Political Theory Commons^™

The Security Dilemma And Arms Race Dynamics In Europe’S Response To The Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Brice Tseen Fu Lee, Filip Komšić, Juan Pablo Sims

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

This paper examines the escalation of military expenditures in Europe in response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, through the lens of the security dilemma. The security dilemma, a fundamental concept in international relations, describes how the defensive actions of one state can provoke perceptions of threat among others, potentially leading to an arms race. By analyzing military spending data from 2019 to 2023 for key European countries including Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Azerbaijan, Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of GDP, this study highlights how nations closest to the conflict, …

Jewish Nationalism In Israel: A Measurement, Hannah M. Ridge

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Since Israel’s founding, being a “Jewish state” has been central to its self-representation. However, Israel has struggled to identify what that means. This article examines the strength of Jewish nationalism in Jewish Israeli public opinion. It draws on a recent survey of 200 Jewish Israelis for a qualitative and quantitative investigation of public responses to religious nationalist statements. These findings offer a utilizable survey short scale for measuring Jewish nationalism and to understand how Jewish Israelis are interpreting these statements. This study is a necessary step to empirically evaluating religious nationalism in the “Jewish state”.

Sentimental Empiricism: Politics, Philosophy, And Criticism In Postwar France, Davide Panagia

Politics

Sentimental Empiricism reconsiders the legacy of eighteenth and nineteenth century empiricism and moral sentimentalism for the intellectual formation of the generation of postwar French thinkers whose work came to dominate Anglophone conversations across the humanities under the guise of “French theory.” Panagia’s book first shows what was missed in the reception of this literature in the Anglophone academy by attending to how France’s pedagogical milieu plays out church and state relations in the form of educational debates around reading practices, the aesthetics of mimesis, French imperialism, and republican universalism. Panagia then shows how such thinkers as Jean Wahl, Simone de …

Intersectional Marxism And The Dialectic: Interpreting Marx For Our Times, Lilia Monzó, Cristal B. Flores

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"Many on the radical left are increasingly seeking a humanist alternative to the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy that has produced immeasurable suffering and destruction. Amidst the fascism ignited within this era’s supra-conservatism, many of us turned to the Democratic Party to ensure Trump’s defeat only to be reminded that both major political parties in the United States have always moved to the tune of capitalist interests.¹ Thus, at this time, especially, we must remain hopeful in order to continue our struggle to develop a viable alternative to the current system.

This new PM Press edition of Karl Marx’s Critique …

The New China Model: Combating Economic And Political Order, Jack R. Swords

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Contemporary world politics centers around the actions of the two largest powers on Earth, the United States and China. They are both each other’s greatest adversary yet at the same time are each other’s largest trading partners. This thesis explores the nature of China’s economic climate that has seen it grow to one of the world’s foremost powers. However, the East Asian Nation faces economic challenges centered around the three D’s: Debt, Deflation, and Demographics. This thesis analyses what the nature of these challenges are and how China is responding to them within the ever-advancing world of economic and political …

Thinking Like Nyerere’: Authority Argumentation By Quotation In Tanzanian Parliamentary Discourse, Brighton Msagalla

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article examines the manner in which members of parliament (MPs) from one political group in Tanzania appeal to the figure of Mwalimu Nyerere through quotations to back up what they are themselves saying, or attack the political actions of other groups during parliamentary debates. The analysed instances of parliamentary quotations are presented in extracts, which are sourced from two parliamentary debates on the annual ministerial budget speeches by the then Minister for Labour and Employment, and the Minister for Community Development, Gender and Children in the 2015/16 fiscal year. The research data were collected from the website of the …

A Story Of State Transformation In The Global South: Limited Statehood And Governance In Post-Syria Lebanon, Jodor Jalit

Theses and Dissertations

This research thesis analyzes security governance in areas of limited statehood in the context of state transformation. Specifically, it examines the impact of the 2005 Syrian military withdrawal on the Lebanese state in the realm of security. Briefly, the thesis unveils the coexistence of state and non-state groups and the engagement of non-state actors in state-like practices. That is, it assesses the impact of the 2005 Syrian military withdrawal on the Lebanese state to reveal the relationship its new configuration, relationship with non-state actors, and emerging governance practices. In that sense, this thesis pretends to contribute to the larger body …

Lawfare As A Policy Tool In Sino-American Relations: The Case Of Huawei Cfo Meng Wanzhou, Zachary S. Souders

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

Competition between the United States and China is at an all-time high. Despite decades of diplomacy between the East and West, recent trends suggest the two powers are drifting further apart. To understand US-China relations, it is critical to understand major developments as they occur. This paper examines the geopolitical significance of United States v. Meng (2020), an extradition case in which US authorities requested the transfer of Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou to American jurisdiction. Despite US policymakers declaring Meng and Huawei to be threats to national security, the eventual dismissal of all charges Meng faced presents a puzzle …

The Importance Of Sunni-Iraqi Support In The Rise And Fall Of Isis In Iraq, Deja Meekins

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ISIS, a Salafi-jihadist terrorist organization stationed in the Middle East, has had its fair share of "successes" and "failures," both of which have been present in Iraq. Toward the beginning of the development of ISIS, it garnered a very powerful supporter base in Iraq. However, that has changed since then; ISIS currently, in 2024, no longer has the support of the vast majority of the Iraqi people. What is the reason for this? This research paper will seek to analyze and answer two major questions: what role does the Iraqi Sunni population play in ISIS’s trajectory of successes and failures …

We Cannot Labor Our Way Out Of Oppression: An Exploratory Study Of Wealth Through Black Women’S Lived Experience, Tiffany N. Younger

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

An exploratory qualitative phenomenological study was used to explore Black women’s experiences with wealth accumulation. The aims of this study were to better understand how Black women navigate financial obligations as heads of households and the impact of the wealth gap on their lives. The research on the wealth gap, informed by U.S. values and culture, has assumed the accumulation of wealth is the baseline/default goal or aspiration for all individuals. More specifically the subaims of this study sought to examine the extent to which the structural, interpersonal, disciplinary, and hegemony impacts Black women’s wealth status. Furthermore, this study sought …

Wuwei Praxis, Zachary L. Gelnaw-Rubin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The question of how to change the world is answered in the concept of praxis. For structural change to occur a “revolution in motivation or feeling,” - a paradigm shift - is needed. I argue that this requires the adoption of feminist liberation praxis, which involves a negativistic political stance, nonideal theorizing, and an openness to self-transformation. This entails a transformation of the concept of praxis itself within the Leftist idiom, a transformation which could be the linchpin of the needed paradigm shift in the larger culture.

The three parts of this thesis elaborate upon the different aspects of this …

Strategic Pathways To Minimal Deterrence And Counter-Terrorism: Enhancing Brunei’S Defense Capabilities, Brice Tseen Fu Lee, Filip Komšić, Juan Pablo Sims

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This paper explores the strategic enhancement of Brunei’s military capabilities under the guidelines of the Brunei Defense White Paper 2021, focusing on establishing a robust minimal level deterrence. It emphasizes transitioning from conventional defense paradigms to an integrated, technologically advanced military structure tailored to contemporary and future security challenges. The significance of minimal level deterrence is analyzed, illustrating how a proportionate and efficient military force not only deters potential aggressors but also supports counter-terrorism efforts. This approach underscores the dual benefits of ensuring national security while facilitating economic stability and growth, allowing Brunei to allocate resources more effectively between defense …

Preference Conflict And Peace Studies: The Line Between Disagreement And Violence, Frederic R. Kellogg

Peace and Conflict Studies

Broadening the definition of conflict defines more comprehensively the condition of peace, focusing on how unresolved shared disagreements can lead to, or avoid, polarization and violence. The line between general disagreement and violent conflict lies in the adjustment of shared preferences. Matters like reproductive rights, medically assisted death, race and gender discrimination, while subject to political polarization, are open to peaceful redress through what John Dewey called the transformative continuum of inquiry, in which the crucial social response to shared problems includes dispute and conflict. Resolution of controversial social problems requires preference adjustment and habit change, often, if not always, …

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 …

Teaching And Developing Deliberative Capacities: An Integrated Approach To Peer-To-Peer, Playful, And Authentic Discussion-Based Learning, Rousiley Celi Moreira Maia, Gabriella Hauber, Danila Cal, Augusto Veloso Leão

Democracy & Education

Drawing on theories of deliberative democracy, this article analyzes initiatives in educational settings to develop deliberative capabilities—defined here as a person's motivation and abilities to explain their views based on thoughtful considerations, reciprocal engagement, and more inclusive and respectful communication. Building and expanding on previous education experiences and citizen assemblies, we propose an integrated approach that includes: (a) peer learning, (b) playful and performative activities, and (c) authentic discussions about controversial political issues in small groups. Our field experiment involving more than 500 public school students in Brazil is used to illustrate combinations of methods to develop conceptual understandings and …

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 …

Russian Interventionism: A Case Study Of President Vladimir Putin's Personal Influence In The Syrian Civil War, Lee Holmes

Honors Theses

The most influential factors in implementing interventionist policies into vulnerable countries are widely debated depending on political factors in the international relations sphere. Russia’s decision to intervene in Syria’s civil war in 2015 while Syria collapsed from civil unrest and authoritarian corruption is a prime example. Although most literature agrees that Russia’s intervention stemmed from an attempt to solidify political influence and diplomatic relations in the Middle East, hardly any addresses President Vladimir Putin’s individual influence as a determining factor. Since national power is consolidated to the individual leader in authoritarian regimes, it is crucial to understand President Putin’s personal …

Researching Emotional Experiences As Discursive Elements – A Suggested Qualitative Method, Magnus Danielson

The Qualitative Report

As scholars in the fields of political science, media research, and social psychology endeavor to understand crucial aspects of emotionality in the media, there is a growing need to methodologically address the communicative and discursive aspects of affective constructions in media texts. This article argues that by breaking down mediated emotional experiences represented through language in a set of identifiable elements, such as subject, emotion type, valence, intensity, proposed action, and object, those experiences could be used as workable and potent units of analysis when studying discursive and ideological media constructs of emotionality. By connecting insights from emotion science, the …

Lasting Impact: Analyzing The Relationship Between Colonialism And Proxy War Onset, Sydney Rehm

Honors Theses

Proxy wars are a very specific subset of war that have increased in frequency. Researchers have studied why proxy wars occur, but there are less studies specifically on to what extent, if any, colonialism has on the onset of proxy wars. To fill this gap, I write a historical analysis of past proxy wars—specifically the Vietnam War (1955-1975), Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), and Yemeni Civil War (2014-present)—to examine the effects of colonialism. Furthermore, I utilize my case studies to assess my argument’s limitations. I also utilize statistical analysis to determine the probability of proxy war if a country has a …

The Pope And The ʿUlamāʾ: A Study Of Religious Institutions And Their Evolving Relationship To Government, Benjamin Newton

Honors Theses

How and why have religious institutions changed during historical critical junctures in their relationship with government? The literature on this topic, with notable but limited exceptions (Brown et al. 2024, Koesel 2014, Fox 2008), has tended to focus on one specific institution at a time, even if analyzing its actions within multiple states. Through this project, I focus not on the same institution in different states, but on two major religious establishments in the states in which they are based. I analyze the Roman Catholic Church and the Wahhābi establishment in Italy and Saudi Arabia, respectively, to come to a …