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Flashpoints In Small State Diplomacy: The Effects Of Strategic Alignment, Democratic Norms, And Domestic Support In Ukraine And Taiwan On Us Commitments, Cooper T. Wilson

Senior Theses

In the field of international relations, the fate of small and mid-sized nations is often analyzed through the lens of great power politics, but this perspective misses half of the story. In this paper, I ask the question: what factors internal to smaller states affect their ability to court Western support? I compare the cases of Ukraine and Taiwan, as both are geopolitical flashpoints with a much larger aggressor, are widely researched for their implications on the global balance of power, yet lack sufficient research regarding their own actions on the world stage. Looking at the history of both states …