Europe

European Security & Defense as a Model for East Asia & Africa

Victoria Lennox • Sep 9 2008 • Essays

The European security regime cannot serve as a model for East Asia, as this region is conditioned by markedly different institutional, political, economic, and cultural factors that are manifest in strong preferences for informal, incremental and bilateral frameworks based upon the principles of non-interference, consensus-building, power-balancing and bandwagoning. Nevertheless, the OSCE pillar of the European security regime may be a more appropriate model for Africa.

A Comparative Review of the Opportunities, Agendas and Performances of Mikhail Gorbachev (1985-1991) and Vladimir Putin (1999-)

Justa Hopma • Sep 3 2008 • Essays

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.

How does a Regional Perspective Affect the Analysis of Democratization and Economic Reform in Putin’s Second Term?

Vera Michlin • Sep 2 2008 • Essays

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.

Does Russia take Internal Challenges to its Security Seriously Enough? The Case of Economic Instability

Justa Hopma • Aug 27 2008 • Essays

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.

How Does the Process of State Formation in Most Developing Countries Differ from the Process Experienced in Europe and with what Consequences for their Developmental Potential?

Charlotte Ng • Jul 28 2008 • Essays

The process of state formation seen in the past century in developing countries has diverged dramatically from the process experienced in Europe unsurprisingly as a result of different historical conditions. While the early European state building model will likely not repeat itself, it remains useful to compare state-making processes and experiences of survival to gain insights into contemporary state building and development.

To What Extent does the Dutch Disease Affect Development of Democracy and the Economy in Oil-rich CIS States?

Vera Michlin • Jul 25 2008 • Essays

This essay discusses the characteristics of the Dutch Disease and its possible impacts on the development of economies. It outlines the case of Kazakhstan, which is the richest in oil resources of all the former Soviet republics and presents the solutions Kazakhstan adopted for mitigating the effect of resources on its development.

Is the ‘new regionalism’ of Importance to East-West Security?

Vera Michlin • Jul 19 2008 • Essays

This work will look at the idea of regionalism and its link to security. It will argue that that Eurasia, in terms of security, consists of a regional security complex. However, looking at the current conditions in the sub-regions of Eurasia, recent experiences emphasize the weakness of regionalism. Regional security is more capable of identifying threats than constructing viable mechanisms and institutions to tackle them.

Understanding Russia’s Post-Cold War Foreign Policy Towards the EU and USA

Peter Cuthbertson • Jul 17 2008 • Essays

Since the end of the Cold War, the policies followed by Russia towards the United States and the European Union have defied simple analysis. In the decade and a half since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has at times appeared an ally and at times has been much more hostile.

State Building, the Colonial Legacy and Development: How the North and South Were Born

Nicolo Nourafchan • May 25 2008 • Essays

Developed regions are generally able to provide basic welfare services for their citizens, while developing regions are plagued by extreme poverty, government ineffectiveness, and other socioeconomic adversities.Many scholars have attributed these disparities to the different processes through which state formation occurred in developed and developing countries. It is the purpose of this essay to examine these claims by comparing the state building processes.

Ethno-Politics, Mobilization and Violence in Northern Ireland and the Basque Country

Pavlos Ioannis Koktsidis • May 14 2008 • Essays

The conflicts in Northern Ireland and the Basque Country have attracted a great deal of research on the macro-political, economic, social and conflict management parameters but there has been little research on the evolution and changing nature of ethno politics in regards to the radical ethno nationalist parties; namely Sinn Fein and Herri Batasuna

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