining Gaussian mixture models and support vector machines was used to classify complex nanopore events and quantify the dissociation constants of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein binding to candidate alternative receptors. This analysis yielded KD values of 17.4 ± 2.9 nM for Kremen1 and 126 ± 24 nM for ASGR1, closely aligning with ensemble flow cytometry data while offering a label-free, single-molecule alternative. Together, these contributions advance the precision and functionality of nanopore sensing, offering new tools for probing protein–protein interactions, metal coordination, nucleic acid transport, and viral receptor binding at the single-molecule level
Second Amendment Originalism, “General Law,” and \u3cem\u3eRahimi\u3c/em\u3e’s Two-Fold Failure
No full text“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), set out a bold new standard of review for Second Amendment cases. The Court rightly repudiated the intermediate-scrutiny approach adopted by the circuit courts after District of Columbia v. Heller (2008). Bruen purported to require that any gun regulation falling within the plain text of the Amendment be upheld only if the government can demonstrate that the regulation is consistent with America’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. United States v. Rahimi (2024) confirmed what was already clear in Bruen: that a majority of the Justices are not prepared to take this seemingly rigorous historical test seriously.
This Article considers and rejects an innovative interpretation of Bruen, offered by William Baude and Robert Leider, under which Second Amendment jurisprudence would become a form of common-law constitutionalism. The Article also considers and rejects an effort by J. Joel Alicea to interpret
Bruen in a way that justifies Rahimi’s extremely elastic application of the history-and-tradition test. The Article argues that a better alternative to Bruen is the more traditional application of means-end scrutiny to advance the primary purpose of the Second Amendment, which is to protect the fundamental natural right of self-defense.
In addition to showing that Rahimi did not apply Bruen faithfully, the Article explains why the statute at issue in Rahimi is unconstitutional
Two Constructions of Liberty: Hugo Black\u27s and Robert Jackson\u27s Stances on Free Speech
No full textAdam Mueller contrasts the interpretations of free speech by Justices Hugo Black and Robert Jackson. The paper explores how their differing philosophies of liberty influenced their judicial decisions, particularly in the context of Cold War tensions and fears of extremism. Mueller examines the broader implications of their stances for constitutional democracy
Cross-Party Voting in 21st Century Presidential Primaries: A Social and Empirical Analysis
No full textThis paper by Mark Trautmann explores the phenomenon of cross-party voting in U.S. presidential primaries, focusing on its prevalence and impact in open primaries. Trautmann examines cases in the Midwest, analyzing data and media narratives surrounding the Michigan Republican Primary (2000, 2012) and the Democratic Primaries in Wisconsin (2004) and Indiana (2008). The findings suggest that while media often overemphasizes the influence of cross-party voting, its actual effect on primary outcomes remains limited, though potentially disruptive in certain case
Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo
No full textKatie Schaible investigates the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), focusing on the prevalence of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Schaible explores how underdevelopment and continuous conflict exacerbate social issues, limiting economic and institutional development. Recommendations include international intervention strategies, governance reforms, and support for victims to address the widespread human rights abuses in the DRC
Iraq, Democracy, and the United States
No full textThis collaborative paper by Kevin Matejka, Arnaud Zimmern, and Lara Vidal examines the complexities of promoting democracy in Iraq and other Muslim-majority nations. The authors analyze different perspectives on democracy\u27s compatibility with Islamic principles and explore Western and Middle Eastern viewpoints. Through an exploration of political theory and historical context, they provide insights into the challenges and prospects for democratization in the region, particularly in light of U.S. involvemen
Kenya as a Target for Al-Shabaab: A Theory for Understanding Cross-Border Terrorism
No full textEvangeline Mathis explores why Kenya faces disproportionate attacks from Al-Shabaab compared to neighboring states. The paper theorizes that Kenya’s international visibility and free media make it an attractive target for the Somali-based terrorist group