International Relations Commons^™

Sinking City To Breakthrough City: A Political Analysis And Evaluation Of Indonesia's Capital City Relocation From Jakarta To Nusantara, Yuji Jones

CMC Senior Theses

This paper analyzes Indonesia’s national decision to move its capital city from Jakarta to Nusantara. Indonesia is facing a dire catastrophe in its most populous city. The land surrounding Jakarta is sinking, and without significant mitigation efforts, the streets will be submerged by 2045. This is a slow-motion disaster coming for Indonesia and Jakarta. This left the country with a crucial decision: to save the capital city. In response to this environmental crisis, Indonesia’s government has committed to making a nationwide and ambitious decision to move the capital to Nusantara, a smaller city bustling with tropical forests 1,000 kilometers away, …

Great Power Competition In Africa: Sustaining Openness Amidst Transnational Threats And Authoritarian Fragmentation, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

As the United States seeks to position itself in an increasingly competitive world, Africa has emerged as an increasingly key arena of great power competition where the United States, China, and Russia are competing to determine the nature of political norms, economic governance and security architecture on the continent.

The combination of growing transnational threats (such as terrorism, pandemics, climate-related instability, and digital vulnerability), and growing authoritarianism, has transformed the continent into a testbed for competing visions of international order. In light of this backdrop, this paper posits that the United States must pursue a strategy of sustained strategic openness …

“A Civilised Order”: Political Economy Of Welfare State Development In United States And South Africa, Camden M. Webb

Masters Theses

The welfare state and its development across national contexts in the twentieth century signaled a marked change in the state’s relationship with its citizens. They developed in a structural crisis between two political economy organizations, moving from liberal structures to regulated ones. As the world continues the current ongoing structural crisis out of the neoliberal structure, the future of welfare policy is uncertain. My research presents a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) using the United States and South Africa as most-different cases to explore the similarities and differences in their national contexts that shaped their welfare state development in the early …

Mapping Coastal Community-Based Tourism Empowerment: Public Policy And Sustainable Development On Bangka Island, Putra Pratama Saputra, Hadiyanto Abdul Rachim, Arie Surya Gutama, Moch. Zaenal Hakim

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This study analyzes the conceptualization and practice of community-based tourism empowerment on Bangka Island, serving as a strategic approach to promote sustainable and inclusive coastal tourism. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were gathered through interviews with nine key informants, observations, and policy document analysis. Findings reveal that these empowerment initiatives significantly strengthen individual and institutional capacities, enhance community participation in tourism planning, and drive economic diversification from extractive industries to sustainable tourism. Furthermore, this approach facilitates economic transformation through the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and coastal ecotourism, concurrently reinforcing environmental conservation and cultural preservation. However, …

Driving Social Revolutions In 20th Century Latin America, Oliver Orellana

Student Scholar Symposium

This paper explores various definitions of social revolutions to create one cohesive and operationalized definition that measures success through a numerical rating scale. Once establishing what revolutions were successful or fall into different typological sortings, this research employs qualitative content analysis as well as quantitative methods still being refined, in order to investigate the potential drivers of social revolutionary success in Latin America throughout the 20th century. The findings have implications for whether the masses and political movements should pursue this endeavor and when their efforts will have the highest potential and likelihood of success. On the other hand, these …

How Armenia And Azerbaijan Are Lobbying For Influence In D.C., Gibran C. Boyce, Dawn Kikel

Capstones

In the wake of President Trump taking office, foreign government agencies and U.S.-based non-profits serving Armenian and Azerbaijani interests have been hiring lobbyists in Washington, D.C. as part of their concerted efforts to curry favor, gain influence, and seek policy changes that would benefit the rival post-Soviet nations.

Interdependence In Practice: U.S. Travel Advisories And Turkey’S Economic Resilience, Matthew Michael Mccall

Honors Theses

This study examines the U.S. Travel Advisory and its economic impact on foreign nations, with a focus on Turkey between 2016 and 2024. Grounded in the theories of functional and asymmetrical interdependence, this approach employs a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative analysis of tourism revenue, GDP, and GNI with qualitative examination of geopolitical events that may raise or lower the Travel Advisory rating. Rather than assuming the advisory acts as a tool of coercive foreign policy, this study tests whether advisory changes meaningfully shape Turkey’s economic performance or whether they simply reflect moments of instability inside the country. The findings support …

Echo Chambers In Encryption: How Germany's Netzdg Law Displaced Far-Right Discourse And Bolstered Afd Support On Private Platforms, Jackson Pace Campbell

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examines the relationship between social media political engagement and support for Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in 2021, arguing that the 2017 Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) inadvertently displaced anti-immigration discourse from moderated public platforms into private encrypted spaces, fostering echo chambers and radicalization. Drawing on data from the German Longitudinal Election Study pre-election survey (N=5,119 nationally representative voters), logistic regression analyses test associations between AfD support and social media political use, controlling for socio-demographic and attitudinal factors. Findings confirm hypotheses: overall social media political engagement nearly doubles AfD support odds; private encrypted apps like Telegram and …

Chinese Communist Party Infiltration Of U.S. Pacific Islands: Protecting American National Security Through Defending Strategic Pacific Assets, Contessa Amedore

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

Many Americans picture the U.S.’s Western most border to be the coast of California. However, when threats have historically formed in the Pacific, U.S. Pacific Island territories have served as the nation’s first line of defense. Today, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have slowly but ambitiously deployed new age or ‘unrestricted’ warfare tactics against the United States and allies in their long awaited plan to assume global hegemony. Their illegal infiltration and psychological operations have gone past Taipei and reached American soil in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. This paper examines how the (CCP) uses unrestricted warfare …

Croatia As A Model For A Democratic Balkans, Jacob J. Smith

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

Despite a decade of authoritarian rule under former President-Prime Minister Franjo Tudjman, Croatia is now the only Balkan State with a consolidated democracy and EU membership. Through analyzing historical events, V-Dem scores, and trade, this paper argues that democratization in Croatia only occurred because of underlying structural and social conditions conducive to democracy, followed by a second wave of democratization facilitated by EU accession standards. This research helps us understand how states recover from communism, what indicators suggest a state is nearing democratization, and how the EU should approach incentivizing democracy in neighboring states. If the EU implements policy reflecting …

Rethinking The Narrative Of Turkey’S July 15 Events: An Intelligence Operation Disguised As A Coup Attempt, Mustafa Kirisci, Ibrahim Kocaman, Murat Balci

Publications

Academia, think tanks, and international media have largely adopted the Turkish government’s narrative that the events of July 15, 2016, constituted a failed coup attempt. This dominant framing has shaped policy responses and scholarly interpretations despite the authoritarian context in which it was crafted. Many Turkish and Western scholars accepted the Turkish government’s narrative that the July 15 events were a failed coup attempt. They often rely on surface-level indicators and official statements without critically engaging with available evidence. Also, they disregarded substantial evidence and defendants’ statements in judicial proceedings that directly contradict official statements. One notable exception to this …

The Changing Dynamics Of India-China Relations Since 2014 : A Shift From Asymme Tric To Symmetric Security Dilemma?, Soumyodeep Deb

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

The new global geopolitical order has shifted from the Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Given the fact that both China and India are currently regarded as major rising powers, the relationship between the two countries is among the most important concerns in the contemporary geopolitical landscape. Therefore, it is of utmost significance to have a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of their relationship. The dynamics of the relationship between China and India have been marked by the presence of a security issue for a considerable amount of time. It has been suggested that the …

Asia In World Politics Syllabus, Muhammad S. Kabir

Open Educational Resources

The continent of Asia is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world. The continent also hosts some of the oldest interstate conflicts, ranging from disputed borders to nuclear proliferation. This course examines the sources of insecurity and conflict in Asia. The course focuses on several interstate and regional conflicts: the Kashmir Conflict between India and Pakistan, nuclear proliferation on the Korean Peninsula, the South China dispute, and the China-Taiwan relations. Although some of these disputes remain latent as of now, they have the potential to turn into outright regional wars with catastrophic consequences for the region and potentially for …

Power Asymmetry Dynamics: Assessing Interdependence In France-Cameroon Relations Through Economic And Security Cooperation (2000–2024), Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This paper examines the dynamics of power asymmetry in the interdependent relationship between Cameroon and France from 2000 – 2024 with a focus on security and economic cooperation. The main research question asks: To what extent has power asymmetry reinforced or mitigated the interdependent relationship between Cameroon and France within the realm of economic and security cooperation? Based on the hypothesis that increased interdependence between these two states during this period has strengthened existing power disparity. The paper examines how such dynamics have restrained Cameroon’s autonomy and its capacity to pursue policy goals.

The theoretical framework combines dependency theory, postcolonial …

Post Soviet Russia: Challenges To Transition And Modernization, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the beginning of a complex, often turbulent, period of transition and modernization for Russia. Unlike the anticipated linear path toward Western-style democracy and market economics, Russia’s post-Soviet experience has been defined by profound contradictions, reversals, and ongoing contestations over its political, economic, and social order (Minakov, 2016). The initial wave of reforms, particularly in the 1990s, brought about radical economic restructuring, privatization, and an attempted shift to a free-market system. Yet, these rapid changes led to significant economic dislocation, social inequality, and the rise of oligarchic power structures, which ultimately undermined …

An Antidote To Populist Ill-Rule? Polycentricity, And Excess Mortality In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michael Lee

Publications and Research

It has often proven difficult for scholars of populist governance to untangle the policy results produced by populist governments from the conditions that might lead voters to elect populist leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic – an exogenous event occurring amidst the rise of populist governments to power in many of the world’s democracies – offers a unique window into populist crisis management. Are populists less effective crisis managers when the stakes are high? And if so, what factors might mitigate populist ill-rule? In this paper I present evidence that populist-led governments experienced greater levels of excess mortality in the COVID-19 pandemic …

Cybersecurity And Global Threats: A Comparative Analysis Of Estonia And Russia’S Policies, María Paula Morales Palacios

The Confluence

As digital technology continues to reshape the foundations of modern life, the question of how states respond to cyber threats has become increasingly urgent. This paper examines how political systems shape national cybersecurity policies by comparing Estonia and Russia, two countries facing similar external threats but governed by vastly different structures. Estonia’s democratic framework emphasizes transparency, citizen participation, and international cooperation, while Russia’s semi-authoritarian model centers on state sovereignty, centralized control, and strategic offensive capabilities. Drawing on key historical events, including the 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia and the 2016 attacks on Russian banks, the paper explores how each state’s political …

Is Syria Truly On The Path To Democracy?, William Ulterino

Opinion Matters: Student Analyses of World News

This op-ed assesses the plausibility that Syria’s new government will usher in the first true democracy for an Islamic nation in the Middle East.

Japan And Its Hesitation In Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage, Morgan R. Lewellen

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Japan is the only state in the G7 that has not legalized same-sex marriages despite increasing support of LGBTQ+ rights and norms for respecting human rights. While some local governments and constitutional courts have made progress with recognizing same-sex partnerships and deeming the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, the Japanese national government has not enacted comprehensive pro-LGBTQ+ policy. Instead, the Diet (Japan’s legislative body) passed the “LGBT Understanding and Enhancement Bill” in 2023, which is a law that fails to legally recognize same-sex marriage or provide protections. This project aims to explore Japan’s hesitancy by examining politics, culture, history, and …

What Impacts Does Immigration Have On Support For Increasingly Right-Wing Ideology?, Matt D. Cristol

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

How do perceptions of immigration influence support for right-wing ideology? In the current literature, political scientists propose a relationship between immigration and the expansion of immigration policies. Scholars, particularly in Europe are interested in examining the connection between immigration and the rise of right-wing ideologies in increasingly diverse communities. These two variables appear to be inversely related. As immigration increases, support for left-wing ideologies tends to decline in European societies. Recently, right wing ideology has led to mistrust in society, particularly towards immigrants who are blamed for societal problems and used as a scapegoat for many economic problems. Thus, voters …

‘Casar Public Lecture: 100 Days Of Trump: America, The Middle East, And Beyond’, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

The entire world is literally getting new updates about Trump's internal & external policies almost everyday now....can you imagine that we are still yet to reach 100 days?? USAID cuts, Chinese and Canadian Tariffs, DEI revokes, Gaza War, Ukraine War, the case of Iran, National Economic Emergency in the US, ICE arrests in the US & so much more to discuss.....Trump's policies impact the US as well as everywhere in the world, but what are the repercussions so far?

Speakers: From AUC: Dr. Sean Lee, Assistant Professor, Political Science Department - Amb. Dr.Alaa El-Hadidi , CASAR Adjunct Professor.

The panel …

Recent U.S. Government Policy Literature On Critical And Strategic Minerals, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Critical and strategic minerals have become increasingly important in U.S. government civilian and military policymaking in recent years. This is demonstrated by the heavy use of such minerals in many critical civilian and military infrastructures. This work will discuss how this subject has been addressed in laws, presidential documents, and works by government agencies along with congressional oversight committees and support agencies. It will stress how the United States is heavily dependent on strategic minerals from adversarial foreign countries such as China and will examine U.S. efforts to increase its ability to produce such materials in the United States by …

Analyzing The Role Of Donald Trump As A Catalyst For The Surging European Far Right, Michael D. Main

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Only about a quarter of the world population is currently living under a democracy, down from 54 percent in 2006 (Owens, 2023). In the United States, President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive actions and increasingly unchecked power have many worried about a possible deterioration in the sturdiness of American democracy in the coming years (Barrow, 2025). Meanwhile in Europe, far-right movements such as Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France have scored historic wins at the ballot box (Green, 2024).

The parallel rise of authoritarianism in so many different nations suggest a potential connection between these …

Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Csis), Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

April 24, 2025 presentation for Canada's GovInfo Day Spring 2025 hosted by Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and Internet Archive Canada. Provides information about the publicly available information resources produced by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) which is the Canadian Government's foremost national intelligence agency. Provides information about this agency's statutory organization, types of publicly available reports they produce, information about other Canadian government intelligence agencies, and parliamentary oversight of Canadian government intelligence operations. Lists additional resources for finding information about CSIS and explains the benefits of having access to these resources for users.

Colonial Legacies And Gender Equality: A Study Of Women’S Rights In Angola & Namibia, Anna E. Stephens

Global Tides

Angola and Namibia, neighboring countries in southwestern Africa, share a history of colonial exploitation and rich natural resources, yet diverge sharply in their post-independence trajectories concerning gender equality. This paper employs the method of difference to investigate how Namibia emerged as a continental and global leader in advancing women’s rights, while Angola continues to face significant challenges. It argues that Namibia’s inclusive liberation movement and peaceful, UN-brokered decolonization contrast with Angola’s prolonged and violent colonial legacy under Portugal, which culminated in a devastating civil war. The paper also considers how Namibia’s smaller population may have fostered greater unity and gender …

Shall We Play Kagame? - The Differences Between Rwanda And Burundi, Colin Leary

Opinion Matters: Student Analyses of World News

This paper examines the two neighboring countries of Rwanda and Burundi, and the impact that Rwandan President Kagame has had in helping his country recover from the genocide of 1994.

The Global Politics Of Adoption: Who Gets To Adopt And Why?, Lily Eigner

Opinion Matters: Student Analyses of World News

International adoption is deeply intertwined with global politics, nationalism, and ideological agendas. This op-ed explores how countries like Russia, China, and Ethiopia use adoption laws for political leverage, often sidelining the needs of children in favor of diplomatic or nationalist interests.

Beyond The Institution Of Motherhood: Shifting The Paradigm, Gabrielle Wilson

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

This paper explores declining birth rates as a global act of resistance and reclamation by women and birthing individuals against hyper-masculinized institutions, using South Korea's 4B movement as a case study. The 4B movement, which rejects marriage, childbirth, romance, and heterosexual relationships, represents a paradigm shift challenging entrenched gender norms, state control, and systemic inequities. It exemplifies a global phenomenon as similar movements gain traction in the U.S., Japan, and beyond, amidst rising conservatism and declining fertility rates. Framing this analysis with intersectionality, Feminist IR theory, and Kuhn’s paradigm shift model, the paper argues that this resistance signifies a transformative …

Public Surveillance And Human Rights: The Chilling Effect Of Surveillance Technologies And Legal Debates In Europe, Anna Calabrese

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

The rapid advancement and intense deployment of surveillance technologies pose a profound threat to fundamental human rights and render the balance between national security and rights and freedoms guarantees even more challenging. This paper interrogates the menace that digital tracking such as IMSI-catchers and other sophisticated tools represent to contemporary democracies with a specific focus on their potential to introduce a “chilling effect” to deter individuals in political and social communities from exercising their freedoms of speech, expression, association, thereby endangering the core values of all democracy. This analysis offers an overview of the state-of-the-art in Europe and highlights recent …

When Civil Society Defends Authoritarianism: Thai Bhakdi, We Support Prayuth, And Thailand’S Democratic Decline, Igastya Hagarayu Sapta, Luthfi Makhasin

Jurnal Politik

Civil society is often regarded as an essential foundation for democratic consolidation, but in Thailand, civil society also plays a crucial role in maintaining authoritarian rule. This article analyzes how pro-authoritarian civil society movements—Thai Bhakdi and “We Support Prayuth”—emerged and operated in the context of the historical relationship between the military and the monarchy and political polarisation since the 2006 coup. Using the authoritarian civil society (ACS) framework and a comparative historical analysis approach, this study traces how the long-standing divide between reformist and conservative forces created fertile ground for these movements. Thai Bhakdi, rooted in monarchist nationalism, …