Digital Commons Network^™

The Political Mobilization Of The Croatian Diaspora: Analyzing The Impact Of The Croatian Diaspora On Croatian Politics., Regina Cabrera Hernandez

Honors College Theses

This paper examines the relationship between the Croatian diaspora and the Croatian nation with the goal of better understanding this relationship and how diasporas can affect the homeland politically. I attempt to do this by studying and analyzing the history of the diaspora, their identity formation, and their actions throughout the 20th century. I begin with a look at the origins of the Croatian diaspora, and the developing relationship between the diaspora and the government of the homeland. With this, as changes in the makeup of the diaspora affected the relationship with the homeland, changes in the homeland also affected …

Power Projection And Counter-Terrorism: Strategies For Small States Like Brunei Darussalam, Brice Tseen Fu Lee, Gulshan Bibi Ms

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This study delves into the intricacies of power projection strategies and counter-terrorism measures, emphasizing their relevance to small states, with a specific focus on Brunei Darussalam. Using a dual matrix model, the research categorizes various strategies based on risk-reward parameters, offering a structured insight into potential approaches these states can employ against potential aggressors. The counter-terrorism matrix is the initial focal point, recognizing the contemporary significance of terror threats and their unique challenges for small nations. Subsequently, the power projection matrix offers a broader view of defense tactics beyond counter-terrorism. By synthesizing information from primary academic sources, the study aims …

Critical Consciousness & The Rural-Urban Divide, Kendall O'Rorke

University Honors Theses

This study investigated the relationship between conceptions of Critical Consciousness (CC) and urban vs. rural geographic location type. Participants (N = 31) completed the Short Critical Consciousness Scale (CCS-S), and 25 additional questions regarding potential location-based idealogical differences. No measurable differences were found regarding differences in conceptions of critical consciousness (using CCS-S scores) based on rural-urban location, however, other responses supported some current research regarding political typology. Additional research is needed to fully understand this topic.

The Decision To Invade: An Internal Perspective To The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine, Muhammad Damar Shafy Ramadhan

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia marked a new turning point in the history of the 21^st century and has had far-reaching effects for much of the globalized world. The intensity of such an unexpected and unprovoked war has made it crucial to seek out the reasons why Russia decided to wage war on Ukraine. As such, there is a need to look for a deeper origin of the conflict, especially the unique circumstances that led to such policy being pursued. A comprehensive and theoretical approach that connects all the dots into one chronological picture is required. To that …

The Social Determinants Of Health And Genocide: Towards A Public Health Integrated Framework Of Genocide And Mass Violence, Sian Persad, Cheng Xu

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This paper makes a normative argument about transformations of public health as a necessary condition required in any transitional justice process. We seek to bridge the gap between the fields of genocide and public health to understand the recursive relationship between genocide and the social determinants of health. We show that structures and institutions established during genocide create enduring impacts on the public health outcomes of victim and survivor groups even after the ousting of the original perpetrators. Our comparative analysis of the Rwandan Genocide and the colonial genocide of Indigenous communities in Canada surveys the available public health literature …

An Inchoate Process For The International Regulation Of Military Activities In Space, Baker Spring

Space and Defense

As the breadth and depth of military activities in space expand, demands are growing to regulate these activities at the international level. In some cases, these demands stem from the recognition that broader national security operations in space are moving away from a legacy of being dominated by secret intelligence activities and in the direction of more open military activities.1 In other cases, they are driven by the efforts of arms control advocates to roll back the “weaponization of space.”2 Regardless of the underlying motivations, the demands for international regulation are going to grow, and the debate will turn increasingly …

Russian Involvement In Frozen Conflicts Of The Post Soviet Space As A Means Of Geopolitical Positioning, Mary Giandjian

Governance: The Political Science Journal at UNLV

Upon the Soviet Union’s collapse, in a short time the once Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) became fifteen distinctly sovereign states, coupled by a sum of de facto states. The sum of these de facto states, realized from frozen conflicts, endure a distinct type of instability in Russia’s near abroad, where reconciliation is temporary given the frequent resumption of hostilities. In this paper, I detail major events of frozen conflicts in the Post Soviet Space, from South Ossetia to Nagorno-Karabakh, evaluating the Russian involvement of each de facto state’s respective frozen conflict. The combination of historical analysis and case …

The Influence Of The “Hayah Karima” Initiative On The Standard Of Living Of Egyptian Citizens: Evidence From The Menofia Governorate, Merihan Sharara

Theses and Dissertations

Social protection programs have been used in several developing countries in order to aid in their development efforts. In Egypt, “Hayah Karima”, an initiative which represents a developmental initiative endorsed by Egypt’s President Al-Sisi, aims to minimize the developmental gaps among citizens in terms of standards of living. “Hayah Karima” is based on governmental finance in partnership with the private sector. This paper covers this initiative and its different aspects as well as their possible impact on the standards of living for citizens in El- Menofia Governorate. The paper also includes 71 surveys conducted with different partners and beneficiaries of …

Space Deterrence Or Dominance?, Dwayne Liller

Space and Defense

A strategy to safeguard United States’ space assets is needed. Deterrence strategies, like Cold War nuclear deterrence, are often recommended. Nuclear deterrence history reveals that deterrence through dominance is what early strategists employed. Both Cold War adversaries attempted repeatedly to gain the lead in nuclear weapons. Seeking short term advantages activated the security dilemma and both sides responded in kind, guaranteeing an arms race. The faulty logic of the security dilemma was that the next advantage would bring security. This did not happen and illustrated how mutual vulnerability resulted from long term and determined opposition. That condition exists to this …

The New Space Order: Why Space Power Matters For Europe, Nicolas Peter

Space and Defense

More than fifty years since the dawn of the Space Age and twenty years since the end of the Cold War, space affairs and politics remain interlinked. Space activities are increasingly tied to national power for major world powers, and political objectives are still the driving force for most space activities. Yet in an ever more globalized and competitive multipolar world, status and power that arise from the employment and access to the most advanced technologies are now widely perceived as key to the powers and standings of states. The importance of space activities is increasing, transitioning in terms of …

Thailand Post King Bhumibol Adulyadej: An Uncertain Future, Daniel Hughes

Space and Defense

Student Contribution

If tourism were proportional to political stability in the sense that more people would want to travel to destinations in which they are ensured some semblance of security, then Thailand would indeed be one of the most stable and secure countries in the world, particularly in 2011 according to Forbes and Lonely Planet travel blogs. The truth, however, is that Thailand is simply a country that has done well to mask its political turmoil with the exception of the Bangkok riots of 2006. In reality, Thailand is a whirlpool of political deception, monarchical clandestine operations, and military intervention. …

International Space Negotiations, Emerging Space Powers, And U.S. Efforts To Protect The Military Use Of Space, Justin Anderson, Walt Conrad, Sarah Jacobs Gamberini

Space and Defense

In recent years strategists and diplomats from space faring nations have engaged in debates with their foreign counterparts (and in some cases, with each other) on a range of issues related to norms and laws – or the relative lack thereof – applicable to the military use of space. Questions have run the gamut from the very broad (should the slim volume of outer space law relevant to military platforms and operations be expanded?) to the very specific (what new technical tools are available for the verification regime of a notional future space arms control agreement?).

Welfare In Crisis: Labor And Social Protection In The Global South, Jake Lin, Dennis Arnold, Minh T. N. Nguyen

Political Science Faculty Publications

Welfare expansion in the global South is partly in response to the social crises caused by neoliberal restructuring since the 1980s, with the 2008 global financial crisis escalating them, and the covid-19 pandemic further exposing the impact on the most precarious working populations. What are the new dynamics of labor struggles against these structural, industrial, and health crises under the expansion of social protection or the lack thereof? How do the state and non-state actors manage recurring and new capitalist crises by reconfiguring labor and social policies? The contributions in this special issue address these questions by engaging with workers’ …

Great Power Cyberpolitics: Re-Interpreting Offensive Realism And Power Transition Theory For Cyber Deterrence, Yavuz Akdaǧ

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation assesses the empirical relevancy of realist International Relations (IR) theory in cyberspace and shows how a richer IR-based theory of cyber conflict can enhance the understanding of interstate cyber deterrence, especially in the context of US-Sino hegemonic cyber conflict or cyberwar. As states increasingly engage in cyber conflict by exploiting security vulnerabilities due to global interconnectivity (i.e., the Internet), cyber threat has become relevant for national security. Scholars constructed cyber deterrence to counter the threat using the fundamentals of the Cold War nuclear deterrence. Yet this approach is highly contested; cyberspace defies traditional deterrence concepts. Further theoretical analysis …

Geopolitics In Recent U.S. Professional Military Reading Lists, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Professional military reading lists have existed for a long time in the U.S. military and in other national militaries. They are frequently updated and intended to enhance the professional knowledge of military professionals in areas ranging from cultural awareness, ethics, leadership, international relations, military history and military operations, and areas of expertise considered essential to successfully executing the operations of their military service branch. These lists are prepared by the leadership organizations of these armed services such as the Air Force Chief of Staff, U.S. Army’s Chief of Staff, Chief of Naval Operations, and Marine Corps Commandant. Such readings are …

Meeting Growth Challenges Of Mexico Aerospace: The Queretaro Cluster, Monica Casalet

Space and Defense

Growing the Aerospace sector in Mexico requires multilevel agreement between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including foreign companies, and national and sub-national governments to stimulate programs and instruments for sector growth. In addition, space for local learning must be cultivated within a process of production organized hierarchically and highly regulated on the international level. The case of the Queretaro cluster is important due to the density of networks created, extensive public-private collaboration, and the emergence of specialized institutions to train and shape highly skilled (professionals and technicians) in the aerospace industry. Ultimately, there remains an important vacuum to fill in the …

The Public Muse In Congress: The Punctuation Of American Federal Arts Policy, Elizabeth Deichmann

Dissertations

In 1989, American federal arts policy changed suddenly and drastically when the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) gained unprecedented attention in Congress for controversial grant awards that supported two visual artists. Prior to this, federal arts policy was an insulated subsystem run by experts applying high art aesthetic standards to grantmaking. Informed by punctuated-equilibrium theory (PET), this investigation of congressional rhetoric shows that Republican policy entrepreneurs during this time effectively set a new, more negative tone about federal arts policy by harnessing conservative culture wars messages. The change in tone preceded federal arts policy’s arrival on the broader congressional …

The Gift That Never Stops Giving: A Comparison Of Us Aide And Reconstruction In Afghanistan, Post-War Europe, And Ukraine, John Chadwick Canty Jr.

Washington Semester Program

This research paper seeks to add to the rich historiography of US foreign aid and interventions abroad by examining both the aid given during the war in Afghanistan and the Marshall Plan. Afghanistan saw $2 trillion spent on programs seemingly without clearly defined aims and which collapsed within 11 days in 2021. On the other hand, the Marshall Plan economically resuscitated a Western Europe devastated by the Second World War. Dissecting these two cases will allow the author to understand where the money went, what the aims of the aid were, how it was disbursed, and whether or not the …

Restricted At Home, Impeded Abroad: A Study Of Domestic Human Rights Practices And Women’S Global Economic Power, Cameron Elizabeth Cheatham

Honors College Theses

To what extent does the practice of human rights as universal or culturally relative impact women’s status in the global economy? While there is already evidence to show how women have less power in countries that practice culturally relative human rights, this study aims to explore how the domestic practice of human rights influences women’s global power through an analysis of women’s financial inclusion. Using a cross-national, quantitative analysis, I show that human rights practices in the domestic arena directly impact the economic power of women in the global economy. When human rights practices at home are more universal in …

Income Inequality, Social Mobility, And Electoral Participation In The U.S. Counties: Revisiting The Inequality-Participation Nexus, Dongkyu Kim, Mi-Son Kim, Sang-Jic Lee

Political Science Faculty Publications

Previous research has provided contested hypotheses about the impact of income inequality on electoral participation. This study reexamines the debate between conflict and relative power theories by focusing on a largely ignored factor: social mobility. We argue that social mobility conditions the inequality-participation nexus by alleviating the frustration, class conflict, and efficacy gaps between the rich and the poor that the prevailing theories assume income inequality to create. By utilizing the Cooperative Congressional Election Survey, we test this argument focusing on US counties. Our analysis confirms that the effects of income inequality on citizens’ likelihood of voting vary depending on …

Cadet Voice: Extended Deterrence And Resilience In The Baltic States, Liam J. Connolly

Space and Defense

The following USAFA cadet independent study was supported by the Academy’s Nuclear Weapons & Strategy minor and the Cadet Summer Language Immersion Program to Lithuania. With minor formatting changes, the paper here appears as submitted to the USSTRATCOM Larry D. Welch Writing Award and the summer Deterrence Symposium (Omaha, NE), July 31-Aug. 1, 2019, where it won junior division, first place.

Since the end of the Second World War the United States has practiced extended deterrence as a means of resisting Russian expansion and aggression. In Europe, the US has done this with the support of the North Atlantic Treaty …

The Impact Of Political Polarization On Church Life In The Upper Midwest, Andrew Bramsen

Day of Scholarship

Political polarization in the USA has been rapidly increasing since the 1990s. During that same time period, demographic data has shown both a growing population of religious “nones” who no longer identify with a faith tradition and a declining influence for churches and church leaders as the political identities of American Christians becomes more and more central to who they are. This presentation explores this dynamic, examining how rising polarization is impacting church life by drawing on twenty-six interviews with upper Midwest pastors that the author conducted during his 2021 sabbatical. Across denominational lines and urban, rural and suburban contexts, …

Review Of Inju$Tice, Inc.: How America’S Justice System Commodifies Children And The Poor, Thomas Hansen

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Book review of this title explaining the corruption and the lack of ethics in Ohio and some other states involved in juvenile justice system, foster care placement, fines, fees, and jail.

Students’ Perceptions Of Threats To Their World' Future: An Introduction To Iccs And Global Lesson Plan, James A. Duplass, Reinis Alksnis, Ireta Čekse,

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article explains the scope and value of the only international assessment (IEA The International Civic and Citizen Education Study, IEA ICCS) of “Civic Understanding” and a uses data from the international comparative study to create a global education lesson plan for U.S. social studies teachers to have their students consider their perceptions of threats to their world as compared to students in other countries. The lesson would most likely be used with middle and high school students.

Grounding History Instruction: Engaging Place And Scale Through Iterative Local Inquiry Design, Megan Vangorder

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Teaching local history is often an afterthought in the high school history classroom. It is difficult to find enough instructional time to incorporate local stories and there are often gaps in resource development and approach from a local lens. This article seeks to help teachers articulate a locally driven inquiry approach. Using Illinois as the local framework and the C3 Inquiry Design Model as the tool, teachers can begin to map out how to implement the competing mandates to promote disciplinary skill development, demonstrate content expertise using state mandated units of study, drive student-oriented history, and foster civic competence all …

Determinants Of Foreign Policy In Turkish-Greek Relations, Rawa’A Mohammad Deifallah Aljazzazi

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

The Turkish-Greek relations are thorny relations, dominated by military intervention on some occasions and the threat of the use of military force at other times. This study came to analyze the principles of both Turkey and Greek foreign policy, shed light on the most important factors that limit Turkish-Greek relations, and present three scenarios for the future of Turkish-Greek relations. To achieve these objectives, the study used a decision-making approach and revealed that Turkish-Greek relations are determined by various contentious issues represented by the dispute in the Aegean Sea, the dispute over the island of Cyprus, the dispute over the …

Visualizing Affective Democracy: Learning Community In China And Taiwan Through Images Of Foreigners, William A. Callahan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In the past few years, cross-strait relations have been in the news again, especially in terms of China’s hard power reunification strategy and its sharp power influence operations. Indeed, much ink has been spilled about what lessons Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has for a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Taiwan’s presidential election in January 2024 has also led to increased analysis on Beijing’s use disinformation, misinformation, and other influence operations to favor candidates more friendly to the PRC. Indeed, Chinese military’s daily testing of Taiwan’s air and sea defense is both a hard power and a sharp power strategy because …

Carbon Credibility: Strategic Opportunities For Asean Regional Industrial Policy In Voluntary Carbon Markets, Bryan Jed Soh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Carbon offsets have come under increasing scrutiny due to uncertainties in real carbon abatement, transparency, and fears that it will exacerbate global inequality by allowing the global North to ‘pay to pollute’ through ethically questionable projects in the South. Following Article 2.1.C of the Paris Agreement, this paper argues that the global green transition requires private capital to be fully mobilized through voluntary carbon markets (VCMs). Given that ASEAN states face some of the world’s greatest climate risks while being a fast-growing region, this case study answers the question: how can states play a more proactive role in regulating VCMs …

A Comparative Measure Of Judicial Legitimacy, Rahul Hemrajani

Theses and Dissertations

In the Federalist papers, Hamilton emphasized the vulnerability of courts as the weakest branch of government, lacking both the power of the "purse" and the "sword." Consequently, courts can secure compliance with their decisions only if people believe in the legitimacy of their actions. Courts that are seen as legitimate by the public can better prevent governmental overreach, enhance the rule of law, and protect democratic rights. However, there is no consensus on how to validly measure the legitimacy of courts. Additionally, existing research on legitimacy focuses on courts in the United States; we know little about judicial legitimacy in …

Help-Seeking Behavior Among Resettled Refugee, Mahfoudha Sid’Elemine

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The refugee resettlement process is a huge part of refugees’ journeys in their new countries that has a lasting impact on their long-term integration. The literature highlights the importance of trust for successful refugee resettlement. This dissertation, however, challenges assumptions about the primary importance of “trust” and argues that the importance of trust is relative and can depend on the nature of the resettlement program and the perspective and background of refugees. In other words, there is not a one-size-fits-all of trust building in the context of resettlement. For certain resettlement programs trust building can be counterproductive when resources are …