Digital Commons Network^™

Discourse And Controversy In The Israel-Palestine Conflict - A Review Of The Literature, Irteza Atique

Major Papers

The Israel-Palestine conflict has been ongoing for more than 75 years and has many historical, geographical, religious, and ethnic components. Despite several attempts at resolution, the war persists, resulting in continued violence, human misery, and regional instability. This study dives into the highly contentious dispute over labelling Israel as an apartheid state, a subject that has prompted heated debate in academic literature, college campuses, the media, and diplomacy. Using a wide range of scholarly literature and trustworthy news sources, we investigate the origins of the war, important historical events, and the numerous factors that have shaped the current conflict. Beginning …

Advocacy Coalitions And Canadian Energy Policy Decision: Navigating Four Pipeline Projects, Md Jannatul Ferdous Nayeem

Major Papers

The conflicting goals of sustaining the Canadian economy through energy and prioritizing climate action lead to diverse interest groups with varying views on policies advocating their positions to government. Despite energy's economic importance, climate change remains central for the Liberal government under Justin Trudeau. The management of pipeline proposals such as Transmountain, Northern Gateway, Energy East, Keystone Xl under this government showcased its balancing act between economic interests and environmental commitments. Applying the Advocacy Coalition Framework, this paper examines how governments and regulatory authorities modify the process for accepting or rejecting pipeline proposals, the evolution of interest groups in shaping …

From Pan-Arab Nationalism To Islamism: The Rise And Fall Of Saddam Hussein, Inanna Adam

Major Papers

Arab nationalism was the core of the Ba’ath party’s ideology when it was formed in Iraq in 1968. The party subscribed to a secular nationalist ideology that aimed to unify the Arab nations across the Middle East. When Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq in 1979, he embraced and supported the Ba’athist nationalist, socialist, and secular ideology. However, from the early days of his presidency, Hussein used religion to justify his external war of aggression against Iran, and gradually, religion became an instrument of political and military mobilization. In other words, while formally subscribing primarily to pan-Arab secular nationalism, …

Cuban Embargo: An Insufficient Measure To Encourage Us Foreign Policy Interests, Esme Jm Prowse

Major Papers

This major paper examines the Cuban embargo as an ineffective hard power policy and explores the potential of soft, hard, and smart power as alternative approaches to resolve the failures of the 60-year-old blockade. The paper analyzes the historical context and rationale behind the embargo and assesses its impact on Cuban-American relations, regional stability, and U.S. national interests. The study argues that the embargo has failed to achieve its intended goals and has instead perpetuated a cycle of hostility, isolation, and human rights abuses. By drawing on the theoretical frameworks of soft, hard, and smart power, the paper presents policy …

To Be Or Not To Be: The Relationship Between Economic Diversity And Unemployment Rates In Canadian Cities During The Covid-19 Induced Shock, Yahaya Alphonse

Major Papers

Regional scholars have broadly studied the role of economic structure in shielding a community from economic shocks. This research has generally involved comparing diversity against specialization. This study compares differences within varying degrees of economic diversity in Canadian cities. Canada has received very little attention in this field despite the importance this knowledge could provide in shaping Canadian economic policy. This paper aims to fill in this gap by analyzing the role economic diversity played in acting as a structural buffer to the COVID-19-induced economic shock. This analysis is done utilizing a Herfindahl Hirschman Index to measure economic diversity and …

Provincial Cannabis Legislation, Regulation, And Licensing: Its Effectiveness And Impacts On Municipalities In Ontario, Rami Farag

Major Papers

The legalization of cannabis has been a controversial topic within the last two decades in many developed states. The legalization brought medicinal benefits, economic opportunity, and a projected decrease in organized crime. It has, however, also prompted new challenges for different levels of government. In Canada, legalization was a federal decision that was then regulated by provincial governments. However, local governments were on the receiving end of both federal and provincial legislation and regulations that often restricted municipal autonomy with respect to cannabis.

This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the legal and regulatory framework of retail cannabis …

Foreign Interventionism In The Sahel Against Violent Extremism: The French Dilemma, Andrews Nii Amaah Amartey

Major Papers

The Sahel region is progressively becoming a hot zone for violent extremist activities and the consistent splintering of groups keeps facilitating its spread into sub-Saharan Africa. This ever-growing threat has triggered varied responses from both states, regional and international actors respectively. As far as international response goes, France plays a leading role in the fight against violent extremism with the basis of its intervention hinged on the 'special relationship' France has with the affected countries in the Sahel which are all French-speaking states. This has eventually led many to question France's commitment to a joint multilateral response as this is …

Sub-State Nationalism And Intergovernmental Fiscal Policy: An Examination Of The Netherlands And Spain, Eric Bryan Hubberstey

Major Papers

Nations without the distinct legal status of statehood have become increasingly important in the domestic politics of some European countries. Recent secession referenda in various countries (most notably Spain and the United Kingdom) have highlighted this trend. This study examines the impact that sub-state national identities have on the disbursement of intergovernmental transfer payments in two unitary states: the Netherlands and Spain. These cases were selected to conduct a “most different systems” analysis and examined transfers from the central governments to their respective highest levels of regional governance in the period between 2010 and 2018. Established theory on the interaction …

The Impact Of Local Government Action On Climate Change : The City Of Athens And The Town Of Tecumseh, Jesse Antwi-Kusi

Major Papers

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the biggest environmental threats of the twenty-first century. Recent developments have shown that we are highly vulnerable to climate change. Climate change is predicted to have harmful, and permanent consequences on the planet and the entire environment. Yet federal and national governments around the world are struggling to formulate policy initiatives to slow down or become resilient against the changes in the climate. The research goal of this paper is to understand the impact of local governments/municipalities on climate change and why their inclusion in the conversation on climate change response is important. Local …

De-Consociational Transition: A Comparison Of Three Consociational Democracies, Pelle Berends

Major Papers

Consociational democracy is a system of government outlined by Arend Lijphart in response to the mystery of the stability of the democratic systems of several small Western-European states despite their intense societal divides. In the years since he outlined these states’ consociational systems, much has changed. The question thus must be asked – is it possible to transition from a Consociational democracy with a focus on consensus-building to a more majoritarian political system that emphasizes competition between parties? This question will be addressed by a study of three states – the Netherlands, Belgium, and Lebanon. The Netherlands has transitioned successfully …

Development Finance Institutions As Tools For Foreign Aid Distribution: A Comparative Analysis Of The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Findev Canada And Deutsche Investitions – Und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, Kamal Mann

Major Papers

An understanding of how foreign aid has changed requires a thorough examination of the efforts taken in aid to address the widening finance gap in development, alongside the often-contested issue of aid effectiveness. This is particularly the case when looking at how aid should be paid for. Yet the question of how to best program and deliver foreign aid remains unanswered.

Aid remains one of the largest aspects of international transfers of resources that occur in the world, as such it is important to study it. The rise of Development Finance Institutions, which are publicly owned, private lending institutions helps …

Rethinking Retirement For The 21st Century, Stephen C. Russo

Major Papers

Canada’s labour force has been gradually growing older in recent decades. An aging labour force creates significant problems for the country and the future growth of our economy. With an aging labour force, comes the need to start rethinking how Canadians look at retirement in the 21^st century and how both the government and private sector can contribute solutions to adapting to an older workforce. This problem is not unique to Canada, most of the industrialized west has been or will begin to experience the same demographic shift as we are in Canada. The main challenge this paper examines …

The Concurrent Rise Of Diversity And Islamophobia: A Comparative Study Of The Uk And France, Tugce Arslan

Major Papers

This paper assesses the current stance of multiculturalism and diversity in Europe by taking a closer look at the perception of Muslims in the United Kingdom and France. It is a comparative study that analyzes the sentiments of nationalism along with how a series of pivotal events that have impacted the integration process of the Muslim populations. A look at certain key factors such as cultural and identity clashes, increasing instability in the Middle East and the influence of the media, demonstrates a rise in Islamophobia in Europe. By focusing on how the rise in Islamophobia has affected the perception …