b'Diverse Populations and Conflict: What Factor Affect Progress and Government Structure within a Country?Leo Penn, Department of Political ScienceFaculty Sponsor: Dr. Bernard Tamas, Department of Political ScienceCertain social factors can determine the prosperity of countries. Factors like location, wealth, and population size are factors that are known to contribute to their affluence. This study seeks to find whether certain factors dealing with diversity within the populace correlate with the strength and development of a nation. 100 countries of varying continents, law structure, and global alliances, have been selected and researched. The study will measure GDP per capita, population density, land area, cultural and ethnic fractionalizations averages against human development index (HDI) and rule of law (ROL) index scores. The data suggests a correlation between ethnic/cultural density and world development and justice. The data will show how ethnicity and culture plays a stronger role in development. Each country was selected by the availability of required data needed for research. The hypothesis reached was that countries with higher ethnic and cultural diversity will score lower on international indices.Georgia House Bill 280: An Analysis of Explanatory Variables that Affected the Vote of House Representatives Christian Palaypayon, Department of Political ScienceFaculty Sponsor: Dr. Bernard Tamas, Department of Political ScienceIn this paper, I ask the question: What potential factors of the 180 Georgia House of Representatives contributed to their vote on House Bill 280, which allows weapons carry license holders to carry firearms on limited areas on college and university campuses? My research showed that three factors influenced the vote on this bill: the legislators political party, gender, and race.68'