International Relations Commons^™

Violence Or Nonviolence: The Impact Of Public Opinion On Campaign Onset And Tactics, Kana Inata, Wakako Maekawa

Peace and Conflict Studies

Recent scholarship suggests that norms of nonviolent contestation strongly constrain the course of civil resistance campaigns. However, these norms are not uniform across countries. It may be the case that violent campaign groups may successfully mobilize supporters in societies where norms of nonviolent contestation are not established. This study seeks to answer whether campaign onset and tactics are influenced by public opinion, and if so, specifically what components of public opinion do so. We disaggregate public opinion into those on campaign tactics and campaign goals, and argue that public opinion on campaign goals affects the initiation of civil campaigns, while …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, August Alexander, Kevin Summers, E. Paige Lloyd, Alyssa Aragon, Lauren Wols, Erica Larson, Colton Arciniaga, Lily Baeza, Ellie Barnett-Cashman, Sidney Barbier, Maverick Bartholomew, Ryan Bell, Trevor Briggs, Amanda Brown, Cory Marchi, Maddy Pontius, Jennifer Gallagher, Claire Kwok, Channing Bullock, Alex Mccollister, Kim Gorgens, Daniela Chavez, Yamilet Espinoza Nuñez, Giovanni Valladares Giron, William Christensen, Olivia Kachulis, Daniel Cierasynski, Brandon Cohen, Spenser Dobbs, Lindsay Goolsby, Noah Craver, Nyah Cubbison, Liam Doherty, Nicole Doris, Yan Qin, Alexander Nguyen, Lily Harmon, Shubh Todi, Naichen Zhao, Noah Fagello, Stacia Fritz, Paola Gascot-Chinea, Alex Volkova, Janelyn Geronimo, Elsie Harrington, Shane Simmons, Clarice Hise, Laura Moreno Palmer, Henry Xu, Yesu Leela Pasupula, Emily Fisher, Zachary Hogan, Colin Kleckner, Alyssa Knaus, Erin Kubat, Sam Werkema, Katie Lamberton, Lilliya Larson, Allie Leary, Vanessa Leon-Gamez, James H. Gallagher, E. Dale Broder, Robin M. Tinghitella, Emma Loeber, Alina Mali, Ixchel Marquez, Lauren Mcgrath, Ella Matthews, Grace Naegelen, Audrey Ng, Megan Lucyshyn, Rachel Brough, Alexandra Norman, Joe Ontiveros Rodriguez, Ben Dossett, Ori Miller, Janamejay Sharma, Christopher Reardon, Vincent Pandey, Regan Parish, Ren Pratt, Alisha Pravasi, Sanchari Das, Cari Reichel, Emma Robson, Victoria Rockwell, Jayce Rumsey, Steven Said, Norah Schroder, Alaina Smith, Shannon Murphy, Shujan A. Sharafeldeen, Stanley M. Kanai, James T. Nichols, David E. Clouthier, Macalia R. Augustus, Daniel Silva Rios, Scott Simpson, Anna Sparling, Chase Spurbeck, Kimberly Chiew, Christine Stadnik-Poteroba, Jacqueline Stephenson, Evelyn Stovin, Mia Supan, Lauren Tapper, Will Thrush, Anna Vogt, Michaela Walheim, Jon Weber, Hunter Whitehouse, Kansas Wood, Hayley Sayre, Lydia Mccann, Maread Mclaughlin, Kelly Krumrie, Olivia Wuttke

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Kashmir And Conflict: The Risks Of Water Scarcity, Mael Quentin

Senior Theses

As global warming increases, natural resource scarcity consistently becomes central to interstate tensions and local dissatisfaction. As water supplies dwindle, countries are becoming more desperate to cling to any accessible water supply, often at other groups' expense. The tension that grows over water scarcity can compound with pre-existing identity-based tensions. Kashmir is an ideal region to examine these concerning patterns, as it is an essential water source tied to interstate conflicts between Pakistan and India. My goal was to analyze three water scarcity types determined by Lyla Mehta and their potential to engender conflict in Kashmir. After looking through multiple …

Evaluating Climate Migration Through Discourse Analysis Of International Policy Framework And “El Progreso” Community Blog, Olusola Akanni

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Environmental changes are driven by global warming, such as rising temperatures, melting ice, and increased natural disasters which directly affect the living conditions of huma thereby driving migration. This study highlights the inadequacies of current migration management policies as the United States is seeing a significant influx of migrants from Central America. The focus of this discourse analysis is on the role of inadequate policies and the failure of international efforts like the Paris Climate Agreement in addressing the issue of climate-induced migration effectively. Despite the goals set by such international agreements to mitigate the effects of climate change …

One Tiger, Many Lions: Uneven Adoption Of China's Political And Economic Investment Among Democracies In Sub-Saharan Africa, Tommy Callan

Dissertations

This dissertation examines how unique qualities of democracies in Sub-Saharan Africa and their foreign policy decision making processes affect their ability to exercise state agency. Specifically, democratic qualities affect a state’s receipt of investment from China and how well those investment projects fare once accepted. It is hypothesized that a strong executive branch leads to decreased or inconsistent Chinese investment while a strong legislature may have the opposite effect. A strong executive may also lead to an increased chance of project success while a strong legislature may have the opposite effect. High levels of party contestation may lead to decreased …

Going Nuclear: Conflict Transformation In Asia, Hariharan Murugesan

Student Theses and Dissertations

On July 16th, 1945, codenamed “Trinity,” the world’s first nuclear bomb was detonated, releasing 18.6 kilotons of energy, morphing the sand in the Alamo Desert into green sheet glass.

International relations and its study were fundamentally changed with the creation of nuclear weapons. Mutually Assured Destruction, aptly shortened to MAD became a prevailing theory that tried to explain why countries would acquire nuclear weapons but would never use them; overtime, through various frameworks and treaties, the world tried to control the spread of nuclear weapons, and since 2006, only nine countries have succeeded in creating nuclear weapons, and yet interestingly …

Deforestation In Brazil’S Amazon And The Effects On Its Position In International Politics, Jeb Hinkle

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

Latin America is a land of potential for economic growth, the expansion of democracy, and international political influence. The United States has historically had political and economic influence in the region; however, Latin American nations have long seen the United States as imperialists, only serving their own interest at the expense of smaller Latin nations. As China’s global ambitions grow, many Latin American nations have turned towards the Chinese for investment and trade. The United States needs to combat China’s influence and the nations of Latin America wish to build a better future for themselves. The solution is strategic partnership …

The Holocaust's Legacy: Influencing Jewish Political Identity, Jordan Eskew

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis addresses the intricate relationship between the historical persecution of the Holocaust and its enduring influence on contemporary Jewish political engagement, a subject of significant contemporary relevance in political and international relations. Despite broad recognition of the Holocaust’s impact, the specific ways in which its memory affects Jewish political attitudes and actions around the world in the modern day have not been sufficiently thoroughly examined. Utilizing qualitative methods, including interviews with 20 individuals—public figures, Holocaust survivors, their descendants, and broader members of the Jewish diaspora— this study focuses on understanding the interplay between historical trauma, community cohesion, and the …

Women's Wings In Rebel Groups, Heidi Marie Stallman

Dissertations - ALL

The proceeding dissertation is a collection of three articles exploring the phenomenon of women’s wings in rebel groups. The articles ask different questions and utilize diverse methodological tools. The three abstracts are below. Paper 1 exposes the patterns of women’s wings in rebel groups through a large-N analysis of 372 rebel groups existing between 1946 and 2015. Scholarship in rebel governance has begun to identify trends of how women organize and participate in rebel groups. Patterns of women’s participation in conflict vary widely in scope, purpose, and form between, within, and after conflict. This paper focuses on patterns of women’s …

Scared To Give? A Look Into How Terrorism Affects The Flow Of Foreign Aid, Madelyn Jarjoura

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the role of formal ties to terrorism and its effect on foreign aid

from donor countries considered either democratic or not. I hypothesize that as more seats are occupied in a recipient country’s government by a known terrorist organization, the less total aid democratic donor countries will send to that country (vice versa for non-democratic donors). However, with stronger ties to terrorism, the more aid democratic donors will bypass through NGOs (vice versa for non-democratic donors). To test this, I used Hezbollah’s seats in Lebanon’s Parliament from the years 1995 – 2021 as a case study for …

Ngo, Ngo-Ing, Ng-Gone: Ngos And Their Social Ramifications In Jordan, Caroline Leonard

Honors Theses

Recent literature has debated the viability and efficacy of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) when they are constrained both by written law and by regulations placed by larger funding agencies. However, there has been less research into comparisons of NGOs within a country, especially when they receive different levels of government restriction. One such case is in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a constitutional monarchy that has three unofficial designations for its NGOs and non-profit organizations: Royal NGOs (RONGOs), quasi-governmental organizations (QONGOs), and NGOs. The relationship between these NGOs and the Jordanian Government is further complicated by Jordan’s complicated relationship with civil …

South Korea's Scramble For Diplomacy In African Development, Binta Fadiga

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes South Korea’s motivations for growing engagement in African development hypothesizing that diplomacy is a main driver in Korean interest in Africa. South Korea conducts official development aid through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Korea contrasts itself against conventional donors of official development aid, portraying itself as a model of economic development to emulate to recipient countries. Yet, KOICA discloses little regarding developmental methodologies it exports to recipient nations beyond its use of its development expertise and experience. I conducted qualitative analysis using country partnership strategies, official Facebook pages of KOICA Senegal and Rwanda offices, and mid-term …

The Age Of Ai: Why The European Union Was The First To Regulate Artificial Intelligence, Sabrina Richards

Political Science and International Relations: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The implications of the transformative and unknown nature of emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies raise important questions in current conversations in the international realm. The potential danger of AI calls for regulation, but the regulation of private technological endeavors is uncharted territory. However, on March 13, 2024, the European Union (EU) successfully passed legislation about the technology, titled the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act). Thus, what explains why the European Union has been the first to successfully pass legislation on Artificial Intelligence? This research demonstrates that such legislation passed because of the European Union’s Socioeconomic capacity, its …

Too Little, Too Late: The Icc And The Politics Of Prosecutorial Procrastination In Georgia, Marco Bocchese

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

In August 2008, just days after belligerent parties had reached a ceasefire agreement, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) announced the opening of a preliminary examination into the situation of Georgia. Yet, it was only in March 2022 that International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants in relation to three individuals from Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia. That said, how can such prolonged inaction be accounted for? How much blame does the OTP carry for it? And how did ICC-state relations develop over time? This paper conducts a within-case analysis of the situation of …

Using Digital Twins To Protect Biomanufacturing From Cyberattacks, Brenden Fraser-Hevlin, Alec W. Schuler, B. Arda Gozen, Bernard J. Van Wie

Military Cyber Affairs

Understanding of the intersection of cyber vulnerabilities and bioprocess regulation is critical with the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning in manufacturing. We detail a case study in which we model cyberattacks on network-mediated signals from a novel bioreactor, where it is important to control medium feed rates to maintain cell proliferation. We use a digital twin counterpart reactor to compare glucose and oxygen sensor signals from the bioreactor to predictions from a kinetic growth model, allowing discernment of faulty sensors from hacked signals. Our results demonstrate a successful biomanufacturing cyberattack detection system based on fundamental process control principles.

Characterizing Advanced Persistent Threats Through The Lens Of Cyber Attack Flows, Logan Zeien, Caleb Chang, Ltc Ekzhin Ear, Dr. Shouhuai Xu

Military Cyber Affairs

Effective cyber defense must build upon a deep understanding of real-world cyberattacks to guide the design and deployment of appropriate defensive measures against current and future attacks. In this abridged paper (of which the full paper is available online), we present important concepts for understanding Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), our methodology to characterize APTs through the lens of attack flows, and a detailed case study of APT28 that demonstrates our method’s viability to draw useful insights. This paper makes three technical contributions. First, we propose a novel method of constructing attack flows to describe APTs. This abstraction allows technical audiences, …

Commercial Enablers Of China’S Cyber-Intelligence And Information Operations, Ethan Mansour, Victor Mukora

Military Cyber Affairs

In a globally commercialized information environment, China uses evolving commercial enabler networks to position and project its goals. They do this through cyber, intelligence, and information operations. This paper breaks down the types of commercial enablers and how they are used operationally. It will also address the CCP's strategy to gather and influence foreign and domestic populations throughout cyberspace. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for mitigating the influence of PRC commercial enablers.

Populists For And Against Technocracy: A Comparative Study Of Rafael Correa And Donald Trump, Sofia Antonella Chamorro Pilacuan

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

This paper proposes a comparative analysis of two cases of populism in the United States and Latin America. The comparison between these democracies with distinct features is used to highlight two contrasting variants of populism. Therefore, the populism developed in the United States by Donald Trump and in Ecuador by Rafael Correa will be explored to argue that Correa implemented a technopopulist government, while Trump in the United States developed an anti-technocratic populism. These two case studies will be used to assert that both forms of populism are equally dangerous because they polarize societies, put democratic institutions into question, and …

Peace, Power, And Precarity: Examining Brazil’S Potential As An Emerging Global And Regional Leader, Mackenzie A. Berwick

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

Brazil is poised to emerge as a critical player in the Southern Hemisphere. The nation’s economic success has been accompanied by efforts to play a prominent role in international peace and security. This financial dynamism has offered the country a degree of legitimacy on issues of global trade and energy. However, a protracted social conflict in Rio De Janeiro’s favelas threatens that status. Brazil cannot access international esteem and influence without addressing its domestic situation. This paper applies Edward Azar’s protracted social conflict theory to reveal an internal state of disorder in Brazilian favelas that impairs the nation’s ability to …

China's Grand Strategy And Its Hegemonic Aspirations, Tianyi Yu

Political Science Honors Projects

The rise of China has sparked a debate on two core questions: what are China's intentions, and, more specifically, does China aspire to become a global hegemon? At the heart of these questions lies the enduring topic of China's grand strategy, its implementation, and its narratives. This paper addresses these questions by examining China's statements regarding its national rejuvenation strategy and its use of military power. The analysis concludes that China harbors aspirations of first becoming a regional hegemon and then challenging the US-led world order. Moreover, the paper suggests that China is at a turning point in that strategic …

Development Projects, Displacement, And Their Impact On The Deterioration Of Indigenous Language And Culture: The Role Of Women In Preserving The Nubian Language, Dalia Mohamed

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: My study aimed to explore the phenomenon of the deterioration of culture and language in an indigenous population due to the establishment of large development projects. I focused on the historical displacement and forced relocation faced by the Nubian population in Egypt as an example. My study highlighted the role of women in preserving the Nubian language. I used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as an approach to explore the shared lived experiences and strategies that Nubian women have used to persist in their culture and language after forced displacement.

Context: Nubian women are the children’s main resource for learning …

Governance And Islam In East Africa: Muslims And The State In Kenya And Tanzania, Farouk Topan, Kai Kresse, Erin E. Stiles, Hassan Mwakimako

Exploring Muslim Contexts

Explores the relationship between Muslim communities and the State in East Africa in political, institutional and legal contexts

• Focuses on the relationship between Muslims and the State in Kenya and Tanzania
• Asks which factors, both within and outside the Muslim community, shape and affect this relationship in contemporary times
• Presents 13 case studies exploring governance issues within and across the categories of politics, institutions and law in Kenya and Tanzania
• Identifies cross-cutting issues of governance and Muslim communities which are relevant beyond East Africa

Recent studies of Muslims in Kenya and Tanzania have tended either to examine governance of Muslims …

Legitimacy Competition: China And The United States Legitimization Of International Criminal Court Referral Decisions, Allison Flame

International Studies (MA) Theses

How do the United States and China legitimize their position regarding United Nations Security Council (UNSC) referrals to the International Criminal Court (ICC)? Existing literature addresses that states seek to gain and maintain legitimacy. However, there is an overall lack of attention given to how state representatives frame key decisions to legitimize the state's stance and if there are correlations between cases. Filling the gap in literature, this project examines how states legitimize their position on referrals to the ICC as permanent members of the UNSC and identifies a pattern in how they do this. Referring to the legitimacy competition …

A Red Awakening: An Analysis Of China’S Quest For Global Dominance Through Economic Alternative Warfare Methods, Sarah Beddingfield

Senior Honors Theses

In the 2023 annual meeting of China’s parliament, Chinese President Xi made it clear to his political leaders and the world that he was preparing for war. This should come as no surprise after analysis of China's grand strategy points clearly to the intent to surpass the U.S. as the premier global superpower in all respects. China has been building towards this goal for years through untraditional methods of warfare, forcing the national security community to reevaluate its own strategy and assess the Chinese threat through a different lens. This thesis seeks to address one specific area in which China …

Three Years Of Abrahamic Accords: A Contemporary Episode Of False Peace, Wael Abdelhafez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Abrahamic Accords mark the latest phase in the peace negotiation efforts concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict. Through diplomatic maneuvers, temptations, and promises, the United States managed to persuade four Arab countries to depart from the principles of the Arab Initiative and instead sign the Abrahamic Accords, establishing full normalization treaties with Israel. Many other countries and significant powers maintain divergent perspectives on the Abrahamic Accords. After three years, The Accords offer numerous potential economic, security, and strategic benefits, with Israel standing to gain the lion's share. This thesis explores the connection between the Frustration-Aggression Theory and the ongoing violence in …

Predicting The Future Of Myanmar’S Civil War: Can Half A Century Of Military Rule Be Defeated?, Nathan Ritterling

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In 2021, the military of Myanmar launched a coup in response to their overwhelming defeat in the 2020 elections, resulting in an end to the country’s tentative move towards democracy and in intense violence to suppress opposition to the coup. Anti-junta forces quickly formed in the aftermath to directly oppose the military and return the country to democratic rule, and began collaborating with long-standing ethnic militias in their efforts. This has led to a state of prolonged civil war, as the two sides fight for dominance over the nature of Myanmar’s future government. This paper investigated the potential outcome of …

Problems In Power: How The U.S. And Russia Have Battled Throughout The Decades, Abbie Russman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The battle between the U.S and Russia has taken many forms throughout the years. When taking a sample of conflicts that involve the U.S. and Russia in various capacities and different points in time, certain similarities are observed. Within the individual level of conflict analysis, leaders in the U.S., Russia, and other states involved often sway between dovish and hawkish tendencies. On a domestic level, the U.S. and Russia have opposing ideologies. The U.S. values democracy and capitalism, and often supports states that lean democratically. In contrast, Russia views democracy as a threat and supports states that value protectionism and …

Service-Learning And Cross-Cultural Impact: Preparing Underrepresented Students For An International Service-Learning Trip, Kalene Dean

University Honors College

No abstract provided.

Outside Influence And Troop Deployment, Cara Wilson

Master's Theses

This paper examines the role that the President, the public, and the media played in troop deployment during the Afghanistan War. I hypothesized that each variable would influence troop deployment. Using a linear regression, I found that there is a positive relationship between the media and troop deployment. I concluded that media coverage did not influence troop deployment, but highlighted what was happening in Afghanistan. With the public, there is a negative relationship between the public and troop deployment. While troops increased, the public decreased in their support for the war. I conclude that the public did not have a …

Peacekeeping The Commons: Un Peacekeeping Moderates The Effects Of Climate Change On Intercommunal Conflict, Cara Hunter

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The effects of climate change have been increasingly linked to the risk of intercommunal conflict, as climatic shocks have been shown to increase resource scarcity. Policymakers and academics agree that effectively designed institutions are critical variables in preventing and mitigating conflict, particularly in ecologically-fragile areas. However, there is a lack of evidence on the specific ways to strengthen institutions in the face of climate change, especially in conflict-affected settings. We argue that UN Peacekeeping Operations moderate the effects of climate change on intercommunal conflict by strengthening institutions governing common-pool resources (CPRs) to increase cooperation between communities sharing scarce resources. We …