Research
Projects: Govt. 101
3/16/04
Andrew C. An: Parliamentary Democracy in Bulgaria.
From
Bulgaria’s long turbulent history, I will begin my
investigation from circa Bulgaria’s independence from Russia by Prince Ferdinand; the development from their past
states of government to the motives behind their past aggression and the
eventual shift of government. The
present parliamentary democracy under the direction of the former dethroned
king, current prime minister, Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha
is a long awaited development from unstable past administrations. The motives for the change to a democratic
state may seem understandable to an extent upon contemplation, but I would like
to critique the history and the documented motives in detail.
I will attain the necessary
research from internet sources such as the World Factbook,
the World News Connection, and other sources available by George Mason University online research methods
such as United States involvement in governmental
affairs by using the Congressional LexisNexis and the
Government Periodicals LexisNexis. However, I will focus most of my attention on
hardcopy resources from the library on the history and the development of their
government using additional online information to support my argument.
·
X
·
X
Yassine
Abouelfaid
Democracy
In Morocco
William Autrey:
The Rise of Democracy in Post-WW2 Japan
In
my paper, I plan to examine the complications in the process of the
“westernization” of Japanese politics post-WW2 to the present, and the roles that
Britain and the United States served in this process, as well as how Japan rose
to become one of the most successful nations economically(at least for awhile)
in the 1980s. In essence, I am examining the evolution of Japan from a population of
expansion-obsessed imperialists, to the non-aggressive progressives present
today.”
To understand the impact that the “west” had
on “eastern” politics and culture, certain questions must first be answered.
Firstly, one must examine the surrender of Japan and how the U.S. and later Great Britain took control after the war, what changes they made,
and how these changes were accepted by the native populace. To aid me in my research, many books and
articles have been written on the subject, such as William Beasley’s “Japanese Imperialism 1894-1945” and Howard Schonberger’s “Aftermath of War: Americans and the Remaking
of Japan 1945-1952.”
Secondly, in order to determine
the effect of this change on the status of Japan as a world-power, one must also examine
their current economic situation, and how the so-called “bubble economy” burst,
bringing their once-booming financial situation to a nigh halt. This is also a
well-documented phenomenon, explained in such articles as “The Bubble
Economy: Japan's Extraordinary Speculative Boom of the '80's and the Dramatic Bust of
the 90” by Christopher Wood.
The evolution of Japan from an
imperialistic-expansionary state, to a non-aggressive, major
world-economic-power is one of the most fascinating examples of how
progressive-democracy can arise from the most unlikely of places. I find
Japanese democracy particularly fascinating because of how vastly different
“eastern” morality is compared to traditional “western” values. This personal
interest along with the fact that post-WW2 Japan spawned a new
financial world power, justify further research.
Ajmal Aziz: What
factors lead to the rise of Mussolini and Fascism in Italy?
After
World War I, many European countries were experiencing change. For Italy, the rise of Mussolini and
Fascism came at the conclusion of World War I.
Germany had Hitler and the Nazi
Party, and Italy had Mussolini and
Fascism. In order to discuss what
factors led to the rise of Mussolini and Fascism in Italy after World War I, one must
look at what took place in Italy before World War I,
especially in the time period of 1900-1915.
Under the rule of Giovanni Giolitti, Italy’s liberal government would
fail and would lead to the rise of Fascism in Italy. With past governments failing in Italy, the idea of a Fascist
government would make the Italian people happy.
Not only were there political factors that lead to the rise of Fascism
in Italy, but there was also the
need for the Italian people to believe in a government that would work. There were many factors that lead to the rise
of Mussolini and Fascism in Italy.
- The Making of Fascism: Class, State, &
Counter-Revolution, Italy 1919-1922
http://mutex.gmu.edu:2094/itw/infomark/237/377/45499197w5/purl=rc1_EAIM_0_A99699520&dyn=3!xrn_3_0_A99699520?sw_aep=viva_gmu
- The road to fascism: an
Italian Sonderweg?
http://mutex.gmu.edu:2094/itw/infomark/237/377/45499197w5/purl=rc1_EAIM_0_A90572069&dyn=3!xrn_11_0_A90572069?sw_aep=viva_gmu
- Italian fascism:
whatever happened to dictatorship?
http://mutex.gmu.edu:2094/itw/infomark/237/377/45499197w5/purl=rc1_EAIM_0_A90164372&dyn=8!xrn_9_0_A90164372?sw_aep=viva_gmu
Jeremy Beales:
Why does the United States have such a poor record of
promoting democracy abroad, despite a professed policy of promoting democratic
development and the right to national self determination?
The
main sub questions I will need to explore are why does the United States
electorate value place such a low emphasis on promoting democracy, why have the
foreign policy makers been unable to learn from past mistakes promoting
democracy, and why has the United States been unwilling to implement domestic
policies that would make the task of promoting democracy abroad easier? The actual foreign policy of the United
States has been inconsistent with the stated principles that are supposed to
guide foreign policy since at least the aftermath of World War II, possibly
going back even farther to the aftermath of the first World War, though United
States isolationism in the intervening years lead to a less pronounced gap
between actual and idealized foreign policy.
Some of the issues I will explore are why has the United States propped
up dictatorships such as the Saudi royal family, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Agusto Pinochet in Chile, and the Shah in Iran after World
War II, despite the principles enunciated in the Atlantic Charter, why did the
United States act against democratically elected leaders in Iran and Guatemala
in 1953 and 1954, respectively, and is the renewed United States commitment to
promoting democracy world wide that has occurred under George W. Bush more serious
than previous commitments.
- “Definitions of
Responsibility and American Foreign Policy” by Glenn Hastedt,
- “Empire Strikes Back”
by Julie Kosterlitz,
- “United States Foreign Policy in the
Twenty-First Century: The Crisis and Renewal of the Republican Empire” by
Jonathan Fox
- “Toward a New Foreign
Policy” by Elizabeth Cohn,
from PS: Political Science
& Politics, The National Journal, the Journal of Power and Ethics, Foreign
Policy in Focus, respectively.
- Also, the book Breaking the Real Axis of Evil: How to Oust the World's
Last Dictators by 2025 by Mark Palmer seems like it will be quite
helpful in exploring the role that democracy promotion plays in domestic
policy and in providing specific examples of successful promotion of
democracy by the United States.
Chandra Beene:
Australia: Monarchy vs. Democracy
Throughout much of the world democracy has become one
of the foremost accepted forms of government.
There are only a minimal amount of countries that have a different form
of government: one of these is Australia. Today
Australian government is a democratic federal parliament system governed by the
British monarchy. Throughout history
Australian’s have repeatedly attempted to replace the British system and
institute a democratic republic. Why is
the British monarchial system acceptable to Australia, and not a democratic republic?
In an attempt to answer this question more questions
need to be addressed. Obviously, the
first question is how did Australia succumb to British rule? A focus on major historical events must be
analyzed. Since Australia was part of the British Empire it played a part in World War I. How did this play in
the politics, and the government of Australia? During the
great depression that followed the war Australia was deeply affected.
This soon led to intolerable conditions and the stirrings of political
movements such as the labour party and the womens movement.
These were the precursors to the Communist and Socialist movements. Since Britain was decimated in the war how did these political
movements affect the government and the plausibility of democracy? This leads also to question Communism
directly. How did the British combat the
communist movement within Australia?
In the 1930’s World War II broke out over Germany’s blatant disregard for the Treaty of Versailles, and
the destruction of Hitler’s regime.
Given that the Australians had fought for the British Empire in the first war it made sense for them to fight in
the second. In the middle of the war the
Australians placed “command of their forces under the United States”. Why after World War II did the Australians not
denounce the British monarchy and become a fully democratic government? After this war, the Cold war began. This could be considered an oxymoron; it was
a time of peace filled with tension that could be cut with a knife. The Cold War years, were years of plenty for Austrialia but ended in humiliation. Politically this was hard on the Australian
government. During such turmoil; how did the Cold War affect the Australian
government?
All the major historical events have helped to
redefine the British monarchy in Australia. This brings
about the final question; what type of government was created by the
culmination of the two great world wars, and the years of the Cold War? In answering these questions and finding
viable answers, this brings everything full circle. Through the analyzing of Australia through the World Wars and the Cold war, it will help
to answer why the British monarchy is acceptable, and not a more democratic
republic.
Kathleen Berry: Estonia’s Good Fortune
After
the fall of Communism and the break up of the USSR how has Estonia in comparison to there post-communist states been
able to transfer into Democracy? What are some of the other types of
government sought out by the other newly independent states? Why has the
country of Estonia had so much economic good fortune? In the near future
Estonia is likely to be accepted into NATO membership and EU accession while the other newly dependant states struggle
with authoritarianism, communist restoration and collapse of their economy. The
paper will explain the positive correlation between Democracy and a stable
economy.
- Journal of Democracy, 1996 “Estonia’s Success Story” Mart Laar
- The Economist, 2001 May 26 “A matter of
priorities; The European Union’s enlargement; The
rows blocking the EU’s expansion.
- The Humanities and Social Sciences, 2003, 63, 12
June “Should We Stay or Should We Go? State Building via Political Divorce
- Journal of Communist Studies and Transition
Politics, 2002, 18, 2 June, 103-125 “Post Communist Regime Support in Space and
Time Context”
Sarah Boyle: Evolution of a
Russian Democracy
At the end of the Second Great War, the USSR was the only victor possessing no semblance of
democracy. Since that time, Russia has evolved into a flourishing democratic nation. It
took the United
States
over two hundred years to reach that same point. Why did Russia progress so quickly? Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution was far different than most
Western revolutions. How did it end up achieving similar results? What factors
resulted in Russia becoming a democratic state? Was this inevitable?
To answer these questions, I want to research three
sub-topics: the Russian Revolution that began in 1917, and the ensuing
overthrow of traditional monarchy; World War II and the Cold War; and the
allure of capitalist gains. I believe that the Russian Revolution set the stage
for future democratic development. I believe the active and passive conflicts
faced by the Soviet Union contributed to this evolution. Finally, I think
evidence will show that Russia could not remain viable in its economic state prior
to becoming a democratic nation.
This
topic interests me because of a long-standing interest with the culture of Russia. It is a mysterious nation,
sharing some features with Western nations but resting predominantly in the
East. Over the years I have done a number of research papers on Russia, ranging from in-depth
readings on the forensic evidence regarding the Anastasia Romanov
mystery to a thorough treatise on Leon Trotsky.
- Pipes, Richard. The Russian Revolution. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.
- Yost, Charles. The Insecurity of Nations:
International Relations in the Twentieth Century. New York: Praeger, 1968.
Cynthia Bubniak:
Sourth Korea’s Transition to Democracy
After
Japan's failure from WWII, Korea was free from Japan's grasp and announced the formation of the Korean
People's Republic. The US and Soviet
Union had their eyes on Korea and ultimately led to the division of the
peninsula. The two separate states had different forms of government and i want to focus on South Korea and the formation and downfall of 5 different
republics and then the formation of the 6th which they are in now. As
they went through the different republics, more and more pieces of democracy
were falling into the puzzle.
Syngman Rhee was the first
President of the Korean Republic. In order for continued American support he had
to adopt an elective democracy, but he had more ambition for political
power. He went on “a campaign of anticommunist witch hunts” (Eckert, et
al. 349). The government under Rhee was
corrupt. He used intimidation and force to
eliminate any rivals.
The transition to the second
republic began when the elite and higher educated became restless with Rhee. After Rhee was forced
to resign, a new Constitution was drafted and they were in their second
republic, under Park Hung Jee. The rule under
Park is divided into three eras and takes us into the fourth republic.
Park was eventually assassinated and a man named Chun Doo
Hwan came into rule. Chun was beat out by Roh Tae
Woo, after several years of holding office. Roh
won the election and was the cause for the sixth republic that they are in
presently.
I
want to investigate what went wrong with all the previous republics and also
see what aspects of democracy transitioned into the republic that followed each
one respectively and into the sixth republic.
- Eckert, Carter J. et al. Korea Old and New: A History. Illchokak Publishers.
Seoul,
Korea: 1990
Anthony Budny:
What differences have been made since the rise of tension with Cuba
in 1959 to national
security and the influences is has had over modern democracy and its approach
to war.
I see Cuba as a turning point on approaches to foreign policy,
both economically and politically. War
has been regarded by many as a friend to democracy, but in modern times, war in
fact is no one’s ally. This is no more
evident than in the post-September 11th world, where national
security is regarded as the highest priority.
How did the tensions surrounding Cuba resemble those against modern countries, like Iraq and Afghanistan? How did the
reactions resemble it? How did the first
real threat to within our shores shape some of the policies used to assess the
necessity of action against other nations to protect the axioms of democracy 40
years later? Are preemptive strikes such
as those in taken in Cuba, Iraq, and Afghanistan legitimate in upholding democratic values?
Alec Bugg: Japan’s Quick Transition to Democracy
The
rapid and forced transition by Japan to a democracy led to an inflated unstable economy
which is beginning to feel the effects and fall apart in this present day. Following Japans defeat in World War II, the
allied powers occupied Japan and installed a democratic government. Japan was then given their independence when a democratic
constitution was written in 1952.
Following their independence Japan saw great economic prosperity and an increased
involvement in world affairs. However,
this economic growth did not last and in the 1990’s Japan has seen a fierce recession which they have not been
able to rebound from.
This
installation of a democratic government so swiftly following a collapse of
government can also be seen in present day Iraq. Potentially
the same swift transition could lead to another uneasy economy which could lead
to a weak government which can not last long under the circumstances of its
institution.
I
intend to study the implemented aspects of the democratic rule established by
the allies and what specific idealisms were enforced and how this led to the
economic growth and ultimately its downfall.
Since the United States was one of the major occupiers did they enforce the
idea of capitalism throughout the Japanese culture leading them away from their
prior moral codes and did these ideas play a major part in Japanese development
following World War II.
- Tamamoto, Masaru: World
Policy Journal: The Privilege of Choosing: The Fallout from Japans
Economic Crisis
- No Author: Ciao:
Is Japans Sun Rising or Setting: How much of a difference can
the new leadership make July
31, 1998
Emily Burciaga: Iranian Government??
In
recent history, Iran has attempted to create a form of government that would, in short,
eliminate a monarchal regime or dictatorship, and instead apply such principles
of democracy including elected representation and basic personal freedoms. This
study will examine the current Iranian government and investigate to what
extent it has been successful in establishing institutions that are democratic
in theory and in practice. Also, it will explore opposing ideas of Iran’s various political parties regarding how the
post-revolution government of Iran should be composed.
Finally, it sets out to examine the struggles that the Iranian
government faces in forming a true republic, including political history,
Islamic belief and ideals, religious figures and their establishment in the
system, as wells as various social factors. Could Iran, given the circumstances and struggles, create of a
form of government that would constitute a representative parliament that would
provide for basic, human rights and freedoms that democracy offers?
This
examination is roughly separated into two themes. The first evaluates the state
of the current government system in Iran. How was it formed after the revolution and what type
of government does it most resemble? Also, what institutions, if any, have been
established in order to create a more democratic state.
The revolution sought to dismantle the rule of the monarch, or Shah, and
instead construct a parliamentary form of government, but has that happened?
Has Iran, in its efforts to create a form of democracy,
instead created a theocracy? Iran’s Constitution was formed following the revolution,
but does it achieve any democratic standards?
To conclude, this study will explore the
struggles that Iran has, and continues to face. Concerning political history, it will
examine the Qajar and Pahlavi
dynasties, Britain and Russian attempts to imperialize Iran, the fall of the Shah and Iranian revolution, as well
as the rise of the ulama and the Ayatollah Khomeini
in post-revolution Iran. Regarding Islamic principles, are there beliefs in
Islam that coincide with the principles of democracy? How feasible is it to be
able to create an Islamic democracy? The study will offer contrasting views on
this subject. Iran also struggles with religious zealots and their establishment in the
current system. Khomeini believed strongly in veleyat-e-faqih,
or “the government of the religious expert”. Shari’atmadari,
a moderate within the ulama, as well as the
dismantled president of Iran, Bani-Sadr, offer a more
democratic view. Lastly, it will examine the question of the people of Iran and what they believe the government should be. Are
the satisfied with the current government, or do they wonder why the Shah was
overthrown merely to lift another man into power? Do they believe in democracy
and its principles, and do they believe, despite all of the countries
struggles, that it would be possible for them to experience a democratic society?
I’m interested in this subject because I hope to
center my studies in government around Middle Eastern
countries. I know very little about the political structure in Middle Eastern
countries and want to further educate myself on the subject.
- Martin, Vanessa. “Creating an Islamic State”
Library of Middle East Studies
- Limbert, John. “Iran: a war with History”.
Kira Camargo: The Changes of
Democracy in Iraq
Will
the Bush administration be making the right decision for the people of Iraq? After the removal of Saddam Hussein, many
promises were made about the creation of a new society under the United
States command. A liberal democracy is to be formed in which
the Iraqi people will finally have the rights to a voice and rights as human
beings in their country. Saddam was
taken away, so will the people follow?
Will the United States
be able to reform what government they do have, into a whole new
democracy? Because Iraq
went from being ruled by the Ottoman Empire, then to a
monarchy, this will be the first time that these people are able to have rights
and the Bush administration is trying to make that possible.
I
chose this topic because it is both relevant to democracy and what is going on
in our world today. I thought that this
would be a good topic for me to do research on mostly because then I can learn
more about what is going on with this whole situation, and truly see what the
Bush Administration is trying to accomplish for these people and their
government with the conclusion of the war.
I also want to see how it does change over the course of this study to
see if Bush lives up to his expectations.
Barbara Chauncey: A look
into the failure of democracy in Cuba
Preliminary Theses:
Cuba is a nation just ninety miles off the coast of US, yet its
government is antithetical to democracy where desperate people to flee its
oppressive government. What forces came
to bear on this country and its people that moved it from its new democracy in
l898 to its current communist rule.
It
has always been a curiosity to me that this once prosperous island that showed
so much promise and whose people had experienced democracy have not know
freedom for almost a century.
- The Oxford
Companion to Politics of the World”, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2001
- Transformation
and Struggle: Cuba Faces
the 1990’s, Sandor
Halebsky and John M. Kirk, ed., Praeger, NY 1990
- The
Problem of Democracy in Cuba: Between Vision and Reality, Carollee Bengelsdorf, Oxford University Press, 1994
- Democracy
Delayed: The Case of Castro’s Cuba, Juan J. Lopez (NetLibrary,
Inc.), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002
Chase Courington:
How Polish solidarity since the late 1970’s has contributed to the success
of democracy in that country
How religion in Poland and the role of the Pope helped to separate Poland from the Soviet Union and
other Soviet States and spread the idea of democracy. The role of free
labor unions and labor strikes in the 1980’s helped to reform the government
and pave the way for open elections. Also how Poland differs from other former Soviet States that
democracy has failed in, or is struggling. The paper will identify the
attributes of Poland, such as being strongly Roman Catholic and the role of the Pope, in
helping to set up a successful Democratic Parliamentary system. Also the role
that the labor union Solidarity played in the 1980’s to apply political
pressure and help to create other parties and free elections. The role of Noble
Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa
as the founder of Solidarity and first elected president of Poland played in setting up a democracy. Also an analysis of
Poland’s stagnant economy in recent years due to high
unemployment, and environmental issues will affect democracy in the region. The
amount of political parties and the citizens’ willingness to participate in
politics has also contributed to the success of democracy. Poland interests me because I have some Polish friends that
live in Warsaw that I stay in contact with via email and would like
to understand more about them and their country.
·
Some sources that I have looked at include the CIA Worldbook for a quick rough overview of the country, the
Polish Government Website for quick history, and Europa
the European Union online. I plan on contacting the Polish Embassy in DC and
using Mason’s database more extensively for more information.
Danielle Crawley: ??
Why
did Belgium choose a federal parliamentary democracy under a
constitutional monarch as their form of government? What is a federal parliamentary democracy
under a constitutional monarch? What
does their constitution consist of and do citizens have equal rights? What is the balance of power between the
monarchy and the parliament? What other
forms of government has Belgium tried? What
historical events led up to its modern form of government?
I am
interested in Belgium because I am a French and Government major. I wanted to do this paper on a French
speaking country and I was interested to know more about Belgium and its government.
In the future I hope to work in either Belgium or France. I already
know much about France so I want to explore Belgium and the separation between the Flemish and French
sectors.
A
few quick facts on the history of Belgium are key to this research
paper.
4 October 1830 a provisional government declared independence from
the Netherlands. 21 July 1831 the ascension of King Leopold I to the throne. 7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package
creating a federal state. Many events
occurred during the time between Independence from the Netherlands and creating a federal state through a
constitution. I aim to explore these
events and track how the government was formed into what it is today.
·
CIA-The
World Factbook,
·
World
News Connection, articles found online through databases, the government
documents section at Fenwick, and various factual books about Belgium.
Allison Davis: ??
My
paper will seek to address the following question: how has Stalin and Lenin,
two prominent leaders in Russian government, had an affect on the development
of Russia’s non-democratic society? Also, I would like to
address the cultural differences in Russian society because it can be hard to
distinguish why events in history played out as they did without there being an
issue involving culture.
Since
Stalin and Lenin were such influential leaders, I will only be focusing on them
and the effects thereafter. Questions I hope to develop and find answers
to are things like: What were Stalin and Lenin’s background in
government? What were their personal beliefs? How does culture
affect societal influence? How did powerful leadership affect Russians
and their view of how a government should work? I think all these are
worth looking into and would help explain Russia’s reasoning and historical background for a
non-democratic society.
I am
mainly interested in this topic because Russian history always seemed
interesting because of its contrast to United States government. Also, it would be pertinent to find
out more about Russian history in regards to government to get a better
understanding for their actions as a people in regards to current affairs.
- Stalin:
The first in-depth biography based on explosive new documents from Russia’s secret archives by Edvard
Radzinsky,
- Everyday Stalinism by Sheila Fitzpatrick,
- Russian History by Neil M. Heyman
- A History of Russia, The Soviet Union, and Beyond by David MacKenzie and Michael W.
Curran (5th ed.).
Andrew Diaz: Rise of Fascism in Germany
The Nazi Party heavily influenced Germany and its government in the 1920’s and 1930’s. What
were the reasons behind the uprising of Nazi? What changes did they make in Germany? Who is to blame for this regime? This party led
their government to become fascism. How did that come to be? Why did Germany fall to fascism?
I will be writing about the rise of fascism in Germany in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. I will explain
the main reasons behind this uprising such as decline in the economy and Hitler
and the Nazi Party. Only scholarly sources from the university or county
libraries will be used.
The
reason for choosing this topic is that I would like to gain a perspective on Germany and the Nazi Party that I
have not already received. I enjoy this period of time in the history of the
world. I feel that it is an important time period with everything going on like
the depression in America and the beginnings and ends
of both world wars. I am fairly confident that I know the history of our
country during this time period therefore I will explore the other countries in
the world that influenced this historic time period. From that list of other
countries such as Japan, France, Great Britain, and Germany, I selected Germany. I am pursuing to learn
more about the rise of fascism in Germany and Hitler.
·
X
·
X
Peter Dorsey: How Costa Rica managed to avoid the violence and turmoil of so many
of its Central American neighbors and maintain its democratic government
Charles Ameringer describes
Costa Rica as an “oasis of democracy and political maturity in a
desert of dictatorship and political violence.” In my paper, I plan to explore
how Costa
Rica
managed to avoid the violence and turmoil of so many of its Central American
neighbors and maintain its democratic government. This will include examining
the institutional structure of Costa Rican democracy, the relative racial
homogeneity of the population, and the economic path chosen by the government.
I
find Costa Rica a fascinating subject because of its ability to survive and
prosper without a standing army in an incredibly hostile environment. Also, one
of my friends moved there and has sent me countless pictures of the country. I
plan to visit the country whenever I get the money saved so I figured I should
learn as much about it as possible before going there.
- Bruce M. Wilson, Costa Rica: Politics, Economics, and Democracy
- Charles D. Ameringer, Democracy
in Costa Rica.
- Fabrice Edouard Lehoucq, “The Institutional Foundations of Democratic
Cooperation in Costa Rica”. Journal
of Latin American Studies
Megan Eckhart:
How Can Democracy Work in Liberia?
The African country of Liberia has had a long history of conflict and corruption
since its founding in 1821. Numerous
dishonest leaders have ruled this nation which has also been torn apart by
years of civil war. During the summer of
2003, the violence in Liberia reached such a horrific level that President Bush
authorized the mobilization of Marines into the country. The former Liberian President Charles Taylor
resigned, leaving the United States to set-up a transition government. What is the best path to take when forming
this new government in Liberia, and what specific aspects must the planners take
into account in dealing with this country?
In
order to answer this question, I, and the government planners, need to
understand the history of this country and the current situation of the
citizens. In particular interest is the
recent history, such as the civil war that just ended, the Accra Agreement
which ended the civil war, and the social and economic status of the
country. I will research different
proposed methods in achieving democracy, and see what method, or combination of
methods, will be most successful. I have
found information concerning my topic on CQ Researcher, the White House
website, and other governmental links.
Originally,
I planned to write about Germany and Hitler, but I changed my mind because I am more
interested in current situations than things that happened in the past. Also, I have researched problems of Africa
before, mainly the HIV/AIDS issue, and my interest still lies in the
continent.
Lauryn E. Ellisberg: Chile and its battle with democracy beginning with the
1970’s
At
that time in Chile, Salvador Allende was
assuming presidency and an ongoing conspiracy was born. The CIA supposedly helped plan a coup de tat
to remove Allende from power, led by General Augusto Pinochet. I
want to understand what Chile’s government was like before Allende
took office, and how Pinochet managed to gain power afterwards. Within the paper I want to clarify what kind
of democracy Allende hoped for, and the consequences
after the coup took over. Pinochet was a
vicious dictator who killed many people in Chile, and I hope to prove this fact further with the
information I find. Another question I
would like to raise would be that of the people of Chile, and how they could allow a dictatorship to rise out
of a once Marxist rule.
I am so highly interested in this topic
because it not only involves the rise and fall of democracy, but a juicy CIA
conspiracy that will make it much easier on the eyes. I am excited to uncover all the information
about Augusto Pinochet and learn of his horrible
actions. I was ignorant to this entire
ordeal, and am only now learning of the perils of Chile. There seems
to be more than enough information to discuss and develop into an interesting
paper.
·
For
the search engines, Proquest and LexisNexis
Academic both prove to be wonderful sources for my topic. I have only started looking and have found an
abundance of information. Within the Proquest site I have discovered information such as an
article by Peter Kornbluh from The Nation. It reveals a great amount of information on
the CIA’s involvement with my topic.
Omar El Sha:
The rise of fascism in Italy, with the subsequent fall and the birth of the
democracy.
Unfortunately, I did notice
that several other students have chosen the same path as mine, so this idea
doesn’t come off as very original. I’m actually an Italian citizen, Italian
mother, and Egyptian father. Even though I’m familiar and have studied the
history of Italy at the time, I have never
had the chance to do so in depth. I feel compelled, and obligated to do so as
an Italian, and have my opportunity with this paper, and that is why I chose
it.
2)
The question, or puzzle, that I will be addressing is;
-Italy; The conditions for
the rise of Fascism, and its demise that sparked the roots for the democratic
regime of today-one that found great obstacles before stabilization.
3)
Of course the topic needs books upon books to thoroughly analyze, and answer
these questions I’m posing myself. But, hopefully I can condense it into 15
pages, focusing on a specific set of questions. In the preliminary stages, the
questions I have so far come up with are;
-Origins
of Italian monarchy.
-WWI;
why did the switch from the central powers to the allied powers happen? Did the
failed promises of the Treaty of London in 1915 have an affect on the people
towards the West?
-The
Great Depression of 1929. The affects on the Italian people that brought them
to a point of accepting fascist ideology brought forth by IL Duce, Mussolini.
-Relationship
with German fascism, how could it have affected Italy? Was it a sort of
relationship as the American Revolution sparked in France 23 years after?
-Life
of Mussolini, the rise to power.
-The Italian government
went through more than 50 governments in 60 years. Why and what is the elationship with this hard road to stable democracy and
fascism?
-Other
players in the rise of Mussolini.
-How
influential was the murder of Matteoti in terms of
giving the clear message that opposition will not be tolerated. Rise of the
totalitarian state.
-What is the
role of Victor Emmanuel II in the rise of fascism? Why did he allow it?
- In terms of sources, I have the wide resources
from the George Mason library at my disposal. Being an Italian native
speaker, I have the advantage of being able to access Italian documents
from the time. I plan to contact the Italian consulate to see what sort of
resources they have available. One
book which I think will help me further into understanding Mussolini is
actually a book written by him called My
Rise and fall. I plan to read
that, to get the other side of a story that will probably be very biased
from a western point of view. It will be interesting to see what he felt.
Then, by using the Database on the GMU web site, and going to either
Humanities or Public Affairs and Law I have founds many scholarly sources
that I can use. The government section won’t be helpful in this case,
because it covers only US government.
Angie Eppard:
Democracy and South
Africa
South Africa has had an extensive struggle with democracy in its
long history of government;
there have been many internal struggles in the country regarding
the government practices and policies of equality in race, gender, and social
status. I want to follow the formation
and struggles of the African National Congress in South Africa, examining the major movements and events in its
history. I will also be examining
collapse of apartheid, and its role as the beginning of truer democracy. In particular, I wish to research the events
and practices that both created and destroyed white minority rule in the
country. How did such a small percentage
of the population earn such an enormous amount of power? What were the causes for loss of this
power? I wish to define the roles that
cultural traditions, government organizations, and the country’s relations to
other African countries had in shaping South Africa’s democracy.
- Donald Horowitz’s A Democratic South
Africa?,
- Philippe-Joseph Salazar’s African Athens.
- I have also gathered a number of documents from
the George Mason database, including government periodicals, information
on the ANC and other organizations, and articles written about the
apartheid.
Jessa Farquhar: Tocqueville’s Challenge
The United States has maintained a reputation for being a great
democratic nation in which freedom of speech prevails and everyone is created
equal. Despite this title, the success of American democracy has been
questioned as of late. Scholars are becoming more and more concerned with
disinterested post-modernist citizens who remain inactive and uneducated.
Alexis De Tocqueville predicted the ultimate challenge American democracy would
face but could not give it a name. Individualism is what we refer to it
today as and it is indeed challenging the success of our government. The
mass media and celebrity industry feed the fire that is the threat to
democracy. It is becoming apparent that the degradation of consciousness
towards that which does not dwell within one’s sphere of existence may spell
the end of democracy as we know it. My research question has much to do
with these fears that have been rapidly surfacing and well forewarned. At
the rate it is continuing, will individualism and the media lead to the decline
of democracy in the United States and is there a realistic way of stopping it?
There
are many sub-questions involved in this monstrous topic and it is essential to
investigate not only what is occurring today, but what conditions led to the
problem. My first sub question concerns investigating the aspects of
history including the development of mass media, celebrity industry and
postmodern thought. By gaining an understanding of these, it is much
easier to see the big picture and the cause as well as the result.
The
second is to investigate the role of the citizen in the modern United States and how this may differ from the role of the ideal
citizen of a democratic nation. Hand in hand with this go the
questions of the American obsession with the celebrity industry and the
repercussions it has on modern politics and the degree individualism inhibits
interest in the governing of our nation. Postmodern thought is also a big
factor in that it challenges the very principals of freedom and truth.
By
investigating these sub-questions and studying scholarly resources, I intend to
not only reach a conclusion concerning the research question but also suggest
if there are any, ways in which the effects can be reversed. I was
interested originally in doing a foreign country and it’s
plight or lack thereof with democracy but I am too interested in the struggle
the U.S. is encountering. I see it everyday in the news
and my disinterested peers. There is no doubt that I am very worried
about the future of our country and I want to know exactly how this state of
mind came to be. Furthermore, I may be investigating the water in my own
bowl but it is imperative that I do so for my own understanding.
- Wolfson, Adam. “Individualism: new and old” Public Interest 126 (1997). Expanded Academic
ASAP. Infotrac. George Mason University. Fairfax, VA. 14 Feb. 2004.
- Manet, Pierre. “On Modern Individualism” Journal of Democracy
7.1 (1996). Expanded Academic ASAP. Infotrac. George Mason University.
- Lippman, Walter. The Essential Lippman.
New York: Random House, 1963.
- Geertz, Clifford. The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books, 1973.
Elizabeth Flanagan: Through
the rise of Fascisms in Italy what were the factors that kept Mussolini in power
and what was the final straw to getting him out of power?
Did
the economic situation have anything to do with political change of power and
the fall of Fascism? Or was it the joining with Germany and Hitler that led to the fall of Mussolini? Throughout the ups and down of Italian
government what was the final factor for them to join the UN and become a
non-Fascist society?
Meredith Haggard: Fascist Italy
I am
interested in learning why an Italy that operated under a parliamentary government prior
to the 1920’s, came to be ruled by a fascist
leader. My goal is to investigate the
social, political, and/or economic conditions which led to Mussolini’s
overthrow of democratic rule. John Markoff, in Waves of
Democracy, lists nationalist movements as one of the main triggers of
European fascism (1996). As he explains
it, several Europeans felt democracy was divisive in nature (Markoff, 1996). The
promotion of individual liberties and partisanship led to increased regional
separation as well as divistion within social classes
(Markoff, 1996).
The Economist Intelligence Unit also lists Italian social structures
prior to 1920, as cause for the civil unrest (2003). The division caused by the differences in the
North and the South, with regards to social structures and industrialization,
increased the need for a stabilizing force that came in the form of Mussolini
(EIU, 2003). Claudio Pavone
in his journal article “Italy: Trends and Problems,” discusses the “fragile democratic
structures” during the period Giovanni Giolitti
served in Parliament (1967, p.55). Pavone discusses Giolitti in
great detail, and I think the political environment during his term is relevant
to the conditions leading to the fall of democracy. What made partisanship lead to civil unrest
in Italy, while it was embraced as a basis for democracy in
Western Countries? In other words, what
caused democratic principles to become negative forces in Europe,
while the same principles helped Western societies flourish?
The debate over globalization has addressed many
issues, including human rights, the environment, and equity amongst trading
nations. The effect that free trade has
on democracy has been used by both proponents and opponents of
globalization. In my paper, I hope to
address these concerns and determine if globalization encourages transitions to
democracy or undermine democratic ideals.
I will attempt to determine what role the World Trade Organization may
play in relation to democracy. I will
also address how free trade affects democratic ideals, like equality. Finally, I will address how transnational and
multinational corporations democracy.
I became interested in this topic through my research
on the debate team. We frequently argue
about the effects of
free trade, so the topic seemed like a natural choice for a paper
topic.
- Barfield,
Claude E. Free trade, sovereignty, democracy
: the future of the World Trade Organization. AEI Press, Washington, DC. 2001.
- Isakovic, Zlatko.
“Democracy, Human rights and Ethnica Conflicts in the Process of Globalisation.” Copenhagen Peace
Research Institute. June 2001
- MacArthur, John R. The selling of "free trade" : NAFTA, Washington, and the subversion of
American democracy. Hill and Wang, New York. 2000
- Nader, Ralph, et al. The Case against "free trade" : GATT, NAFTA,
and the globalization of corporate power. San Francisco, CA : Earth Island Press. 1993
- Samantha
F. Ravich. Marketization
and democracy : East Asian experiences. Cambridge University Press, New York. 2000.
- Taylor,
Annie, and Thomas, Caroline. Global trade and global social issue. Routledge, New
York,
1991.
Rosana Heraud: Democracy of Peru during Alberto Fujimori’s
presidency: What happened during his first term that made him corrupt?
During
Fujimori’s first term as president he helped the
country significantly, and during his second term he was fraudulent. I also want to find out how exactly did he
get away with the corruption while being president and how he got away with
stealing millions of dollars from Peru. Where was the
government or the people of Peru, why didn’t they stop him? What did Vladimir Montesino
have to do with Fujimori?
I
chose this topic because my family is from Peru and what happened to the Peruvian government is
something that I don’t really understand and interests me.
- President Fujimori of Peru: the President who Dared to Dream, by Rei Kimura
- The Madness of things: Peruvian Democracy Under
Siege, by Alvaro Vargas Llosa, this book is about the democracy in Peru during Alberto Fujimori’s
presidency, Peru moral conditions, and Peru politics and government
- Conservative Parties, the Right, and Democracy in
Latin America, by Kevin Middlebrook, this book has a chapter called “The
Irrelevant Right: Alberto Fujimori and the new
politics of pragmatic Peru;”
- Leguia, Fujimori, el miedo y la trafa en el Peru:
el tragico derrotero
de los gobiernos Peruanos, by
Carlos Johnson,
which contains information about Alberto Fujimori,
and Peru politics and government in the 20th
century.
Kim Ho: Democracy in Vietnam Post World War II
I have chosen to do my research paper on Vietnam and its democratic experiments in Post World War
II. The main focus question of my paper
is, “Why did democratic experiments in Vietnam fail after World War II?”
An
area that I will research to develop an understanding of my main focus question
will be, the U.S.’s relations with Vietnam after World War II.
How did the Vietnam Conflict affect U.S. relations with Vietnam? How did the U.S. relations with Vietnam affect the spread of westernization to Vietnam to allow for the development of a democratic
state? After the Vietnam Conflict the U.S., the western world, and non-communist Asian countries
levied a trade embargo on Vietnam. How did the
trade embargo affect the potential development of democracy in Vietnam? The U.S. later made attempts to rectify past differences with Vietnam which failed due to mistakes made by Vietnam. How did Vietnam’s demand for reparations from the U.S. in 1977 and the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978 affect the relationship with the U.S.? How did the
POW and MIA issue in Vietnam affect the Vietnam-U.S. relations? These are a few of the questions that I will
be researching in order to come to a detailed conclusion of “Why did democratic
experiments in Vietnam fail after World War II?
Elizabeth Hope: The Waves
Leading To French Democracy
How has the raise and downfall of past governments in
France led to a more democratic nation? I want to research
the steps that have presently led to a more democratic nation after the French
Revolution. I must research the aspects of the French Revolution and why it
occurred. What were the main ideas within the people of France to revolt to begin with? Did social classes have a
major factor in the way the people wanted their government run? After the
French Revolution how did the Reign of Terror lead to the people wanting
someone to stand and take back their government? How did a militant government
fail? Did the world wars encourage France to become more democratic? How did the governmental
failures lead to the need and desire within the people to become a more equal
and democratic nation? Who are the major actors in the shaping of Frances government presently? What was the developmental
quality in the downfall of each governmental attempt that leads to a more
democratic government?
- Duveau, Georges, 1848: the making of a revolution; London, Routledge & K.
Paul, 1967.
- “France.” Background Notes. 9.4 Fed.2003: 1-12
LaToya Howard: South Africa: A Survivor
How has democracy managed to
survive in South Africa since apartheid’s end ten
years ago? In order to answer this
complex question, other subtopics must first be discussed. I intend to provide a clear understanding of
the impact that apartheid has had on South Africans both politically and
socially. Apartheid was a means of
racial segregation that ensured the supremacy of the white race. Apartheid laws characterized South Africa for over fifty years. Non-whites were stripped of their voting
rights and many were sentenced to death or to life in prison if they criticized
the government.
It is known that democracy
can only survive if the conditions within the state are favorable for a
democracy to exist. With the institution
of such unjust and extremely, undemocratic laws for over fifty years, what
conditions were evident in 1990 that have allowed democracy to endure in South
Africa that were not visible in 1948?
I have also found it a personal interest to find the
answer to the following question. What
characteristics of the environment allowed such a small amount of people
(whites) to be able to institute such harsh laws upon such a large number of
people (non-whites) who at first glance, according to numbers, seem to be in
greater control?
Since apartheid affected the people of South Africa both politically and socially, I intend to find
out whether the transition from apartheid to democracy was gradual or instant. Answering this question is important because
if the transition was instantaneous then a group of people who had been
segregated for generations were forced to adapt to such a drastic change
immediately. Or was it an immediate
change? Does social segregation still truly exist in South Africa today?
Databases
such as Proquest, Lexis Nexis,
and Expanded Academic will provide an extensive amount of information that will
enable me to give a thorough answer to what exactly has enabled democracy to
survive in South Africa
since apartheid’s end ten years ago.
Gloria Izquieta:
Why did the Irish nation declare its independence from the United Kingdom half way through the 20th century?
Throughout
Irish history the British rule has been a major source of turmoil. The Irish-Catholic called for independence
during the late 1800s, which alarmed the Irish protestant in the North who
wanted to preserve it ties with the British.
This growing crisis was halted by the start of WWI, in which Ireland came together to fight against the Germans. A small sect of Irish volunteer refused to join
the war effort, they organized a rebellion on Easter and they declared Ireland’s independence.
The British suppressed the rebellion and ended the insurrection.
From this, the Irish nation went through three major
phases that have led them to their present state. The first phase was civil
war, which established the first of an independent "Irish
government”. The second phase of Ireland growth was between the 1930’s-1940’s, which
established a democratic state. The
third phase was the establishment of the Republic of Ireland, which made it completely independent from the United Kingdom. The question
that I bring up is why did the Irish nation declare
its independence from the United Kingdom half way through the 20th century. What
factor helped or suppressed their declaration to have an independent democratic
state so late in the 20th century?
·
The Economy and Policy Mood: a Fundamental Dynamic
of Democratic Politics, by Randolph T. Stevenson. This source explains how economy has an
affect on the way that the government affects the nation.
·
Civic Culture and Democracy: The
Question of causal Relationships, which shows how the democratic process and how
civic culture affects each other in the democracy.
·
From on Dependency to Another: The Political Economy
of Science Policy in the Iris Republic in the Second Half of the Twentieth
Century,
by Steven Yearley which explain that the Irish
government system reflects that of the British government.
Samantha Kaizen: Democracy: Failures and Successes
When
democracy was first introduced by the ancient Greeks it was experimental and a
huge change from the previous form of government. Today it is considered the
most ideal way of governing, mostly by the American people. To America, a democracy seems natural and the right way to form
a government. In other countries it has been attempted but hasn’t always been a
success. Why can democracy be so successful in countries like the U.S but a
complete failure in countries like China? Mark Katz, writer for the World Affairs publication
gives many reasons to why democracy can be a success or a failure in his
article called, “Democratic Revolutions: Why some succeed, why Others Fail.”
This
paper will address the aspects that make a democracy work and what does not
work in China. Katz says that in order to have a strong democracy,
a strong military must be established. According to
him China was fueled with democratic forces coming
from Europe. This caused a democratic revolution in China in 1989. A democracy was never established
because of loyalty to communism within the military.
The paper will also address China in the post Mao period where they have
made several attempts at trying a democratic society.
I chose to write about China because it is a nation that
has made attempts at democracy but has not been successful at them and I
thought it would be interesting to read and try to figure out why some nations
are very successful with democracy and why some fail when attempting it.
Hellia Kanzi: What factors led
to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran and how did this revolution stunt the growth of
democracy in the nation.
The big question of this
paper will be in the investigation of the breeding grounds of the historical
event. I have a specific interest in
this topic because I am Iranian, and my parents left the country because of the
Islamic rule. As a result, I have not
met most of my family. Therefore, this
event has had an impact on my life.
First off, I will briefly describe the climate of
Iranian politics in the 1940’s and 1950’s, focusing in on the rise of Prime
Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and his struggle to free
Iran from the colonial rule of Great Britain.
In doing so, I will describe CIA operation AJAX in 1953, the American and British effort to overthrow
Mossadegh and plant Mohammad Shah Pahlavi
in his place. I will also describe
Mohammad Shah’s despotic rule by talking about some of the characteristics of
his regime, such as SAVAK, the secret police.
I will argue that all of these events will be separate factors that all
led to the Islamic revolution.
In line with talking about Iranian politics, I will
also discuss the founding of the Majlis, the Iranian
parliament, and how basic government procedures were carried out. This will serve as a comparison to present
day Iran under theocratic rule.
After
discussing how the Islamic regime took root, I will talk about the
characteristics of this type of government and how it has slowed down the
growth of democracy in Iran. To prove this
I will take excerpts out of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s constitution and
compare Iran’s past and current governments.
·
CIA World Factbook,
·
World Policy Journal
·
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
·
academically acclaimed books.
Afrin Khan: Why democratic
experiments in post-colonial Iraq failed after WWII?
I
will discuss some history on the establishment of Britain in Iraq in the 1920s and it's
political history from the Ottoman
Empire, to the development
of state, it's transformation from monarchy to republic, and finally the rise
of the Ba'th Party and the rise of Saddam Husain. I will mainly focus on why the British rule failed
in Iraq leading to the rise of the Ba’th
party. I am interested in this topic because of the current issues about Iraq in the world right now. I know what’s going on now,
but I am very interested in the past and how and what led to what is going on.
In
order to research why the British failed in Iraq, I would like to find out how the British even came
to power. I am going to center my paper on the early history of Iraq.
- How did the Ottoman Empire fail and gave rise to a new political history
of Iraq that included the British.
- What were the British plans after taking over Iraq?
- How did the British fail to take control of Iraq leaving Iraq to rise under the Ba’th
Party.
- (Slightly focus on how Saddam Husain came to power)
- Tripp, Charles. A history of Iraq. Cambridge University Press.2000
- Democracy Anxiety Reuel Marc Gerecht. The Weekly Standard. Washington: Feb 2, 2004. Vol. 9, Iss. 20; p.
22
- Mesopotamia in
British War Aims, 1914-1918 V. H. Rothwell The Historical Journal, Vol.
13, No. 2. (Jun., 1970), pp. 273-294.
Jennifer Keener: What eroded the initial
democratic concepts that the UK and Egypt helped establish in Sudan’s original constitution,
leading to the gross human rights violations and constant war occurring
today?
Interested in the civil wars
in Sudan, I have decided to research
Sudanese government, from its conception upon Independence on January 1, 1956 from the UK and Egypt to the present. My essential question is what eroded the
initial democratic concepts that the UK and Egypt helped establish in the
original constitution leading to the gross human rights violations and constant
war occurring today? What were these original
concepts? What promises did the new
government make and fail to keep? What is Islamic law and can it coexist with
democracy?
One
of the major factors in the conflict is the divide between northern and
southern Sudan. Going back to
the 7th century, Arab miners and Egyptian raiders moved in on the
territory of what is now northern Sudan. The swamp
lands of southern Sudan remained untouched. Egypt claimed the area, however
had no influence on it. Eventually the
two areas were united, the north being almost completely Islamic and the south
being Christian and natural religions.
When Independence was established in 1956, there was not supposed to be
a dominance of Northern Islamic fundamentalism over the entire country, however
somewhere along the line Islam became incorporated in the government and became
a factor of oppression. What factors
made the country ripe for the dominance of Islam and how did this dominance
come to be? What led to the civil wars
that now tear the country apart?
Several coups and
revised constitutions later the government is now headed by President Bashir. How did he
come to power and why has he been able to hold such an immense power over the
people of Sudan? His
democratic election of 2000 was obviously rigged, what troubles did that ignite
and how did he pull it off? He voided
certain parts of the constitution and dissolved the national assembly, how did
he manage this? How is this a republic as it is so called?
- CIA World Factbook,
Encarta online,nationmaster.com
- I have friends who are refugees from Southern Sudan that I am going to be asking for information.
·
I have found a lot of
good articles in the library databases. Infotrac has a really good article on the relation of Islam
and democracy and how they seem to undermine each
Tania L. Klam: Czechoslovakia
For my research paper I plan
to focus on Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia has a long history of democracy since it began as a
democratic region. After WWII however,
the Czechs lost their democracy when the Solviet
Union put a communist dictatorship in place.
Thus democracy was lost until the 1990s when the Solviet
Union fell. Democracy was then restored
bloodlessly. The history of
Czechoslovakian people truly amazes me since they are people with a history of
democracy, who had democracy taken away, and then gained it back. How did they regain their democratic
structure of government? What led to the
switch back to democracy? How did the
first president, Havel, restore democracy with no
fight? Was there no revolution or
bloodshed in the restoration of democracy because the Czechoslovakian people
have had a tradition of democracy? Did
the democracy in Czechoslovakia’s history impact the later restoration of
democracy?
I plan to answer all
of these questions in my paper as well as addressing the impact certain leaders
had on restoring democracy. Basically I
want to figure out why Czechoslovakia went back to becoming a democracy. Did its history of being a democracy have
anything to do with it? Also, I want to use certain analysis from current books
you’ve assigned us to read. For example,
we read that certain conditions must exist for a democracy to flourish. Some sources that have appeared to be
promising are the Brittanica Encyclopedia, certain
books pertaining to the history of Czechoslovakia as well as the first president, Havel. Did the Czechoslovakian people just decide
that democracy was the best type of governmental structure, or did other
countries influence or even force Czechoslovakia to return to democracy? Hopefully this paper will prove what truly
impacted and caused the restoration of democracy to take place in Czechoslovakia.
Sonja Kovač-Nuhanović: Croatia: Mastering Transition
What
marks a transition between a new democracy and an established democracy?
I would argue such a point is
reached when a government changeover no longer means the restructuring of the
entire state.
By
breaking off from Yugoslavia in 1991, Croatia entered a new chapter in its history. The initial transition from socialism to
democracy took place immediately prior to the war for independence. That war
has affected Croatia’s particular transition experience, setting it apart
from most new democracies in Eastern Europe.The first
elected government was established under President Franjo
Tudjman’s Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ). It dominated
country’s politics during and after the war of independence, officially embracing
democracy but engaging in authoritarian practices.The
HDZ-conducted privatization benefited a small circle of politically connected
cronies. HDZ also attempted to silence several independent newspapers through
hostile takeovers, lawsuits and even outright bans, while tightly controlling
the national TV network.
After
President Tudjman’s death in 1999, HDZ lost its grip on power. In the next
elections (2000.), the opposition coalition of social democrats and liberals
took over. Although fractious and torn by personal rivalries, the coalition
managed to undo many of HDZ’s policies that had
identified the state with the ruling party.The
personal example of the new president, Stjepan Mesic, who discontinued Tudjman’s dictatorial posturing,
greatly contributed to a more democratic perception of the government.At
the next general election in 2003, a reformed HDZ led by Ivo
Sanader, returned to power. The fact that Sanader’s HDZ respected the institutional order and did not
attempt a return to its Tudjman-era policies,
indicates that Croatia has come far in its democratic development. My
research will attempt to illustrate the difficulties of transition under the
HDZ and social democratic/liberal coalition, and the new HDZ’s
conduct with respect towards the institutions of state and government.
·
Misha
Glenny, “The Fall of Yugoslavia: the Third Balkan War”, Penguin 1996;
·
Pridham/ Gallagher, “Experimenting with Democracy”, Routledge
2000;
·
David Owen, “Balkan
Odyssey”, Harcourt Brace & Co., 19
Nana
Kufuor: Ghana After 1992 – From
Dictatorship to Democracy?
In
1981, Lt. Jerry Rawlings suspended Ghana’s constitution and banned political parties, creating
a military dictatorship in his country.
Eleven years later, a new constitution was installed, and numerous political
parties sprang up. Did these changes
finally signify the arrival of democracy in Ghana? In On
Democracy, Robert A. Dahl offers five essential components of a democratic
institution: equal and effective member participation; equal opportunity to
vote with each vote weighted equally; equal and open access to information
about policies; member control of the political agenda; and the inclusion of
all adult members. As such, if Ghana became democratic in 1992, the country should have
made changes that reached far beyond those of its constitution. Still, the creation of an effective
constitution is the first step toward the formation of democracy in a
nation. Therefore, to determine whether Ghana’s new constitutional government reflects democratic
standards, this paper will evaluate the provisions of its new constitution.
However, other questions remain: How soon did
political parties resume, and how free were they to form their own
agendas? Also, who was afforded the
right to vote in the 1992 elections, and did every eligible voter have access
to information and ballots? Who oversaw
the elections? Was Lt. Rawlings’
reelection the result of unfair influence, campaign finance inequities, or even
threats? Did ethnic divisions at the
time hamper the democratic process?
Finally, did Ghana’s economic state have an effect on the democratic
process? By answering these questions, I
seek to expose whether or not Ghana’s post-1992 government is a true manifestation of the
democratic ideals put forth in Dahl’s book.
- Dahl, Robert Alan. On Democracy. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 1998.
- Pinkney, Robert. Democracy and Dictatorship in Ghana and Tanzania. New York: St.
Martin’s, 1997.
·
Wiseman, John A., ed. Democracy and Political
change in Sub-Saharan Africa. London and New York: Routledge,
1995.
Brooks Lacy: Democracy in
the Philippines
The Philippines’ political system has shown much promise ever since
the days when the US gave assistance to the country during the Post World War II era. The presence of democracy and growing
stability showed great potential. The
question that lingers is why would a country that showed some
much promise early on continue to have so many problems
politically. I will be discussing the
problems that have occurred from the time when Ferdinand Marcos ruled until the
present rule under Arroyo. Included will
be discussion of the continuous coup attempts that seem to plaque the Philippines and all other factors that seem to hinder the
progress of Filipino democracy, the country that once was an ideal model of
democracy in South East Asia. This topic interests me because this country once
showed great promise and has been in a shaky situation for sometime,
I would like to gain a better understanding of why all this happened. It also happens to be the country where my
girlfriend was born and raised for the first 7 years of her life.
Through
my research in the databases I have been able to find numerous articles,
particularly on the JSTOR database.
- Off The Endangered List:
Philippine Democratization in Comparative Perspective. By Mark R. Thompson.
- The Philippines in 1986: Democratic Reconstruction in the
Post-Marcos Era. By Bernando M. Villegas.
- The Philippines in 1994: Renewed Growth and Contested
Reforms. By Jeffrey Riedinger.
Jared Lieberher:
How did Mussolini and the fascist party’s rise to power in Italy influence
Hitler’s rise in power, and is it possible that Hitler would have failed if
Mussolini were unsuccessful?
I would like to
begin the paper by describing the history of Mussolini’s rise to power in Italy and focus on
his ideology during the process. I
believe that I would have to describe the state of Italy at the
time. After this, I will draw lines of
similarity in Hitler’s rise to power and ideology to Mussolini. I don’t think that I can leave out the nation
of Germany’s situation at
the time, and with that I will draw lines of similarity between them and Italy. After that I want to focus on both dictator’s form of fascism and compare and contrast the
two. Finally, I would like to try and
use evidence to support the question about Hitler’s success depending on
Mussolini’s success. This is something
that I probably won’t be able to answer until all of my research has been
completed, because my temporary novice status of the topic makes it impossible
to give a sound, concise determination of that question.
- Passmore, Kevin, Fascism. A Very Short Introduction, Very
Short Introductions, Oxford University press, Oxford 2002. 162 s.
- MacGregor, Knox. “Conquest, Foreign and Domestic, in
Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.” The Journal of Modern History, Vol. 56,
No. 1. (Mar., 1984), pp. 1-57.
Eric
Lindner: Belize
When, and how, did Belize separate from British rule? Was there any conflict?
Were international relations affected in any way? How about relations with Britain? In this paper, I will go in depth on the factors in
which led to Belize gaining its independence. I chose this topic because
my family visited Belize last year and was surprised at the high level of poverty, yet the
people were friendly and seemed not to mind it too much. Maybe this study will answer why.
Sub Questions:
Why
was Great
Britain
willing to grant independence and eliminate its only colony in Central America?
What
challenges has decolonization place on Belizians?
How
did the border dispute with Guatemala challenge the success of Belize’s independence?
Was
United Nations involvement successful in maintaining Belize’s independence?
·
John
C. Everitt, “ The Growth and
Development of Belize
City ,” Journal of Latin American Studies, Vol.
18, No. 1. (May, 1986), pp. 75-111.
·
Anthony
J. Payne, “The Belize Triangle: Relations with Britain, Guatemala and the United States,” Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, Vol. 32, No.
1.Spring, 1990) pp.119-135.
·
Cubola Productions.A History of Belize, Nation in the Making,
·
The
Library of Congress Country Studies, Belize Decolonization And The Border Dispute With Guatemala
·
United
Nations, United Nations Involvement with Belize
Elizabeth Lundberg: The Democratic Experience Within America
I
have spent the vast majority of my eighteen years of life living on the border
of one of Montana's seven Native American reservations, and very near a
second. The Crow and
Northen Cheyenne peoples are the people I grew up
with. Although those cultures are vastly different from mine I have a close
connection to them. I have friends among both tribes,
I have a connection to the land that is theirs, for it is mine as well. This
connection to the individuals makes me want to know more about the whole of the
cultures.
The
root of this paper will be a comparison of two separate and separated Montana
Native American tribes cultural backgrounds that will
help to explain their different experienced with self-government. The Crow
Tribe, the tribe I grew up with in south-eastern Montana, and the Confederated Salish-Kootenai
Tribe of western Montana.
This
paper will show, with support from many varied sources, that there are cultural
aspects of the peoples involved that directly affect the efficacy of governing.
This will demonstrate the ability and inability of various cultures to accept
government and allow it to work.
- Tribal Government Today by Lopach Brown Clow.
- I also have sources from the Harvard University
Native American Program by a Professor Joseph P. Kalt.
- And I also have the informal original source of
myself, and the ability to gain firsthand knowledge of the situations by
discussing the issue with those “back in my hometown” to get a better idea
of the personal effects of tribal government structures.
Sabri Math: ??Germany
After the 1920’s, Germany was in a state of limbo as
to what type of government would follow after the war. Was the pressure by the United States, who was an important ally,
force Germany into choosing Democracy?
Did it actually set the stage
for the rise of Fascism in the country?
Were the people ready to set
up a democratic government?
Is Democracy the right type
of government after a war or revolution?
Was
the hardship of the German people the reason for the failure of democracy?
How much of an influence was
Hitler?
What are some ways that
Democracy might have prevailed during the hard years in Germany?
What were the appeals of
Fascism?
How did using a scapegoat
favor the rise of fascism?
- Hamilton, Alastair. The appeal of fascism; a study of intellectuals and fascism, 1919-1945. New York:
Macmillan 1971
- Milfull, John.
The Attractions of fascism : social psychology and aesthetics
of the "triumph of the right”.
New York :
Berg 1990.
- Berg-Schlosser, Dirk. Authoritarianism and democracy in Europe, 1919-39 : comparative
analyses. New York : Palgrave Macmillan,
2002.
Sean McCorkle: How has Ecuador’s history influenced Ecuadorian democracy?
Ecuador has had a long struggle in
establishing democratic government. The
problems associated with Ecuador’s democratic government are
similar with other countries historical struggles for democracy. Deciding which people have suffrage and how
to establish full representation of the Ecuadorian population are just two
similarities. Ecuador though has its own unique
story based on its unique history.
In order to answer the
central question posed by the title, I will need to answer several other
questions. Who were key figures that
shaped Ecuador’s past governments? Which were key events in shaping Ecuador’s past governments? How have these figures and events led to what
I consider a tentative Ecuadorian democracy?
What essential aspects of American democracy is Ecuador currently lacking? Can American ideals of democracy provide
solutions to current Ecuadorian struggles with democracy?
- Nineteenth
Century Ecuador: An
Historical Introduction, by
Frank Macdonald Spindler,
- Anatomy
of Coup D’Etat : Ecuador 1963 by Martin C. Needler
- The
Military Coup D’Etat As A Political Process by John Samuel Finch
Steve McGowen:
How did Russia’s present-day democracy evolve, and what is the
current status of democracy in Russia today?
Sub
Questions/Themes:
-What
was the catalyst that led to free elections and democracy in Russia?
-Are
elections free in Russia?
-What
do Russians think of democracy?
-Is
Russia really a democracy?
-Does
President Putin support democracy in Russia?
-What
is the future of democracy in Russia?
Why
I am interested in the subject: I have a BA in history with a focus on Russian
history. I am currently a Russian Studies major.I
have toured and lived in Russia, and
would eventually like to work for one of the big 5 Russian oil firms.
- Kuchins, Andrew. :
“Russia After the Fall.” Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace. 2002.
- McFaul, Michael. “Russia’s
Unfinished Revolution: Political Change from Gorbachev to Putin.” Cornell University Press. 2001.
- Smith, Hedrick. “The New Russians.” Avon Books.
1991.
- Brookings Institute; Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace.;Center For Strategic and
International Studies; Eurasia Net.; Global Security.; Izvestia
Press; Lexus/Nexus.; Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty; St. Petersburg
Times; Woodrow Wilson Institute.
Traci McVey. Democracies
within the Middle East and North Africa
I have also thought of some
focus points:
-The Impact of Islam on
Democracy; Will Islam hinder the growth/ establishment of democratic govt's within the Region?
-Focus Countries within the
Region: Iraq (Middle East), Algeria (North
Africa)
-History and current existance of democracies; Can democracy thrive within the
region? Will democracy "solve
problems" or just create new ones (resistance)?
-Examining the way of life
and acceptance of western ideas and policies
·
X
·
X
Lieven Meert South Africa: The road to
democracy
What factors have shaped the South Africa that we know today?
What events helped overcome the horror that apartheid was? Is the fight against poverty and Aids the
future stumbling block or is the continuous development of democracy the “key”
to success in this country? Can South Africa become a trendsetter for the rest of the
continent? How has colonization
influenced this country in particular?
The thorough examination of those questions will be
the basis to the answers that my paper is concluded with. I have always looked upon South Africa as a beacon of hope for the rest of the developing
countries. My admiration of Nelson
Mandela also led me to my decision to do this country. I can’t wait to study the role he played in easing
the transition from a downright racist regime to a democratic regime.
One of my methods of research will be the book by
Prof. Hauss, “Comparative Politics” (4th ed.). He has a whole
chapter devoted to South Africa touching upon its history and many other factors,
which are important in drawing analytical conclusions about its evolution. Another helpful website is the CIA World Fact
book which gives a statistical background to commonly asked questions in fields
like unemployment, racial make-up of a country, economic growth rate,
percentage below poverty line, etc….
I will also be using the
library databases to find many other sources for the project.
I
fully realize that in order to write a good paper I will need to delve into the
country’s history. That can be the only
way to try to get a basic understanding of South Africa and its present
culture.
Ty Miller: Meiji Renewal: Triumph or Downfall of
Japanese Democracy
In the mid-1800s, Japan went through a period of social change known as the
Meiji Renewal. It took root quickly
after the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This half-century movement was a great stride
towards established democracy in the country.
However, the Meiji Renewal collapsed abruptly with the death of the
emperor and the beginning of the war against China—the rule was consolidated into a singular imperial
movement. This begs the question: was
the Meiji Renewal a success or failure in the “inexorable growth” of democracy
as theorized by Dahl and Tocqueville?
Moreover, was the democratic process in Japan doomed from the beginning?
Furthermore,
there are a multitude of smaller questions.
For example, was the Meiji Renewal, prior to its collapse, successful in
attempting to establish a democratic government? To what extent did the readiness of the
country and her people for democracy play in the shift from the repressive
Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji Renewal? What role did the Constitution of 1889
play? Did the creation of parties so
quickly leader to a system that the fathers of the Imperial Rule Assistance
Association could take advantage of?
To
look to the future, I hope to assess what factors of the 1868 democratization
still remain in present-day Japan. How was the
constitution amended and changed after the Japan’s surrender in World War II? Overall, is Japan currently an efficient democracy or is it still
evolving?
Looking
to the mood of the world at the downfall of the Meiji Renewal, I would like to
portray whether or not the manifestation of socialist rule in Japan’s neighbors
and allies—Russia, Germany, Italy, to a lesser extent Spain—affected the shift
from a relatively democratic rule to a completely imperial one. Furthermore, I hope to look at the mood of Japan, assessing whether or not the years of imperial rule
prior to the Meiji Renewal had any correlation with the collapse of the
democratic process. Did the people want
reform from the years of repressive rule—was that a leading concern in the
Renewal?
All
in all, I want to observe and decide whether or not the Meiji Renewal was a key
piece in the mosaic of democracy or whether it was a great downfall in the
process of democratic growth, which would have led to an imperial rule if not
ended by American involvement. I find this particular era of history most
appealing because, I personally, have always had an interest in the culture and
history of Japan—I was born there due to my father’s connection to the
military; perhaps, that explains it. I
have studied the Meiji era of Japanese history briefly in school and written a
short paper here and there on its specific history, and I have always been
interested in this movement for a Japanese democracy. Thus, I quickly opted to research this topic.
- Stockwin, S. A. A. “Dictionary of Modern Politics in Japan.”
- Keene, Donald. “Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World.”
Through these two preliminary sources, I have looked
into basic factors behind the Meiji Renewal as well as attempting to establish
the democratic reforms that took place during the era—such as the constitution
and governmental system. Reading over
these reference books, I have formulated the questions in the preceding
paragraphs, which shall lead to answer the overall query.
Allison Millward:
How will Cuba be able to once again transform itself into a
democracy after Castro is dead.
Many non Cuban ‘prophets’
disguised as politicians and historians insist that when Castro is dead another
revolution will take place and Cuba will become a democracy. How can this
happen? How will outside forces, especially the United States help the Cubans reclaim and
sustain a democratic nation? Connected to this sub question is the puzzle of
what influence the Cuban American communities in New Jersey will and Miami are in setting new
democratic and capitalist values in Cuba. Another question worth
exploring is how much will tourism and travel in the Caribbean effect Cuban government.
Because the Caribbean is such a popular place to travel, will Cuba be willing to change it’s socialist ways in order to open borders and attract
tourist? Also, possibly the most
important question that must be answered will be how will the average Cuban respond to a change in government and regime. If there is no
support among the people, a democracy has little chance of survival. Therefore
I must tap into stories, anecdotes and even essays that Cuban citizens have
contributed to.
- “Cuba on the Verge: An Island in transition” by Terry
McCoy
- “Cuba: The Morning After. Confronting Castro’s
Legacy.” By Mark Falcoff
- “Democracy Delayed: The Case of Castro’s Cuba” by Juan J. Lopez
- “This is Cuba: An Outlaw Culture Survives” by Ben Corbett
These books are available in
the Johnson Center or Fenwick Library, and were found using Ms. Hillson’s workshop advice.
Kyle Munkittrick
The influence of Britain on it's
colonies and why those are the strongest democracies in the world.
Annabelle Osei
Bonsu: Plato’s
view on Republic verses Tocqueville’s view on
Democracy
It
is equivocal enough to say that both Plato and Tocqueville views has impart
been interwoven into today’s modern ideas of change and helps us in
understanding what brings about the sense of order in society.
1.
I
would be looking at how both Tocqueville and Plato came to believe that either
one of their views was valuable in allowing growth and change in society.
2.
Plato’s
view on republic as related to: a).Morality and politics and b)Positions on
Justice
3.
Tocqueville’s view of democracy as related to: a)Equality;
b)Politics, c)Freedom
4.
I
would also be looking at 2 countries which in this case would be the Czech Republic vs. the United States and the effects of the views mentions as far as the
differences and similarities.
·
Plato. “Selected Text” Republic;
Tran A.D. Linsay New York: Distributed by Random house, 1992.
·
Tocqueville. “Democracy in America”
Lindsay Nuttall:
The French Revolution
Upon the Enlightenment and also post American
Revolution, France, encouraged, had a rift appear within itself beginning with
the discrepancy of the monarchy and the aristocracy. The aristocracy was
looking out for itself in the wake of almost bankruptcy due to the aid given in
the American Revolution, and not for the whole of France. Furthermore
the bourgeoisie demanded this kind of allowance and representation, which
caused now a rift between the aristocracy and themselves. They allowed
themselves greater and social mobility and availability by wiping out the
aristocratic holds on society and national life. Many new philosophical
ideologies were the prescription for this Revolution with turned bad. But why did
it turn bad? Why was there such disorganization and loss of path? Why was this
glorious revolution a failure?
- Cobban, Alfred. Aspects of the French
Revolution. New
York, G. Braziller [1968].
- Douthwaite,
Julia .The Making of Revolutionary Paris/Visualizing
the Nation. Johns Hopkins U. Press.
- Schama, Simon. Citizens :.New York:Random House, 1989
When a Democratic government
formed in Egypt, It did not stand any different with the United States. It had its wont constitution, and opposing political
parties.
All though since the beginning, there have
been some significant differences that do have the public all over the world
asking "Is Egypt actually a Democracy?"
With the President being in office since
the beginning of the democratic turn, and with no one running against the
president during every election many people have been wondering what exactly is
going on with their office. Many of the leaders in Egypt's four mainstream
opposition parties and in their 70's and have held their positions for two
decades or even more. The general election in 1995 was a fraud due to its
surprisingly 95 percent vote for the national Democratic Party which has
brought along statements such as "It's not just the government control of
the air waves and its ban on public discourage for political activity.
With fights over
succession having statements made such as "the opposition calls for
Democracy and the need to rotate power but the chiefs only monopolize
power" Only indicates that Egypt's Democratic position is beginning to crumble and of
the political parties have been using their power to their advantage instead of
giving the people their rights.
Costa Rica
is surrounded by unstable Latin American countries and no longer has its own
military force. Costa Rica
has not always been democratic. The election called by President Bernardo Soto
in 1889 was the first shift towards democracy. It was the first election with
participation from citizens however women and blacks were not allowed to vote
at this time. Soto did not win this election because the country chose José
Joaquin Rodriguez but nonetheless the government began to recognize him as the
president chosen by the people. Through
out history and especially in the 1900’s, Costa Rica faced problems such as
malnutrition, unemployment, low pay, and poor working conditions that made a
strain on the country as a whole. Tinoco tried to
rule in a dictator manner however demonstrations diminished his existence as a
leader. Later in 1944, the Social Democratic Party composed of professional
middle class citizens eager for economic diversification and modernization
tried to gain control and rebuild the government. Then later in 1948 Costa
Rica had entered a civil war because there
was conflict on how to run the government and there was an accusation of fraud
during a presidential election.
- CIAO [Columbia International Affairs] : The
Citizen’s Audit on the Quality of Democracy in Costa Rica: Improving Accountability and Civic
Participation in a Mature Democracy by Jorge Vargas Cullel
- Populism and Democracy in Latin America by Dr. Kenneth Roberts
- CQ Researcher: Democracy in Latin America by Kenneth Jost.
Phelps, Christopher: The establishment and evolution of the
British parliamentary system.
The
time frame of discussion is the 1250’s to the present.
Why
was a parliamentary system established?
What
problems plagued the establishment of the parliament?
How
have the powers of state transferred in this system?
How
is the parliament of today different than preceding parliaments?
Reviewing
the pattern of change can any future changes be predicted?
The reason I wish to discuss this topic is to
understand were my family came from and how this system of democracy influenced
American democracy.
·
X
Laura Polcha :The
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Was
the United
States
anti-democratic when President Eisenhower did not send military or financial
aid to the Hungarian people during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956? Did the U.S. give false hope to these unfortunate slaves of
Communism by inspiring them by anti-Communist propaganda to revolt against a
force that the U.S. knew these people could never overcome alone? Or, was President
Eisenhower wise by not aiding the Hungarians thus not starting a nuclear war
between the U.S. and the Soviet Union? Through
my research, I will attempt to answer these and other questions concerning the
Hungarian Revolution.
I
want to find out whether or not the U.S. acted in that country’s best interest when they
seemed to encourage by propaganda the rebels to revolt against the Communists,
yet offered them no military or financial help. By researching this topic, I
hope to better the thought processes of those in power at the time, especially
President Eisenhower and his secretary of state, John Foster Dulles. I will attempt
to contrast their actions to other times in U.S. history that the United States has tried to stop the spread of Communism and/or
promote democracy in various parts of the world. I will also attempt to answer
why they acted as they did in this case.
By my research so far, I
have already found several very promising leads to good, scholarly information
with the help of Barbara Hillson’s informative
lecture. Some databases I have found the most promising have been Proquest and Muse. Through these, I have found the
following articles:
- Rollback, Liberation, Containment, or Inaction?
U.S Policy and Eastern
Europe in the
1950’s by Laszlo Borhi
- Journal of Cold War Studies 1.3 (1999) 67-110
- The Suez Crisis and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 by Gustav Kecskes
- East European Quarterly XXXV, No. 1 March 2001
Rachelle Price: Hungary’s Struggle for Democracy
I have chosen the country of Hungary for my research topic. What interests me the most is the history of
this country and its struggle to develop a true democratic government. There are many questions I would like to
focus on, but the main one is this: What are the factors that have led Hungary to finally establish a sound democracy after so many
years of Communist rule? In the process
of my research, I will answer many other important questions that are key to determining how Hungary has developed a firm democracy.
Starting
with the first monarchy, that of Stephen I in 1001, I will briefly illustrate
how the country of Hungary came to be under Communist
rule. Once under Communist rule, Hungary underwent many challenges,
economic hardships, and other such misfortunes.
This is where much of my focus will be on, because this is what sets the
stage for Hungary’s transformation into
democracy. After over ten years of rule
by the Soviet
Union,
Hungary takes a stand after being
manipulated by the Communist party and withdraws from the Warsaw Pact. While this results in attacks from the Soviet Union, it brings Hungary closer in the steps to
democracy. I will then explore how the
country comes to more of a political liberalization and more trade with the
West in the 1980s after the Roundtable talks of 1989. This research will have led up to my point,
how Hungary has achieved
democracy. After many years of hardship,
the Hungarian people are able to eliminate the rule of the Soviet Union and develop a democracy
that was ultimately ahead of its time among the other former Soviet blocs.
Ashley Purcell: Is there
ever going to be the possibility of the Cuban people experiencing a democracy?
- Would the transition to a democracy be hard on
the Cuban economy?
- Could the possible transition ultimately cause
the government to revert back to communism?
- Will anyone (country, individual person) be able
to transition Cuban while Castro is still in office?
- Why did the Cuban Revolution in the 1950’s fail
to instill the democracy it wanted?
- Why didn’t the action of the US in the early 1960’s make an effect on Fidel
Castro?
This
research paper will answer all the questions that have been mentioned in the
above list. Including many more
encounters with Cuba and the US including events such as the Bay of Pig and the Cuban missile crisis. It will start with when Castro came into
power until the present day.
·
MSN
Encarta
·
USAID
website
Erica Radcliffe
China's current state and the likelihood
of it becoming a democratic society in the future. This would probably involve some discussion of
its gradual move toward capitalism and the effect that this shift would have on
its progression toward a democratic state.
Marie-Therese Rancourt: Failure of Democracy in Palestine
Palestine has had a stormy
history. Since the early twentith century, Palestinian national movements have been
working for the establishment of their independent state. From Syria’s attempt to integrate Palestine, through the Sykes-Picot
agreement that put Palestine under British Mandate, to
the establishment of Israel in 1948 1), Palestinian
national movements emerged from an undemocratic Arab society. These national movements strived to develop
their society toward democracy despite difficult conditions, such as wartime,
occupation, broken peace agreement, guerilla war and desperate socio-economic
conditions. However, the Palestinian
leadership did not help them. In fact,
the formation of Palestine National Authority (PNA), in 1993, unavoidably
influenced by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) “created an
authoritarian regime” 2)
which hindered the young, incomplete and fragile democracy that
the socio-political movements were struggling to develop. On the assumption, that democracy is based on
fundamental principles, such as basic liberties, positive socio-economic
development, election, separation of powers, to name only few, some questions
are surfacing.
How did Palestine become a place engulfed in
such a disheartening situation today?
What are the factors that contributed to the failure of democracy in Palestine? Did the PNA cheat the social Palestinian
movement? Did Arafat put the PNA and the
Palestinian population in an impossible political situation? Did the opposition groups grow to be extremist because of a corrupted PNA and an intransigent Israel? Did these extremist groups, in giving social
services to the Palestinians who were such in need of, turn out to be more
influent among the people than the Palestinian Authority? Is there a link between absence of basic
liberties, socio-economic development and the development of terrorist groups,
which are, in this part of the world, Islamists?
·
Banks, R. (2002). Witness in the Territories: Eight
writers went in search of the daily particulars, not litanies of broken
agreements, The Nation, v274 i16 p25. Retrieved February 12, 2004, from Expanded Academic ASAP database (A84849743).
- Dyer, O. (2003). Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territ[i]ories has damaged health, charity report says. British
Medical Journal, v327 i7427 p1303. Retrieved February 12,
2004, from Expanded
Academic ASAP (A111614780).
- Enderlin, C. (2003). Shattered dream: the
failure of the peace process in the Middle East. New York: Other Press.
- Ferriman, A. (2002). Palestinian territories face huge
burden of disability. British Medical Journal, v324
i7333 p320. Retrieved February 12,
2004, from Expanded
Academic ASAP (A83476583).
- Grant A.K. & Tessler
M.A. (2002). Palestinian attitudes toward democracy and its compatibility
with Islam: evidence from public opinion research in the West Bank and Gaza. Arab Studies Quarterly, v24 i4
p1. (A101531216).
- Hoiris, O., & Yurukel, M.
(1997). Contrasts and Solutions in the Middle East. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press.
- and 2) Ghanem, A. (2001). The
Palestinian regime: a “partial democracy”. Sussex Academic Press: Portland. Pp. 6 & 151`
Samia Ravat: Zimbabwean
Democracy: What Went Wrong?
Gaining independence in 1980 was
a year of hope and celebration for Zimbabwe. After a tough
period of U.N. sanctions and guerrilla warfare, the country proceeded towards
what they thought of as a truly democratic future. Sadly, the Zimbabwean government and economy
has spiraled down to a very tragic state, as a result of years of a corrupt and
dishonest leader and his party.
Robert Mugabe
has been the country’s sole ruler since its first free election in 1979. In 2002 he was elected for another six-year
term as President, but has worsened his country’s situation even further by
attempting to change ownership of the land from white Zimbabweans to black
Zimbabweans.
Currently, Mugabe’s
corrupt administration has caused sanctions from around the world, and
badly-needed funding from the IMF has also been postponed and/or
cancelled. The people there are starving
due to inflation and lack of supplies, and many are leaving the country.
In my term paper, I hope to
discuss how Zimbabwe has gotten into its present-day situation, and why it
is not democratic like the main political party ZANU-PF insists that it
is. I would like to learn about the
government and how it affects the people, as I will be there this summer and
can see first-hand how it is run. I will
also profile Mugabe and his “leadership” of the
country, and what needs to be done not only for the sanctions to be lifted, but
also to allow Zimbabweans a chance to truly experience a just and democratic
government.
- Sklar, Richard L.
“African Politics and Problems in Development”. Boulder: L. Rienner,
1991.
- Schwartz,
Richard. “Zimbabwe in the International Arena”. London: I. B. Taurus, 2001.
- Meredith,
Martin. “Our Votes, Our Guns:
Robert Mugabe and the Tragedy of Zimbabwe”. New York: Public
Affairs, 2002.
Chavon Rogers: ??
What
is the history of Venezuela’s politics? Going from dictatorship, to democracy,
what truly benefited Venezuela? How could a country be known from the 1960’s to
1970’s, as a stable democracy, go to being so unstable? What are some of lessons from Venezuela‘s
transition into democracy, that can be prevented in the future, by other
nations? Why have many who have studied Venezuela, question if it was “truly democratic?”
At
first I wasn’t really sure what nation I wanted to research about, and then I
just thought of Venezuela. I started to
do a little research on it, and I like the information that I found, and
decided to stick with. I find Venezuela’s history interesting, and would like to know more
about it.
- Dominguez, Jorge, Michael Shifter, eds. Construction
Democratic Government in Latin America. John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, 2003.
- Dominguez, Jorge, Abraham Lowenthal,
eds. Construction
Democratic Government in Latin America and the Caribbean in the 1990’s. John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, 1996.
- Crisp, Brain. “Democratizing the Democracy?
Crisis and Reform in Venezuela”. Journal of Interamerican
Studies and World Affairs. Vol. 40, No.2 Pg. 27-61.
Michelle Salopek:
Canada’s Democratic Development in 1830
During the 1830s, Canada developed democratically.
It was then that a powerful parliamentary campaign, solidly anchored in
grassroots local politics, first succeeded in placing the project of popular
government at the center of public debate. This paper concentrates on the role
of local community life, problems of exclusion on race, class and gender lines,
and issues related to the scope of democratic governance. During the period of the 1830’s, democracy
politics affected Canada in two main regions, in
national forum and the local public forum.
Many times in the history of countries, local and national politics come
together, but during this period the different levels of politics combined to
produce a push for democracy in Canada.
On the national level, “there was more discussion of
proposals to rescind voting rights from sectors of the population than to
extend them to the disenfranchised. But could voters exercise their choice free
from the influence of the government and its creatures? And could the assembly
deliberate and pass laws without fear of interference?,”
(Historical Roots). On the local level,
there was an absence of a developed public sphere that was associated with the
urban bourgeoisie. Early Canadian
culture depended on rural and plebeian elements, rather than the middle
class. The Catholic religion and
self-assertive people helped to create a democratic class of people. The link between different forums could be
obvious with elections, or not obvious for example nationalism. Many reformers during this period wondered who
would rule.
By
researching the development and reform of democracy in Canada in 1830’s, one can see the
combined push for democracy on the levels of local and national.
- Areas for information are “Historical roots of
Canadian democracy” found on Proquest and
Expanded Academic ASAP. In
addition, there are other articles in Expanded Academic.
Rubina Satar: Is Haiti is a
democracy
I
wish to address whether or not Haiti is a
democracy, this is my overall
question. The sub-questions that I will
use to answer the overall question is does it have
* Political Institution- if so does it have any
strengths or independence from the executive branch.
* Political Parties- is the formation of these parties
allowed
* Rule of Law- is it carried out
* Equality- What rights and freedom do the people have
* Inclusion- are the people
allowed to participate in the government by voting freely and fair.
The
outline of my paper will be
* Background information starting with its colonial
rule (introduction)
* The Rise of Duvalier
and his collapse (in which the sub-questions will be address)
* The Rise of Aristide ( in
which the sub-questions will be address)
*Current affairs going on in Haiti (conclusion)
- Conaway, Janelle. Support
for Haiti. Americas. Washington . Nov/Dec
2002. Volume 54, Issue 2; page 38
- Fatton, Robert Haiti’s Predatory Republic: The Unending
Transition to Democracy.
- Johnson, Stephen. Haiti:
Democracy or Dictatorship. The World and I. Feb 2003. Volume 18, issue 2; page 38
Miriam
Sharifi: ??Afganistan
On November 13,
2001, International Coalition
forces led by the United States of America along with forces of the Northern Alliance (Afghan groups opposing the Taliban) succeeded in
liberating the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul,
from the evil forces of the Taliban militia. Just less than one month later, Afghanistan’s main radical groups gathered to convene the “Bonn
Agreement” under the supervision of the United Nations. Accordingly, an interim
administration was established, led by Mr. Hamid Karzai for a
time period of six months. As
part of the accord, the interim government was mandated to convene the
traditional “Loya Jirga
Grand Assembly” composed of Afghanistan’s
many ethnic, religious, and radical segments of society in order to elect Afghanistan’s
president for the next two years. Perhaps these series of events signifies Afghanistan’s
first democratic experience in forty years.
I
have chosen Afghanistan and its experience with democracy as my topic of
choice because I am quite aware of Afghanistan’s political history. It is astonishing to witness one
of the world’s most war torn nations make its first
steps towards democracy after nearly two decades of conflict and chaos.
- *Books specifically dealing with Afghanistan’s political history
- *The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Database
- *Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) Database
- *Lexis-Nexis Academic Database
- *Articles in the New York Times
Nadia Siddiqui:
Islamic Democracy and the Reality of Saudi Arabia
The paper I wish to research will be compromised of
two major fields. The first of the two major fields is an overview of Islamic
Law, Sha'riah. How Democratic is Sha'riah?
Sha'riah not solely a set of government rules and
regulations, but instead a guidance of how one, should live their life. Sha'riah is based off of two sources: the Qu'ran, or the Holy Book of the Muslim Faith, and the Sunnah, or teachings of the Prophet Mohammad. With this
being said, it would be hard to limit my paper to just laws that Sha'riah mandates, thus it will also include theoretical
reasoning's behind the laws as well. I will also study how democratic Sha'riah law truly is and how much of it can be related to
what Western Democracies practice in present day.
Secondly, I will begin to study the constitution of
an Islamic State and determine how they have adapted Sha'riah.
This will be done by closely looking into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and determining whether or not they are essentially Sha'riah compliant.
- Islamic Constitutionalism and the Concept of
Democracy by Azizah
al-Hibri
- History of Islamic Political Thought by Antony Black
- Taliban
by Ahmed Rashid
Steven Smith: ??
For the past fifty years, the nation of South Africa has been a place where white supremacy, authoritarian
labor controls, and very severe security laws blocked normal patterns of
gradual integration and modernization.
Even before the 1948 election, when the Nationalist Party emerged
victorious and took power, the British colonial government played a major role
in establishing white supremacy. In
spite of South
Africa’s
ability to grow into a nation of industrialization, South Africa has not had the ability to develop into a nation
where racial equality is present. In
this research paper I plan to show why the emergent of apartheid after the
start of decolonization lead to a change in equality between its citizens. I will show how the nation’s recognition of
human equality led to a liberal form of democracy in South Africa’s government in the late 90’s. I am interested in this topic for several
reasons. I will discuss the timeline of
events from the 1940’s to the 1990’s and how all of these events were simply
stepping stones towards democracy in South Africa.
- Gay Seidman “Is South Africa Different?
Sociological Comparisons and Theoretical Contributions from the Land of Apartheid.”
Erin Stokes:
??
After
World War I, both the economy and morale of the people of Europe was devastated. The economies could not support the influx of
soldiers back into the workforce and were at a loss on how to provide jobs for
men returning and how to support the families of men who weren’t
returning. Important questions about the
roles of government were raised. Is the
government responsible for supporting those people directly affected by a war
started by the government? What is the
role of the government in people’s life and is it ever changing? Are these the reasons that people began to
turn to persuasive speakers who promised to help them by taking a more active
role in their lives. How could normal
people vote in someone like Hitler, who made his view
open to everyone about the Jews? Were
people in Italy and Germany so desperate for someone to
help them that the would turn to the first promise
given to them? How close were Britain and France to turning away from
democracy to another form of government that they felt could provide better
support for the people?
These are the questions I
want to answer in my paper with the ultimate question being why did people want
to give away their freedom to people who would restrict their personal
freedoms?
- Fascist Ideology: territory and expansion in Italy and Germany 1922-45,
Aristotle A. Kallis E-reserve
- Believe, Obey, Fight: Political Socialization of
the Youth in Fascist Italy 1922-43, Tracy
H. Koon
- Authoritarian and Democracy in Europe 1919-1939 Comparative Analyses
Christina Strahan:
What was the major role Mussolini played in bringing about Fascism in Italy in the 1930’s?
Was
this one man truly able to lead this movement throughout a whole country on his
own, or were there other influences that helped this movement/process
along? Why did Mussolini want there to
be a Fascist movement in Italy at this time? What was the
importance/significance of it? What were Mussolini’s motivations for obtaining
so much power?
In this paper, I would like to study about Mussolini
and how he was able to obtain his power.
I would also like to understand the other influences that led Italy into this Fascist movement- why at this point in
history did Fascism become popular in Italy?
I’m interested in studying this topic because it has
been briefly mentioned in previous history classes I have taken, but not
elaborated on. It seems like an
interesting subject/movement to study, and also, I enjoy studying European
history.
- Italy under Mussolini, by William Bolitho
- The life and work of Benito Mussolini, by Alan Axelrod
- Mussolini and fascism, by Marco Palla
- Electronic resource – Fascist spectacle the
aesthetics of power in Mussolini’s Italy, Simonetta Falasca-Zamponi
Lindsay Straley:
What role has the conflict with Chechnya and Chechnya’s subsequent secession played in causing the Russian Federation’s “uneven transition to democracy” (Fawn 3).
This
question will be the focus of my research paper and is derived from an article
in the source, Russia After Communism, written
by editor Rick Fawn.
Branching
off from this particular question, I have several other thoughts on how I would
like to focus my paper. I plan to make the affect of Chechen political and
cultural differences with Russia the main focal point of the paper. I have concluded
that to do so I will need to address several more direct questions in order to
complete answer the main question. Upon stating my question and giving an
overview of the arrangement of my paper, I intend to move into these
sub-questions: has the history between Chechnya and Russia affected the
interaction of the two nations since the end of communist rule; how has
religious differences influenced Chechnya’s actions towards Russia; have the
human rights violations and terrorism between Chechnya and Russia affected
foreign nation’s views of Russia; and how has the war with Chechnya impacted
Russian democracy?
I chose to focus my paper on this subject
because I felt that much of the Russo-Chechen conflict is unknown even though Chechnya has played a major role in the formation of democracy
in Russia.
- I have located and/or checked out the following sources from
Fenwick Library and Jstor Database: Russia
After Communism; Russia’s Chechen Wars 1994-2000; Russian
National Interests and the Current Crisis in Russia; Russo-Chechen
Conflict, 1800-2000: A Deadly Embrace; Chechnya: Tombstone of
Russian Power; Contrasts and Solutions in the Caucasus; and Russia
Confronts Chechnya; “Contested Sovereignty: A Tragedy in Chechnya”;
“Democratization and Russian Foreign Policy”; and “The Politics of
Intergovernmental Transfers in Post-Soviet Russia”.
Gene
Sveum: Causes
of the downfall of communism in Russia in 1991 that led to the transition to a democratic
government?
Did the emergence of the U.S. as the world’s only superpower
have an impact on the decision to change to a democratic form of
government? The Cold War was basically a
feud between the capitalists of the west and the communists of the east. However, out of the Cold War the U.S. emerged as a more
prosperous and militarily capable nation than Russia. The American people were happy with their
form of government and felt a broader sense of security than they ever had
before. This was the exact opposite of
what the Russians felt. The country was
poor with a crippled economy and an under-funded military incapable of
protecting the union of Soviet states.
What were the factors that were present that allowed the collapse of
such a powerful nation? Did the country
collapse from within, or was it due to pressure from the west? The Russians obviously turned to the west in
hopes of creating a new form of government that would benefit its people and
return Russia to the power that it had
been in the past.
After World War II communism offered hope and
prosperity to its people. It became
industrialized and there was a sense of order.
However, communism led to corruption and tyrants who would do anything
to stay in power, even murder their own people.
The rulers of Russia began to care less and less about the fate and well
being of their own people and became preoccupied with the Cold War. As a result, the people became restless and
order was no longer present. The Russian
economy was in shambles, and since the government had no money, it could not be
fixed. The government controlled
businesses, and since the government had no money, business could not
flourish. As a result there was
unemployment, starvation, military weakness, and hoplessness
present amongst the Russian people. At
the same time America was prospering under a democratic government. The country saw no bounds to its gains. This inspired the desire for change in Russia, and led to the ultimate downfall of communism there.
The reason I am interested in this topic is I hope to
one day work for the CIA and I want my expertise to be Russia and its surrounding areas. I am also extremely opposed to communism or
anything that resembles it. Democracy
and capitalism promote freedom and prosperity for its people. No communist nation has ever been able to do
this. From this I hope to gain better
insight into why communism does not work.
- Alexander, Andrew. 2002. “The Soviet Threat Was
Bogus.” The Spectator (April):
14- 15
- Gibson, James L. 1997. “Mass Opposition to the
Soviet Putsch of August 1991: Collective Action, Rational Choice, and
Democratic Values in the Former Soviet Union.” The American Political Science Review (Sept):
671-684.
- Duch, Raymond M. 1993. “Tolerating
Economic Reform: Popular Support for Transition to a Free Market in the
Former Soviet Union.” The American Political Science Review (Sept): 590-608.
Jonathan Tyldsley:
England’s transformation from a Monarchy to a Democracy.
The
main question I will try to answer is why it converted to democracy. I will
also cover the question of why it took so long to finish the movement. Another
question I will try to answer is why England turned to fascism under the rule of Cromwell, and how
that both aided and hindered the transformation to a democracy. I will also
explain several reasons that England was reluctant to change from a Monarchy.
The reason I have chosen this topic is that British
history has always interested me, and I plan to move there sometime after I
graduate school.
- Ralph V Turner, September 2003 issue of History
Today about how the Magna Carta was a symbol
for liberty in England, as well as in America.
- Tristram Hunt in the “New Statesmen” published in 2001,
and compares the religious fundamentalists under Oliver Cromwell with the
Taliban, describing how they oppressed the English people.
Radosveta Valkova: Democratization in South Africa after apartheid
To understand South Africa today we need to be able to look into its historical
legacy. The years of apartheid left the country divided socially and racially,
and economically struggling to “catch up” with the rest of the world. If South Africa in the 1990s demonstrates what happened to communism
in 1980s (Hauss, p. 459) has it reached the level of
democratization of the post-communist countries? Is South Africa’s democracy going into the same direction as the rest
of the world and if so which example does it use?
Supporters for apartheid in South Africa claimed that it was a democratic regime and everyone
benefited. For the few whites that controlled the whole country this could have
been the case. However, for the black majority of the population it was nothing
else but a racial discrimination, repression and one of the worst human rights
violations of the 20th century. So the violent years between
Mandela’s release from prison and his inauguration as a president shouldn’t be
a surprise but the direction of reconciliation that the country took after that
was unusual. South
Africa
has gone a long way since it said goodbye to apartheid and the peaceful
transition to majority rule and the successes of the country serve as models to
others. Still many problems lie ahead of South Africa and its historic legacy has left a permanent mark on
its political and social life.
- Hauss, Charles. Comparative Politics – Domestic
Responses to Global Challenges. Thompson Wadsworth Belmont, CA 2003
- Horowitz, Donald L. A Democratic South Africa? : Constitutional
Engineering in a Divided Society. Berkeley, Calif. University of California Press, 1992.
- Greenstein, Ran. Comparative
Perspectives on South Africa. New York Palgrave Macmillan,
1998.
- Salazar, Philipe.
An African Athens : rhetoric and the shaping of democracy in South Africa. Mahwah, N.J.: L. Erlbaum, 2002.
- Graybill, Lyn and Thompson, Kenneth.
Africa's second wave of freedom : development, democracy, and rights. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1998.
- Butler, Anthony. Democracy and apartheid :
political theory, comparative politics and the modern South African
state. New
York: St. Martin's Press, 1998.
- Diamond, Larry and Plattner,
Marc. Democratization in Africa. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.
Lauren Vessey:
Germany: Seduced by Fascism
Doomed from its creation shortly after the First
World War, copious factors let to the eventual downfall of democracy during the
Weimer Republic of the interwar years. One factor can be found through the
examination of the historical background of Germany after the war, with the main focus on domestic issues
affected by the Treaty of Versailles, its resulting economic quandaries and a
weak constitution. Additionally, the
construction of the Nazi ideology and its promotion advances the republic
closer to its ruin. The final aspect of
German’s clinched providence is revealed through its relations with the other
European countries during the interwar years.
·
Henry Ashby Turner, Jr., “Fascism
and Modernization, ”(in Research Notes) World Politics, Vol. 24,
No. 4. (Jul., 1972), pp. 547-564.
Michael
Wales: Democratic Poland
For
Americans today Poland is a nation off the political scope.
It is never mentioned in International news, and very few people know
anything about it. This not so small
country exists between Germany and Russia. Before WWI, Poland was divided into three territories controlled by
three separate powers; Germany to the West, Austria to the South, and Russia to the East.
At the end of WWI Germany and Austria had been crushed, and Russia was in a civil war.
This allowed a new, Polish, government to take control. A new constitution was written for the new
nation, and democratic republic was put in place.
The
New Polish government, being a spontaneous creation, was met with difficulties
unforeseen by its designers. The
government only lasted close to twenty years when it fell to Germany during World War II.
Could the form of democracy that was put in place be the reason the
nation turned out to be so weak? In Politics of Independent Poland Antony Polonsky gives reference,
on several occasions, to the use of the Third Republic of France as a model for
Poland’s constitution.
Could this have also been a contributing factor to the weakness of the
state, considering that the Third French Republic ultimately failed?
Over
roughly 130 years of subjugation to three separate powers, Poland was a jumble of not just Poles but other ethnicities
as well. Democracy is strongly affected
by the people. If there were any
internal ethnic conflicts, would they have translated into the internal workings
of the government? And if so, how far back do these problems go and how did
they specifically affect the new government?
The difficulty in discovering
the reasons for a constitutional failure is that, so many different factors
must be accounted for before a clear conclusion can be found. The people, the history, international influences,
and economics are the basic recognizable factors. Because these are the aspects of politics
that people recognize, these are the subjects that will be analyzed within this
research paper. The Democratic failure
in Poland between World War I and World War II is not a unique
incident. However it may give insight
into what makes democracy work as well as the many pitfalls that must be
avoided when in use.
Cora Widmayer:
Why did the United States’ and Chile want to remove a democratically elected president
from power?
My research paper will focus on Salvador Allende’s removal from power in Chile in the 1970’s and the United States’ influence.
The paper will show the work that the U.S. did to promote the removal of
Allende from power, and it will also show what
happened before, during, and after the coup and how the coup affected Chile’s
government.
- Marc Cooper, “Remembering Allende:
his dual commitment to socialism and democracy ought to be a model today.”
- Mary Anastasia O’Grady, “Setting the record
Straight On Allende, Once More”
- Paul Sigmund, The
Overthrow of Allende and the Politics of Chile, 1964-76.
Nadia William; How has Hong Kong’s transition from being
colonized by the west reflected in its shift towards democratization, along
with China’s cooperation through the reunification process.
- These sub-questions will help me answer my
research question:
- Why was Hong Kong
colonized?
- Will democracy prevail in Hong Kong when China is a Communist country?
- Will being familiar with Eastern and Western
forms of governments benefit Hong Kong?
- Is Hong
Kong prepared for its
new political role?
- How much economic interest does China vest in Hong Kong?
- Finally, Will the British get criticism for their
influence on Hong Kong or will they be praised, like in Singapore.
I have looked into
several refereed sources found in databases such as JSTOR, Expanded Academic,
and book reviews. These are some of the sources I am currently using to get a
better understanding of Hong Kong’s reunification of July 1, 1997:
- Pepper, Suzanne. "Hong Kong, 1997: East vs. West and the struggle for
democratic reform with the Chinese state." Asian Survey 37
(1997): 683-704.
- Overhalt, William. "Hong Kong: the perils of semidemocracy."
Journal of Democracy 12.4 (2001): 5-17
- Lee, Martin C.M. "The Hong Kong Example." Journal of Democracy 9.4
(1998): 4-7.
Louise Woolridge:
Hope for Democracy in Italy
I am from an Italian heritage and have always been
interested in where my great grandparents are from; therefore, I will be
exploring Italy and its governmental history. Prior to WWII (1920) it
was a fascist country with Mussolini as its trusted leader.
After Italy was invaded and Mussolini was taken
down, Italy transformed into a republic. Italy as a democratic state did well until about 1994 when
corruption with in the system took place. For the past decade, Italy has attempted to cleanse its system of corruption and
deal with the problems the older political parties are facing. Currently, the
president of Italy is Carlo Ciampi and the
Prime Minister is Silvio Berlusconi. The legislature
consists of a bicameral parliament. The Senate, the upper house, is chosen by
popular vote and appointment by the president, while the Chamber of Deputies is
made up of regionally proportional representation.
ARGUMENT:
There
is hope for Italy’s democracy.
IDEAS:
Why
it transformed to a democracy.
How
and why did the corruption start in 1994?
What
problems are the older political parties having?
How,
for the past decade, have some of these problems been resolved?
- For my sources I plan to utilize the knowledge of
my cousin Dr. Frederick H. Dotolo III Ph.D., who
has his doctorate in modern European history and who also studies in Italy. In addition to scholarly journals, I plan to
explore a website given to me by Dr. Dotolo (www.cia.gov\cia\\publications\factbook\geos\it.html),
which he uses for some of his own research.
Nicholas Zinzer: Democracy in Saudi
Arabia
I will examine
the history and probable future of the national government in Saudi
Arabia. By focusing historically on the
modern state, from the 18th century to the present day, I will able to explain
the state or push for democracy in the Arab state. The paper will start by
exploring the relationship between the Saud family in
the 1700s and the Wahhabi sect of Islam. Progressing
through the 18th and 20th centuries, the paper will examine why the House of Saud rose to power and the reasons statue is determined by
Islamic jurists and leading religious conservatives. Further, I will attempt to
explain reasons behind Saudi foreign policy up to the current day. The point of
the research will be to explain the current domestic and international policies
of Saudi Arabia
based on family history and the rise of Islam.
·
Federal Research Division, Library
of Congress. Saudi Arabia: a country study, 5th edition. Washington
D.C., 1993
·
Schwartz, Stephen. The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud From Tradition to Terror. New
York: Doubleday, 2002.
·
Wagner, Heather Lehr. Creation of the Modern Middle East: Saudi Arabia. Philadelphia:
Chelsea House Publishers, 2003