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Title: Inside the United Nations: The American struggle against human rights..
Creator: Monthly review (New York, N.Y. : 1949)
Date Issued: 1951
Identifier: 2683250, CFDT2683250, ucf:5056
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FCLA/DT/2683250

Title: EXAMINING THE LEGALITY OF THE GUANT�NAMO BAY DETENTION CENTER ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW.
Creator: Winchester, Sydney T, Bledsoe, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this research paper is to examine how international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) are applied to the Guanta?namo Bay detention center. This paper was completed through the research of international treaties, court cases, and secondary sources that thoroughly discussed issues pertaining to Guanta?namo and international law. This paper first examines the differences between the two laws by looking at the particular roles each is meant to play in...
Show moreThe purpose of this research paper is to examine how international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) are applied to the Guanta?namo Bay detention center. This paper was completed through the research of international treaties, court cases, and secondary sources that thoroughly discussed issues pertaining to Guanta?namo and international law. This paper first examines the differences between the two laws by looking at the particular roles each is meant to play in the subject of international law, as well as how the two have been applied thus far to the situation at Guanta?namo. Second, the paper discusses the topic of whether or not IHL and IHRL should be mutually exclusive, or can be interpreted alongside each other. In addition, a discussion of the opposing viewpoints on this topic will be presented including the United States argument of lex specialis, and the opposing arguments of the international community. Chapter three will cover the topic of extraterritorial application and how it affects the international treaties and court cases that deal with issues pertinent to Guanta?namo. The fourth chapter discusses the effects that Guanta?namo has on the reputation of the United States internationally, and how it affects human rights around the world. Chapter five discusses possible recommendations in order to achieve the long-term goal of ending the Guantanamo Bay controversy, and protecting and promoting human rights everywhere.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH2000134, ucf:45952
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000134

Title: The Rwandan Genocide and Western Media: French, British, and American Press Coverage of the Genocide between April and July of 1994.
Creator: Tyrrell, Candice, Walker, Ezekiel, Lyons, Amelia, Crepeau, Richard, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Rwandan Genocide occurred between April and July of 1994. Within those four months, approximately a million Tutsi were brutally murdered by the Hutu in an effort to cleanse the country of a Tutsi presence. The genocide was the culmination of decades of unrest between the two groups created from Western influence under colonialism and post-colonial relationships. The international response to the genocide was scarce. While international intervention waned, the international media kept the...
Show moreThe Rwandan Genocide occurred between April and July of 1994. Within those four months, approximately a million Tutsi were brutally murdered by the Hutu in an effort to cleanse the country of a Tutsi presence. The genocide was the culmination of decades of unrest between the two groups created from Western influence under colonialism and post-colonial relationships. The international response to the genocide was scarce. While international intervention waned, the international media kept the genocide relevant in its publications. This thesis examines print media sources from the United States, Britain, and France. This thesis argues that the reporting of the genocide exacerbated larger issues concerning the relationship between the West and Africa. The journalists perpetuated Western superiority over Africa by utilizing racism to preserve colonial ideologies and stereotypes of Africans. In turn, this inherent Western racism complicated the implementation of human rights legislation that would have helped save Tutsi lives. This thesis places the Rwandan genocide, through the reports of Western media, into the larger historiographic context of the Western African dichotomy.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005730, ucf:50080
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005730

Title: ALIEN TORT STATUTE: A DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF THE HISTORY, EVOLUTION, AND FUTURE.
Creator: Yodlowski, Shane, Naccarato-Fromang, Gina, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The Alien Tort Statute is a short, thirty-two word section of the United States Code enacted in 1789 as part of the Judiciary Act. The Alien Tort Statute, or ATS, has an uncertain and controversial beginning and remains controversial in current jurisprudence. The ATS reads as follows: "The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States." It is my intent for this...
Show moreThe Alien Tort Statute is a short, thirty-two word section of the United States Code enacted in 1789 as part of the Judiciary Act. The Alien Tort Statute, or ATS, has an uncertain and controversial beginning and remains controversial in current jurisprudence. The ATS reads as follows: "The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States." It is my intent for this thesis to be an academic discussion of the mysterious history, intent, and court cases that have evolved the ATS; and the way in which the evolution took place. Having lain dormant for almost two decades, it is important to understand how the ATS was finally utilized and how this affected the statutes' ability to become a tool for human rights persecution abroad; until the decision in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum. Examining the language of two opinions by the District Court of the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court in Kiobel we will be able to understand, but reject, the arguments of both these courts.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFH0004615, ucf:45293
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004615

Title: THE GREAT DIVIDE: CITIZENSHIP AND STATELESSNESS.
Creator: Belton, Kristy, Jungblut, Bernadette, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis investigates the implications of State control of citizenship upon the individual's ability to choose membership in a given State polity. It briefly examines how States gained absolute control over the granting, denying and revoking of citizenship and demonstrates how the acquisition of citizenship and statelessness are both State-determined statuses. The repercussions of statelessness at the individual, regional and global levels are presented to demonstrate the severity of being...
Show moreThis thesis investigates the implications of State control of citizenship upon the individual's ability to choose membership in a given State polity. It briefly examines how States gained absolute control over the granting, denying and revoking of citizenship and demonstrates how the acquisition of citizenship and statelessness are both State-determined statuses. The repercussions of statelessness at the individual, regional and global levels are presented to demonstrate the severity of being unable to choose a citizenship. Efforts made by States and the international community to prevent and reduce statelessness are examined in order to illustrate the lack of prioritization given to the subject of statelessness, and possible courses of action for States and the United Nations to undertake in order to better address this topic are introduced. The thesis concludes that citizenship is a human right and that States need to consider individual choice concerning citizenship matters. If such choice is not taken into account with regard to State membership, States will be performing a disservice to citizens, the stateless, and the system of States.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000851, ucf:46671
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000851

Title: WHEN THE CLOCKS STRIKE THIRTEEN: POLITICAL REPRESSION IN MODERN AMERICA (1990-2015).
Creator: Begani, Faiza, Knuckey, Jonathan, Sadri, Houman A., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Abounding acts of repression committed in democracies have continued to be overlooked and under-analyzed by many researchers and scholars due to "democratic exceptionalism". As the United States enters yet another consecutive year of declining political satisfaction and freedom. It has become pertinent that as conflict study researchers, scholars, and readers alike that there is a basic understanding of coercion including acts that have been committed within our own countries. Countless...
Show moreAbounding acts of repression committed in democracies have continued to be overlooked and under-analyzed by many researchers and scholars due to "democratic exceptionalism". As the United States enters yet another consecutive year of declining political satisfaction and freedom. It has become pertinent that as conflict study researchers, scholars, and readers alike that there is a basic understanding of coercion including acts that have been committed within our own countries. Countless scholars have focused conflict study research on underdeveloped or emerging democracies, yet many have overlooked the seamy side of developed ones. This article aims to explain the relationship between the United States and state-sponsored repression from the 1990s to 2015. In hopes to better understand how variables like economic, social, and political vulnerabilities as well as race and sex influence repressive trends in the United States. In addition, this article hopes to extend the scope of conflict study research by including mass incarceration as a form of repression that has been used to control not only dissent but also satisfy the needs of elites to maintain a present state of affairs. This article tests various hypothesis to understand how repression continues to function in modern American society.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000410, ucf:45899
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000410

Title: THE IMPLICATIONS OF DOMESTIC PARTY IDEOLOGIES ON REFUGEE POLICY: A CASE STUDY OF BANGLADESH AND THE ROHINGYA.
Creator: Schiffer, Samuel S, Mirilovic, Nikola, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Why do some political parties in Bangladesh discriminate against the Rohingya, while some do not? Much has been written about the conflict in Myanmar, but the plight of Rohingya in Bangladesh remains understudied. This lack of understanding is underscored by the five million Syrian refugees fleeing their own civil war that dominates the news and the attention of scholars. The Rohingya, however, are stateless: they are denied citizenship in their native Myanmar and are forced to find refuge in...
Show moreWhy do some political parties in Bangladesh discriminate against the Rohingya, while some do not? Much has been written about the conflict in Myanmar, but the plight of Rohingya in Bangladesh remains understudied. This lack of understanding is underscored by the five million Syrian refugees fleeing their own civil war that dominates the news and the attention of scholars. The Rohingya, however, are stateless: they are denied citizenship in their native Myanmar and are forced to find refuge in whichever country will take them. Much has been published that links immigration policy to security considerations and the national identity and ethnic homogeneity of the host country. I argue that it is the domestic politics of Bangladesh that directly influences the policies concerning, and subsequent treatment of, the Rohingya migrants. This leads back to the question I pose: why is it that some political parties in Bangladesh actively support the ethnic group while others actively discriminate against the Rohingya? I argue that it is the individual ideologies of that party that can be directly attributed to their stance on Rohingya. Using qualitative analysis, I measure how a party's foreign policy, social policy, and political ideology affects that organization's attitude toward Rohingya refugees. Understanding the largely political nature of refugee policy will allow policy-makers, intergovernmental organizations, and human rights groups to be better equipped to improve the conditions of, not only the Rohingya population, but other vulnerable refugee groups that seek safety in foreign states.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFH2000307, ucf:45789
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000307

Title: Asylum in Crisis: Structural Violence and Refugees in Siracusa, Italy.
Creator: Kersch, Adam, Mishtal, Joanna, Matejowsky, Ty, Toyne, J. Marla, Geiger, Vance, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In recent years, unprecedented numbers of migrants have arrived in Italy due to political, religious, ethnic and economic instabilities in West and North Africa and the Middle East. Simultaneously, the Eurozone Crisis and neoliberal austerity measures left the Italian government struggling to administer healthcare and legal services to all migrants. This study investigates the provision of essential services by the Italian state and two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Emergency and...
Show moreIn recent years, unprecedented numbers of migrants have arrived in Italy due to political, religious, ethnic and economic instabilities in West and North Africa and the Middle East. Simultaneously, the Eurozone Crisis and neoliberal austerity measures left the Italian government struggling to administer healthcare and legal services to all migrants. This study investigates the provision of essential services by the Italian state and two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Emergency and ARCI, respectively providing free medical and legal services, to incoming migrants in Siracusa, Italy. It analyzes migrants' perceptions of these services and evolving goals in Europe. Building upon preliminary fieldwork conducted in 2014, in January to July 2015 I undertook six months of participant observation in a migrant reception center and legal offices in Siracusa. During my research I conducted 72 unstructured and semi-structured interviews with migrants, NGO activists, lawyers, and doctors, and state physicians. This study analyzes Emergency's role as an entrance to the Italian healthcare system and ARCI as a facilitator of legal aid to migrants. I argue that the clinic's position on the outskirts of Siracusa functions as a means of exclusion, exacerbating divides between the local population and incoming migrants. Additionally, I provide insight into the provision of legal services to migrants in Siracusa, as well as how these migrants navigate geopolitical and legislative borders, and these borders' roles within the politics of the European Union and neoliberal ideologies. I argue that selective enforcement of asylum legislation and dearth of legal aid to migrants motivates many migrants to clandestinely flee Italy to seek futures in other European nations, consequently moving (")burdens(") of migrant reception. This research contributes to public policy and scholarship on health and migration policy as well as politics of conflict, while shedding light on the critical role of NGOs in a complex humanitarian crisis occurring in Southern Europe.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006126, ucf:51166
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006126

Title: When Leaders Repress: A Study of African States.
Creator: Timmerman, Ashley, Dolan, Thomas, Mirilovic, Nikola, Kinsey, Barbara, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: When do leaders choose state-sponsored repression as a response to certain threats to the state? Conventional wisdom states that authoritarian regimes will be more likely to use these repressive acts in order to maintain law and order, as well as to suppress the opposition. However, previous literature on the subject fails to recognize the effect of irregular civil wars on this decision, as well as the types of repression that will (-) or will not (-) be used against citizens. I analyze cross...
Show moreWhen do leaders choose state-sponsored repression as a response to certain threats to the state? Conventional wisdom states that authoritarian regimes will be more likely to use these repressive acts in order to maintain law and order, as well as to suppress the opposition. However, previous literature on the subject fails to recognize the effect of irregular civil wars on this decision, as well as the types of repression that will (-) or will not (-) be used against citizens. I analyze cross-sectional time series data in 46 African states between 1990 and 2010 on human rights violations and their causes. The key independent variable is irregular civil war, but I also look at the effects of protest movements and domestic terror attacks to find the levels of human rights violations and the specific type of human rights violations used. Irregular civil war is the most important indicator for human rights violations, specifically, the use of killing and disappearances to silence the opposition and end the warfare.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005428, ucf:50412
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005428

Title: MIGRANT WORKERS IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA:ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, AND SINGAPORE.
Creator: Hajek, Patricia, Morales, Waltraud, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis explores migrant labor in South-East Asia by addressing the topic of migration, specifically its causes and consequences. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are countries that experienced rapid industrialization from the mid-1960s throughout the 1990s. Simultaneously, the migration of people within the region increased. A key focus is how regional development has contributed to migration flows and to the position of migrants in these countries. Using a migration systems framework...
Show moreThis thesis explores migrant labor in South-East Asia by addressing the topic of migration, specifically its causes and consequences. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are countries that experienced rapid industrialization from the mid-1960s throughout the 1990s. Simultaneously, the migration of people within the region increased. A key focus is how regional development has contributed to migration flows and to the position of migrants in these countries. Using a migration systems framework from Castles' and Miller's The Age of Migration (2003) that draws on theoretical elements from economics, historical-structuralism and transnationalism, this thesis finds that several factors explain the causes of migration in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore and the lasting implications migration had in their respective societies. Both macro- and micro-structures influenced industrialization and a migratory labor market. The historical, political, and economic linkages shared among the countries, alongside regional integration and attractive government-led industrialization strategies contributed to large-scale flows of migrant workers within the region. These same factors made migration and settlement increasingly difficult. Consequently, human rights violations of migrants in these countries became more pronounced. Singapore's dominance of Indonesia and Malaysia in the semi-periphery of South-East Asia conditioned the environment that migrants faced in their host societies. Migrant workers from Indonesia and Malaysia enjoyed better treatment in Singapore, because of its targeted labor, immigration, and social policies. In all three countries, settlement patterns of migrant workers were virtually similar to government commitments to prevent assimilation.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002152, ucf:47929
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002152

Title: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN LATIN AMERICA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY ADDRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN VENEZUELA, COLOMBIA, AND ARGENTINA.
Creator: Rios, Maria, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Over the last few decades the importance of human rights has increased considerably in international relations. With globalization and democratization, more states and individuals develop concerns about the fundamental rights every human is entitled to; regardless of sex, religion and ethnicity. Latin American countries began obtaining their independence over 200 years ago while progressing into becoming working democracies. Yet, they have been plagued by oscillating authoritarian regimes and...
Show moreOver the last few decades the importance of human rights has increased considerably in international relations. With globalization and democratization, more states and individuals develop concerns about the fundamental rights every human is entitled to; regardless of sex, religion and ethnicity. Latin American countries began obtaining their independence over 200 years ago while progressing into becoming working democracies. Yet, they have been plagued by oscillating authoritarian regimes and social conflicts that constrain and inhibit their hopeful development. The majority of the Latin American states have reached a point where further positive growth was expected; yet human violations have taken a backseat within the government of such countries. The case studies shed light on the three main causes of human right violations in Latin America. These are: the abuse of power by the government and the subsequent changes to the constitution to gain further control and authority; the government's inadequacy in dealing with subversive groups; and the deficiency of subsequent democratic governments to bring past offenders to trial for crimes against humanity while giving pardons to those who did face trial. By understanding why the violation of human rights occurred, future infringements can be avoided and fundamental rights will be awarded to all humans.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFH0004115, ucf:44861
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004115

Title: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF REFUGEES AND IDPS.
Creator: Sanchez, Laura, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: There is a grave concern for the life, liberty and security of individuals who have been forced to leave their homes and have become dispersed within their native countries and throughout the Asian continent. These internally displaced persons and refugees are the subject of this study. Some of the themes that will be discussed include: civil war, human rights violations and the economy, since these are the problems affecting the populations of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar. These case...
Show moreThere is a grave concern for the life, liberty and security of individuals who have been forced to leave their homes and have become dispersed within their native countries and throughout the Asian continent. These internally displaced persons and refugees are the subject of this study. Some of the themes that will be discussed include: civil war, human rights violations and the economy, since these are the problems affecting the populations of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar. These case studies are of particular interest because Afghanistan is where most refugees come from, Myanmar has the longest-running military regime and Pakistan hosts the most refugees in the world. All three case studies are currently in a state of civil war, are breeding grounds for violations of human rights and have corrupt economies. Thus, the goal is to end armed conflict, to put an end to the human rights violations that come with it and to restructure the economies in each of these nation states so that the internally displaced persons and refugees can be repatriated, since displacement has become too much of a burden for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar's neighboring countries, who have been taking in all of the refugees from said countries. Theoretically, if the issues causing displacement were to be solved, then the countries that host refugees would be able to concentrate on their own populations. This study can potentially address the gap between knowledge, policy formation, and policy implementation to realize the goals of the international community in dealing with the displacement crisis.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFH0003829, ucf:44731
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003829

Title: Government Respect for Human Rights and their Relation to Shadow Economic Activity.
Creator: Gahagan, Christopher, Mousseau, Demet, Marien, Daniel, Reynolds, Teddy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Shadow economic activity can have detrimental effects on many aspects of a society including trust in government policies, quality of public institutions, government revenues, and economic growth. Empirical studies have generally employed a rational actor approach and focused on economic factors. Most studies in this literature claim that when individuals do not receive the right economic stimuli from the government, it damages the relationship between individuals and the state and citizens...
Show moreShadow economic activity can have detrimental effects on many aspects of a society including trust in government policies, quality of public institutions, government revenues, and economic growth. Empirical studies have generally employed a rational actor approach and focused on economic factors. Most studies in this literature claim that when individuals do not receive the right economic stimuli from the government, it damages the relationship between individuals and the state and citizens opt to move into the shadow economy. A small but growing body of research, however, suggests that certain political factors can also lead to shadow economic activity because of a breakdown in the relationship between individuals and the state. Building on this growing body of research, this study investigates how governments' repression of human rights can play an important role in the growth of shadow economic activities. The empirical literature on human rights offer three main groups of human rights: Survival Rights (physical integrity), Women's Economic Rights, and Civil Liberties (i.e. freedom of speech). This study expects a similar pattern for all sectors of human rights, that when they are abused, citizens will react to those abuses by moving into the shadow economy because of the breakdown in the citizen-state relationship. Several multiple regression analyses are conducted for 150 countries from the years 1999 to 2011 to investigate if these different types of human rights had an impact on the levels of shadow economic activity. Results indicate that while Survival Rights and Women's Economic Rights have no statistically significant impact on the size of the shadow economy, the respect or abuse of citizens' Civil Liberties are statistically significant after the introduction of control variables. A possible reason for the difference in these findings might be that while the fear of reprisal of Survival Rights can work to deter shadow economic activity, repression of Civil Liberties may not create enough fear to deter it. Future research is necessary in this area to expand our knowledge on the political determinants of the size of the shadow economy as well as the creation of policies to combat its growth.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007459, ucf:52691
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007459

Title: The Causes, Dynamics, and Implications of Child Soldiering.
Creator: Faulkner, Christopher, Tezcur, Gunes Murat, Powell, Jonathan, Dolan, Thomas, Whitaker, Beth, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Child soldiers continue to be regular participants in modern conflicts in many different parts of the world. This dissertation addresses several interrelated questions about child soldiering employing large-N statistical analyses, process-tracing, and in-depth interviews. First, it asks how foreign state support and the characteristics of these donors influence rebels' recruitment of child soldiers. An important finding is that rebels supported by democratic states are less likely to employ...
Show moreChild soldiers continue to be regular participants in modern conflicts in many different parts of the world. This dissertation addresses several interrelated questions about child soldiering employing large-N statistical analyses, process-tracing, and in-depth interviews. First, it asks how foreign state support and the characteristics of these donors influence rebels' recruitment of child soldiers. An important finding is that rebels supported by democratic states are less likely to employ child soldiers. It then investigates the factors and conditions that lead some groups to diversify their demographics in the types of recruits and others to not. Specifically, it considers why a rebel group would recruit children, but refrain from recruiting women. It examines theoretical arguments that contend group ideology, desires for patriarchal preservation, societal gender inequalities, and the location/type of rebellion (rural vs. urban) can each significantly contribute to groups' recruitment behavior. Third, it considers a question that speaks directly to the first two questions. What factors lead to the initial recruitment of children and how conflict conditions may impact the dynamics of rebel recruitment over time? An in-depth analysis of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) and the employment of a unique dataset on deceased Kurdish militants allows for an exploration of the temporal variation in the group's recruitment patterns over four decades. It illustrates that inter-rebel rivalries, conflict intensity, and the evolution of human rights norms shape rebels' recruitment behavior. The final section reorients the focus of the dissertation from rebel child soldiering to government child soldiering. It surveys the conditions under which the United States holds foreign governments accountable for their child soldiering practices through the restriction of certain forms of security assistance. In depth analyses of four norm-violating states and interviews with policy experts show that the strategic importance of a state and the systemic nature of child recruitment are strong predictors of when security assistance waivers will be granted. Together, this dissertation advances scholarly understanding of the causes, dynamics, and implications of child soldiering.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007629, ucf:52541
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007629

Title: Dimensions of State Fragility: Determinants of Violent Group Grievance, Political Legitimacy, (&) Economic Capacity.
Creator: Christensen, Jason, Kinsey, Barbara, Mousseau, Demet, Hamann, Kerstin, Kircher, Amy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: State fragility has severe political implications. In the literature, fragile states have been referred to as (")chaotic breeding grounds(") for human rights violations, terrorism, violent extremism, crime, instability, and disease (Patrick 2011, 3-4). International organizations have also expressed concern regarding the potential of (")fragile states(") to disrupt collective security as threats such as transnational terrorism and human displacement from violent conflict have the potential to...
Show moreState fragility has severe political implications. In the literature, fragile states have been referred to as (")chaotic breeding grounds(") for human rights violations, terrorism, violent extremism, crime, instability, and disease (Patrick 2011, 3-4). International organizations have also expressed concern regarding the potential of (")fragile states(") to disrupt collective security as threats such as transnational terrorism and human displacement from violent conflict have the potential to permeate borders (Patrick 2011, 5). This research project aims at extending our understanding of state fragility by examining three distinct dimensions of state fragility proposed in the literature: i) state authority, ii) state legitimacy, and iii) state capacity. I narrow the scope of these dimensions by focusing on 1) violent group grievance, 2) political legitimacy, and 3) state economic capacity, respectively. The first dimension, state authority, is related to a government's control of unlawful intrastate violence. The second dimension, legitimacy, is linked to the public acceptance of the right of an authority to govern law through its practice and influence (Weber 1958, 32-36; Gilley 2006, 48; Connolly 1984, 34). The third dimension, capacity, represents a state-society relationship characterized mainly by the state's ability to provide public goods and protection of citizens and residents from (")harm(") such as natural disasters and economic downfalls (Gr(&)#228;vingholt, Ziaja, and Kreibaum 2012, 7). This dissertation examines each of these dimensions using quantitative analyses based on large-N datasets and cross-sectional longitudinal models to fill gaps in the literature on state fragility. In particular, I hypothesize 1) number of refugees increases the level of intrastate violent group grievance (state authority), 2) state human rights violations decreases popular support and thus public perceptions of state legitimacy, and 3) population constraints, such as food insecurity and disease increase economic decline and thus compromise the state's economic capacity. Internal violence, loss of legitimacy, and a weakened economy may increase levels of state fragility. Each of these three studies controls for alternative explanations and covers the time period between 2006 and 2014. The analysis results confirm the main hypotheses of this study and are expected to offer a more concise conceptual framework of state fragility, and better empirical understanding of potential contributors to state fragility.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006728, ucf:51876
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006728

human rights (9)	+ -
Human Rights (4)	+ -
Africa (2)	+ -
Myanmar (2)	+ -
human rights law (2)	+ -

migrants (2)	+ -
refugee (2)	+ -
Afghanistan (1)	+ -
Ats (1)	+ -
Authority (1)	+ -
Bangladesh (1)	+ -
Burma (1)	+ -
Capacity (1)	+ -
Civil Liberties (1)	+ -
Civil rights (1)	+ -
Coercion (1)	+ -
Disease (1)	+ -
Economic Decline (1)	+ -
Economics (1)	+ -
Ethnic Violence (1)	+ -
Europe (1)	+ -
Food Insecurity (1)	+ -
Fragile States (1)	+ -
Hate Crimes (1)	+ -
Human rights (1)	+ -
IDP (1)	+ -
Indonesia (1)	+ -
Intrastate Violence (1)	+ -
Italy (1)	+ -
Legitimacy (1)	+ -

ETD Collection (8)	+ -
Honors Collection (6)	+ -
PRISM: Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements (1)	+ -

University of Central Florida (14)	+ -
Dolan, Thomas (2)	+ -
Kinsey, Barbara (2)	+ -
Mirilovic, Nikola (2)	+ -
Mousseau, Demet (2)	+ -

Sadri, Houman (2)	+ -
Begani, Faiza (1)	+ -
Belton, Kristy (1)	+ -
Bledsoe, Robert (1)	+ -
Christensen, Jason (1)	+ -
Crepeau, Richard (1)	+ -
Faulkner, Christopher (1)	+ -
Gahagan, Christopher (1)	+ -
Geiger, Vance (1)	+ -
Hajek, Patricia (1)	+ -
Hamann, Kerstin (1)	+ -
Jungblut, Bernadette (1)	+ -
Kersch, Adam (1)	+ -
Kircher, Amy (1)	+ -
Knuckey, Jonathan (1)	+ -
Lyons, Amelia (1)	+ -
Marien, Daniel (1)	+ -
Matejowsky, Ty (1)	+ -
Mishtal, Joanna (1)	+ -
Monthly review (New York, N.Y. : 1949) (1)	+ -
Morales, Waltraud (1)	+ -
Naccarato-Fromang, Gina (1)	+ -
Powell, Jonathan (1)	+ -
Reynolds, Teddy (1)	+ -
Rios, Maria (1)	+ -

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