Essays

Can China be Defined as an Authoritarian State?

Patrick Ervine • Feb 4 2011 • Essays

The People’s Republic of China was formed in 1949 from a country crippled by poverty, internal and external conflict, and has grown into one of today’s economic superpowers. Modern China can be defined as an authoritarian state. However, socialism with Chinese characteristics is a far better way of describing China’s unique system of government and economy

The Study of Modern Intrastate War

Alasdair McKay • Feb 3 2011 • Essays

As many as 30 million people have perished in intrastate wars since 1945, with nearly 50 million displaced. Human rights violations during intrastate war – including rape, systematic torture, displacement, sexual mutilation, genocide, and the exploitation of child soldiers – have caused great misery. As a consequence, there is a need for more effective ways of controlling and transforming the devastating effects of intrastate war to be unearthed.

‘Diaspora’? The Case of the Russians of Central Asia

anon • Feb 2 2011 • Essays

Russians living in Central Asia and Russians returning to the Russian Federation cannot be considered to be diasporas

Conflict and Cooperation in International Relations

Alexander Clackson • Feb 1 2011 • Essays

Despite the fact that people always talk about the need for peace, the world is instead filled with fear and constant security threats. Since the First World War many theorists and political scientists have tried to come up with a solution on how to create a peaceful international environment but with no real achievement. This leads to a natural conclusion that there are certain obstacles that prevent cooperation between states

The Balance of Power: a Cause of War, a Condition of Peace, or Both?

Harry Booty • Jan 31 2011 • Essays

The theory of the balance of power, where the distribution of power is equally shared amongst the appropriate entities, is a concept crucial to the study of International Relations and of war. When studied in relation to the 19th century, we can see that it is a major part of both contemporary and modern literature, thinking and politics

Arab Exceptionalism? Tunisia’s Islamist Movement

Alex Stark • Jan 31 2011 • Essays

The notion of “Arab exceptionalism” has become a popular explanation for the notable lack of democratic governance in the Arab world. Written before the recent revolution, this paper explores whether or not the Tunisian Islamist movement is committed to a true democratic transition.

World Trade Politics: Power, principles, and leadership

Ruchi Hajela • Jan 27 2011 • Articles

In World Trade Politics, Deese concludes that leadership demonstrated by individuals/officials (not states) in the form of providing direction, initiating issues, building consensus or awareness around them during multilateral trade negotiations is central to reaching agreements between members and advancing the GATT/WTO trade regime

Woodrow Wilson: Civil War, Morality and Foreign Policy

Harry Kazianis • Jan 26 2011 • Essays

President Woodrow Wilson, the only person to be elected to the presidency with a PhD in Political Science, left an undeniable mark on US history and world affairs. War can shape the values of a nation. I believe the American Civil War war influenced President Wilson as a young boy to such an extent, that it changed world history.

‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and military defiance of civilian control

Aaron Francis O. Chan • Jan 25 2011 • Essays

When president Clinton sought to allow homosexuals to join the US military, the American officer corps was so outraged that it even made the dispute public. The only word that describes such explicit military resistance to civilian preferences is disobedience. This essay seeks to establish how the military found public support and claimed legitimacy for its open defiance of civilian control.

Space Commerce is Happening Right Now for Those Who Know

Eddrick Bedford • Jan 24 2011 • Essays

With the passage of the NASA 2010 Authorization Act by Congress, humans will have the ability to tour space, mine asteroids, and visit Mars within this century.

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