This thesis portfolio examines the structure and consequences of imperialism, exploring the relationship between empires and their subjects using the cases of the United States of America and Japan. While existing research on empire focuses on territorial expansion, this study proposes a working definition of empire that centers on coercion and manipulation of the domestic population to demonstrate how empires sustain themselves. Additionally, this thesis portfolio demonstrates how governments maintain control by influencing how their citizens should interpret their actions. Utilizing primary sources, including legal and legislative documents, government reports, diplomatic correspondence, and visual propaganda, this thesis portfolio argues that empires require constant maintenance of the domestic population to sustain themselves and gather support for their imperial projects. By analyzing the mechanisms embedded in the structures of imperial governments, this thesis contributes to the broader field of empire and to understanding how empires require intentional maintenance to sustain themselves throughout all their stages.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis portfolio examines the structure and consequences of imperialism, exploring the relationship between empires and their subjects using the cases of the United States of America and Japan. While existing research on empire focuses on territorial expansion, this study proposes a working definition of empire that centers on coercion and manipulation of the domestic population to demonstrate how empires sustain themselves. Additionally, this thesis portfolio demonstrates how governments maintain control by influencing how their citizens should interpret their actions. Utilizing primary sources, including legal and legislative documents, government reports, diplomatic correspondence, and visual propaganda, this thesis portfolio argues that empires require constant maintenance of the domestic population to sustain themselves and gather support for their imperial projects. By analyzing the mechanisms embedded in the structures of imperial governments, this thesis contributes to the broader field of empire and to understanding how empires require intentional maintenance to sustain themselves throughout all their stages. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["White, Maiya"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"War, Diplomacy and Society","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Stephanie Takaragawa","Charissa Threat","Mateo Jarquin"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2026-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:47Z","subjects":["American Politics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/war_and_society_theses/51","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Stephanie Takaragawa","Charissa Threat","Mateo Jarquin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["White, Maiya"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["War, Diplomacy and Society"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["American Politics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/war_and_society_theses/51"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis portfolio examines the structure and consequences of imperialism, exploring the relationship between empires and their subjects using the cases of the United States of America and Japan. While existing research on empire focuses on territorial expansion, this study proposes a working definition of empire that centers on coercion and manipulation of the domestic population to demonstrate how empires sustain themselves. Additionally, this thesis portfolio demonstrates how governments maintain control by influencing how their citizens should interpret their actions. Utilizing primary sources, including legal and legislative documents, government reports, diplomatic correspondence, and visual propaganda, this thesis portfolio argues that empires require constant maintenance of the domestic population to sustain themselves and gather support for their imperial projects. By analyzing the mechanisms embedded in the structures of imperial governments, this thesis contributes to the broader field of empire and to understanding how empires require intentional maintenance to sustain themselves throughout all their stages.
"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["White, Maiya. \"Maintaining Empire.\" Master's thesis, Chapman University, 2026. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000754"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Maintaining Empire"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Stephanie Takaragawa","Charissa Threat","Mateo Jarquin"],"dc:creator":["White, Maiya"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis portfolio examines the structure and consequences of imperialism, exploring the relationship between empires and their subjects using the cases of the United States of America and Japan. While existing research on empire focuses on territorial expansion, this study proposes a working definition of empire that centers on coercion and manipulation of the domestic population to demonstrate how empires sustain themselves. Additionally, this thesis portfolio demonstrates how governments maintain control by influencing how their citizens should interpret their actions. Utilizing primary sources, including legal and legislative documents, government reports, diplomatic correspondence, and visual propaganda, this thesis portfolio argues that empires require constant maintenance of the domestic population to sustain themselves and gather support for their imperial projects. By analyzing the mechanisms embedded in the structures of imperial governments, this thesis contributes to the broader field of empire and to understanding how empires require intentional maintenance to sustain themselves throughout all their stages.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/war_and_society_theses/51"],"dc:source":["White, Maiya. \"Maintaining Empire.\" Master's thesis, Chapman University, 2026. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000754"],"dc:subject":["American Politics"],"dc:title":["Maintaining Empire"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["War, Diplomacy and Society"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:47Z"}