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4031. The Politics of Visas

Author:
Kristian P. Alexander, Adam Luedke, and Douglas G. Byrd
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:
In February 2008, the province of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. In an effort to facilitate Kosovo's independence and influence the January presidential elections in Serbia, pro-Western and EU policymakers frantically attempted to offer “carrots” to the Serbian leadership. One of these carrots was the prospect of visa free travel to the EU. Unlike Americans, Canadians, and citizens of other developed countries, Serbs could not enter the EU without first obtaining a visa at an EU consulate in their home country.
Political Geography:
America and Canada

4032. International Space Law Panel

Author:
Henry Hertfeld, Frans von der Dunk, Robert Harding, and Joanne Gabrynowicz
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 Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations attended a panel discussion at the International Law Weekend held at Fordham University on October 24, 2009. We were introduced to experts on the topic of law in outer space and attended a panel discussion highlighting the growing importance of outer space, and how it is becoming the “new frontier” for international law and state interaction. We decided that this would be the most exciting and relevant way to open our very special issue on science and diplomacy because the cooperation and interaction of states over matters not even of this world illustrates the direct effect of science and technology on diplomacy. By holding our own panel discussion here at the Whitehead Journal, we are pleased to present the discussion of international law in outer space!

4033. Science and the International Politics of Climate Change

Author:
Cullen S. Hendrix and Idean Selehyan
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:
World leaders met in December of 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark to discuss ways to mitigate climate change through meaningful cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. Leading up to the conference, there was a high degree of scientific consensus that climate change is a very real phenomenon, that human activity contributes to the process, and unless significant steps are taken to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere the impact on the environment could be catastrophic. In addition, there was a growing recognition that some degree of climate change is inevitable, and so, humanity must devise strategies to adapt to this reality. Armed with evidence compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), scientists from a wide array of disciplines constituted a strong epistemic community,—a network of experts who share a common view on a particular issue—and urged policymakers to take bold action at Copenhagen. Specifically, scientists and environmental activists called for limiting the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere to below approximately 450 parts per million, in order to keep average global temperatures from rising more than 2ºC.
Topic:
Climate Change

4034. 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

4035. 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?

4036. 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.

4037. 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

4038. 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.

4039. 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

4040. 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