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51. Creating Technological Momentum: Lessons from American and Danish Wind Energy Research

Author:
Benjamin K. Sovakool and Janet L. Sawin
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
Are researchers, public policymakers, and political scientists aware of the factors that lead to the successful diffusion of energy technology? In attempting to address energy and climate challenges, the research process in the United States and other industrialized countries has often been rooted in distinct assumptions concerning science, technology, methodology, scale of implementation, and agents of action. Many researchers, directors, and even scholars have implicitly promoted a linear model of technological development that views government-funded programs as the ideal means of developing new technologies and systems and prioritizes economies of scale and centralization of the research process to achieve ever-larger units. According to this paradigm, the government's role is to eliminate obstacles to energy development and work with large corporations to prepare new technologies for entry into the market.
Political Geography:
United States and America

52. Re-Igniting the Atom: The Political Consequences of the Global Nuclear Revival

Author:
Duane Bratt
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
A global nuclear revival is taking place. This can be seen in the building and planning of new nuclear reactors, efforts to extend the life of existing reactors, and increased public support for nuclear power. This revival is due to the collision of three vectors: the substantial rise in the global demand for electricity; the increased attention placed on the problem of greenhouse gases (GHGs) contributing to climate change; and the need to diversify electricity supply away from fossil fuels. Accompanying this revival are some important political consequences, notably in the areas of international trade, nuclear non-proliferation, and nuclear safety. These issues have always existed, but what impact will the increase in nuclear power have on them?

53. New Nukes for New Niches?

Author:
Robert J. Peterson
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
Manufacturers of nuclear power plants, professional societies, national governments, and power companies are all proclaiming a renaissance of interest, orders, and installations for nuclear fission electricity. This enthusiasm can be attributed to the search for non-carbon power sources and the growth in demand for the electrical energy they produce. These two issues are being addressed in part by large new nuclear reactors in developed nations, but are equally important for developing nations who need more electrical energy but do not yet have nuclear power reactors. These needs of developing nations can be met with nuclear power stations, but perhaps not in the same way that developed nations are meeting their needs. Technical designs for smaller fission systems are widely proposed, with many advantages from manufacturing all the way to markets, especially smaller markets. This work addresses the questions of whether developing nations, in their quests for clean electricity, will have the licensing and regulatory systems, insurance, and trained manpower to deal with the opportunities offered by nuclear fission, from either the large systems now being manufactured or from newer designs better suited to their markets, but with a different set of start-up issues.

54. The Promise and the Peril: The Social Construction of American Military Technology

Author:
Michael Mosser
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
Since at least World War II, dominance in technology has been central to American conceptions of military power and doctrine. While the Sherman tank's chief 'technological' advantage over its German counterparts was its production volume, the B-29's technological advances—such as a pressurized cabin and remote controlled guns—made it particularly well-suited to the Pacific theater bombing campaign. Its technology meant it could fly higher and farther with more payload than earlier American bombers, enabling the US Army Air Forces to hit the Japanese home islands from bases farther out and with fewer losses from anti-aircraft fire or enemy fighter attacks.
Political Geography:
United States and America

55. Biological Weapons and Security Dilemmas

Author:
David Malet and Herman Rogers
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
Technological advancements throughout history have had significant effects on international politics and conflict strategies. Some inventions, such as the compound bow and the strategic bomber, were designed specifically for combat purposes. Others, such as the stirrup and the sextant, were innovations intended for commerce that inevitably changed the nature of military competition. The advent of “Weapons of Mass Destruction”—most of which originated from scientific developments unrelated to national defense—has also produced dramatic changes in warfare.

56. A "Fortress Fleet" for China

Author:
James Holmes
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
China is attempting to merge old and new technology into what US Navy sea captain and noted sea-power theorist Alfred Thayer Mahan termed a “fortress fleet,” a navy that operates almost solely under cover of shore-based fire support. Reared during the nineteenth century, when naval technology remained rudimentary, Mahan railed against this operational concept for severely limiting the fleet's radius of action, cramping its freedom of maneuver, and stifling initiative among its commanders. His critique made eminent sense in an era when the effective range of gunfire extended less than ten miles offshore. A fleet tethered to the port would find itself confined to miniscule sea areas, unable to exercise sea power effectively.
Political Geography:
United States and China

57. Rethinking the Cuban Regime: Implications for Transition Paths and Comparative Cases

Author:
Aimel Rios Wong
Publication Date:
10-2013
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to determine the typology of the Cuban regime, examine the implications for possible transition scenarios and conduct a comparative analysis with similar cases that may provide insightful hints for a transition. To do so, it will examine the existing literature on regime types with an emphasis on that of non-democratic system, in addition to the different phases of the Cuban regime using Linz and Stepan's perspective of regime components as ideology, leadership, mobilization, and pluralism. This study will take a structural-functional approach that will enable to examine how the defining elements performed in the different phases. Analysis of the regime phases will include a discussion on the different interpretations scholars have developed to classify each regime period.
Political Geography:
Cuba

58. Message From the Editor

Publication Date:
09-2009
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
Fueled by a seismic shift in global wealth, the emergence of new power structures have altered the dynamics of the international system, giving rise to new priorities that will require innovative ideas and a new approach. Rising to the forefront of policy concerns are global financial stability, nuclear non-proliferation, energy, and the environment. While these issues have been prevalent in the policy realm for decades, recent crises have proven that the stakes are greater than ever, heightening the need for collective action and strong leadership.

59. Tony Blair: Address to Seton Hall University

Author:
Tony Blair
Publication Date:
09-2009
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
It is a real honor to be here at the John C. Whitehead School. Thank you so much for that kind introduction. What I'm going to do is give you my world view in about twenty minutes. You can guess its depth and profundity from that. For me it is very inspiring, but also very thought provoking to reflect on the United States at this moment with a new president in charge. I know something of the feeling of coming to power, as I did in 1997 after eighteen years of opposing a conservative government. It was a moment of enormous euphoria. I will always remember being in that position.
Political Geography:
United States

60. Economic Crisis Ex-Post

Author:
Amity Shlaes
Publication Date:
09-2009
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations
Institution:
School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
Abstract:
The extent to which government should intervene in the market is much more than an academic question. By altering incentives, redistributing wealth, and providig safety nets, the government influences living standards and economic expectations of both businesses and individuals. Since the Great Depression, the precise role that the government should play in regulating the economy and furthering the welfare state has been an issue of contentious debate and intense convictions precisely because it strikes at the heart of what a society's priorities are and how they should be organized. The current financial crisis has revitalized this debate, recasting it onto a globalized world where different characteristics require a perspective that judiciously incorporates lessons learned from the past with a thorough understanding of the unique features of the present.