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Status Quo
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What is Status Quo?

The status quo refers to the existing state of affairs within a system, institution, or society — the conditions, norms, and power structures that remain in place until deliberately challenged or reformed. Students across a wide range of disciplines engage with this concept, including political science, sociology, organizational behavior, healthcare policy, and cultural studies. It appears in courses that ask learners to analyze how societies resist or embrace change, why institutions persist even when flawed, and what forces — social, political, or economic — either entrench or disrupt prevailing conditions. The concept is academically rich because it sits at the intersection of power, legitimacy, and collective decision-making, making it relevant whether the conversation centers on corporate leadership, foreign policy, or cultural movements.

The papers archived under this topic reflect a notably broad range of approaches. Some take a policy and case-study angle, examining specific institutions such as healthcare systems or companies like Costco to explore how organizations respond to pressure for change. Others adopt a geopolitical lens, analyzing China's role in the international order and whether it acts as a status quo or revisionist power. Additional essays engage with cultural and historical perspectives, connecting ideas about modernism and movements like the Harlem Renaissance to shifting social conditions. Leadership studies also appear, particularly around charismatic leaders and how they either reinforce or disrupt established structures.

A strong essay on the status quo should stake a clear position on whether the existing condition under examination is worth preserving, reforming, or replacing, and why. Evidence drawn from specific policy outcomes, organizational behavior research, or historical examples tends to carry the most analytical weight. A common pitfall is treating the status quo as a neutral baseline rather than recognizing it as a product of particular choices, interests, and histories — overlooking that dimension weakens the argument considerably.

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Paper Undergraduate
The Kyoto Protocol's failures and the need for enforceable climate agreements
Over the last several decades, global warming has become a consistent threat that has the potential of disrupting life on Earth as we know it. This is because the rising temperatures from the activities of human kind…
Paper Masters
Racial triangulation and negotiation in American race relations
Throughout American history race relations have been a constant challenge, as there is the struggle between the dominate White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) class and other racial groups.
Paper Undergraduate
Global education's role in addressing societal challenges and student perspectives
Teachers constantly find themselves wandering in an apparently continual sea of school reform literature and policies. Furthermore, the frequently unfriendly, and more and more politicized public debates about educational issues add to the feelings of helplessness and frustration experienced by a lot of classroom practitioners, particularly those working in large, urban settings.
Paper Undergraduate
European Union foreign security policies and international conflict intervention
The matter of personal and national security has been a long lasting one throughout history. Leaders were selected and favored due to their ability to safeguard the interests and well-being of the peoples.
Paper Undergraduate
North Korea's invasion and the Cold War origins of the Korean War
Korean War refers to the military conflict between North and South Korea that started on June 25, 1950 and lasted until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953. During the war, both adversaries attempted to re-unify the…
Research Paper Undergraduate
Trust-based strategies for motivating public sector employees
Creating and Sustaining Strategies for Increasing Employee Motivation and Productivity
Paper Doctorate
Anselm, Aquinas, and Hume on God's existence
This paper examines central arguments made by Anselm and Aquinas, discussing whether the writers are in fact diametrically opposed and how they relate to Hume's theory of natural religion. The second part of the paper examines Anselm in relation to Perry's Dialogues on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God.
Paper Undergraduate
Davis and Moore's functionalist stratification theory and Tumin's critique
The theory of functionalist stratification is so ingrained in modern Western society that it seems hardly separable from common sense. The idea that different levels of talent, intelligence, and ambition deserve…
Research Paper Undergraduate
John Locke's theories on social contract and natural rights
One of the single most influential characters in the history of nation building is John Locke. His theories and writings demonstrate a basis for support of actions that had already been taken to eliminate monarchical…
Paper Doctorate
African-American influences on modern and jazz dance forms
Thesis Statement Cultural forces in subcultures such as African American dance forms have shaped major American dance forms such as modern and jazz dancing. In the opinion of the author, modern American dance relies heavily upon elements that were "confiscated" (taken) from non-European dance and then fused with European forms to make distinctly American dance forms. Modern and Jazz Dance Conserving Culure Modern/contemporary dance helped to conserve the cultural values, traditions and heritage of Caribbean and African dance forms and other forms as well Modern and jazz dance are intricate and involve techniques gained only through many years of training. In modern or contemporary dance, movement is free and constantly creating and defining new steps. Such movement is based upon the use of gravity, breathing, momentum and abstract theory to create steps. A major component of the art of modern dance is the perfection of the flexible use of gravity and balance. Such factors in combination with the natural momentum of falling or turning bodies and responding to gravity generated movement mixed well with African or Caribbean styles.