International Relations Commons^™

Mena Terrorism And The West: Explaining Why Terrorist Groups From The Middle East And North Africa Target Western Democracies, Michael A. Defeo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Terrorist groups from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remain one of the most formidable threats to international security. While their organization and motives have been significantly different over time, a commonality is that they tend to disproportionately target Western democracies. This dissertation argues that this trend is mainly a consequence of the foreign policies that these states pursue in the region. These policies, in terms of support for Israel and interventionism, are theorized as being the precipitous causes of MENA terrorism. Likewise, it is argued that the democratic institutions and extents of globalization in these states are …

"Don't Be Afraid, Just Take It Easy": Genocide And Destruction In Bosnia, Thomas Sarsfield

Undergraduate Research Symposium

During the twilight hours of the Cold War, Yugoslavia was thrown into a full-blown political and economic crisis that resulted in its dissolution. Long-simmering ethnic tensions boiled over as former Yugoslav republics began declaring independence. After its secession from Yugoslavia in 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina rapidly descended into a brutal war between Bosnian Muslim, Croat, and Serb ethnic groups. Serb troops engaged in widespread atrocities against Bosnian Muslims and Croats including mass murder, rape, and forced expulsion, which collectively amount to genocide. While UN peacekeepers were dispatched to establish safety zones in Bosnia and Herzegovina, their efforts were stymied by …

U.S. And China: Microchip Policy Implications, Gro Kelrick

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Microchips have become a crucial influence on a country’s military and commercial sectors; a nation’s capacity to produce large volumes of quality microchips indicates its importance on the world stage. Recently, both the United States and China have promoted many domestic and foreign industrial policies that address each country’s interests in the production and sophistication of its microchips, establishing for themselves a dominant position in the global microchip market. Both countries’ policies aim to simultaneously control/influence microchip production abroad and also stimulate development and production domestically. I have collected commercial, economic, and government budget data provided by various United States …

Art Of Community, Nayely Furcal Marte

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Nayely Furcal Marte ’23
Major: Business Economics and Global Studies
Faculty Mentor: Nicholas Longo, Global Studies

Art has been used to create a spacious place for many people and has been a way to express themselves differently without using communication. There are many ways to do art: art can be painting, sculpture, literature, agriculture, cinema, music, or theater, no matter how individuals use it to help release emotions. Creating art as the artist or using it as the audience can help lift depression and positively heal mental health. Using art as a way of healing has represented patients and individuals …

316 - How A Student's Demographics Influences Their Knowledge Of Global Affairs, Emily Schofield

GREAT Day Posters

Through examining the intersection of identities of the public and global affairs, we can better understand the public's knowledge to advance policy and actions directly applicable to the constituency by state or non-state actors. Through my research in the McNair Program, I have focused on the demographics of students in relation to their knowledge and understanding of global affairs by examining their backgrounds, interests, and involvement within student life.

China's Public Diplomacy Philosophy, Logan Webb

ATU Scholars Symposium

China has become a giant in the globalized world in such a short period of time. This led me to the research question, “What is China’s public diplomacy philosophy?” Using a textual analysis of major geopolitical events that China is involved in (The Belt and Road Initiative, the South China Sea dispute, Uyghur imprisonment, and the Hong Kong government takeover) and the history of China since the Chinese Civil War, it becomes apparent that the country uses the concept of hard and soft power for its public diplomacy. If a country is not receptive to China or its intended actions, …

Balancing Interests In Forest Governance In Brazil And Indonesia, Annabel Mccormick Baldy

Environment and Sustainability Honors Papers

Forests play a major role in reducing levels of Greenhouse gasses which are a major contributor to global warming. Conversely, deforestation is a major contributor to climate change. This study examines the concept of good forest governance, dispelling notions that resource use needs to be a zero-sum game. Rather, it identifies local collective agreements as espoused by Elinor Ostrom in Governing the Commons as the best means of balancing the undeniable economic potential of converting forests to other uses (grazing, farming, and mining) with the more sustainable approach of protecting forests for their environmental benefit. For Ostrom, these collective agreements …

Nato Allies Should Take Canada’S Lead And Spend Less On Defense, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

In the article "NATO allies should take Canada’s lead and spend less on defense," Erika Simpson discusses Canada’s defense spending in relation to NATO’s two-percent-of-GDP target. Although Canada appears to lag in military spending when expressed as a percentage of GDP, it ranks high on a per capita basis. Simpson argues that NATO should consider Canada's broader contributions to peace and security, beyond just military expenditures. She highlights Canada’s new military spending commitments, including the purchase of F-35 fighter jets, and critiques the pressure from the U.S. for allies to meet the spending target. The article advocates for a reevaluation …

Teaching About The Global Refugee Crisis, Melissa Kafer

Honors Projects

Around the world, there are more than 30 million refugees (UNHCR, 2023) facing language barriers, cultural differences, prejudice, racism, and xenophobia. The number of admitted refugees in 2022 has more than doubled since 2021 (Duffin, 2022), and yet, many Americans do not know or understand the global refugee crisis. There are misconceptions in America that cause lack of empathy, bias, and prejudice towards refugees. Through the creation of four lesson plans, this research project aims to discover Americans’ misunderstandings regarding refugees and teach them about the crisis to remedy the misconceptions. This study includes a literature review detailing appropriate teaching …

Estimating The Xi Effect: How Chinese Aid Affects Economic And Political Institutions, Mackenzie Owens

Business and Economics Honors Papers

Under Xi Jinping, China has expanded its aid allocation worldwide and has introduced global infrastructure projects to connect itself to countries everywhere. With such ambitious aid allocation, China has been the recipient of both admiration and scorn on the international stage. This paper assesses these concerns using data from 2000 to 2017 to determine how Chinese aid affects recipient states’ economic and political institutions. Specifically, this research looked to ascertain if there is a measurable Xi Effect in recipient states. The quantitative analysis shows the Xi Effect is small and positive on economic institutions and political institutions, signifying Xi Jinping’s …

Self-Interest Or Altruism: Why Do Some Ingos Engage In Conflict Settings While Others Leave?, Rachel Arthur

International Relations Honors Papers

Why do some international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) continue work in conflict settings while others leave? Understanding the motivations influencing INGO behavior in fragile and conflict settings is important for scholars and practitioners: INGOs are a major part of the network of international third-party actors in conflict and fragile settings and provide much of the services funded by third-party state donors. While previous literature investigates the selflessness of INGOs, or lack thereof, and the behavior of INGOs within specific sectors, this thesis proposes a comprehensive analysis of the factors that impact INGO behavior in conflict settings at multiple levels. Drawing on …

The Weaponization Of Rape: Conflict-Related Rape And The International Criminal Court, Claire Velte

International Relations Honors Papers

Conflict-related rape—once thought to be an inevitable symptom of war—has been legally recognized as both a distinct weapon of war and a crime against humanity, yet it continues to be utilized with impunity. To understand why combatants rape, this paper examines the aspects of military culture that create environments in which raping is not only permissible, but encouraged; additionally, this paper considers cases of genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda in which rape was used systematically to achieve political goals, and how these conflicts contributed to new conceptions of rape in international criminal law. These new conceptions of conflict-related rape created …

A Fake Future: The Threat Of Foreign Disinformation On The U.S. And Its Allies, Brandon M. Rubsamen

Global Tides

This paper attempts to explain the threat that foreign disinformation poses for the United States Intelligence Community and its allies. The paper examines Russian disinformation from both a historical and contemporary context and how its effect on Western democracies may only be exacerbated in light of Chinese involvement and evolving technologies. Fortunately, the paper also studies practices and strategies that the United States Intelligence Community and its allied foreign counterparts may use to respond. It is hoped that this study will help shed further light on Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns and explain how the Intelligence Community can efficiently react.

Understanding The Effectiveness Of Russian Influence Operations On The United States As Compared To Other Regimes, Giselle Weiss

National Security Affairs and International Relations Theses

For years, the Russian Federation has effectively used influence operations to advance their global position and interfere with democratic processes like elections throughout the world. This project addresses the question: is the United States more susceptible to Russian influence operations compared to other nations with varied protections for freedom of speech? The Western world may be more vulnerable to disinformation and propaganda because people are unaccustomed to state narratives and vulnerable to targeted operations. The more research is done on this topic, the more people can become aware of the problem and protect themselves from vulnerability. By comparing data about …

Facing Famine: Justice And The Case Of Unilateral Intervention, Tanner R. Brooks

Honors Theses

Through the course of this year, 900 thousand people will have to struggle through conditions of famine, and a total of 345.2 million will experience food insecurity of some kind. These concerning figures represent an over twofold increase since 2020.1 This presents a serious problem, as access to food is so plainly vital to every aspect of an individual’s existence. It should therefore be uncontroversial to assert the grave nature of the occurrence of famine and other food emergencies faced by so many today. Food emergencies are not merely a result of insufficient food, but rather the institutional policies enacted …

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Cyberthreats And Democratic Backsliding, Amy I. Browning

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Interstate conflict has developed beyond conventional tactics to include the cyber realm, making cybersecurity a key component of international relations and an integral part of state defense plans. Research in international security has included the analyses of the relative success or failures of particular cyberattacks. However, the instigators behind these attacks receive comparatively little attention, leaving a gap in knowledge for when, why, and where cyberthreats are likely to emerge. Recent analysis has found that democratic institutions are likely to hinder state-sponsored cyberattack initiation. A consideration that the latest wave of global democratic backsliding could be fueling cyberthreats must be …

Nuclear Waste Abandonment Risks The Dangers Of Amnesia, Erika Simpson

Political Science Publications

This abstract discusses the proposed plan by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) to store Canada's nuclear waste in a deep geological repository (DGR) in northern Ontario, highlighting significant safety concerns. The NWMO's current strategy involves burying high-level nuclear waste underground at a site near Teeswater, Ontario, potentially impacting nearby communities and raising questions about long-term environmental and human health risks. Alternative approaches, such as a rolling stewardship model that allows for periodic retrieval and repackaging of nuclear waste, are proposed as safer alternatives. The abstract also addresses regulatory processes, public consultations, and international comparisons, underscoring the complex considerations involved …

Trade Wars, Covid-19, Usmca, And Protectionism: Exogenous Factor Influence On U.S- Mexico Supply Chains In The Automotive Industry, Maria Bustillos

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This research explores what the impacts of COVID-19, the U.S-China trade war, and the implementation of North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as the United States, Mexico Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement, have had on U.S.-Mexico trade relations, focusing on the automotive industry. With rising trends of protectionism in international trade, this research focuses on the language that Tesla and General Motors company sites in Mexico used from 2021 to March 2023 in their released articles to the public and how frequently the variables of COVID19, the U.S China trade war, USMCA, and protectionism were discussed. Articles in both Spanish and English …

Implementation Of A Marshall-Style Plan For Africa As Part Of U.S. Development Policy And Foreign Assistance, Joselle Mensah, Jeanie Thies

2023 Student Academic Showcase

The purpose of this proposal project is to evaluate current U.S. development policy and foreign assistance, with a specific emphasis on Africa. Recent research indicates that the original Marshall Plan, implemented in 1948 to rebuild postwar Europe through economic aid, provides a framework for future development policies. In order to successfully foster long-term establishment of democratic structures and economic prosperity, this study design, a natural experiment, focuses on pre-selected African countries, studying the implementation of a Marshall-style Plan for Africa. The findings are to be examined in an in-depth analysis and will conclude to what degree U.S. development policy ought …

What Doesn’T Kill You Makes You Stronger: The Shifting Strategies Of Japan’S Yakuza In Response To Economic Globalization And Securitization, Benjamin P. Murkison

Honors College Theses

The Yakuza in Japan is a deeply traditional and infamous ethnic mafia, which has historically based their profits off of the protection of gambling rings and street vendors, but have developed into one of the most sophisticated and wealthy criminal institutions in the world. Reaching their peak in the 1960’s with around 200,000 members, the Yakuza has been in a slow decline ever since. However, the past decade has seen the most dramatic drop in Yakuza numbers in recorded history, as a result of increasing securitization by the Japanese state. As their power has declined within Japan, they have only …