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Full-Text Articles in International Relations

Rebel Legitimacy: A Theory On Battle Intensity, Brooke A. Golden Dec 2023

Rebel Legitimacy: A Theory On Battle Intensity, Brooke A. Golden

Masters Theses

Why do some rebel groups experience more intense fighting during civil war than others? This paper examines the relationship between rebel legitimacy and battle intensity. Existing literature has much to say about the various variables that influence battle intensity; however, this paper will incorporate two causal mechanisms of rebel legitimacy that are often overlooked or understudied in the civil war literature that explores battle intensity. The two causal mechanisms are: the number of civilian deaths and the level of rebel governance. This study is unique in the way it challenges our current understanding of battle intensity through these mechanisms. This …


Where’S My Favorite Dictator? An Analysis Of The American Empire In Post-Revolution Egypt, Jeremy Alan Brill Booth Aug 2023

Where’S My Favorite Dictator? An Analysis Of The American Empire In Post-Revolution Egypt, Jeremy Alan Brill Booth

Masters Theses

In 2011, Egypt became the epicenter of a regional wave of uprisings demanding an end to corruption, inequality, and undemocratic governance. The Egyptian revolution marked the hopeful beginning of a democratization process. However, in 2013 a military coup by General Abdel Fatah El-Sisi deposed the elected president and ended Egypt’s democratic experiment (DeSmet 2021). Despite the deterioration in U.S.-Egypt relations during the Obama administration and the erosion of political freedoms and economic stability over the last decade, the Trump administration enthusiastically embraced El-Sisi’s regime. Did Trump's claim that El-Sisi was his “favorite dictator” signal a profound shift in American policy? …


Liquid Border, Yingfan Jia Jun 2023

Liquid Border, Yingfan Jia

Masters Theses

A River is a mighty and constantly-evolving force, leaving behind an intricately designed and constantly changing system. Not just a river, the Rio Grande stretches all the way from Colorado before intersecting with the US-Mexico Border in southern Texas - a point where the powerful forces of nature now merge with a clearly-defined political boundary. The outcome of this is a unique ecological niche, which may often go unnoticed despite its distinctiveness.

Texas is famous for its farms and ranches, and the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas was once an agricultural hub. However, urbanization and the depletion of water …