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Shaping American Foreign Policy A Game Theoretic Analysis Of The United States'--North Korean Relationship, Kimberly Michelle Ganczak

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Over the past two decades, international relations researchers have developed increasingly nuanced game theoretic models to analyze interstate interactions. This study is a modem, case-specific Bayesian analysis that aims to make contributions to the scholarly analysis of conflict while offering practical advice to policymakers interested in relations between the United States and North Korea.

This study develops a new model of United States - North Korea relations in order to develop insights useful for understanding and hopefully refining, management of this relationship. This study utilizes the extensive form of a signaling game to model the interactions between both states. This …

Croatia Joins Europe, Nikola Kovač

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

On 1 July 2013 the Republic of Croatia will officially become the 28th member of the European Union. History of Croatia has always kept it on the brink of Europe. The case study of this enlargement examines the relations between Cr9atia and the European Union since Croatia became independent in 1991. This relation is divided into two eras, one of mutual distancing and the other of mutual rapprochement. The thesis aims to identify the dimensions of Croatian road to the EU membership which differ it from other accessions. Now, in the eve of enlargement both Croatia and the European Union …

Department Of Defense Resource Allocations And Progress Toward U.S. Foreign Policy Objectives In Latin America, Melissa Rene Rodriguez

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This research addresses the issue of insufficient or stagnated progress toward U.S. foreign policy objectives for Latin America through an analysis of Department of Defense resource allocations toward the region. These resources are critical to achieving progress toward U.S. foreign policy objectives because the relationships and engagements the DOD establish with Latin American partner nations largely precede and characterize the role of the U.S. in the region.

First 'efficiency' is defined, and then U.S. foreign policy objectives for the region and the regional issues are outlined. Next, Department of Defense resources are characterized and their posture and allocations in the …

Managing Complexity And Change In International Relations: The Case Of Yemen, Michael J. Culton

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Matters of war and peace may be as old as civilization itself but the definitions and practices of each are constantly evolving. Innumerable theories and models have been developed over the past few centuries, which are designed to explain modern international politics. As academics and policymakers debate their assumptions regarding conflict and cooperation, current events challenge their intellectual foundations and may even serve to overturn them. The scholars and practitioners of foreign policy may have reached the point where the traditional explanations of political behavior can no longer account for the pressing issues of the day. In such an age …

The Return Of Russia: Energy's Superpower Or Potemkin Village?, Greg R. Bayes

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

George Kennan's prediction of the Soviet Union's downfall may have, in retrospect, jinxed Russia on the one aspect that had historically worked in its favor: time. The confluence of time and space--brought about by an emphasis on territorial expansion-had greatly aided Russia when difficulties had rendered the variable of time indispensable. When confronted by the likes of Napoleon and Hitler, for example, Russia had at its disposal the luxury of always trading space for time. Although deprived of its empire, the issue of space is not an overarching concern for a Russia that today still spans from Vladivostok to St. …

Russia's China Policy Under Yeltsin And Its Effect On The Korean Peninsula, Jong Dyuk Lim

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis studies current developments in Russia's China policy and their effect on the Korean Peninsula. This thesis asks these questions: how has the Russia's China policy changed since Gorbachev era, what are the determinants of Russia's current China policy, what is the effect of this policy on the Korean Peninsula, and what is the prospect for Russo-Chinese relations? Russia's China policy has been profoundly influenced by a series of domestic Russian institutional changes. Russia may be developing a political-economic system more consistent with "Eastern" notions of democracy and capitalism than those of the West. The result has been a …

Iranian Foreign Policy Shedding The Pariah Image, Joseph Edward Gleason Jr.

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzes Iranian foreign policy since 1979 to determine if Iran is a pariah state in the international community. To determine Iran's isolation in the international community, various factors were examined, including diplomatic relations, political leverage, relations with the United Nations, and the ability to acquire military hardware. Iran's status was compared with three generally accepted pariah states, Taiwan, Israel, and South Africa to determine the degree of isolation faced by the Islamic Republic. This study determined that Iran remains a pariah state, but is less isolated than most pariah states because its objectionable behavior, its aggressive foreign policy, …

The Impractical Ideal Costa Rica, The United States And Central America Reunification, 1902-1932, Donald R. Lam

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the motivations of Central American Unionists and the failure of their movement in the early years of the twentieth century. The existing literature attributes the failure of Central American unification during this era to U.S. policies meant to maintain a divided isthmus in order to economically and politically exploit the region. A closer analysis of the primary sources, however, reveals that union failed because of internal factors, and that Washington's actions generally favored efforts to rejoin the nations to reduce isthmian tensions. Attempts to reunite the republics failed because of regional and domestic political rivalries, weaknesses in …

The Implementation Of The Reagan Administration's Counterterrorist Policy, Howard Lawrence Steinberg

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates the implementation of President Ronald Reagan's active counterterrorist policy. The paper attempts to determine why the stated policy of "swift and effective retribution" was not carried out. This paper concentrates on the discrepancies between the numerous statements advocating retaliation made by Reagan and his top officials and the failure of these officials to administer the necessary orders for such retaliatory policies. This research indicated numerous causes, although the primary cause is attributed to the divergent opinions of the reticent Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and the more retributive views of the two successive Secretaries of State, Alexander …

Port Visits As A Component Of Soviet Naval Diplomacy In The Mediterranean Sea 1967-1986, John Mark Ickes

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The Soviet Union used its navy as an instrument to support its political agenda, particularly after 1967. This thesis examines 1785 Soviet port visits in the Mediterranean Sea to identify characteristics of the Soviet naval port visit program, particularly the significance of the country visited, the length of the visit, and the ships selected for the visit. The results indicate that certain Mediterranean countries were visited more than others, that the length of the visit can be associated with various Soviet political intentions, and that certain warships made significantly more visits than others.

France And Nato: A Case Of Misunderstanding, Servane Burel

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In 1966, General Charles de Gaulle partially withdrew France from the integrated military structure of the North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO). This action represented a climax in the ongoing evolution in French foreign policy. Both sides of the Atlantic failed to understand de Gaulle's actions because of the ambivalent relation between the concept of grandeur in world politics and France's loyalty to the Alliance. Consequently, the partial withdrawal was perceived as a drastic shift in policies exemplifying French "anti-Americanism" and lack of commitment to the Alliance and NATO.

In contrast, this thesis presents this decision as simply a political statement, …

Japan Looks At An Uncertain China: The Role Of Japan's Aid To China, Yixin Yang

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis discusses the role the Japanese aid has played in accommodating the structural change of Sino-Japanese economic relations and in dealing with the economic and political crisis that has jeopardized their bilateral relations and Japan's own national interest. Japan's early resumption of economic aid to China after Tiananmen reflects how aid philosophy differs from that of most of the other Western aid donors. The conclusions are that Japan's large loan to China has played a vital role in maintaining and strengthening Sino-Japanese economic relations, that the aid has made the interdependent relations between the two countries an asymmetric one, …

The Origins Of The Department Of Defense Recommendation To Cross The 38th Parallel During The Korean War, Wayne A. Kirkbride

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis considers the reasons the Department of Defense (DOD) developed its recommendation concerning the U.S. involvement in the Korean War. The United states initially committed its forces to restore the status quo antebellum. However, by 31 July 1950, the DOD recommended that a free, unified, and representative Korea should be the policy object of the war and that the occupation of all of Korea and the defeat of the North Korean armed forces north and south of the 38th Parallel should be the military objectives.

Several factors contributed to the recommendation of a change in policy and strategy. A …

Inter-American Indemnity: Internal Security And The Mutual Security Program For Latin America (1951-1961), Robert George Baker

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the purpose of U.S. military aid in the American Republics from 1951 through 1961 and proves that concern for internal security became dominant during that period. At first military aid supported hemispheric defense against communist aggression, which Washington orchestrated through mutual defense agreements, but by 1953 maintenance of internal security emerged as the major aim of aid to several Central American nations. In 1956 the National Security Council determined that internal security was a vital goal of the military aid program for Latin America. The ascendance of internal security concerns is described and analyzed in three parts: …

George F. Kennan And The Rebuilding Of Japan: The Second Phase Of Occupation Policy, Rhonda S. Beckham

History Theses & Dissertations

As head of the Policy Planning Staff of the Department of State, George F. Kennan had the opportunity to implement aspects of the containment policy which he had helped to create. In 1947, Japan became vital to United States national security interests in Asia but was threatened by Communist infiltration because of an unstable political and economic situation promulgated by the initial post-surrender policy immediately after the war. An investigation by Kennan led to the implementation of significant changes which were enumerated in a National Security Council Report. This thesis will examine Kennan's foreign policy philosophy, the containment theory, the …

The Truman Administration, Israel, And Containment In The Middle East 1945-1952, Leslie Tarbutton

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines United States policy towards Israel from 1948 to 1952 to determine the extent to which the support given to Israel during the Truman administration reflected the major United States policy goal in the Middle East, the containment of the Soviet Union.

Sources used in this thesis include: archival material; printed collections of documents; memoirs; and secondary sources.

The Truman administration pursued containment in the Middle East by cooperating with Great Britain to improve the economic and military well-being of the Arab states so they could resist any Soviet attempts to dominate the region. However, domestic political pressure …

Towards The 21st Century: Long Cycles And The Future Of The United States, John Davis

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

With a plethora of declinist literature positing the decline and eventual dissolution of the American order, "Towards the Twenty-first Century: Long Cycles and the Future of the United States" offers a new perspective on the world leadership position of the United states. Using the literature on long cycles as its instrument, this study argues that there will be a continuation of U.S. systemic leadership through the twenty-first century.

Containment, Cliency And The Revolution In Vietnam, Deborah Tompsett-Makin

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis addresses the question, why does U.S. foreign policy contribute to political instability in developing nations? To ascertain the answer, it analyzes the post-World War II administrations from Truman through Johnson. One mode of containment, cliency, a foreign policy relationship between a major power and a weaker state, is developed within the framework analyzing containment. The cliency model provides a theoretical basis for explaining how the domestic structure of the client state is systematically distorted by the patron's actions in pursuit of its global interests. The cliency model is also linked to the pattern of development and stability of …

Honduras Pawn And Policy Maker, Elizabeth P. Thornton

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

A study of the weak state was conducted using the Honduras-U.S. relationship as a case study. Most existing literature, with the exception of Annette Baker Fox's The Power of Small States, does not analyze in detail a specific country's relationship with a powerful nation. This research examined the factors that helped a weak country maintain maneuverability in its domestic and foreign policies when under the influence of a strong power. Six conditions which facilitated maneuverability were: geographic proximity, rising nationalism, citizen participation in government, trade distribution and diversification, international pressure, and declining hegemony of the strong power. Events in Honduras …

Bark Or Bite Perspectives On Economic Sanctions For Foreign Policy Objectives, Rodney W. Skotty

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Economic sanctions have been used throughout history to coerce target nations to acquiesce in the objectives of nations that impose them. The record of achievement, using sanctions as a tool of foreign policy, has been poor. Regardless, nations continue to use economic sanctions to attain their goals despite their relative ineffectiveness. And as nations apply sanctions frequently to resolve international conflicts, such frequency tends to impair the credibility of sanctions as an implement of foreign policy. The fact that they are imposed frequently, also reflects that they are used to rectify lesser violations of the international norm. In view of …

The Uneasy Triangle The Impact Of China On U.S.-Soviet Relations In The 1970'S Salt: A Case Study, Karen Elizabeth Toenjes

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

No abstract.

An Arms Race In Outer Space Between The United States And The Soviet Union Implications For U.S. Foreign Policy, Gary Morgan Jensen

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The development of an operational anti-satellite capability by the Soviet Union, and the corresponding U.S. effort to develop an anti-satellite capability of its own, are gradually propelling both nations into a space arms race. The militarization of outer space moves forward as both superpowers launch an increasing number of satellites on military missions. This emerging space race has important foreign policy implications for the United States. Will the two superpowers move in the direction of increased competition and possible confrontation in outer space, or will they agree to the need for some kind of achievable space arms control agreement? The …

The Rhetorical Factors Applied To The Reorientation Of American Public Opinion Toward The Soviet Union Immediately After June 22, 1941, Stanley Paul Berry

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis asks the question: what rhetorical factors were applied to the reorientation of American public opinion toward the Soviet Union immediately after June 22, 1941. A brief review of American diplomatic trends leading to June 22, 1941 is provided. The term rhetoric is operationally defined and the limits establishing causation between persuasion and opinion are delineated. The national communication process is explained and a national opinion profile, as it existed in the spring of 1941, is described. Initial persuasive responses to the Russo-German war are addressed and analyzed. The primary persuasive goals are identified as improving the public's image …

The African Foreign Policy Of The German Democratic Republic, Heide R. Kersey

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis describes the different activities sponsored by the German Democratic Republic to achieve its foreign policy goals in Africa from the late 1950s to the present. The GDR's foreign policy goals and their interaction with each other are examined. Types of GDR activities covered include solidarity assistance, contact building in Africa, United Nations diplomacy, propaganda, cultural foreign policy, trade policy, and military aid. This thesis demonstrates that the role of the GDR in Africa must be understood in the context of the Soviet Union's and the Warsaw Pact states' support of proletarian internationalism and solidarity. However, through its activities …

The Effects Of United States Inter-American Policy On U.S. Relations With Chile, 1958-1978, Michael Hunter Brown

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an examination and explanation of United States relations with Chile from 1958-1978. The policy of U.S. opposition to the Chilean left, especially during the government of Marxist Salvador Allende from 1970-1973, and support of anti-Marxist forces in Chile, which included a repressive military dictatorship established by a coup in 1973, reflect the overall themes of anti-Marxism and protection of American economic interests inherent in U.S. global and inter-American policy since the Second World War. The major sources of information for this study are reports from investigations and hearings conducted by the United States Congress, especially Covert Action …

French Diplomacy In Italy, 1450-1463, Mary Jane Callahan

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the intricacies of the diplomatic policies of the French in the Italian states of Naples, Milan and Genoa in the middle of the fifteenth century. The particular emphasis concerns French activity with regard to claims in Naples and Milan and control of Genoa during the latter years of the reign of Charles VII and the first two years of his son, Louis XI. The Kingdom of Naples was claimed by Rene of. Anjou, brother-in-law of Charles VII, as the named successor of the Neapolitan queen, Joanna II. Charles of Orleans, another brother-in-law, claimed the Duchy of Milan …

Ambassador Harry Frank Guggenheim In Cuba: 1929-1933, Donald Ross Brimmer

History Theses & Dissertations

Abstract unavailable.