After the Surge: Political Mobilisation and Statebuilding in Iraq since 2007
Analysing the record of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq since 2003 has often been an exercise in reconciling seemingly contradictory interpretations and dynamics. The key point on which such interpretations implicitly or explicitly diverge is on the role of the state in Iraqi history, particularly its strength and weakness in the exercise of political authority.
A Comparative Review of the Opportunities, Agendas and Performances of Mikhail Gorbachev (1985-1991) and Vladimir Putin (1999-)
The aim of this piece is not to provide a conclusive assessment, but to consider different aspects of Gorbachev and Putin’s leadership. In examining leader-type and surveying conditions, light is shed upon the significance of these individuals and upon the different purposes of leadership during their premierships.
Canada-US Cross Border Regions: Engines of Integration at an Impasse – The Case of Cascadia
Informed by the global governance perspective, this essay explores the internal, interrelational and ideational dimensions and forces shaping the Cascadia cross-border region (CBR) to provide useful insights into the nature, implications and future prospects of Canada-United States (US) CBRs.
How does a Regional Perspective Affect the Analysis of Democratization and Economic Reform in Putin’s Second Term?
This work will assess whether the regional perspective has anything new to offer for the understanding of democratisation and economic reform in the Russian Federation.
How are Indigenous Political Groups Challenging Ideas of Citizenship and Practices of Democracy in Latin America? Will They Deepen or Destabilise Democracy?
This essay argues that as well as deepening citizenship by undermining clientilism, indigenous movements open the debate about reforming democracy and expanding the liberal notion of citizenship by confronting liberal democracy with the challenge of pluralism.
Does Russia take Internal Challenges to its Security Seriously Enough? The Case of Economic Instability
This essay focusses on the Russian energy sector and the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). These issues reflect Russia’s struggle with liberalization, necessary for increasing revenues and sustaining economic growth. The analysis demonstrates that Russia takes its internal security seriously in word and deed but challenges to economic stability remain.
Cooperative and Antagonistic NGO-State Relations
This essay asserts that although NGO participation appears to remain a privilege mediated and granted by states, NGO engagement, ‘self association’, and ‘political will formation’ is central in revealing how power must now be understood in the global order – that is to say that political power “operates through rather than on civil society”.
Is there ‘a responsibility to protect?’ Discuss with Reference to Darfur
In December 2001 the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty released a report titled “The Responsibility to Protect”. This essay examines whether, in light of this document, states and organisations now have a responsibility to protect the people of Darfur.
Is Task-sharing the Answer to UN Peacekeeping Problems?
This essay argues that task-sharing is not the answer to UN peacekeeping problems. However, task-sharing as joint operations may enhance successful peacekeeping and could be a step towards making actions of the international community more consensual.
Constructivism is Concerned with Norms, but is it Normative Theory?
Constructivism as an approach to International Political Theory is not a homogeneous or unified entity. More so than many other approaches it has great rifts between its individual theorists. This paper will focus mostly on the constructivism outlined by Wendt and, towards the end of of the paper, will briefly contrast it with that of Kratochwil.
