International Relations Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of Education Aid In Kenya: Using Women's Access To Education As An Indicator Of Welfare, Dawn Dimick

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Global Journal reported an estimated 10 million NGOs worldwide and in Kenya alone, the number rose to 11,262 by June 2019 (Non-Governmental Organizations Co-ordination Board, 2019). Though committed to alleviating the same issues, the existence of so many organizations breeds vast differences in approaches. Are the issues simply too complex for a handful of organizations to fix or are the organizations themselves becoming an integral part of the problem? Most organizations fall short in evaluating their effectiveness, partly because there is no standard model by which to measure success. While it would be nearly impossible to design a perfect …

Globalization: A Veto Player Perspective, Alec Brown

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Different countries have varying levels of globalization. Many features, such as size, play a part in determining the level of globalization in countries. I argue that globalization is influenced by veto players in systematically different ways. To understand these different relationships, globalization must be broken apart into three dimensions (political, economic, and social). Political globalization is negatively affected by veto players. Economic globalization is not affected by veto players directly but is influenced by related phenomena. Social globalization is positively affected by veto players. To test my arguments, I employ a Time Series Cross Section (TSCS) method to analyze a …

Twice Migration And Indo-Caribbean American Identity Politics, Jessica Ramsawak

Political Science

Being an Indo-Caribbean American can be a confusing and inspiring experience. It is marked with a desperation for understanding oneself and one’s mother, while simultaneously traumatized and burdened with a history of displacement. Migration history can inform the ways in which members of ethnic communities view themselves, their heritage, and their ethnic identity. This is particularly true of the first-generation Indo-Caribbean community in America. The term Indo-Caribbean describes the waves of Indian indentured laborers that were sent to the Caribbean in the early 1800s, developed an Indo-Caribbean culture, and then emigrated in the 1980s to join the Indian diaspora in …

A Thumb On The Scale: Chinese Investment And Influence In Ecuador And Colombia, Christina Pendergrast

Honors Theses

Over the past two decades, Chinese involvement in the developing world has increased dramatically, raising concerns over the intentions behind the provision of development packages. Critics have accused China of a practice known as debt-trap diplomacy, a method of ensnaring less developed nations by providing more loans than those nations have the ability to feasibly pay back. While China denies that their loan and investment packages are provided with any ulterior motive, the influence held by an investor like China has the potential to impact these partner countries for decades to come. In light of the scope of China’s role …

U.S.- China Policy: How Mistreatment Of The Uighurs Affects Foreign Policy, Divya Forbes

Political Science

The United States and China have a complex relationship that is influenced by security issues, climate change, combatting terrorism, strategic stability, and human rights violations. The United States has held the position that China is a crucial trading partner due to the vast level of economic interdependence between the two nations. However, the United States is a protector of human rights and has not shied away from intervening to protect persecuted religious groups from human rights violations. This paper seeks to distinguish the plight of the Uighur Muslim population in the Xinjiang province in China. It discusses how United States …

Hong Kong, Alvaro Harrison Hucker '22, Blake Barth '22, Philip Yi '22

Student Leadership Exchange (SLX)

The relationship between China and Hong Kong has been very tense for years ever since Britain allowed Hong Kong to become for 50 years in 1997, before the region would have to officially return to China. Knowing that their 50 years of having a self-governing body will end in 2047, Hong Kong citizens are constantly afraid of their rights. Now to add to the tension, China attempted to pass the Extradition Bill, which would have any citizen of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau who has committed a crime, be tried in China instead of where they live. This created an uproar …

A Crisis Of Masculinity: The Rise Of The Afd And The East German Man, Chandler Molpus

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I examine how a crisis of masculinity in the former German Democratic Republic has contributed to the rise of the far-right party, Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD). In the first chapter, I argue that east German men feel left- behind politically, economically, and demographically. In the second chapter, I compare results from the 2017 Federal Bundestag election to demonstrate that east German men are more likely to vote for the AfD than any other demographic group in Germany.

Sustainability Trends In Higher Education: An Analysis Of The International Journal Of Sustainability In Higher Education, Jessica Poling

Honors Theses

Since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, human activities have substantially harmed the biosphere and, if continued, pose a substantial risk to life on Earth. Recognizing this, educated people have advocated widespread adoption of sustainable practices and, in particular, have increased the amount of sustainability efforts associated with higher education. The International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, established in 2000, is devoted to such practices. For my honors thesis, I examined articles published in the journal from 2010 through 2019 to determine the countries, and the institutions within those countries, that were the primary contributors to the journal. …

International Impact Of The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use Of Data (Cloud) Act And Suggested Amendments To Improve Foreign Relations, Jordan A. Klumpp

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Residential Segregation By Caste In The Indian States Of Gujarat And Karnataka, Alicia Terrero

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Major: Global Studies and Political Science

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Trina Vithayathil, Global Studies

This project looks at the Indian states of Gujarat and Karnataka and tries to identify why Gujarat has a higher degree of residential segregation than Karnataka. One factor that could explain this is the difference in level of solidarity at the subnational level for both states. Based on social expenditure data and inequality data, we find that Karnataka has higher levels of support for policies that further the collective good of the subnational (i.e. Kannada within Karnataka) community. This higher level of subnationalism and unity across social …

Does Description Equal Prescription? A Case For Gender Quotas In Latin America, Samuel E. Hobbs

Honors College Theses

Extant research demonstrates that gender quotas do increase women’s descriptive representation in national legislatures, including in Latin America (Smith 2016; Mark et al. 2012). However, there has been an evident lack of research conducted to identify the relationship between gender quotas and outcomes of gendered legislation. I argue that gender quotas implemented on the national legislature in Latin America do increase the outcome of gendered legislation. I test my hypothesis by examining the government of Chile to analyze the effects of the augmentation of women in national legislatures. To do so, I use the government’s national legislative database to search …

Whaling In Japan: Conflicts And Controversies, Ashley Harrell

Virginias Collegiate Honors Council Conference

From pre-historic to modern times, whales remain an exploitable resource, though in recent decades the controversy surrounding whaling has yielded economical, political, and social “double-standards” on a domestic and global scale. Through reading anti-whaling and international organization statements, government documents, and statistical data, this paper examines the history of three countries—Japan, Norway, and the U.S.—to compare the “double-standards” presented against Japan. Conflicts arise as a result of Japan’s choice to whale seen through its conflicts with anti-whaling organizations, international organizations, and other countries. Additionally, this paper compares whaling with certain western food practices, including foie gras and veal, to demonstrate …

Washington Dc Model North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Mackenzie Creighton, Kaylee Coffman, Kevin Lundquist, Cameron Zarnich, Colin Molitor, Marc Rego, Stefan Johnson, Robert Belz-Templeman, Takashi Quinlan, Niklas Becker-Brown

Discovery Day - Prescott

Model North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) consists of several committees, each of whom draft policy relevant to their respective topics of discussion. The Committees debate for the course of the conference, drafting NATO policy to solve a multitude of issues. During this time, a simulated crisis also occurs, and each committee must respond to the updates from the crisis as well as focus on their original goals. After the final committee sessions of the conference, the final resolutions passed by each committee are sent to the North Atlantic Council (NAC), who works to approve all of them unanimously. The end …

We Don’T Know How This Virus Began, But We Know How We Can Learn From Our Response, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

The article examines the proliferation of conspiracy theories linking the COVID-19 pandemic to a laboratory release in China and discusses the credibility of these claims based on expert opinions and factual analysis. It highlights the international scrutiny and calls for strengthened adherence to the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention (BWC) to improve global cooperation and transparency in disease reporting. Emphasizing the need for rapid and transparent information sharing across borders, the piece advocates for enhanced international governance and preparedness measures to mitigate future biological threats effectively. It underscores the role of organizations like the United Nations and World Health Organization …

Rhetoric And International Human Rights: The Case Of The Senegalese Talibés, Christopher Parisella

Senior Honors Projects

CHRISTOPHER PARISELLA

(Political Science, Writing & Rhetoric, French)

Rhetoric and International Human Rights: The Case of the Senegalese Talibés

Sponsor: Lynne Derbyshire (Communication Studies, Honors Program)

While in Senegal, I witnessed the hurdles faced by proponents of international human rights standards. Thousands of Muslim boys, called talibés, undertake their Koranic education in Senegal. Many are forced to beg in the streets by their educators, and abuse in the schools is common. Still, this education is considered a valuable part of the boys’ spiritual development. Despite the multitude of countries that have openly supported and ratified international human rights compacts, many …

Linguistic Differences In Swiss Cantons And Its Role On The National Identity, Karen Lin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Switzerland is home to four national languages followed with a positive image on the international stage as a linguistically diverse country. In Swiss history, there has never been a record of a civil war or tensions between linguistic groups raising the question of what accounts for the national identity. The Swiss do not follow the typical definition in nationalism leading to an investigation on establishing the factors that comprise of the Swiss national identity and its effect on the political system. The results indicated linguistic diversity and the political institutions are the factors that compose the national identity creating a …

An Overview Of Supply-Chain Logistics In International Humanitarian Aid: Finding Challenges And Solutions, Arjun Ganga

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Humanitarian supply chain logistics concern the flow of goods and services in public health delivery. Such supply chains operate in both general development contexts and in acute crisis situations. In this paper, I give an overview of supply chains and then explore some of the challenges and potential solutions in delivering goods and services effectively and efficiently. Specifically, I analyze procurement, maintaining quality goods, incentivizing countries to act, collaboration, verification, possible losses in the supply chain, and ensuring appropriate use of product. I conclude that although humanitarian supply chains pose unique challenges, there is surprising efficiency in the system. This …

Catalonia: Independence In History, Rhetoric, And Symbolism, Natalie J. Cestone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper discusses why Catalonia should be an independent state through its history with independence and its historical and modern-day use of rhetoric and symbolism. By delving into the history of the region and digging into the unique qualities of the region, we examine how Catalonia has drawn a line between itself and Spain. Historical attempts at independence, the Catalan language, use of mythology and legends – otherwise described as Catalan rhetoric – as well as the use of symbology are all outlined in this paper and reviewed in the context of how contemporary Catalonia is making another grab at …

United Or Divided? The Politics Of Euro-Mediterranean Regional Identity And Migration Governance, Sarah Hall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Migration management has become one of the foremost global governance challenges facing states today, as the number of people seeking to move across borders continues to rise exponentially. As a result, states have begun to band together into regions to collectively manage the flow of refugees and migrants into their territories. Given that these regions are grounded in the articulation of a common identity among member states, the overall trend of regionalism as it pertains to migration governance represents an interesting point of entry from which to analyze three intersecting dynamics: migration management, regional cooperation among states, and identity politics. …

Sinister Intentions And Devastating Results: Intervention And Duration Of Civil Conflict, John M. Zak

Student Publications

In the post-Second World War era, intra-state conflict has become an increasingly prominent feature of the international system. Accompanying the increase in civil conflicts has been interventions by third-parties seeking to influence the outcome of those civil conflicts. This has had a decisive impact on the duration of civil conflict that this work seeks to analyze in detail. Using duration of civil conflict as the dependent variable and intervention as the independent variable, this work will seek to demonstrate empirically that intervention in civil conflict has a significant impact on prolonging the duration of the conflict and can contribute to …

European Citizens' Attitudes Towards The European Union And Integration, And The Question Of Sovereignty, Dylan Hruska

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Since the referendum in 2016 that stated the United Kingdom was to leave the EU, many were wondering what caused them to leave. Many point to the theory that integration into the European Union was the cause, however we will look into other factors such as attitudes by analyzing the works of theorists, researchers, professors, and others to answer the question if the EUs encroachment on sovereignty, rise of nationalism, and the attitudes towards the EU are the possible factors to leaving the EU. I analyze political identities, occupation, and overall feelings on the EU and EU policies to see …

Backlash To The European Court Of Human Rights: The Case Of Russia, Cole Kovarik, Courtney Hillebrecht

UCARE: Research Products

Since the end of World War II, the international community has forged human rights accountability systems that have since become increasingly important. The good work done by these international tribunals has come under threat more and more by a process of backlash called tribunal capture, or “the politics of states and individual political leaders seeking to undermine the tribunals by working within the judicialized and legalized landscape of international human rights law” (Hillebrecht). The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is no exception; since its foundation, it has been largely utilized. However, lack of compliance with its rulings remains to …

How Does The World Bank Influence The Development Policy Priorities Of Low-Income And Lower-Middle Income Countries?, Stephen Knack, Bradley C. Parks, Ani Harutyunyan, Matthew Dilorenzo

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This study investigates the World Bank’s use of lending and non-lending instruments to affect the policy priorities of developing countries. In a typical year, the World Bank lends more than $30 billion to its client countries. It also spends approximately $200 million on the provision of analytical and advisory products each year. However, insufficiently granular data on the nature, timing, and distribution of these analytical and advisory products and the policy priorities of client countries has made it difficult for policymakers and scholars to understand which World Bank instruments are most useful for effectuating change in the direction of government …

Friendship Projects Within Embargo: Peacemaking And Power Between Us And Cuban Quakers 1987-2019, Jade Souza

University Honors Theses

This paper analyzes Quaker friendship projects between US and Cuban Quakers within the embargo period, with friendship construction being looked at as creative act within a contact zone. How are these intercultural friendships formed and sustained within communities from two countries in conflict? How do they relate to larger social dynamics such as intractable conflict and tourism? How do the friendships change the dynamics within these communities? Two examples of friendship projects are looked at in terms of the strategies they employ to navigate the dynamics of conflict and social inequality between the two states.

The Key Factors Driving Ccp Opposition To Taiwanese Independence, Connor Warshauer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The CCP strongly opposes a formal declaration of independence from Taiwan, and has threatened military force should Taiwan take that step. This paper seeks to explain the underlying reasons for the CCP’s aggressive policy. To do so, it uses a two-part methodology composed of a comprehensive engagement with existing secondary sources from the academic literature and four new interviews with experts in the field. The paper considers three main explanations for China’s opposition to independence: nationalism, international geostrategic factors, and factors of domestic politics. It concludes that domestic politics, and specifically the CCP’s perception that independence threatens its claim to …

North Korean Refugees Along The Route To Freedom: Challenges Of Geopolitics, Deborah Da Sol Jeong

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This Independent Study Project conducts an analysis of the North Korean Refugee Crisis by following the refugees along their escape route from the North Korean regime. By following a common escape route that includes China, Laos, Thailand, and finally, South Korea, this study unpacks the geopolitical factors and diplomatic relations that hinder and improve the progress of these refugees. Afterward, this study analyzes the resettlement process that North Korean refugees undergo in South Korea and the challenges that remain even after gaining South Korean citizenship. Finally, this project concludes by suggesting that the international community actively endeavor to establish a …

Geopolitics And The Digital Domain: How Cyberspace Is Impacting International Security, Georgia Wood

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The digital domain is the emerging environment for which the internet and data connectivity exists. This new domain is challenging the traditional place for geopolitics to exist, and creating new challenges to international relations. The use of cyberweapons through direct cyberattacks, such as the possibility of an attack on the U.S. power grid, or misinformation campaigns, such as the one launched by Russia against the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, can expand the international threat landscape. While these new threats increase, states are widely not prepared to address the new challenges in the digital domain. This paper will use three primary …

Una Evaluación De La Evolución Y El Futuro De La Vigilancia De La Pesca Ilegal En Antártida Bajo La Ccrvma, Courtney Jacobs

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este documento de investigación evalúa el tema de la pesca ilegal en el Área de la Convención de la Antártida establecida por la Comisión para la Conservación de los Recursos Vivos Marinos Antárticos (CCRVMA). El enfoque general de esta investigación es evaluar la capacidad de la Comisión para abordar la preocupación de la pesca ilegal en el Área de la Convención. Este objetivo se persigue examinando tres subpreguntas: ¿cómo ha evolucionado la pesca ilegal en el Área de la Convención a lo largo del período estudiado, qué medidas ha tomado con éxito la Comisión con respecto al monitoreo y cumplimiento …

Morocco’S Leadership: Assessing The Relationship Between The State And Non-Governmental Organizations Working On Migration Affairs, Adriana Nadyieli González Ortiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The history of Moroccan Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is almost as long as the country’s history with migration. After Morocco's record as a sending country, its unique location attracted an increasing flow of migrants from the rest of Africa to transit the territory in hopes of crossing over to Europe. More recently, tighter border securitization has resulted in notable numbers of migrants permanently settling in Morocco. Significant changes in migration policy have both prompted and resulted from this progression. And simultaneously, national NGOs have strengthened their role as protagonist advocates for migrants’ rights as well as foremost providers of target-diverse support …

Good Intentions, Mixed Results: Why Aid In Uganda Is Fragmented And What Can Be Done About It, Samuel D. Johnston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the phenomenon of aid fragmentation and donor proliferation in Uganda. As the development cooperation landscape has become increasingly complex in recent years, there is significant interest in examining how this complexity, also called fragmentation, affects development outcomes in recipient countries. Specifically, this paper sets out to understand the driving forces behind aid fragmentation in Uganda, the recent trends in fragmentation and coordination, and potential pathways forward to address the problem.

Research for this paper came from a series of interviews with economic experts in Uganda, an exploratory study of quantitative indicators of fragmentation over the last decade, …