Democracy And Foreign Aid: How Democratic Institutions Affect Aid Effectiveness,
2025
Old Dominion University
Democracy And Foreign Aid: How Democratic Institutions Affect Aid Effectiveness, Jonas Bensah
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
This research paper examines the comparative effectiveness of foreign aid in Ghana and Zimbabwe, highlighting the critical role of political regimes and democratic institutions. The study underscores that while democratic governance, characterized by transparency, accountability, and citizen participation, significantly enhances aid effectiveness. Ghana’s stable democracy and robust institutions have facilitated the effective use of aid, leading to significant improvements in economic growth, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. In contrast, Zimbabwe’s authoritarian regime, marked by corruption and political repression, has hindered the efficient utilization of aid, exacerbating the country's socio-economic challenges. Policy recommendations for donors emphasize the need for promoting democratic governance, …
The Post-Millennial French Colonial Empire,
2025
Old Dominion University
The Post-Millennial French Colonial Empire, Chase Plante
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
The French Colonial Empire of the Age of Imperialism was born in the apocalyptic fires of a millennial movement: the French Revolution of 1789. Millennial movements aspire to rapidly, often violently, achieve utopia by transforming their contexts. Revolutionary France went to war to liberate the world from tyranny and so began both French nationalism and the resurged French colonial empire. The crusade failed, but nationalism and imperial expansion remained. The French genuinely believed that, in their imperial and colonial expansion and domination, they were bringing the world closer to utopia. Assimilation, linguistic and cultural, was a key part of this. …
Modeling The Impact Of Nato Policy Actions On Taliban Disinformation Campaigns With Lotka-Volterra Models,
2025
James Madison University
Modeling The Impact Of Nato Policy Actions On Taliban Disinformation Campaigns With Lotka-Volterra Models, Timothy Tarter, Bella Santos
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
In this paper, we use an adaptation of the Lotka-Volterra Predator-Prey framework (via Affilit Et. Al.) to model the relationship between Taliban disinformation campaigns and NATO’s attempts to counter them. We find that aggression is a significantly preferred strategy over stagnation; this result should prompt decisionmakers to take strong stances against disinformation campaigns while maintaining a healthy defense against retribution. This leads us to propose the NATO Afghan Youth for Change program, which provides scholarships to individuals throughout the Afghan diaspora to become NATO influencers - a role which will both advance their personal goals and mitigate the spread of …
Public Surveillance And Human Rights: The Chilling Effect Of Surveillance Technologies And Legal Debates In Europe,
2025
University of Torino, Italy
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 …
Truth Subversion And The Challenges To International Order,
2025
Old Dominion University
Truth Subversion And The Challenges To International Order, David Acosta
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
This essay explores the increasing prevalence and impact of truth subversion on the liberal international order (LIO). It examines how modern disinformation campaigns seek to undermine shared epistemological foundations critical for international cooperation, and looks to answer the question: what impact does truth subversion have on international order? Furthermore, it investigates how truth subversion creates uncertainty, challenges alliances, and exacerbates security dilemmas. The essay identifies four core truth subversion tactics: disinformation, double speak, conspiracy theories, and flooding, and applies them to the 2014 Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 tragedy, where Russian actors employed these techniques to distort facts, challenge investigative findings, …
From Shatter Zone To Shatterbelt: The Role Of The Three Seas Initiative In Shaping Central And Eastern Europe,
2025
Old Dominion University
From Shatter Zone To Shatterbelt: The Role Of The Three Seas Initiative In Shaping Central And Eastern Europe, Ian Murphy
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
The Three Seas Initiative (TSI) is a relatively new political and economic platform aimed at enhancing connectivity and infrastructure development in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This initiative seeks to address the region’s historical underdevelopment and lack of north-south connectivity. This paper examines the role of the TSI in the context of a changing geopolitical landscape, where Russia and China are increasingly seeking to exert influence. The central research question is: Does the TSI represent a fundamental shift in the CEE region, and how can it foster interdependence while mitigating the risk of conflict? I argue that the TSI signifies …
Peace Engagement And Non-Negotiable Commitment Through An In-Depth Lens (P.E.N.C.I.L) Theory: A Film Perspective On Un’S Conflict Resolution,
2025
Old Dominion University
Peace Engagement And Non-Negotiable Commitment Through An In-Depth Lens (P.E.N.C.I.L) Theory: A Film Perspective On Un’S Conflict Resolution, Edward Moses Sam Selvaraj
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
This paper introduces the P.E.N.C.I.L. Theory—Peace Engagement and Non-negotiable Commitment through an In-depth Lens—as a metaphorical and analytical framework for understanding the United Nations Security Council’s role in conflict resolution. Using the symbolic structure of a pencil, the theory critiques the Council’s decision-making power ("the lead") and its human consequences ("the eraser"), highlighting how failures in peacekeeping and diplomacy disproportionately affect civilian populations. Drawing on constructivist theory, the paper argues that norms and social narratives, especially those shaped by cinema, are critical in holding international institutions accountable. Through close analysis of films such as Hotel Rwanda, Sometimes in April, and …
The Frozen Sleeping Giant: How The U.S. Can Awaken To Arctic Challenges And Advance Its Northern Interests,
2025
Old Dominion University
The Frozen Sleeping Giant: How The U.S. Can Awaken To Arctic Challenges And Advance Its Northern Interests, Daniel White
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
For much of human history, the Arctic Ocean was persistently inaccessible to mass trade and transportation. With warming global temperatures, the ice of the Arctic Ocean is slowly giving way to navigable ocean, and creating new opportunities for states wanting to take advantage of the upcoming maritime access. With U.S. adversaries like Russia and China pursuing their Arctic interests, one would assume that the U.S. is hard at work at reinforcing its Arctic territory. Despite the United States being the global hegemon, scholars have remained puzzled as to why the U.S. has continued an apparent apathy towards the Arctic. This …
Soft Law, Activism, And Climate Displacement: Rethinking International Protections For The Environmentally Displaced,
2025
Old Dominion University
Soft Law, Activism, And Climate Displacement: Rethinking International Protections For The Environmentally Displaced, Guljannat Huseynli, Andrea G. Brown
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
Climate change is displacing millions of people globally, yet those forced to migrate due to environmental factors remain unprotected under existing international refugee law. This paper argues that legal recognition for climate refugees can emerge not through immediate treaty reform but through the evolution of soft law and norm creation. Drawing on constructivist theory, it examines how activism, international organizations, and legal precedents contribute to shifting global norms. Through case studies such as Ioane Teitiota v. New Zealand and the Fridays for Future movement, the paper shows how strategic litigation and advocacy can build momentum for future legal protections. It …
U.S. - Azerbaijan Cooperation In The Field Of Security,
2025
Maria Curie Skłodowska University, Poland
U.S. - Azerbaijan Cooperation In The Field Of Security, Malahat Eynalizade
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
This research work will explore the security partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan. A key issue in the Western relationship with Azerbaijan is security. The defense and security cooperation between the United States and Azerbaijan is a fundamental aspect of their bilateral relations. It serves as a driving force behind their political ties and provides a solid foundation for enhancing the capabilities of Azerbaijan’s institutions through various aid programs. In the late 1990s, the U.S. government concluded that it had significant, albeit ancillary, interests in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Security in the South Caucasus is important to the …
Embedding And Enabling Multi-Domain Combat Capabilities With Partners And Allies: A Joint Concept Proposal,
2025
Old Dominion University and U.S. Army
Embedding And Enabling Multi-Domain Combat Capabilities With Partners And Allies: A Joint Concept Proposal, Nathan Colvin, Aljoša Kaučevič, Randall Mercer
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
Future military operations will rely upon a coalition partnership’s ability to conduct regional and global operations across all domains. Currently the US has the most robust multi-domain skill sets of any existing military force, but the US cannot be solely responsible for operations around the globe. To do so would be geopolitically and economically infeasible. An answer may be to build cohesive coalition force units capable of combining localized capabilities and specialized US global competencies. The ability to respond to any type of threat through the synergy of coalition strengths will act to deter regional threats throughout the cooperation, competition, …
Sport, Soft Disempowerment And The 1966 Fifa World Cup,
2025
Technological University Dublin
Sport, Soft Disempowerment And The 1966 Fifa World Cup, Richard Woodward
Articles
Sport is increasingly acknowledged as a vital component of the United Kingdom’s arsenal of soft power assets. However, the UK’s attempts to wring soft power from sport have met with mixed success. Many of the UK’s experiences align with an embryonic literature suggesting that sport, as well as enabling the production of soft power, is simultaneously capable of eroding it, a phenomenon dubbed ‘soft disempowerment’. Drawing upon original archival documents, this article examines how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) commandeered the 1966 World Cup and England’s victory in the competition in a doomed attempt to communicate positive messages …
By All Means Available: Memoirs Of A Life In Intelligence, Special Operations, And Strategy,
2025
US Army War College
By All Means Available: Memoirs Of A Life In Intelligence, Special Operations, And Strategy, Todd Greentree
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
Todd Greentree examines By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy by Michael G. Vickers, who Greentree views as an exemplar of strategic leadership for current and future leaders.
Parameters Spring 2025,
2025
US Army War College
Parameters Spring 2025, Usawc Press
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
Welcome to the Spring 2025 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Russia, Ukraine, and NATO; Strategic Competition and Managing National Security; and Joint Sustainment Strategies), the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment, and a review essay.
Ukraine’S Not-So-Whole-Of-Society At War: Force Generation In Modern Developed Societies,
2025
US Army War College
Ukraine’S Not-So-Whole-Of-Society At War: Force Generation In Modern Developed Societies, Ilmari Käihkö, Jan Willem Honig
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
This article argues that Ukraine offers a cautionary tale regarding the two main modern models of force generation. Neither the professional high-tech war model, favored by Western militaries, nor the whole-of-society war approach, said to have saved Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, proved successful formulas for Ukraine. Considering that Ukraine is fighting for survival, with Russian forces inside the country, the failure of both models in action has serious implications for NATO member states as they deliberate their choices regarding future force generation.
Measuring Interoperability Within Nato: Adapted Off-The-Shelf Or Bespoke Solution?,
2025
US Army War College
Measuring Interoperability Within Nato: Adapted Off-The-Shelf Or Bespoke Solution?, John R. Deni, Matthew R. Macleod, Sarah E. Stewart, Katherine M. Banko, Adrian Jones
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
Despite decades of work on interoperability, NATO Allies cannot measure, assess, and build upon it fully and accurately. The lack of agreed formats or standards for collection, management, and the communication of findings have prevented the Allies from developing common interoperability measurement and assessment tools. Nonetheless, NATO could adopt extant standards, methodologies, processes, or tools to achieve its interoperability objectives. Testing this notion through use cases, the authors identify practical and conceptual hurdles to adopting an off-the-shelf solution. They conclude that the Alliance may need to create assessment standards, methodologies, processes, and tools from scratch, despite the difficulties of doing …
Political Psychology As Applied To The Israeli Palestinian Conflict,
2025
Montclair State University
Political Psychology As Applied To The Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Michael J. Reimer Dr
Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
The of the field of study of Political Psychology can be a useful tool in analyzing both the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the attempt to resolve it in the twenty-first century.
Vietnam Syndrome And The Genetic Consequences Of Agent Orange Poisoning: A Materialist Approach,
2025
University of South Florida
Vietnam Syndrome And The Genetic Consequences Of Agent Orange Poisoning: A Materialist Approach, Moriah M. Haley
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
The aim of this thesis was to propose and apply a materialist approach to “Vietnam Syndrome” found at the intersection of masculinity, disability, and state power as it manifests in modern military strategy. Through an analysis of the physical veteran body rendered infertile from Agent Orange poisoning during the Vietnam War, the material conditions of infertility are found to have threatened the hegemonic masculinity on which the military relied for its justification and continuation amongst young American men. The turn to technological warfare was intended to remedy the insufficiency of the military body, but the solution was costly and ineffective …
Mapping State Reactions To The Icc Arrest Warrants For Netanyahu And Gallant,
2025
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Mapping State Reactions To The Icc Arrest Warrants For Netanyahu And Gallant, Rebecca Ingber
Online Publications
On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced it had issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav Gallant, the former defense minister, in connection with alleged crimes committed in the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Hamas. In doing so, the Court rejected as premature Israel’s challenge to the Court’s jurisdiction. The Court’s decision to issue a warrant for the sitting Prime Minister of a state, which is notably not a party to the Rome Statute, also demonstrates the Court’s embrace of its prior controversial decision on immunity, namely that customary international law does …
Reassurance And Resolve: Enhancing U.S. Extended Deterrence Credibility In Europe,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Reassurance And Resolve: Enhancing U.S. Extended Deterrence Credibility In Europe, Andrew Ornduff
Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)
In the modern international security environment, extended deterrence and assurance remain critical components to the deterrence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO’s) competitors and threats. Within this organization, the United States plays a crucial role as the major nuclear power that supplies extended nuclear deterrence to its NATO allies. To enhance the credibility of its extended deterrence commitments, the U.S. practices various forms of assurance for its allies. This paper examines the extended deterrence relationships between the U.S. and France, Germany, and Estonia. It analyzes what assurance tools and strategies have been advantageous, disadvantageous, or irrelevant to the credibility …
