Digital Commons Network^™

China's Soft Power Offensive In The United States: Cultural Diplomacy, Media Campaigning, And Congressional Lobbying, Kalika A. Tullock

CMC Senior Theses

As China’s economic and military power develops and expands, it has been focusing recent efforts on upgrading its soft power in order to quell concerns and apprehensions about its rise. As the two most powerful nations in the world, China and the United States have both attached great importance to Sino-U.S. relations, recognizing that the structure of the future global community will be largely dependent upon these two countries effectively collaborating in shaping the global structure and improving global issues. Facing an American public that views China as a threat and competitor, as well as Western media that consistently paints …

The Advancement Of European Security Integration, Rachel Anne Dicke

Masters Theses

For almost a decade and a half the European Union has been steadily developing as a global security actor, attempting to unify disparate national security polices into a more coherent, European security policy. The progress of European Security Integration (ESI) is the subject of this thesis, and has been examined in terms of three critical elements. By studying an EU-level defense institution, several individual member states, and an EU-led crisis management operation, a more comprehensive sense of the process could be obtained. The European Defence Agency is analyzed in Chapter 2, followed by the states Denmark, Sweden, and Finland in …

Terrorism: The Effect Of Positive Social Sanctions, Curtis Hibbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that relative deprivation, mental illness, culture, ideology, and various forms of social learning are often identified as factors that can lead an individual to terrorism. However, understanding the value of influences in the form of positive social sanctions through social contact has not been fully explored throughout terrorist studies. In regards to influencing behavior, positive social sanctions elicit a desired behavior which is reinforced through praise or rewards. By utilizing a case study approach, this thesis looks to determine the significance of positive social sanctions through social contact on select individuals who have committed an act of terror …

Is Nigeria's Conflict Ethnic Or Religious?: Resolving The Escalating Conflict In Nigeria, Ejikeme Nonso Alo

Masters Theses

The history and politics in Nigeria have often been characterized and marred with conflict, ranging from political to religious, ethnic and electoral violence. In this study, Edward Azar's Protracted Social Conflict theory which advocates for a multidimensional analysis of conflict was adopted in an attempt to properly understanding the nature and manifestation of the current Boko Haram insurgence in Nigeria. Methodologically, both the qualitative and quantitative methods were deployed. Survey's (questionnaires and evidence from social media) was conducted in the three regions with the aim of comparing and contrasting various perspectives on the root cause of the conflict. While lack …

Protracted Social Conflict: A Reconceptualization And Case Analysis, Melissa M. C. Beaudoin

Theses and Dissertations

What are the necessary components of protracted social conflict (PSC)? The works of Edward Azar have laid the foundation as to how PSC is approached in modern scholarship by identifying four necessary components: effective participation, security, distinctive identity, and social recognition of identity. However, do these components account for all of the descriptive and sustaining aspects of PSC? How are these components measured? Furthermore, testing and verification of these components has been limited. Of specific interest to this dissertation, then, is how the theory of PSC is organized and what its theoretically necessary components truly are. This dissertation reconceputalizes and …

Reconciling Positivism And Realism: Kelsen And Habermas On Democracy And Human Rights, David Ingram

Philosophy: Faculty Publications and Other Works

It is well known that Hans Kelsen and Jürgen Habermas invoke realist arguments drawn from social science in defending an international, democratic human rights regime against Carl Schmitt’s attack on the rule of law. However, despite embracing the realist spirit of Kelsen’s legal positivism, Habermas criticizes Kelsen for neglecting to connect the rule of law with a concept of procedural justice (Part I). I argue, to the contrary (Part II), that Kelsen does connect these terms, albeit in a manner that may be best described as functional, rather than conceptual. Indeed, whereas Habermas tends to emphasize a conceptual connection between …

Slaves To Contradictions: 13 Myths That Sustained Slavery, Wilson Huhn

Akron Law Faculty Publications

People have a fundamental need to think of themselves as “good people.” To achieve this we tell each other stories – we create myths – about ourselves and our society. These myths may be true or they may be false. The more discordant a myth is with reality, the more difficult it is to convince people to embrace it. In such cases to sustain the illusion of truth it may be necessary to develop an entire mythology – an integrated web of mutually supporting stories. This paper explores the system of myths that sustained the institution of slavery in the …

Pierre Manent: Democracy Without Nations? The Fate Of Self-Government In Europe Study Guide, 2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Erik Von Kuehnelt-Leddihn: Leftism: From De Sade And Marx To Hitler And Marcuse Study Guide, C. 1990-2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Failures Of Intelligence Reform, Amber Ciemniewski

Honors Theses

Intelligence reform is the legislation implemented by the federal government that's purpose is to improve the effectiveness and success of the intelligence community. It would seem evident that intelligence reform has failed, but the more important questions lie in where it has failed and how to fix it. In this thesis, it will be argued that reform attempts have failed by focusing on surface problems rather than addressing their sources. Future reforms should focus on the relationship dynamic between the intelligence community and the policymakers it serves. There has been extensive literature published on the problems in the intelligence community …

Dual Intransigence: An Assessment Of The Us-Iran Conflict And Prospects For Rapprochement, Chad Lama

Master's Theses

In the months leading up to the 2012 Presidential Election, a number of Republican candidates that were vying for the nomination against the incumbent, Barack Obama, made sensational claims regarding the “Nuclear Iran Question”. This study discusses the issue of a nuclear Iran, what this means for regional stability, and what America’s options are in dealing with the Islamic Republic. Specifically the researcher addresses the consequences of a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, conducting a discourse analysis for the purposes of demonstrating the polarizing affect this issue has had on some of the leading scholars, theorists and practitioners. The central …

Troubling Questions About Obama’S Drone Warfare, Nicholas Hayes

University Chair in Critical Thinking Publications

No abstract provided.

The Full Story Of United States V. Smith, America’S Most Important Piracy Case, Joel H. Samuels

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

This article explores the seminal United States Supreme Court decision of United States v. Smith (1820). Smith, an early piracy case, has influenced developments in both domestic and international law on piracy, universal jurisdiction, and a range of broader themes. This article is the first to explore the context within which the case arose, as well as the circumstances of the case itself. In addition to the details of the case, the story of the men prosecuted for their cruise aboard the vessel known as the Irresistible in the late spring and early summer of 1819 also offers a …

The Growing Dark Side Of Cyberspace ( . . . And What To Do About It), Ronald Deibert

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

Cyberspace – the global environment of digital communications – surrounds and embodies us entirely, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are always on, always connected: emailing, texting, searching, networking, and sharing are all now as commonplace as eating, breathing, and sleeping. But there is a dark side to cyberspace - hidden contests and malicious threats - that is growing like a disease from the inside-out. This disease has many symptoms, and is being reinforced by a multiplicity of disparate but mutually reinforcing causes. Some of these driving forces are unintended byproducts of the new digital universe into …

Charles Hill: Trial Of A Thousand Years: World Order And Islamism Study Guide, 2012, Steven A. Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Living Beyond The End Times: Living In The End Times, Edward Sandowski, Betty J. Harris

International Dialogue

In Living in the End Times, Slavoj Žižek takes up themes many of which he has explored elsewhere in his numerous works embodied in varied media. This Slovenian origin cosmopolitan philosopher and cultural critic uses many types of outlets and modes of expression (books and scholarly journal articles, but also journalistic publications, TV interviews, appearances in documentary films, etc.) to explore variegated subject matter. He responds to politics in an age of increasing globalization by taking up a global range of issues, and responds to the multimedia environment which conveys ideology as false consciousness with his own multimedia works, possibly …

The Israeli Defense Forces In The 21st Century: Humanitarian Complier Or Human Rights Violators? An Assessment Of Ihl Compliance In The Second Lebanon War And Operation Cast Lead, Skyler Scoggan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My reasons behind writing this paper are very personal and its conclusion will have a direct impact on my future. I am Jewish by blood and have always have had a strong connection with the tradition even though I do not consider myself religious. I have respected more so the traditions and culture that have come from the faith of my mother. The fact that my grandfather, great grandfather, and the dozen more before him, carried on these same rituals that I carry out on Shabbat or on the high holidays, is beyond the realm of being special. Many cannot …

"It Was Awful, But It Was Politics": Crittenden County And The Demise Of African American Political Participation, Krista Michelle Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the vast scholarship that exists discussing why Democrats sought restrictive suffrage laws, little attention has been given by historians to examine how concern over local government drove disfranchisement measures. This study examines how the authors of disfranchisement laws were influenced by what was happening in Crittenden County where African Americans, because of their numerical majority, wielded enough political power to determine election outcomes. In the years following the Civil War, African Americans established strong communities, educated themselves, secured independent institutions, and most importantly became active in politics. Because of their numerical majority, Crittenden's African Americans were elected to county …

A Sanctuary For Discussion: Liberal Religion And Foreign Policy Attitudes, Madeline M. Hoffer

Department of Political Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Through a series of focus groups conducted in liberal churches, I find that people who attend liberal churches have matching liberal political views. I also find that these liberal congregations do not look to their ministers to dictate acceptable foreign policy views, but that ministers do sometimes discuss foreign policy with their congregations. Most importantly, I find that members of liberal churches have many opportunities to discuss foreign policy issues among themselves, and that members often gain information by participating in these discussions.

Adviser: Alice J. Kang

The Ethnic Security Dilemma And Ethnic Violence: An Alternative Empirical Model And Its Explanatory Power, Jiaxing Xu

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Beginning in the 1990s, a trend of using the security dilemma to explain ethnic violence has emerged. However, previous research mainly focuses on individual cases with large-scale violence; whether ethnic security dilemma theory is a sound approach to explain less violent ethnic conflict remains unclear. This paper employs a large-N design and tests the hypothesis that the ethnic security dilemma causes ethnic conflicts, without discriminating between differences in severity and scale of conflict. The paper also conducts a longitudinal comparison with a previous quantitative model using the latest data available. The empirical results do not support the hypothesis and suggest …

Eiu Political Science Review -- Fall 2012, Eastern Illinois University Department Of Political Science

EIU Political Science Review

The EIU Political Science Review is a new online journal created specifically for undergraduate students of political science. The journal consists of a variety of high-quality, peer reviewed undergraduate papers. Nearly any type of political science paper from a EIU political science course (3000-4000) can be submitted to the journal including: position papers, analytical critiques, research papers, book reviews, case briefs, and many more. If you're interested in submitting one of your own pieces of work please read below for more information.

All Is Fair In War---Violent Conflict And The Securitization Of Rape, Sabine Hirschauer

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Systematic mass rape during conflict has for centuries met with global ignorance and political complacency despite its atrocious character. The conflicts in Bosnia and Rwanda in the 1990s altered the silence surrounding this long tolerated, dark underbelly of war. Applying Barry Buzan's and Ole Waever'sSecuritization Theory to the cases of Bosnia and Rwanda, this dissertation finds that rape during both wars was successfully securitized. Securitization Theory as a model and indicator of an effective shifting of rape from an apolitical or political perspective into the security realm was appropriate. Bosnia initiated the first convictions of rape as a …

First Steps Towards Hearts And Minds? Usaid's Countering Violent Extremism Policies In Africa, Daniel P. Aldrich

PPRI Digital Library

The United States government has adopted new approaches to counter violent extremist organizations around the world. “Soft security” and development programs include focused educational training for groups vulnerable to terrorist recruitment, norm messaging through local radio programming, and job creation in rural communities. This article evaluates the effectiveness of one set of these multi-vectored, community-level programs through analysis of data from 200 respondents in two similar, neighboring cities in northern Mali, Africa. The data show that residents in Timbuktu who were exposed to the programming for up to five years displayed measurably altered civic behavior and listening patterns in comparison …

Making Executive Privilege Work: A Multi-Factor Test In An Age Of Czars And Congressional Oversight, Ken Klukowski

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Ibn Khaldun And The Modern Social Sciences: A Comparative Theoretical Inquiry Into Society, The State, And Revolution, Douglas H. Garrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis represents a link in a long chain of recent Western scholarship that has attempted to bring the work of Ibn Khaldun, the late 14th century Tunisian jurist and historian, into the mainstream of historiographic, political, and sociological learning. Why Ibn Khaldun? What makes his work stand out among the classics of pre-modern and early-modern political and social theory? Why are his ideas still relevant to the study of politics and societies today? My thesis attempts to answer these questions through the lenses of comparative political theory and theoretical reinterpretation.

The study hinges on a thematic comparison of Ibn …

Gaetano Salvemini: A Lesson In Thought And Action, Michael Christopher Diclemente

Graduate Masters Theses

Gaetano Salvemini was one of the earliest political exiles during Fascism. Before his exile Salvemini had the reputation of being a well-respected historian and political activist. He taught history at the University of Florence, among other universities. Salvemini was known for his intelligence, detailed research and analysis, and his unflinching ideals. After his exile Salvemini spent some time in England and France. During this time he traveled to the United States for a lecture tour and later settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts to teach at Harvard University. Salvemini's main objective in his writing and lectures was to debunk the myths of …

Is Iraq Another Vietnam -- Or Not?, Kenneth M. Jones

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

Fidel Castro And The Cuban Revolution, Gary Prevost

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

9/11 And The Butterfly Effect, Taylor Eubanks

Honors Theses

September 11, 2001, is a day that forever changed and impacted this nation. Following the worst terror attacks in our nation's history, the citizens of this nation showed the absolute best parts of humanity and simultaneously the lowest depths of ignorance and hate. Immediately in the days following 9/11, an incredible sense of solidarity and pride for our nation was felt no matter what part of the country you were in. It seemed as though every home had an American flag hanging from their porch in unison. This level of Patriotism can be a truly beautiful thing, however, it can …

Ping-Pong And Power Plays: How The Redefinition Of U.S. - China Relations From 1971-1972 Affects U.S. Foreign Policy Today, Michelle Allgood

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In 1972, President Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China in an attempt to redefine U.S.-China relations. Since that time, China has progressed in standing and prevalence and is becoming an increasingly powerful influence in the Asian-Pacific region. The U.S. influence and presence in the Asian-Pacific region has been diminished by China’s growing power. This shift in roles will continue to influence U.S.-China relations along with U.S. relations in the Asian- Pacific area. Using the balance of power theory and balance of threat theory, I will analyze the circumstances surrounding the U.S.-China rapprochement from 1970-1972. An understanding of the events …