Political Science Commons^™

Communicative Action As Feminist Epistemology, Todd Nathaniel Gilman

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis proposes that feminist social and political theory adopt the epistemology inherent in Jurgen Habermas's communicative ethics in order to more coherently work toward the goal of freeing individuals from social oppression. This thesis first examines the fundamental differences that exist between the particular claims for knowledge made by the three major schools of feminist theory; the empirical feminists, the standpoint feminists, and those allied with postmodernism. After illuminating the specifics of these feminist claims, the conception of knowledge central to Habermas's thought is explored and shown to be split into three distinct realms; the objective, the social, and …

Gaining State Response On Global Environmental Problem-Solving: Developing A State-Centric Approach, Heather Macgregor Bothwell

Dissertations and Theses

This study focuses on identifying the conditions which encourage or discourage international cooperation with regard to environmental problem-solving. In particular, the divergence between two key international relations theories, Environmentalism and Realism, will be examined in hopes of forging a rapprochement and stimulating research for a comprehensive theoretical approach to global environmental problem-solving. It is hypothesized that a state-centric political system is both a reality and an effective structure for environmental problem-solving, therefore an examination of state participation and the motivators and inhibitors affecting state response on certain environmental issues is conducted. In particular, this study hypothesizes that uncertainty can act …

State Cooperation On Regulatory Policies For Transboundary Environmental Issues, Jennifer Lyn Pennell

Dissertations and Theses

This research analyzes three contributing factors, perception, knowledge, and affordability, in order to estimate the likelihood of state cooperation on effective regulatory policies for transboundary environmental problems. The correlative hypothesis in this research postulates that states are more likely to support environmental regulatory policies when the issue is perceived by policymakers as serious, substantiated by a high level of knowledge, and affordable for the state. Regulatory policies for transboundary environmental issues require policymakers to act in foresight, employ precautionary measures, and cooperate. Cooperation implies that states will coordinate their policies and eschew their dominant strategy of independent decision making. However, …

North Vs. South: Sovereign Equality And The Environment In The Twentieth Century, Thomas Schlesinger

Dissertations and Theses

Although Third World states lack military and economic strength, they still are able to exert considerable influence on certain international issues. The proliferation of small states following World War II, coupled with the twentieth century acceptance of the norm of sovereign equality, has enabled the weak states of the international system to challenge the order established by the strong. While Third World nations are weak according to traditional measures of power, sovereign equality and bloc voting by the small states, have accorded a type of "conditional" power to the South. This conditional power is augmented by the advent of a …

Sustainable Development In The Third World: A New Paradigm?, Terry A. Gentry

Dissertations and Theses

Over the past decade '"Sustainable Development" (SD) has emerged as the latest development catchphrase. A wide range of nongovernmental as well as governmental organizations have embraced it as the new paradigm of development. A review of the literature that has sprung up around the concept of SD indicates, however, a lack of consistency in its interpretation. More important, while the all-encompassing nature of the concept gives it political strength, its current formulation by the mainstream of SD thinking contains significant weaknesses. These include an incomplete perception of the problems of poverty and environmental degradation, and confusion about the role of …

Liberalism, Community, And The Context Of Choice, Marta R. Colburn

Dissertations and Theses

Issues of community have become an important focus in the field of political theory in North America. Critics of liberalism, the dominant American theoretical tradition, have charged that liberal theorists have misconceived the nature of community at the ontological and societal level. Some critics see a relationship between the failure of liberal theorists to adequately address community and certain social pathologies facing the American liberal polity.

This thesis seeks to address the following questions: How have liberal theorists typically dealt with the issue of community? What are the major criticisms related to issues of community currently being leveled at liberalism? …

Sustainable Development In Sub-Saharan Africa: Strategies For Self-Help In Food Production, Case Study Of Kenya, Dieudonne Mayi

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis analyses the food crisis in sub-Saharan Africa in the 1980s and 1990s, identifies roots of the problem, and proposes strategies of sustainable development based on self-sufficiency in food production for domestic needs. The main goal of this research has been to devise development strategies centered on development of the food production sector. The thesis strongly suggests that countries of the region should consider developing the food production sector to experience any meaningful development, and to escape a dark future of food shortages and food dependency on developed economies. Investigation into Development Economics, Dependency, Underdevelopment, and Modernization theories has …

Getting From Here To There: An Outline Of The Wildlands Reserve Design Process, David Johns, Michael Soulé

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Turning back the assault on the natural world is a monumental and complex task; even the first step – planning a network of reserves – is an enormous undertaking. This paper is intended as a general guide to the steps needed to produce a regional proposal for a Wildlands reserve system. It is based on an assessment of work underway in some regions, and extensive discussion with regional groups throughout the continent.

A Study Of Japan's Foreign Policy Behavior: The Discrepancy Between Japan's Foreign Policy And Its Voting Behavior In The United Nations General Assembly, Atsuko Sato

Dissertations and Theses

Japan has maintained a low profile in its diplomacy since the end of World War II, relying heavily on the United States for its security and prosperity. The cold war structure allowed Japan to maintain its passive foreign policy behavior. By the end of 1980s, West-East confrontations largely ended and global issues such as arms control, environmental problem, human rights, economic development, and ethnic conflicts became the main international concerns. It was expected that in this changed world environment, Japan as an economic power, would take on a more active international role. Yet Japan has not shown any significant political …

A Cross-National Study Of Attitudes And Group Labeling: Multinational Corporation (Mnc) Workers In Canada, Brazil, And West Germany, Tobias Albert Ten Eyck

Dissertations and Theses

Many studies concerning multinational corporations (MNCs) are replete with theoretical models and case studies that treat MNCs as stand-alone entities. Very little time and effort is given to understanding the context in which MNCs operate. This context includes not only the fact that MNCs transcend national boundaries (political as well as geographical), but also the meaning of work and being part of a multinational work force for those employed within MNCs. This thesis is an effort to elucidate how the political/societal/cultural contexts of different host countries affect the attitudes of those workers most directly involved with foreign-owned MNCs. By shifting …

The United States-Japan Security Treaty Of 1951: An Essay On The Origins Of Postwar Japanese-American Relation, Christopher S. Johnson

Dissertations and Theses

The early September day in 1951 that brought the Pacific War to an official end, with the signing of a treaty of peace, concluded as representatives of Japan and the United States signed the Bilateral Security Treaty. The security treaty symbolized new realities of international relations, just as the peace treaty had buried the old. By cementing into place a strategic alliance between the former Pacific antagonists, the treaty represented the great and lasting achievement of postwar American diplomacy in Asia. Nevertheless, the treaty was both the outcome and the perpetuation of a stereotyped and lopsided relationship, now fixed firmly …

Common Security: A Conceptual Blueprint For An Israeli-Palestinian Political Settlement, Robert Arthur Horenstein

Dissertations and Theses

The deep-rooted Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a major source of destabilization in the Middle East for some three-quarters of a century. Whereas other long-standing conflicts around the world have been brought to a close, this struggle (both in and of itself and within its wider Arab-Israeli dimension) remains a perennial tinderbox. This is particularly true given the unsettling realities of the region in which the conflict exists. Consequently, a certain sense of urgency for finding a permanent political settlement can be discerned both within the region and outside it. still, the search for a solution has yielded progress only on …

The Intellectual Grounding Of The San Francisco Committee Of Vigilance Of 1851, Jon Jeffrey Walker

Dissertations and Theses

Vigilantism has a long history in the United States stretching back to the Regulator movement in South Carolina in 1767. These extralegal movements are distinguished from spontaneous and ephemeral mob activity by their regular organization and limited life-span. The San Francisco Committee of Vigilance of 1856 was the largest vigilante movement in American history. After a summer of vigilantism that included four hangings, the committee turned to politics and formed the People's Party which dominated San Francisco's city government for the next decade. The 1856 committee is generally considered the great exemplar of American vigilantism and has received considerable attention …

The Liberal-Communitarian Debate And The Development Of A Political Conception Of The Person, Kenneth Howard Biggs

Dissertations and Theses

Without doubt, John Rawls's A Theory of Justice is one of the most important statements of Anglo-American political philosophy in the twentieth century. Through a revival of the social contract device, Rawls formulates a set of principles of correct political association ("the right") that he argues must be considered as prior to any conception of the good. These principles apply to all persons as free and equal beings in society, but more importantly they assume some things about the nature of persons in that society.

On the institutional aspect of his theory, Rawls conceives of the state as a neutral …

The Practical Relevance Of Deep Ecology, David Johns

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

As proponents of Deep Ecology and Biocentrism have begun to define both a vision for the future and a critique of the existing human relationship with the rest of nature, they have often been the subject of criticism from the Third World and from leftists in the developed world concerned with Third World issues. They are commonly charged with failing to adequately take into account the complexity of the human social dynamic involved in destruction of the environment; ignoring that human societies are under the control of elites who benefit from the degradation of nature while most people suffer; failing …

Corporatism In American Foreign Policy Toward Germany Between The Wars, 1921-1936, William R. Martin

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is an investigation of how United States foreign policy was made in the context of German-American relations in the period between the two world wars. The problem under investigation is whether the United States was using a corporatist approach in dealing with the problems of Germany and ultimately Europe and whether the corporatist model is a good one for analyzing foreign policy development during this period. Corporatism, as it is used in this thesis, is defined as an organizational form which recognizes privately organized functional groups outside the United States government, which collaborate with the government to share …

A Comparative Analysis Of U.S. Foreign Policy In Iran And The Philippines, Christina M. Blumel

Dissertations and Theses

This paper is a comparative analysis of U.S. foreign policy towards Iran and the Philippines. The question which prompted this research topic was simple: why was the outcome for the United States so different in terms of subsequent relations with each state after the downfall of the Shah and Ferdinand Marcos? Both leaders were important U.S. allies in strategic states that had benefited from foreign aid. Opposition groups in each state resented this support of their repressive leaders. Unlike Iran, good relations with the Philippines continued during the Aquino presidency, without the resentment and mistrust which prevented good relations after …

Politics And Education: The Nicaraguan Literacy Crusade, Teresa Squires Osborne

Dissertations and Theses

The Nicaraguan Literacy Crusade of 1980, carried out in the aftermath,of a long and destructive revolution, was able, in five months time, to decrease the nation's illiteracy rate from 50 percent to 13 percent. The newly fonned Nicaraguan government, recognizing the political nature of education, viewed its Literacy Crusade as a major step· in the development of a "new", post-revolutionary Nicaragua.

As a means of comparison, two other literacy campaigns are also examined: the Cuban campaign of 1961, and the UNESCO-sponsored Experimental World Literacy Programme, in place from 1965-1973.

The Cuban campaign served as a precursor to the Nicaraguan effort. …

John Rawls, The Conception Of A Liberal Self, And The Communitarian Critique, Johnathan Edward Mansfield

Dissertations and Theses

John Rawls' A Theory of Justice stands as the single most important work in the Anglo-American liberal tradition after World War II. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls revives the social contract doctrine in order to determine principles of justice that would be chosen by persons who are free and equal moral individuals. Since Rawls believes that no single conception of the good can establish justice in a pluralistic society, he posits a set of principles of right which are prior to any particular good. Thus his theory, which he calls "justice as fairness," is deontological. Since its publication …

Cultural Value Differences In Arguments Between Presidents Ronald Reagan And Oscar Arias, Juan Carlos Flores

Dissertations and Theses

Costa Rica embodies many of the characteristics which the United States would like to foster in Central America and elsewhere. In recent years, however, misunderstandings have often been present in the development of relations between both nations, and leaders. These differences have been particularly visible between Presidents Reagan and Arias when carrying out their foreign policies towards Central America.

Recent developments in warfare, social and political unrest and economic crises in the region added to the emergence of a Central American political leadership--independent of U.S. decision making-have increased international misunderstandings between both political speakers. These misunderstandings are shown by Reagan …

An Analysis Of Us/Soviet Arms Control: Adding A Subsystem Perspective, Peter Millard Olson

Dissertations and Theses

Analyses of US/Soviet arms control have usually focused on domestic variables to explain US/Soviet arms control behavior. Partly because the number of negotiating parties is only two, there is a propensity to focus on the bilateral relationship of the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective domestic political situations. Only superficial attention has usually been given to international systems variables that may well influence the domestic political situation and arms control policy.

This thesis broadens the explanatory scope of US/Soviet arms control by showing how the political environment of a trilateral relationship (a subsystem that includes the West …

Hugo Grotius And The Liberal Tradition, Karen Diane Csajko

Dissertations and Theses

One approach in contemporary international relations theory is the moralist position. Most moralists argue that obligations which an individual has toward the state and toward persons qua fellow citizens should not override the obligations which every individual has toward other persons qua members of humanity. Essential to a moralist approach is the idea that every individual shares some feature, such as rights, which is universal to all men and incontrovertible by any body. Many moralists base their theory upon the thought of Hugo Grotius, equating Grotius's thought with their own moralist approach.

This thesis argues that Grotius does not present …

American Foreign Policy: The Utility Of Force As An Influence, Bargaining, Or Coercive Force In The Caribbean Basin, Susan M. Marandas

Dissertations and Theses

Throughout history states have pursued both cooperative and power-oriented strategies. Moralists and realists have long questioned the appropriateness of using force to gain state objectives. Recent analysts have stressed that states have a moral duty to manage international uncertainty in the best interests of their citizens. While this might involve utilizing both power-seeking and order-seeking strategies, it has been suggested that pursuing order-seeking strategies could help alleviate international uncertainty.

An historical survey, as well as recent case studies in Grenada and Nicaragua, indicate that the United States often has relied upon military strategies in the Caribbean Basin. The United States …

Egypt And The Soviet Union, 1953-1970, John W. Copp

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze in detail the many aspects of the Soviet-Egyptian friendship as it developed from 1953 to 1970. The relationship between the two is extremely important because it provides insight into the roles of both Egypt and the Soviet Union in both the history of the Middle East and in world politics. The period from 1953 to 1970 is key in understanding the relationship between the two states because it is the period of the genesis of the relationship and a period in which both nations went through marked changes in both …

Manipulation Or Education?: Symbolic Language, Belief System And The Truman Doctrine, John Gunn Tilson

Dissertations and Theses

The question arises in the analysis of foreign policy decision making regarding how consensus or approval by the public is attained for policies. Some authors have suggested that consensus is obtained through the manipulation of opinion by decision makers. One case often cited as an example of manipulation is the 1947 announcement of the Truman Doctrine.

In determining the validity of these arguments a review was conducted of the language of the doctrine and the interpretations of newspaper columnists. In addition, a review of personal documents of the decision makers was conducted to determine their impressions.

The data compiled from …

Formulation Of The Comprehensive Employment And Training Act Of 1973, Gary G. Skalangya

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis was intended to delineate the factors contributing to the formulation of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) of 1973--a unique attempt at overhauling federal employment and training policy as well as one of the early efforts at devolving control over grants-in-aid to the subnational level.

Information was obtained from the literature on this policy area, plus documentary sources; such as records of Congressional hearings. From this information, an analytical framework was developed, in which factors contributing to the formulation were classified as; contextual, ideological and those in the form of actors' objectives.

It was found that CETA …

United States Policy Toward Tunisian Nationalism During World War Ii, Martha Staley Marks

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis has attempted to describe the controversy between Robert Murphy and Hooker Doolittle over American policy toward the North Africans and French during World War II. The research was based primarily on material from State Department documents found in the National Archives supplemented by material from the French archives as well as memoirs, personal interviews, and histories of the period. In order for the reader to understand this particular dispute, the problem was developed in the context of the larger political scene as it evolved in North Africa. The controversy between de Gaulle and Giraud was described since it …

Integration In West Africa: An Empirical Examination Of Ecowas, Stephen C. Adkisson

Dissertations and Theses

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was established by treaty in 1975 to promote the economic and political well-being of its 16 regional members. As a coordinated effort of geographically associated states ECOWAS joins an expanding group of regional integration schemes created by developing countries.

As an international organization with some claim to supranational authority the success of the ECOWAS scheme is of practical and theoretical importance. Success in this sense implies an increasing level of interaction among the ECOWAS members and the development of a regional economic and political position toward non-member states. This coordination of member …

Polish Foreign Policy And The Development Of The Conference On Security And Cooperation In Europe, Keijiro Yasui

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis concerns the connection between the development of Polish foreign policy and the evolution of the Warsaw Pact's proposals for an all European Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). The first concrete CSCE proposal was put forward by Poland in 1964. It reflected the Soviet Union's interests as well as those of Poland's.

The proposals were closely related to the situation which World War II had created for Poland. During the war Poland was massacred by both the Germans and the Soviets. It lost almost half of its territory to the Soviet Union and was moved to …

Congressional Power And Presidential Prerogative: The War Powers Question, Gerald Michael Worley

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is a study of the formulation of American foreign policy in general terms and specifically how hostility is initiated. War powers and who controls this authority is an age-old question. One can not simply look to the Constitution for direction. An intricate formula is necessary and the evolution of the nation must be understood.