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The Growing Middle Class And The Absence Of Democracy In China, Danni Mei
The Growing Middle Class And The Absence Of Democracy In China, Danni Mei
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Contrary to the prediction of modernization theory, the vibrant Chinese economy and its growing middle class have not brought democratic change to the authoritarian country. This work sheds light on the puzzle of the absence of democracy in China despite a fast-growing middle class. The study argues that the key to explaining the middle class’ inert political behavior is to be found in its fragmentation. It is necessary to disaggregate the political, economic, and social positions of different subgroups of the Chinese middle class—government officials and party cadres, private entrepreneurs of small or medium businesses, professionals, and white-collar employees—and the …
The Study Of Soft Power: China’S Presence In African Region, Jessica Huang
The Study Of Soft Power: China’S Presence In African Region, Jessica Huang
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The Western media and policy analyses frequently give negate give portrayals of China’s presence in developing countries. This study, however, explores why China’s soft power succeeds in developing regions of the world. In particular, why is it that while China’s soft power is not quite universally accepted, it works in developing nations such as those in Africa? This paper makes the argument that the constructivist idea of identity is instrumental in understanding Chinese soft power within Africa. That is, the key components of China’s soft power reflect shared identities with the developing world and especially Africa nations, and as a …
Trumping Norms: Whither The International Liberal Order?, Maureen Jones
Trumping Norms: Whither The International Liberal Order?, Maureen Jones
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
This paper’s main objective is to develop potential theories on the future of American foreign policy within the Trump Administration. The paper will begin by evaluating the norm of statehood and will discuss the contributions of John Meyer to the statehood discourse. Through analysis of Meyer’s work, this paper will develop a standardized structure of statehood within the global order. Furthermore, the paper will analyze the Westphalian international order and discuss the viability of this system leading up to 2017. The Westphalian international system has been the primary system for which nation-states aim to gain acceptance and its norms provide …
A Political Ecology Of Information: Media And The Dilemma Of State Power In China, Michael L. Miller
A Political Ecology Of Information: Media And The Dilemma Of State Power In China, Michael L. Miller
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
In this dissertation, I employ a Weberian concept of social power in order to theorize the challenges posed by, and the varieties of state response to, the dilemma of state power: the need of all states to empower societies with social capacities that may, in turn, threaten state interests. Through a comparison of traditional and new forms of media in China, I show that rather than posing qualitatively new types of challenges to authoritarian states, new media exacerbate the dilemma of state power. They do so because along each of three dimensions of social control, new media shift the relationship …
The Hermeneutics Of International Trade Conflicts: U.S. Punitive Trade Policy Towards China And Japan, Barry F. Murdaco
The Hermeneutics Of International Trade Conflicts: U.S. Punitive Trade Policy Towards China And Japan, Barry F. Murdaco
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
This dissertation analyzes punitive trade conflicts between the U.S. and two trading partners: China and Japan. Punitive trade conflicts can be defined as trade wars between two states, retaliatory tariffs, or other forms of conflict, e.g. preventing the acquisition of foreign assets or sanctions for an undervalued exchange rate. I will examine several trade conflicts between the U.S. and Japan in the 1980s and several trade conflicts between the U.S. and China from 2001 to the present. This study is situated within a larger debate concerning the resolution of four theoretical "puzzles" in political science. The first concerns the dispute …