International Relations Commons^™

No. 6 - 30th Anniversary Issue, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Lee Hamilton, Daniel R. Fung, Diana Wallis

Occasional Papers Series

With this issue of the Occasional Papers, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Dean Rusk Center, which bears the name of the late School of Law faculty member who served as secretary of state under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 until 1969.

Our purpose in hosting the conference and lectures published in this volume was to provide a forum for developing the comprehensive new focus necessary to met the American foreign policy demands of the 21st century. In so doing, it is our intent that the advice and counsel of the …

Islamism, State Control Over Religion And Social Identity: Turkey And Egypt, Alper Y. Dede

Dissertations

In post Cold War politics, as a powerful alternative to the authoritarian "status-quo" regimes of the Muslim World, Islamism has become among the most critical political issues as various Islamist movements increasingly challenge governments for more political reforms, democratization, and greater participation and in the political process.

The current debates on Islamism, though useful, often emphasize the issues of security, democracy, or stability. However, they seem to overlook the importance of processes and the mechanisms of Islamism as well as how Islamists' concerns for preserving their Islamic social identity (Muslimness) and government control over religion contribute to their politicization. Thus, …

Ripe For Cooperation Or Rivalry? Commerce, Realpolitik, And War Memory In Contemporary Sino-Japanese Relations, Yinan He

Yinan He

Sino-Japanese political relations, fraught with disputes and tension during the Koizumi years, only began to recover after Abe came to power. This article investigates the driving forces shaping recent and future bilateral relations. Using evidence from the Koizumi era, I argue that 1) bilateral commercial links prove a weak stabilizing factor for political relations; 2) the current distribution of power between China and Japan does not dictate their strategic rivalry, but they may still treat each other as rivals if they perceive the danger of longterm power transition and mutual hostile intent; 3) the frequent flare-up of bilateral history disputes …

Vicente Fox's Inaugural Address: A Comparative Analysis Between The Generic Characteristics Of The United States And Mexico, David Tarvin

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by David Tarvin on April 1, 2008.

Democratisation, Identity Transformation And Rising Ethnic Conflicts In Kogi State, Nigeria, Shola J. Omotola

Shola J. Omotola Mr

This article explores the linkages between democratization, identity transformation, and rising ethnic conflicts in Kogi State, Nigeria. It argues that the changing character of identity politics in the state, partly a reflection of the contradictory character of the state such that it empowers some people and disempowers others, has been boosted by the democratization process. Ethnic identities have thus become an instrument for the construction and deconstruction of trust in the struggle for power among the competing ethnicities, which the democratization process typifies. The result has been rising ethnic conflicts across the state that do not bode well for sustainable …

Brenda Shaffer (Ed.), The Limits Of Culture: Islam And Foreign Policy (Cambridge: Mit Press, 2006, 350pp), Mehmet Ozkan

Mehmet OZKAN

No abstract provided.

Why Brazil Has Not Grown: A Comparative Analysis Of Brazilian, Indian, And Chinese Economic Management, Fernando Ferrari, Anthony Petros Spanakos

Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper does not aim to dispute that Brazil would benefit from reforms in any or all of these areas. Rather, the paper offers a skeptical perspective on reform menus and proposes an alternative explanation for the faster growth of Brazil’s peers India and China2. The paper begins by introducing (section 1) the idea of the BRICs countries, to establish the basis for comparisons of most similar cases. It then surveys the results of a generation of Washington Consensus era growth (section 2). Although there is a considerable amount of divergence over what causes growth, it seems that something approaching …

Heather Heckel On Child Soldiers: From Violence To Protection By Michael Wessells. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2006. 284 Pp., Heather Heckel

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection by Michael Wessells. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2006. 284 pp.

‘Varieties Of Residential Capitalism In The International Political Economy: New Politics In Old Welfare States’, Herman M. Schwartz, Leonard Seabrooke

Leonard Seabrooke

Comparative and international political economy are justifiably obsessed with finance as a source of power and as a key causal force for domestic and international economic outcomes. Yet both CPE and IPE ignore the single largest asset in people’s everyday lives and one of the biggest financial assets in most economies: residential property and its associated mortgage debt. This special issue argues that residential housing and housing finance systems have important causal consequences for political behavior, social stability, the structure of welfare states, and macro-economic outcomes. The articles examine specific instances across a range of countries. This introduction has broader …

From Importer To Exporter: The Changing Role Of Nigeria In Promoting Democratic Values In Africa, Shola J. Omotola

Shola J. Omotola Mr

No abstract provided.

Against The Cultural Gap Thesis In Africa’S Democratisation, Shola J. Omotola

Shola J. Omotola Mr

The article challenges the cultural gap thesis in Africa’s democratization. The thesis argues that democratization in Africa falters because there is a cultural gap in the democratic framework, such as the absence of democrats, i.e., culture, and the subsequent perversion of the democratization process. The argument holds only if there is one single democracy, and therefore, only one acceptable political culture, which is seldom the case. The problem of democracy in Africa is not due to a unique flaw in the African way of life that forecloses the feasibility of sustainable democracy in the continent. It must be that the …

Book Review: 'Secular And Islamic Politics In Turkey: The Making Of The Justice And Development Party', Ali Balci

Ali Balci

No abstract provided.

全球多层治理中地方政府与国际政治的相互关系研究, Zhimin Chen

Zhimin Chen

No abstract provided.

Russia And The Cis In 2007 : Putin's Final Year?, Charles E. Ziegler

Faculty Scholarship

Russia in 2007 moved further away from a constitutional order governed by the rule of law as President Vladimir Putin's second term drew to a close and the country prepared for parliamentary and presidential elections. High oil and gas prices buoyed the economy, but little progress was made in addressing Russia's serious social problems. In foreign policy, confrontation with the West was balanced by excellent relations with most of Asia.

Interest In Politics, Cigdem Sirin

Cigdem V. Sirin

No abstract provided.

Marital Status And Voting Behavior, Cigdem Sirin

Cigdem V. Sirin

No abstract provided.

Geography Of Strategic Thinking In The Us In Post-Cold War Era, Mehmet Ozkan

Mehmet OZKAN

No abstract provided.

Political Globalisation And Citizenship: New Sources Of Security Threats In Africa, Shola J. Omotola

Shola J. Omotola Mr

This article analyses the interface between political globalization, citizenship and security threats in Africa. Political globalization is assumed to be capable of engendering inclusive citizenship; in the same way, citizenship is considered to be central to the national question in Africa. It is around citizenship that most issues of human rights revolve, both at individual and group levels. The article argues that political globalization in Africa tends to limit the meaning, essence and substance of citizenship, even if the latter is defined from a minimalist perspective of duties-rights relationships. The marginalization and/or exclusionary politics engendered by political globalization, especially for …

Democracy And Constitutionalism In Nigeria Under The Fourth Republic, 1999-2007, Shola J. Omotola

Shola J. Omotola Mr

No abstract provided.

Globalization, Power, And Integration: The Political Economy Of Regional And Bilateral Trade Agreements In The Americas, Kenneth C. Shadlen

Ken Shadlen

This article explores the dynamics of regional economic integration in the Americas. Economic globalisation, or an increased volume of trade and investment and increased mobility of capital, presents developing countries with new opportunities and challenges. In particular, the emergence of south-east Asia as a major site for the production and export of manufactured goods has generated intense competition among developing countries for foreign investment and export-market shares. In this article, globalisation and ensuing competition is linked to the process of economic integration between the United States and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. Fundamental changes in global patterns of …

The Soft Power And Persuasion Of Translations In The War On Terror: Words And Wisdom In The Transformation Of Legal Systems, Donald J. Kochan

Donald J. Kochan

The power of words is the power of persuasion. The exportation of the foundational legal principles that helped form the American republic can serve as instrumental "soft power" tools in the war on terror. Efforts promoting projects like the Arabic Book Program are important vehicles to cross-cultural and cross-lingual international relations. This Article argues that an arsenal of words can be as, or more, powerful than an arsenal of artillery. The West has much to offer, but the rest of the world needs to be able to read it without getting lost in translation. Providing linguistic access to the documents …