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20802. Stanley Renshon, National Security in the Obama Administration: Reassessing the Bush Doctrine
- Author:
- James Goldgeier
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- There are not too many academics brave enough to support the Bush doctrine, but Stanley Renshon attempts a spirited defense of the 43rd presiden national security policy after the terrorist attacks of September 11. His argument dovetails with that of the George W. Bush administration: September 11 changed everything, and thus the United States needed a new approach. How much September 11 altered, however, is a subject for discussion, not assertion, and ultimately, any assessment of the Bush doctrine, as with any foreign policy approach, rests on the president ʼ s ability to match ends and means. That is why the Bush team's mismanagement of the economy and the decision to launch a war in Iraq before completing the task in Afghanistan leave the reader rather dubious of the merits of the doctrine.
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan and United States
20803. David A. Lake, Hierarchy in International Relations
- Author:
- Bidisha Biswas
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- In a theoretically rich study, David Lake challenges the long-prevailing academic notion that the international system is characterized by anarchy. Many existing studies are predicated on the notion that states are sovereign, answer to no higher authority, and are therefore entirely reliant on self-help. Lake points out that the world is, in fact, marked by hierarchy, where weaker states submit to rules created by more-powerful states. This hierarchical relationship is based on a mutual give and take. Dominant states provide essential services such as security and order. The legitimacy deriving from the provision of such functions is essential to maintaining the hierarchy. Of course, the leading powers also benefit from the relationship. In a way, therefore, hierarchy in the international system is a form of interdependence. This is certainly a novel and thought-provoking idea.
- Topic:
- International Relations
20804. Cosmopolitan Communications: Cultural Diversity in a Globalized World
- Author:
- Patricia Moy
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- Popular discourse long has bemoaned the cultural impact of American media on other societies. Where views differ, however, is in the impact itself. In their theoretically grounded, empirically rich work linking media influences to a host of outcome variables, Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart provide a revisionist perspective to such media effects.
- Political Geography:
- America
20805. The Dynamics of Two-Party Politics: Party Structures and the Management of Competition
- Author:
- Hans Noel
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- Alan Ware turns the focus on two often-overlooked factors in prevailing models of party systems: the agency of the party leaders and the structure of party organization. Those factors can best be seen on the boundaries of two-party politics. Ware focuses first on the cases in which one of two major parties is on the brink of collapse, and second, on the cases in which a minor party is on the brink of joining with one of the two major parties.
20806. Federation of Bosnia And Herzegovina – A Parallel Crisis
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), the larger of Bosnia and Herzegovina's two entities, is in crisis. Disputes among and between Bosniak and Croat leaders and a dysfunctional administrative system have paralysed decision-making, put the entity on the verge of bankruptcy and triggered social unrest. Much focus has been on the conflict that pits the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS) against the Federation, but the parallel crisis within the Federation also deserves attention. The need for overhaul of the FBiH has been ignored because of belief that state-wide constitutional reform would solve most of its problems, but any state-level reform seems far off. Bosnia's challenges all have echoes at Federation level, though in simpler form. Reform in the Federation, starting with establishment of a parliamentary commission, is achievable and could give impetus to state-level reform, while improving the livelihoods of the people in Bosnia's larger entity. If it does not happen, Bosnia, which was wracked by three and a half years of war in the 1990s, may well slide toward new political and economic ungovernability.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Economics, Politics, and War
- Political Geography:
- Bosnia and Balkans
20807. The Civil Society-Military Relationship in Afghanistan
- Author:
- Lisa Schirch
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- The intense challenge of coordinating government civilians with military actors in the International Security Assistance Forces' Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan has inhibited development of military relationships with civil society. The counterinsurgency strategy of “shape, clear, hold, build” invites civil society organizations (CSOs) to play key roles in the final “build” stage at the operational level. Yet many CSOs resist “coordination” in a mission and strategy different from their own. CSOs seek greater policy dialogue and “communication” with high-level ISAF decision makers, particularly during planning stages. An ongoing, high-level forum for civil society-military policy dialogue could help address tensions, provide a mechanism for CSOs to share their conflict assessments, and explore areas for possible collaboration such as in security sector reform.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Civil Society, and War
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan and Indonesia
20808. The ICJ's Advisory Opinion on Kosovo
- Author:
- Richard Caplan
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- On July 22, 2010, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued its advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence of February 17, 2008, observing that the declaration was not in violation of international law. The Court's opinion may facilitate further recognitions of Kosovo but thus far there has been no significant increase in the number of countries extending recognition. Although the Court's opinion was drafted with the specific and unique circumstances of the Kosovo case in mind, it has been followed with interest by separatist parties engaged in contested territorial struggles elsewhere around the world. Separatists are likely also to be watching with interest the next steps that may be taken with regard to Kosovo in the wake of the ICJ's advisory opinion, especially any boundary adjustments that may be proposed and agreed upon between the Serbian and Kosovar governments.
- Topic:
- International Law and Sovereignty
- Political Geography:
- Kosovo and Balkans
20809. Cautious Optimism for Peace in Colombia
- Author:
- Virginia M. Bouvier
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- The new Colombian administration that took office in early August faces a unique set of peacemaking challenges and opportunities related to the country's internal armed conflict. Following a spate of tensions with neighboring countries regarding the presence of illegal armed groups along Colombia's border areas, newly-inaugurated President Juan Manuel Santos moved quickly to create new mechanisms with his neighbors to ensure that contentious regional issues are addressed before they reach the boiling point. In a surprising video released just before the president-elect was inaugurated, the top leader of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces-People's Army (FARC-EP), called on Santos to enter a dialogue without preconditions, thereby opening a new window of opportunities to pursue peace. President Santos responded that “the door to dialogue is not locked,” insisting however that the guerrillas must lay down their weapons and meet a series of other pre-conditions before talks could occur. Former mediators differ over whether such preconditions will pose an obstacle to talks. In the final days of August, Brazil and Ecuador rejected a FARC-EP request for meeting with the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to discuss a political solution to Colombia's conflict. UNASUR leaders said they would not engage in mediating the conflict in the absence of an express invitation from the Colombian government. The Colombian government has rejected UNASUR mediation and underscored its preference to negotiate directly with the FARC-EP once the latter meets the government's preconditions. Concrete good faith efforts—both public and private—will be required from the government and the guerrillas to build confidence, address the legacy of distrust created by decades of violence and set the stage for future talks.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Government, Peace Studies, and Politics
- Political Geography:
- Brazil, Colombia, and Latin America
20810. Afghanistan: Conditions-Based Redeployment
- Author:
- William B. Taylor
- Publication Date:
- 09-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- President Barack Obama's policy of a conditions-based redeployment in Afghanistan starting in July 2011 leaves him a lot of flexibility. The administration will likely decide to maintain the troop numbers in Afghanistan near the surge level next year, pending another review.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Terrorism, and War
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan and United States