Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

From Franco's Nightmare To A Globalized Spain: A Cinematic Analysis, Claire Maurer

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

Spain has had a long history of determining its own identity through successive regime changes, national crises and shifting international alliances. With Las Chicas de la Sexta Planta (Le Guay, 2011), Torremolinos 73 (Berger, 2003), Miente (De Ocampo, 2008) and The Way (Estévez, 2010) as a guide, I examine the distinctive characteristics of Spansh identity across three notable sections of its history: Francoist Spain (1939-1975), “free” Spain (1975-1986), and Spain as a member of the supranational European Union (EU) (1986-), or the European Economic Community (EEC) at that time. These films and time periods help to shed light on important …

Judging From Above: French Feminists & Their Influence On The Veil Debate, Emma Caroline Delapré

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

Over the past two decades, the international community has found itself questioning France’s application of laïcité and the egalitarianism it supposedly ensures, particularly regarding veils associated with the Islamic faith. Integral to the face veil debate is the advocacy of French feminists, especially those who identify as pro-ban. Overarchingly, pro-ban feminists argue that the practice of wearing face veils or coverings undermines a French citizen’s obligation to foster cohesion in the public sphere through the acceptance of republican norms. This viewpoint informs the analysis of the state of social division in France undertaken here. The tools of analysis include a …

2015 Syrian Refugee Responses Based On The Strength Of Securitization Discourse, Jacob M. Decarli

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

This paper seeks to answer the question: Why were policy responses to the 2015 Syrian refugee "crisis" so different in Germany and the UK? I argue that these policies were driven by public opinion about migrants and immigration. Germany adopted a more liberal migration policy because of higher approval for refugees entering the country. I argue that this is the result of the degree to which securitization discourse explains different public attitudes towards Syrian refugees in 2015. Specifically, I argue that the greater the strength of securitization discourse, the easier it is to implement restrictive immigration policy. This paper demonstrates …

Lessons From European Energy Transition: Reality Or Green Dream?, Sky Berry-Weiss

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

As a looming climate crisis continues to overwhelm the global community and Europe grips with fluctuating fossil fuel prices due to geopolitical tensions, the European Union appears to be rushing to forge a path to renewable energy to forgo dependence on nonrenewable energy sources. Decades ahead of the global community, the European Union has succeeded in its 2020 goals by increasing the share of renewable energy to 20% of overall consumption. Heading towards their strikingly ambitious goals for 2030, this great transition provides a case study that other states should be watching closely. This article analyzes the effects of several …

Jewish People In The German Far-Right: How Afd Is Pandering To Jews To Gain Legitimacy, Luca L. Zislin

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

Despite the consistent rise of anti-Semitic attacks, Jewish people from across Germany are joining the far-right Alternative für Deutschland political party in increasing numbers. In 2018 a group of nineteen Jewish AfD members formed the JAfD, the Jewish division of the party, reflecting just how much Jewish support for the AfD is growing even as national and global Jewish organizations have branded the AfD as anti-Semitic. This growth comes as a shock considering incidents like AfD politician Wolfgang Gedeon’s denial of the Holocaust and accusations that numerous AfD politicians encourage extremist behavior. This paper examines the AfD’s official policy statements …

The Eu's Capacity To Lead The Transatlantic Alliance In Ai Regulation, Varun Roy, Vignesh Sreedhar

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

In the face of Chinese advances in AI in terms of technological prowess and influence, there has been a call for collaboration between the EU and the US to create a foundation for AI governance based on shared democratic beliefs. This paper maps out the EU, US, and Chinese approaches to AI development and regulation as we analyze the capacity of the US and EU to establish international standards for AI regulation through channels such as the TTC. As the EU rolled out a proportionate and risk-based approach to ensure stricter regulation for high-risk AI technologies, it laid the foundation …

Integrated Or Excluded: The Effects Of French Integration Policies On Immigrant Communities From 2000 To 2020, Johanna N. Soleil

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

Few issues are as important to European politics as integration, though research into the actual effect of integration policies on immigrant communities is sparse in Europe and especially in France. This paper examines through the data available to researchers how immigrant communities compare to native populations in terms of cultural, health, and economic characteristics. To this end the paper is organized as follows: the first section introduces the French political context and the cultural attitude towards immigrants. Next, the various methods of analysis are presented, and each of the previously mentioned attributes is analyzed in the French context as well …

Efficacy Of The European Union And The United States' Sanctioning Of Russia In Response To Breaches Of Ukrainian Sovereignty, Alexej W. Latimer

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

This research inquiry breaks down some of the intricacies of US and EU sanctions imposed on Russia following the breaches of Ukrainian sovereignty by the Kremlin in 2014. These sanctions are examined for their direct fiscal impacts and implicit efficacies as the result of specific policies. This paper seeks to identify nuanced characteristics of various sanctions and determine how sanction efficacy is tied to the classification under which the controlled product/good category is considred. This is just an initial record of observed patterns in sanctioning within a specific geopolitical realm. The paper was written in December 2021, and therefore prior …

Table Of Contents

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

No abstract provided.

The Holy See: An Institution Like No Other, Jace Bartz

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

This paper explores the Holy See’s role within the international order of states. Although viewed primarily as a religious institution, the Holy See’s position as a sovereign state and head of a religious body allows it to have a prominent voice on the world stage. I examine the IR theories of constructivism and realism in relation to the Holy See’s influence. This comparison illustrates how the Holy See can affect international action due to its emphasis on diplomacy and peace. I review the history and ability of the Holy See to implement a diplomatic approach to engage with states multilaterally …

List Of Abbreviations

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

No abstract provided.

Foreword

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

No abstract provided.

Necessary Trade-Offs Or Two-Faced Hypocrisy: Normative Conflicts In Eu Policies, Florian Bochert

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

The European Union (EU) often tries to present itself as a normative leader in both human rights protection and climate change prevention. However, since emission reductions sometimes require investments in solar panels that are produced using forced labor, these two norms can conflict with each other. Based on two case studies of EU policies on Israel-Palestine and North Africa, this article shows how conflicts between different norms are nothing new to the EU. In its policies on Israel-Palestine, the EU has had to balance its historical responsibility to Israel with its commitment to international law. In its policies on North …

The Politics Of Belonging: How Migration Affects Social Democratic Welfare States, Katherine Grace Siegenthaler

Pomona Senior Theses

The refugee crisis of 2015 sparked a new era of migration politics in Europe, with waves of immigrants altering the expectations for integration and assimilation policies in many states. Social democratic welfare states, that is, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, while far north of many of the arrival destinations of these migrants, were not immune to these changes. However, as social-democratic welfare states, much of their legitimacy rests on their ability to provide for their citizens, which is in turn supported by a pervasive sense of solidarity amongst their communities, so that extensive tax systems can continue to …

No Laughing Matter: Political Humor And Media In Egypt’S January 25th Revolution, Julia Brock

Scripps Senior Theses

The January 25th Revolution in Egypt began in 2011 when protestors took to the streets in Cairo and other Egyptian cities demanding that President Hosni Mubarak resign. They were armed with a savvy tool: humor. This study is a historical and theoretical approach to understanding political humor’s position as a space for politically subversive conversation in Egypt in the decade leading up to the January 25th Revolution, as well as during the revolution itself. Humor, media, and social movement theories are mobilized within this thesis to explain humor’s unique position within Egyptian society and its function within subversive, informal political …

Qu’Est Qu’Un Vrai Français : Le Front National Et Le Développement Contemporain Des Politiques De La ‘Francité’, Sara Butcher

Scripps Senior Theses

Le Rassemblement National, avant connu comme le Front National, est devenu un des partis politiques les plus importants dans la politique française, avec son leader, Marine Le Pen, comme une figure influente. Les tactiques politiques de l’extrême droite perpétuées par le Front National, sont notamment les peurs créées sur la laïcité, la migration et ‘l’islamisation’ de la société française, ont commencé à être des politiques communes utilisées par plusieurs côtés de l’échiquier politique. En voyant l’évolution historique et contemporaine des politiques françaises et la popularité du Front National, on peut trouver la raison pour laquelle des sujets comme la ‘francité’ …

The Intersection Of Decentralized Security And Decentralized Governance: The Offloading Of State Responsibility In Northern Mali, Max Ober

Pomona Senior Theses

Since democratization in the 1990s, Mali has pursued governmental decentralization policies, ranging from administrative deconcentration to fiscal devolution. In many cases, governmental decentralization is seen as a post-conflict tool aimed at promoting various goals such as development or greater autonomy for some groups and regions. In Mali, several Tuareg rebellions in the northern regions of the country have been a major impetus for decentralization debates. To date, however, governmental decentralization has failed to bring peace and sustained development to the region. Under former Presidents Amadou Toumani Touré (ATT) and Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (IBK), the central government has used decentralization as …

Governance Practice Between Monarchies And Republics: A Case Study Of The Political Reform In The United Arab Emirates And The Republic Of Tunisia From 1990 To 2021, Zaid Alkdidi

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Political Reform is one of the indicators of the governance process, which can be correctly used to build the state and to support its role at all political, economic, and social levels to achieve good governance. From this, it can be said that political reform is positively linked to governance. Thanks to political reform, governance became an essential method that is applied in public policies within states that attempt to achieve by consolidating participation, democracy, and development.Practically, this study seeks to analyze and determine which of the two regimes, Monarchy or Republic is the most effective and successful to achieve …

Political Cultures In Times Of Crisis: Measuring The Effects Of Liberal Values On Interstate Crisis Onset, Timothy Milosch

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The belief that democratic states are less likely to engage in war or initiate conflicts in the international system is deeply embedded in the international relations literature, but also hotly contested. Despite close to two centuries of theoretical presence and decades of empirical analysis, the democratic peace theory project still struggles to explain and measure the role democracy (understood as representative government, liberal culture, or both) plays in interstate relations generally, and the onset of conflict specifically. In the empirical international relations literature, in particular, problems persist surrounding measures for democracy and the modeling of interstate interactions (country level, dyad …

Disembedded Liberalism: The Global Pressure On Democracy, Hallie Spear

CMC Senior Theses

The international political order is at a crossroads with divergent paths. Liberal democracy is once again threatened on the international stage. What's more troubling is that the most stable and influential democracies, the United States, those in Europe and India, seem to be vulnerable to the autocratic wave sweeping through the world. This thesis completes a critical analysis to understand the root causes of the recent disruption to democracy the world has observed. Focusing on three established, diverse, and populous democracies, this thesis investigates the economic conditions at play that made each nation vulnerable to populism. Neoliberal economic policies implemented …

The Impact Of Social Movements On Austerity Measures: An Analysis Of Argentina’S Piquetero Movement And Greece’S Anti-Austerity Movement, Katrina D. Frei-Herrmann

CMC Senior Theses

Social movements have sprung up in countries after their respective economies experience an economic crisis and the International Monetary Fund places restrictions on a country’s fiscal policy. Argentina’s piquetero movement and Greece’s anti-austerity movement have both mobilized after economic crises to protest the neoliberal shifts to their economics, yet their success at shifting those policies have not been studied sufficiently. The dominant explanation for social movement success involves analyzing political opportunities or seeing the social movement as an actor with limited resources. These existent methods fail to answer how nuances about internal decisions or forms of protest could influence the …

A Hot Conflict Growing Ever Hotter: How Climate Change Provokes Instances Of Violence In South Sudan, Madison Menard

CMC Senior Theses

In South Sudan, people are not engaging in violent altercations because of climate change. People are not deciding to kill other people because the average temperature of the world has risen 1 degree celsius, or harming their neighbor because of irregular rain patterns. Alas the link from climate change to violence is not as direct as that. Rather, climate change has played a non-direct role in the South Sudanese conflict. Within the political marketplace it has subtly altered conditions which later spark or intensify outbreaks of violence. Climate change in this sense should be viewed as a stressor of sorts …

In Search Of Unicorns: An Analysis Of Japan's Startup Ecosystem, Kaito Komoriya

CMC Senior Theses

While Japan previously dominated global consumer markets in innovative electronic products, the economy has failed to live up to this performance since the burst of the asset price bubble in 1992 and the subsequent lost decades. In the modern economy, startup companies have become synonymous with innovation. Most of these companies have emerged from Silicon Valley, as well as other startup hubs around the globe. However, critics have criticized Japan for the limited number of notable startup companies from the country.

My thesis seeks to answer the two following questions: First, what is the current state of Japan’s startup ecosystem? …

An Analysis Of Cyber Wargaming: Current Games, Limitations, And Recommendations, Sarah Chen

CMC Senior Theses

Cyberspace operations and conflict pose a unique challenge to decision-makers due to the uncertainty and unpredictability of cyber capabilities. Relying on wargaming literature, public cyber wargame reports, and expert interviews, this thesis analyzes the utility of cyber wargaming for education and analysis. Cyber wargames offer a method of testing, exploring, and understanding cyberspace through the abstraction and representation of cyber tools and attack cycles.

The thesis begins by examining cyber conflict and theorizes hypothetical wargame use cases. It then creates a framework for cyber wargaming elements and examines the design of eleven analytical wargames, eight educational wargames, and three commercial …

Does The Weapon Of Mass Destruction Impact Masses Equally? Examining The Disproportionate Impacts Of Nuclear Weapons, Carley Barnhart

CMC Senior Theses

Regarded as the most powerful weapon ever created, the nuclear weapon is associated with mass destruction and even total annihilation. This thesis aims to answer the question: does the weapon of mass destruction impact masses equally? The use of three theoretical lenses is employed to guide this thesis’ analysis: the lenses of internal colonialism, neocolonialism, and feminism. These lenses allow for previously marginalized experiences to be placed at the center of analysis. The entirety of the ‘nuclear web’, from nuclear scholarship and nuclear decision-making to weapons design, creation, production, and disarmament is analyzed to understand the total impacts of the …

Mano Dura And Beyond: An Analysis Of Police Reform In Latin America, Ari Moore

CMC Senior Theses

Physical insecurity and high rates of crime plague Latin America. The problem is economically costly, detrimental to physical and mental health, and damaging to political legitimacy, while also fueling a migration crisis and negatively impacting societal views on human rights. The police are tasked with responding to and investigating crime, but have been historically ineffective at doing so. In recent decades, many countries in the region have implemented significant police reforms in pursuit of decreasing crime and insecurity. This thesis will analyze reforms in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico to determine regional themes of reform. The lessons from those case …

How A Supply Chain Stumble Changes A Company’S Policies And Progress 20 Years Later: A Case Study Of Gap Inc., Alexandra Futterman

CMC Senior Theses

Gap Inc. is the third-largest American retailer. Founded in 1969, Gap Inc. holds four brands, Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Gap Inc. made headlines for child labor abuses along with many other large brands. After this negative attention, Gap Inc. began developing policies and practices to combat ethical supply chain issues. These policies included a Human Rights Policy, a Code of Vendor Conduct, working conditions standards, and even capacity building programs that boarded company reaches into communities they touch. In conjunction with the policies Gap Inc. has published several social responsibility …

The Past And Future Of Migration, Poverty, And Small-Scale Agriculture In Mexico, Kimberly Zamora Delgado

CMC Senior Theses

The conflated pattern between poverty, rurality, and indigeneity in Mexico signifies drastic inequality between populations. Poor, rural communities often do not receive as much public services, infrastructure improvements, and employment opportunities as urban areas, which causes out-migration into the cities. Some of the few jobs available in rural areas are in the agriculture sector, either through small-scale subsistence farming or seasonal employment on a large-scale farm. Historically, certain wealthy states such as Sinaloa, Michoacán, and Sonora received greater support to up-scale into modernized agriculture, which made them into the largest agro-exporters. On the other hand, poor states with greater indigenous …