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131. The Return of Egypt. Internal Challenges and Regional Game

Author:
Stefano Maria Torelli
Publication Date:
07-2015
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
Abstract:
Egypt has reappeared again as a leading actor in the Middle East. After the fall of Mubarak, the rise to power of the Muslim Brotherhood and its ouster, the country has chosen its new ‘strongman’. Following the elections of al-Sisi, Egypt is back to pursuing a pro-active policy not only internally, but also in the neighbourhood. The restoration of the strategic axis with Saudi Arabia and the struggle against radical Islam are the two pillars of this new political phase. However, there are critical elements, too, from further deterioration of the political and civil liberties indexes, to the emergence of jihadist groups in the Sinai, to the enduring economic and financial difficulties. As a result of these changes, Europe and Italy should calibrate a new policy aimed at safeguarding their interests,especially from the points of view of security, stability and the fight against terrorism, also promoting more inclusive practices by the Cairo government vis-à-vis the opposition (including the Muslim Brotherhood) and developing policies which can help Egypt to respond to future challenges in terms of economic growth, poverty alleviation, demographic pressure and the creation of employment opportunities.
Topic:
Demographics, Poverty, Economic Growth, Domestic Politics, Islamism, and Regional Politics
Political Geography:
Middle East and Egypt

132. Modern Taiwan Lecture Series: Native Peoples of Taiwan in Present-day Society

Author:
Scott Simon, Myron L. Cohen, and Murray Rubinstein
Publication Date:
04-2015
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Abstract:
Modern Taiwan Lecture Series: "Native Peoples of Taiwan in Present-day Society." Featuring Professor Scott Simon of the University of Ottawa. Introduced by Myron L. Cohen (Columbia University) and Murray Rubinstein (Baruch College) Recorded April 14, 2015. Presented by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the Department of Anthropology, Columbia University. Graciously supported by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York.
Topic:
Demographics, Anthropology, and Indigenous
Political Geography:
Taiwan and Asia

133. Quenching India's thirst for energy

Author:
Costanza Caputi
Publication Date:
01-2014
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
European Union Institute for Security Studies
Abstract:
India's impressive economic growth and rapidly expanding population are fuelling the country's demand for energy, and increasingly, shaping India's external relations and foreign policy. In addition to altering regional dynamics in South Asia, this shift will have significant implications for global energy governance, as well as for climate change discussions.
Topic:
Demographics, Development, Emerging Markets, Energy Policy, and Natural Resources
Political Geography:
India

134. The Shadow of Urbanization: The Periurban Interface of Five Indian Cities in Transition

Author:
Vishal Narain, Poulomi Banerjee, and Pooja Anand
Publication Date:
01-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
Periurban areas refer to areas at the periphery of cities. They provide the land and water resources needed for urban expansion, while receiving urban wastes. This paper describes the process of periurban expansion around five major Indian cities, namely, Patna, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Chennai and Ahmedabad. These cities have expanded under the current regime of neo-liberal policies, infrastructure development and real estate growth. As spaces in transition, periurban areas around these cities have absorbed much of the migrant population. However, the cities have grown beyond the carrying capacity; this has caused the ecological foot-print of the cities to spill over into the peripheries. While conventional approaches to urban planning and rural development create a dichotomy between rural and urban areas, the concept of periurban raises questions both about the sustainability and equity dimensions of urban expansion, also raising issues of the politics of urbanization.
Topic:
Demographics, Development, Economics, Migration, Labor Issues, and Urbanization
Political Geography:
South Asia, Patna, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Chennai, and Ahmedabad

135. Youth Radicalization in Pakistan

Author:
Raheem ul Haque
Publication Date:
02-2014
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:
Pakistani leaders face serious domestic extremism challenges; more than 47,000 thousand lives have been lost in terrorism-related violence in Pakistan over the past decade. Effective counter-radicalization processes must take into account Pakistan's large young adult population (ages 15-29), which collectively accounts for at least 30 percent of the overall population. Youth radicalization in Pakistan can be understood as the product of an exclusively Islamic identity—meaning a majority of youth identify primarily through their religion over nationality— combined with a broader reactive movement comprised of militant, political and missionary organizations.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Political Violence, Demographics, Islam, and Youth Culture
Political Geography:
Pakistan and South Asia

136. Why Afghanistan's Provincial Council Elections Matter

Author:
Noah Coburn and Anna Larson
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:
Afghanistan's Provincial Councils (PCs) represent one of the best hopes for the future of local democracy in Afghanistan. Yet since their shaky formation in 2005, they continue to be overlooked by international actors preferring to interact with parliamentarians, ministers and appointed governors. The significance assigned by Afghans to winning PC seats has steadily increased over the last decade. Indeed, for many, the April 5 PC elections will do more than the presidential poll to determine whether democratic practices continue to take root in local politics. PC elections offer a chance to build local, personal ties and accountability mechanisms connecting to increasingly centralized government resources, and, in particular, an opportunity for a new generation of young, motivated Afghans to begin their political careers. As the locally-visible manifestation of the Afghan political system, PCs are the immediate face of democracy—or a lack thereof—for many Afghans. In 2009, with most news stories covering the widespread fraud in the presidential contest, the uproar over the fraud and delay throughout the PC polling process rarely received coverage on newspaper front pages. Yet those problems contributed significantly to people's sense of alienation and disillusionment with their country's political actors and electoral institutions. In spite of these experiences, Afghans are once again preparing to go to the polls. Voters, candidates, parties and local organizations are putting greater emphasis than ever on the process of provincial council polling—expressing concern about the prospects for fraud, mobilizing around their candidates and campaigning in earnest. If due attention to the process is not paid by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and by international agencies, popular participation in future elections could drop. Prospects for Afghan democratization will depend much on how these and future provincial-level elections are conducted.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Democratization, Demographics, Development, Islam, Politics, and Youth Culture
Political Geography:
Afghanistan

137. Immigration and the Changing Landscape for Local Service Delivery Demographic Shifts in Cities and Neighborhoods

Author:
Julia Gelatt, Gina Adams, and William Monson
Publication Date:
03-2014
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Urban Institute
Abstract:
As immigration has risen over the past 40 years, many communities across the United States have been changed in some way by their immigrant populations .Immigrants make up growing shares of business owners, workers, and parents across many cities and rural areas, while children of immigrants make up growing shares of school populations. Some communities have been experiencing high levels of immigration for decades and others are facing new influxes of immigrant communities. In many communities, the mix of national origins of immigrants has been shifting.
Topic:
Demographics, Human Welfare, and Immigration
Political Geography:
United States and North America

138. NATO in an Era of Global Competition

Author:
Magnus Nordenman
Publication Date:
06-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Atlantic Council
Abstract:
As NATO winds down its long combat operation in Afghanistan, the Alliance is facing a new and dynamic security environment that is more strategically constraining and competitive than at any time since the end of the Cold War. This is spurred by a set of long-term trends that are driving a transformation of global arrangements and power relationships and is further reinforced by fiscal austerity and uncertain political leadership on both sides of the Atlantic. Furthermore, along with these long-term challenges, increasing turbulence in the Middle East and the Ukraine crisis mean that NATO today has serious security concerns to tend to on the immediate periphery of Alliance territory.
Topic:
NATO, Demographics, Science and Technology, and International Security
Political Geography:
Afghanistan, Ukraine, Middle East, Asia, and Syria

139. The Fiscal Impact of Immigration

Author:
Alex Nowrasteh
Publication Date:
07-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Cato Institute
Abstract:
The fiscal impact of immigration—how immigrants and their descendants affect government budgets—is a widely debated and contentious issue. Economists overwhelmingly accept the economic gains of immigration, but are less certain about immigrants' impact on government budgets. Contention over this issue is fueled by the numerous methodologies and complexity of analysis that obscure the fiscal costs of immigration.
Topic:
Demographics, Economics, Immigration, and Budget

140. Who Runs the International System? Power and the Staffing of the United Nations Secretariat

Author:
Paul Novosad and Eric Werker
Publication Date:
09-2014
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Global Development (CGD)
Abstract:
National governments frequently pull strings to get their citizens appointed to senior positions in international institutions. We examine, over a 60 year period, the nationalities of the most senior positions in the United Nations Secretariat, ostensibly the world's most representative international institution. The results indicate which nations are successful in this zero-sum game, and what national characteristics correlate with power in international institutions. The most overrepresented countries are small, rich democracies like the Nordic countries. Statistically, democracy, investment in diplomacy, and economic/military power are predictors of senior positions, even after controlling for the U.N. staffing mandate of competence and integrity. National control over the United Nations is remarkably sticky; however the in influence of the United States has diminished as US ideology has shifted away from its early allies. In spite of the decline in US influence, the Secretariat remains pro-American relative to the world at large.
Topic:
Demographics, International Cooperation, and International Organization
Political Geography:
United States