Political Theory Commons^™

Vox And Spanish Nationalism: The Constitutional Processes For The Elimination Of Regional Autonomy, Noah Halterman-Mitchell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

After the death of Francisco Franco and the creation of the modern Spanish State, hard-core right-wing Spanish nationalism disappeared from the political spectrum. Spain and Portugal avoided the lure of far right-wing political tendencies to which the rest of Europe fell victim. Until recently, VOX, a far right-wing party, gained seats in Parliaments at the Autonomous Community level and in the Spanish National Parliament.

VOX believes in a mono-national state, a Spanish State, rather than a state composed of different nationalities such as Basque, Catalan, or Galician. In order to achieve their desired vision of the Spanish State, VOX advocates …

Falta De Dirección: Conflictos Dentro Del Movimiento Indígena De La Provincia De Chimborazo, Yann Dardonville

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Desde la llegada de los españoles al Ecuador hace más de quinientos años, la provincia de Chimborazo ha sido la cuna de mucha resistencia y rebelión. Pero es en el último medio siglo que el movimiento indígena ha podido lograr cambios significativos: en primero con la abolición del sistema hacendado; y después, con la ratificación de dos constituciones que reconocen la plurinacionalidad y el modelo social del Sumak Kawsay, entre otras cosas. Sin embargo, en Chimborazo, estos logros han sido acompañados por nuevos conflictos dentro del movimiento. Esta monografía tiene como meta identificar estos nuevos problemas, y utiliza los conceptos …

Rebuilding Tunisia, One Artist At A Time, Caitlin Kelley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper argues that Tunisia’s engaged artists are playing a key role in the development of Tunisian civil society and democracy. The bulk of the research is in the form of interviews with five Tunisian artists. Each artist is actively engaged in the project of building a stronger, more democratic society. Through their art, they exercise and protect the political rights won in the 2011 revolution. These artists resist censorship, powerfully and loudly exercise their right to free speech, and help Tunisian society envision a better future for itself. The five artists interviewed for this research represent the type of …

Populist Radical Right Parties And The Securitization Of Migration In France, Ashley Middleton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper addresses the interrelationship between the securitization of migration and the influence of the French populist radical right party, Front National (FN), in promoting anti-migrant claims. By analysing how political actors have played a role in applying security terms to migration in Europe, the paper addresses the different types of socio-political factors that have influenced the anti-migrant sentiment in France. The paper also aims to summarize the role of the media in securitizing migration. Furthermore, the analysis continues with an exploration of French security policy with regard to migration to better understand how FN has benefitted from a …

Mutually Assured Survival: An Analysis Of Globalization’S Influence On Nuclear Disarmament, Ryan Zehner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nuclear arms have revolutionized the ways by which human beings are able to harm one another. Omnipresent in the status quo is a nuclear tension, and whether subtly or more overtly, this tension underlies a great many international relationships. While Westphalian paranoia and neorealist power perceptions encourage populations to continue placing their faith in nuclear umbrellas and deterrence strategies, scholars and activists increasingly claim that without the realization of universal disarmament, humanity concedes to the inevitability of future nuclear detonation.

New disarmament initiatives concentrate heavily on the implications of nuclear weaponry in a sense that supersedes the security of only …

Pro, Navegando Un Nuevo Tipo De Político: Estrategias Para Atraer Votantes / Pro, Navigating A New Type Of Politics: Strategies To Attract Votes, Bailey Armstrong

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation explores the change in Argentina’s political sphere looking from a global perspective and compares that to what is currently happening with the voters, parties, and the way in which political parties run their campaigns. In the election of 2001 there was a strong negative reaction from the citizens, shown through many null and blank votes on the ballot, expressing their discontent with the parties and their options for candidates. In 2003 many new parties emerged, and one lasted and grew to be one of the strongest parties today, the PRO party. In this work I will examine this …

“Decentralization Dilemma In Indonesia: Does Decentralization Breed Corruption?”, Glenys Kirana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Given the pervasiveness of corruption, collusion and nepotism during Suharto’s rule (1967-1998), many people assume that the Reformasi era (1998-present) would introduce a new wave of liberal democratic values, which would consequently reduce corruption in Indonesia. This paper seeks to look at the changes in people’s socio-political incentives to corrupt given the changes in political and legal structure, analyzing it in the context of its contribution to Indonesia’s socio-economic development. Specifically, it centers on how decentralization has affected corruption in the regional districts, legislative, judiciary, and other civil society groups. It is the prominence of the corruption issue in the …

“Necesitamos Amar La Autonomía”: Los Retos Que Enfrenta El Desarrollo Autonómico De La Raas, Joshua L. Mayer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Twenty-four years after the passage of the Autonomy Law (Ley 28) by the Nicaraguan National Assembly, the Southern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS) continues to struggle to exercise its newfound rights and fill the space provided to it. Especially in the five years since President Daniel Ortega took office for the second time and began an earnest effort to reinforce the autonomy kept weak over the past sixteen years, the internal challenges facing the region’s ability to assert itself in its own political and economic development have become increasingly clear. This project aims to highlight these challenges as a synthesis of …

Let's Talk About It: Political Relationships In Nepal, Benjamin Wolf Lehr Mueser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the relationship between citizens, political parties, and local government in Nepal. Specifically, the research focuses on the relationship as it pertains to the decision-making processes in the VDC and DDC in Salleri, Solukhumbu. Through interviews with individuals at the policy level in Kathmandu, officials in Salleri, and residents of Salleri, the research studies this interaction and how it relates to citizen’s individual agency, political parties’ role as a middleman, and local government’s ability to communicate with local residents. The research concludes that parties are the only way for citizens to take their demands to local bodies. This …