"States & Global Governance"

Why did West Germany commit so deeply to European integration?

Why did West Germany commit so deeply to European integration?
Laura Kugel

As European integration pushed West Germany toward more interdependence with the other Western European states, it also allowed the country to gain more independence. What is so unique about West Germany’s deep commitment to the European integration process is that it used it as much as a means to an end rather than as an end in itself.

What are the consquences of the notion of “Islamist terrorism”?

What are the consquences of the notion of “Islamist terrorism”?
Harriet Fildes

The use of othering discourse and increasing threat levels encourages fear and mass hysteria in Western countries. Preconditioned as we are by Religiophobia, ethnophobia and Islamophobia, the exaggerated threat of Islamic terrorism specifically and religious terrorism generally cannot be negated until dominant stereotypes and representations are subjected to change.

Does the Greek debt crisis mark the beginning of the end for the Euro?

Does the Greek debt crisis mark the beginning of the end for the Euro?
Conor Slater

IN 1992, Milton Friedman asked: “how many more fiascos will it take before responsible people are finally convinced that a system of pegged exchange rates is not a satisfactory financial arrangement for a group of large countries with independent political systems and independent national policies?” Maybe the Greek debt crisis is the fiasco.

Was nationalism the primary cause of the wars in the former Yugoslavia?

Was nationalism the primary cause of the wars in the former Yugoslavia?
Harry Booty

The wars in the former state of Yugoslavia that endured for most of the 1990’s have an established legacy today. They have come to be seen by those in the West as a gritty, difficult and unpleasant series of conflicts, epitomised by horrific brutality perpetrated by ultra-nationalist thugs. Nationalism was a major feature of the wars as they were prosecuted, but not the primary cause of the Yugoslav wars. The answer is less clear-cut than it may seem.

Why is the Maastricht Treaty considered to be so significant?

Why is the Maastricht Treaty considered to be so significant?
Andrei Rogobete

The Treaty of Maastricht elaborated and implemented concepts discussed in the previous Single European Act of 1986. It also established the European Monetary Union (EMU) and the Treaty on European Union (TEU) which lead to the construction of the main pillars of the European Union and the introduction of the single currency.

Do democratic states have a negotiating advantage?

Do democratic states have a negotiating advantage?
Maciej Osowski

Authoritarian regimes benefit from the constraints of democratic states, who cannot act in a similar way as authoritarian states do. These constraints are the result of democratic freedom which is essential to democratic success but which can be a disadvantage when dealing with coercion. All the same, it is democratic states that have the long-term and ultimate advantage over authoritarian regimes

Does proper respect for human rights require a radical transformation of the international system?

Does proper respect for human rights require a radical transformation of the international system?
Isobel Voss

Pluralist arguments that human rights can be properly respected through the state system are more convincing than cosmopolitan claims, not merely because they do not require radical reforms but also because they recognise the diversity of cultures and national systems which exist in the world and the potential for human rights to be properly respected within this system.

The politics of bipolarity and IPE in contemporary times

The politics of bipolarity and IPE in contemporary times
Dana-Marie Seepersad

Bipolarity is based on constant tension, which leads to competition, and ultimately, war. International political economy is regarded as the principal focus of the forces of globalization and the main way in which it is transmitted throughout the world. With the end of bipolarity and the disappearance of barriers between people, is the emergence of a unipolar world a world order based on globalisation?

template - archive.php