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2008

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Virginity Testing And South Africa's Hiv/Aids Crisis: Beyond Rights Universalism And Cultural Relativism Toward Health Capabilities, Erika George Dec 2008

Virginity Testing And South Africa's Hiv/Aids Crisis: Beyond Rights Universalism And Cultural Relativism Toward Health Capabilities, Erika George

Faculty Scholarship

In this Article, I explore the tension between the politics of culture and the rights of women and girls to equality, privacy, and sexual autonomy in the context of epidemic disease. Specifically, this Article examines the political debate surrounding the resurgence of virginity testing, its widespread popular support in certain communities, and the South African government's recent efforts to prohibit the practice. This Article argues that the current debate over virginity testing, which focuses on abolition or accommodation of the practice, is misguided and polarizing. It argues that these perspectives on the debate increase the likelihood that the problem causing …

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Robust Longitudinal Rate Gyro Bias Estimation For Reliable Pitch Attitude Observation Through Utilization Of A Displaced Accelerometer Array, Ryan Weisman Dec 2008

Robust Longitudinal Rate Gyro Bias Estimation For Reliable Pitch Attitude Observation Through Utilization Of A Displaced Accelerometer Array, Ryan Weisman

Theses

In this thesis, a novel attitude estimation device is proposed utilizing cost-effective measurement sensors. The device fuses a rate gyroscope with an accelerometer array to estimate and eliminate the rate gyro bias online yielding accurate real time aircraft attitude tracking. Attitude determination algorithms are dependent on instantaneous and accurate measurements of translational and rotational body rates for precise estimation of vehicle orientation in three-dimensional space. Measurement error of instantaneous rate sensors, gyroscopes, is introduced via inherent biases and signal noise resulting in gyro drift. Integration of the rate signal for calculation of a net displacement amplifies these minute measurement errors …

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Assessing Podcasting As A Learning Methodology For Digital Natives And Digital Immigrants In The Corporate Learning Environment, Niccole Byrd Chandler Dec 2008

Assessing Podcasting As A Learning Methodology For Digital Natives And Digital Immigrants In The Corporate Learning Environment, Niccole Byrd Chandler

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher examined employee perceptions of pod casting through the use of the Technology Acceptance Model and how those perceptions influenced corporate decision making for the selection of podcasting technologies. The stratified random sample was divided into two groups: digital natives (N = 127) and digital immigrants (N = 128). Both groups consisted of employees that work within learning environments at one of three service-oriented organizations within the United States. The groups answered the survey-based test to determine their perceptions of ease of use and usefulness toward podcasting in a corporate training environment. Results revealed a statistically significant difference between …

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Spiral Of Silence And The Iraq War, Jessica Drake Dec 2008

Spiral Of Silence And The Iraq War, Jessica Drake

Theses

Discussing controversial issues may be hard for some individuals because they fear they may become isolated. The Iraq War serves as one such controversy in which some individuals might avoid publicly expressing their opinion. Spiral of silence, a communication theory set forth by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann can be used to explain why some individuals will publicly express their opinion of the Iraq War while others will not. A Web-based survey was distributed to Rochester Institute of Technology faculty, staff and students. This study investigated public opinion expression through interactive forms of media such as discussion forums, blogs and Web sites.

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Differences In Self-Reported Perceptions Of Privacy Between Online Social And Commercial Networking Users, Jessie Hughes Dec 2008

Differences In Self-Reported Perceptions Of Privacy Between Online Social And Commercial Networking Users, Jessie Hughes

Theses

Previous research suggests individual privacy is affected in an online environment, and users’ experiences while on those sites may also have an effect on their perceptions. Users’ personal perceptions of their privacy may be shaped by multiple variables such as the frequency in which they use the site, if they are a social or commercial networker, and their age. The present study investigates users of social and commercial web sites and their self-reported perceived levels of privacy when using those sites. The present study discovered that users showed concern over what information should be given when socially and commercially networking. …

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Alagnak Wild River Visitor Use Project: Alagnak Wild River Resident User Study, Douglas Deur Dec 2008

Alagnak Wild River Visitor Use Project: Alagnak Wild River Resident User Study, Douglas Deur

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report represents a thematic summary of findings from the Alagnak Wild River Resident Users Study, the final project in a larger series of studies conducted for the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the Alagnak Wild River Visitor Use Project. The National Park service administers the 56 miles of designated Wild River along the Alagnak in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which manages fish and wildlife populations along the river. The NPS is charged with managing the river’s natural and cultural resources, as well as preserving the river’s lands and resources for current and …

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White Settler / Big City: Mimicry In The Metropolis In Fergus Hume’S The Mystery Of A Hansom Cab, Mark Kipperman Dec 2008

White Settler / Big City: Mimicry In The Metropolis In Fergus Hume’S The Mystery Of A Hansom Cab, Mark Kipperman

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

This essay discusses Fergus Hume's 19th-century detective novel "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab." The primary focus is on the novel's setting, which features descriptions of British colonialism in Australia and New Zealand. The imagery of a frontier wilderness inhabited by scandalous adventurers, vicious convicts and corrupt rich people is discussed.

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The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2008, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, David C. Bailey, Travis Lewis, Eleanor P. Gaines Dec 2008

The Distribution And Reproductive Success Of The Western Snowy Plover Along The Oregon Coast - 2008, David J. Lauten, Kathleen J. Castelein, David C. Bailey, Travis Lewis, Eleanor P. Gaines

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

From 1 April – 24 September 2008, we monitored the distribution, abundance and productivity of the federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) along the Oregon coast. From north to south, we surveyed and monitored plover activity at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos River estuary, the Dunes Overlook, North Tahkenitch Creek, Tenmile Creek, Coos Bay North Spit, Bandon Beach, and New River. Our objectives for the Oregon coastal population in 2008 were to: 1) estimate the size of the adult Snowy Plover population, 2) locate plover nests, 3) continue selected use of miniexclosures (MEs) to protect nests from predators …

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Meeting Report: Methylmercury In Marine Ecosystems—From Sources To Seafood Consumers, Celia Y. Chen, Nancy Serrell, David C. Evers, Bethany J. Fleishman, Kathleen F. Lambert, Jeri Weiss, Robert P. Mason, Michael S. Bank Dec 2008

Meeting Report: Methylmercury In Marine Ecosystems—From Sources To Seafood Consumers, Celia Y. Chen, Nancy Serrell, David C. Evers, Bethany J. Fleishman, Kathleen F. Lambert, Jeri Weiss, Robert P. Mason, Michael S. Bank

Dartmouth Scholarship

Mercury and other contaminants in coastal and open-ocean ecosystems are an issue of great concern globally and in the United States, where consumption of marine fish and shellfish is a major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg). A recent National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences–Superfund Basic Research Program workshop titled “Fate and Bioavailability of Mercury in Aquatic Ecosystems and Effects on Human Exposure,” convened by the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Research Program on 15–16 November 2006 in Durham, New Hampshire, brought together human health experts, marine scientists, and ecotoxicologists to encourage cross-disciplinary discussion between ecosystem and human health scientists and …

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Raps Sheet, December 2008, Retirement Association Of Portland State Dec 2008

Raps Sheet, December 2008, Retirement Association Of Portland State

RAPS Sheet: Monthly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

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How Can We Best Manage Freeway Congestion?, Robert Bertini, Christopher Monsere Dec 2008

How Can We Best Manage Freeway Congestion?, Robert Bertini, Christopher Monsere

TREC Project Briefs

Researchers from Portland State University evaluate Oregon’s Implementation of System-Wide Adaptive Ramp Metering (SWARM).

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Understanding And Measuring Bicycling Behavior: A Focus On Travel Time And Route Choice, Jennifer Dill, John Gliebe Dec 2008

Understanding And Measuring Bicycling Behavior: A Focus On Travel Time And Route Choice, Jennifer Dill, John Gliebe

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

With rates of obesity, heart disease, and related health problems increasing in the U.S. many policy makers are looking for ways to increase physical activity in everyday life. Using a bicycle instead of a motor vehicle for a portion of everyday travel could help address these problems. This research aims to fill a gap in the existing literature on the effect of different types of infrastructure, such as bicycle lanes or paths, on bicycling. The project used global positioning system (GPS) technology to record where a sample of 164 adults in the Portland, OR region rode their bicycles. Data was …

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Ashland School District: Population And Enrollment Forecasts 2009-10 To 2018-19, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Kenneth Radin, Vivian Siu Dec 2008

Ashland School District: Population And Enrollment Forecasts 2009-10 To 2018-19, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Kenneth Radin, Vivian Siu

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

The area served by the Ashland School District (ASD) has experienced population and housing growth in recent years, but the District's K-12 school enrollment of 2,627 students in Fall 2008 was 703 students (21 percent) fewer than it enrolled in Fall 2000. The long period of falling enrollment began after the 1993-94 school year; enrollment has not grown by more than a few students in any year since. In 10 of the last 15 years there have been significant K-12 enrollment losses ranging from 31 to 133 students. This report presents the results of a study conducted by the Portland …

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Tigard-Tualatin School District Enrollment Forecast Update, 2009-10 To 2018-19, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu, Danan Gu Dec 2008

Tigard-Tualatin School District Enrollment Forecast Update, 2009-10 To 2018-19, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu, Danan Gu

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

The Tigard-Tualatin School District (TTSD) enrolled 12,595 students in Fall 2008, an increase of 135 students (1.1 percent) from Fall 2007. Growth was concentrated in elementary and middle grades, with increases of 99 students (1.7 percent) in grades K-5 and 36 students (1.3 percent) in grades 6-8. District-wide enrollment in high school grades 9-12 was unchanged from Fall 2007. This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC). The study includes analysis of population, housing and enrollment trends affecting the District in recent years, estimates of the impacts of new …

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The National Study On Carless And Special Needs Evacuation Planning: Government And Non-Profit Focus Group Results, John L. Renne, Pamela Jenkins, Thomas W. Sanchez, Robert C. Peterson Dec 2008

The National Study On Carless And Special Needs Evacuation Planning: Government And Non-Profit Focus Group Results, John L. Renne, Pamela Jenkins, Thomas W. Sanchez, Robert C. Peterson

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

This report summarizes focus groups, conducted during the fall of 2007 on the topic of carless and special needs evacuation planning, each with government officials and non-profit organizations in Chicago, Miami, New Orleans, New York and San Francisco. Groups were asked questions on challenges, strengths and resources; cross-jurisdictional relationships; and evacuation training and planning.

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Experiments And Models For The Thermal Response Of Railroad Tapered-Roller Bearings, Constantine Tarawneh, Kevin D. Cole, Brent Wilson, Fadi Alnaimat Dec 2008

Experiments And Models For The Thermal Response Of Railroad Tapered-Roller Bearings, Constantine Tarawneh, Kevin D. Cole, Brent Wilson, Fadi Alnaimat

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The need to understand and quantify the heat transfer paths within tapered-roller bearings is of great importance in the railroad industry since bearing cup temperature measurement is the primary tool utilized in the removal of distressed bearings from service. Experiments were performed to acquire temperature histories at several locations on a stationary bearing subjected to heat sources imbedded in two rollers. The experimental results were compared to zero- and first-order thermal models to estimate overall heat transfer coefficients from the bearing. The results presented here can be used to explain some of the mechanisms that lead to overheating of tapered-roller …

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Characterization Of Thermal And Electrical Properties Of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (Frp) Composites, Raja Ram Tipirneni Dec 2008

Characterization Of Thermal And Electrical Properties Of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (Frp) Composites, Raja Ram Tipirneni

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Thermal conductivity of a polymer composite is a function of resin type, fiber type and architecture, fiber volume fraction, direction of heat flow, and service temperature. Recognizing the thermal responses in Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite decks play a critical role in their performance, accurate thermal measurements of FRP decks are essential. A major focus has been placed on measurements of thermal conductivity in through-the thickness direction of a FRP composite.;Current research focus has been on characterization of thermal conductivity in the planar direction (along the direction of the fiber and transverse direction of the fiber) of a composite laminate. …

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The Partisan Politics That Led To The Spanish-American War, Donald E. Thompson Jr. Dec 2008

The Partisan Politics That Led To The Spanish-American War, Donald E. Thompson Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores how partisan politics played a major role in leading the United States into the Spanish-American War. With the unprecedented economic depression that began in 1893, many American politicians exploited a rebellion in Cuba to distract Americans from their own financial problems. During the administration of Grover Cleveland politicians from all political parties supported American intervention in Cuba on behalf of the rebels. This show of support for the Cuban rebels by politicians was designed to rally the American public around a common cause and highlight the difference between them and the unpopular President Cleveland who opposed American …

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Republican Mothers Of And Above Their Time: Abigail Adams And Theodosia Burr Alston, Joanna Lyn Reynolds Dec 2008

Republican Mothers Of And Above Their Time: Abigail Adams And Theodosia Burr Alston, Joanna Lyn Reynolds

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Unique in their time, Abigail Adams and Theodosia Burr Alston possessed intellectual accomplishments, social prominence, and economic status. Also, both women enjoyed supportive marriages with influential husbands as well as proximity to leading male figures of the Revolution and the new nation. Yet, similar to other women of their era, Abigail Adams and Theodosia Burr Alston nurtured their children's educational and moral development, supported their husbands' public service, and kept informed about current events. While marked differences in lifestyle, geographic environment, familial dynamics, and the public and political affiliations of their male family members distinguished them from each other, as …

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Venous Thromboembolic Disease After Total Hip And Knee Arthroplasty, Steven B. Haas, Robert L. Barrack, Geoffrey Westrich, Paul F. Lachiewicz Dec 2008

Venous Thromboembolic Disease After Total Hip And Knee Arthroplasty, Steven B. Haas, Robert L. Barrack, Geoffrey Westrich, Paul F. Lachiewicz

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

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Many Specialists For Suppressing Cortical Excitation, Andreas Burkhalter Dec 2008

Many Specialists For Suppressing Cortical Excitation, Andreas Burkhalter

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

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Development And Evaluation Of A Minimally Invasive Sampling Technique To Estimate The Age Of Living Birds, Crissa K. Cooey Dec 2008

Development And Evaluation Of A Minimally Invasive Sampling Technique To Estimate The Age Of Living Birds, Crissa K. Cooey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using pest species in initial studies of pentosidine (Ps) aging research for birds may be the catalyst to discovering more effective population control strategies for pest, invasive, and hard to manage birds. Pentosidine is an irreversible, stable, fluorescent, collagen cross-link, created through the Maillard reaction, which has been found to accumulate throughout the lifetime of an organism in various body parts such as skin, lens crystalline, and dura matter. Pentosidine assays are more accurate at determining the age of adult birds in comparison to plumage coloration, eye and mouth color, feather wear, and molt sequences due to the discovery that …

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Ecology Of A Central Appalachian White-Tailed Deer Herd At Low Density, Shawn M. Crimmins Dec 2008

Ecology Of A Central Appalachian White-Tailed Deer Herd At Low Density, Shawn M. Crimmins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are the most abundant big game species in North America and serve as the dominant herbivore in the majority of the Appalachian region. Despite the abundance of research conducted on this species, relatively little is known of the ecology of white-tailed deer occurring at low densities. Our study population experienced a 75% decline in population density and a three-fold increase in habitat disturbance via timber harvests between 2002 and 2005. From May 2006 to April 2008 I examined the home-range, survival, and herbivory patterns of a central Appalachian white-tailed deer herd that has recently experienced both …

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Application Of Cathodoluminescence And Quantitative Color Analysis To The Study Of Glass For Forensic Purposes, Heidi D. Nawrocki Dec 2008

Application Of Cathodoluminescence And Quantitative Color Analysis To The Study Of Glass For Forensic Purposes, Heidi D. Nawrocki

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forensic analysis of glass has traditionally relied on the use of refractive index (RI) measurements and physical methods for matching. The current study utilized cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy, combined with RI and quantitative color analysis. CL is a phenomenon that occurs when light is emitted from a material upon electron bombardment. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with CL detection was used for analysis. Standard glass samples from NIST were used for method development, while samples obtained from the Crime Scene Complex at West Virginia University and headlight glass samples from Jordan Auto Parts in Pennsylvania were used to evaluate the method. Additionally, …

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Development Of Outdoor Recreation Resource Amenity Indices For West Virginia, Jing Wang Dec 2008

Development Of Outdoor Recreation Resource Amenity Indices For West Virginia, Jing Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tourism has been playing an increasingly important role in the economic development and promotion for the state of West Virginia. However, how tourism resources are spatially distributed across all the states' 55 counties and have not received much attention. This study could be among the first of its kind in West Virginia to create an inventory database for 21 types of major outdoor recreation/nature-based tourism resources, and spatially examine their distribution across counties. The quantity of tourism resources is determined by measuring their actual size, length, or number, and the quality of the resources is determined by using the Analytic …

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Identification Of Risk Factors Associated With Highway Fatalities Occurring To Law Enforcement Professionals, Melissa W. Abbott Dec 2008

Identification Of Risk Factors Associated With Highway Fatalities Occurring To Law Enforcement Professionals, Melissa W. Abbott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was designed to identify the risk factors most commonly associated with law enforcement highway fatalities. Three approaches were used to assist in the identification of the most relevant risk factors. These approaches included as descriptive study, utilization of a focus group and a simple and multiple logistic regression analysis.;The descriptive study was performed on data extracted from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Risk System (FARS). The data was divided into three categories; Fatalities while driving, Fatalities while not driving-inside the vehicle and Fatalities while not driving outside the vehicle. The focus group consisted of …

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Modeling Natural Fracture Networks: Establishing The Groundwork For Flow Simulation At Teapot Dome, Wyoming, Valerie L. Smith Dec 2008

Modeling Natural Fracture Networks: Establishing The Groundwork For Flow Simulation At Teapot Dome, Wyoming, Valerie L. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Local properties of a fractured reservoir are characterized using borehole geophysical logs. These properties are extrapolated to reservoir scale for future use in flow simulation and history matching exercises. The development of a reservoir scale fracture model is undertaken using data for the Tensleep oil reservoir at Teapot Dome, Wyoming. The Tensleep reservoir intervals at Teapot Dome are formed in tight eolian sands that produce primarily from open fracture systems. On the local scale, FMI logs were used to define the dominant systematic fracture sets existing in the reservoir. FMI logs reveal the presence of open fracture systems that consist …

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Deindustrialization And The Decline Of Community In The Coalfields: Mcdowell County, West Virginia, 1950--2000, Mark S. Myers Dec 2008

Deindustrialization And The Decline Of Community In The Coalfields: Mcdowell County, West Virginia, 1950--2000, Mark S. Myers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the coal industry entered McDowell County, a predominantly rural county in southern West Virginia. Because of common experiences working and living in the coalfields, workers of significantly different backgrounds created a unique, working-class community in McDowell County. Although the coal industry experienced numerous downturns during the first half of the twentieth century, there was a long-term rise in the number of workers employed by the industry. By 1950, McDowell County had a population of almost 100,000, most of which was impacted by the coal industry.;After World War II, however, the industry began …

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An Examination Of Liability, Duty, And Disclaimers For The Pleasure Horse Industry In West Virginia And Other States, Jennifer L. Poling Dec 2008

An Examination Of Liability, Duty, And Disclaimers For The Pleasure Horse Industry In West Virginia And Other States, Jennifer L. Poling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In an effort to protect equine professionals, horse owners, and equestrian participants from liability associated with injury, 45 of 50 states have enacted Equine Activity Statutes. Many of these statutes vary widely with regard to the individuals and types of activities that are afforded protection. Under most state laws there are many requirements for horse owners and equine professionals regarding disclosure of dangerous behaviors in the horse, past medical problems, soundness issues, and other types of risks to potential buyers and handlers. Facility operators and owners are also required to make reasonable efforts to repair dangerous equipment and/or warn visitors …

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Strategies Of Prevention: Extending The Concept Of Preventive War And Understanding Its Implications, Steven T. Walker Dec 2008

Strategies Of Prevention: Extending The Concept Of Preventive War And Understanding Its Implications, Steven T. Walker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation contributes to the literature on prevention in two specific ways. First, it broadens the concept of preventive war, developing the idea that dominant states have a choice when it comes to dealing with rising challengers. The choice is not a dichotomous variable of either war or no war. Instead, there is a range of choices that decision makers within the dominant state have at their disposal. This dissertation examines the relationship---over time---between two conflictual states, one in relative decline and the other in relative ascendance, and studies the response of the dominant but declining power. Second, I focus …

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