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What kind of international actor is the European Union and how shall we define it? These are questions that many have tried to answer often by addressing the apparent uniqueness of the EU itself. One of these theories is Normative power Europe. A theory whose main argument is that the EU is best perceived as a changer of norms. My aim with this thesis is to test this claim and to see if the Union
The failure of Structural Adjustment Programs and its neoliberal policies to effectively reduce poverty have led to the creation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) by The World Bank and International Monetary Fund. PRSP, connected to both the Comprehensive Development Strategy and the HIPC initiative, are built on the notion of national ownership and stakeholder participation and thereby e
The purpose of this essay was to analyze the collapse of democracy in the Weimar Republic. This was done by analyzing some of the most turbulent crises in its history like the communists attempt to take power in 1919, the kapp-putsch of 1920, hyperinflation 1923 and the economic depression 1929-1933. The method that I used in this essay is called methodological individualism. It was an analytical
The aim of this thesis is to explain what actions Sweden and the international communities have been taking in terms of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in order to realize the Programme of Action from the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo 1994. In a theoretical perspective, donor countries and multilateral organizations are seen as interacting actors
This thesis examines the relationship between OECD-DAC and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) within an aid efficiency context. The ability for these two actors to cooperate is highly important and determines the outcome for a major part of the development aid in the new millennium. The development agenda for the new millennium emphasizes aid efficiency as a key to a more successful aid, and this
This paper analyzes governance of cultural and ethnic integration. The study has a comparative perspective between five municipalities in Skåne. One aim in this thesis is to clearify the ratio between the state and municipal authority and how municipalities exercise their autonomy. I analyze the advantages and disadvantages in different governance methods linked to how the municipalities are worki
The United States is having an identity crisis concerning it's borders. The terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, raised concerns about the nations borders. Year 2002, The Department of Homeland Security was created with the purpose to secure the nation from potential threats related to the borders. This study examine which different American identities have been constructed during the 2
International immigration has become one of the greatest concerns in world politics in the last few decades. Due to discrepancy of wealth among different regions of the world, some states have become destinations for immigrants whilst others have become targets of brain drain. The aim of this thesis is to examine how immigration is framed in today's European immigration policy. More specifical
The European Union has undergone a transformation from being an economical cooperation to also include politics, and is now moving towards a more juridical polity. Much of the juridical visions of freedom, security and justice are created within various Working Groups. A recent addition to this process is the informal working group called the Future Group, comprised by six European interior minis
Since Muhammad Yunus, founder of the microloansorganization Grameen Bank, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, the microloansorganization has received much attention. The woman has come to play a central role in the microloansorganizations. Her access to capital is is considered to improve her socioeconomic status. The overall aim of the paper is to examine how access to microcredit cons
This is a thesis about the American empire. I also focus my work to see if this American empire is declining. The two main questions I ask and want to answer in this thesis are: is America an empire and is it in decline? I first conclude that America has been an empire ever since the end of the Second World War. The sheer military and economic power of the American empire matches and exceeds the
Traditionally international trade disputes within the WTO have been handled through diplomacy or soft law. In recent years there has been a shift towards a more rule based system within the organization, a shift towards legalization, hard law. States that are not acting in compliance with the WTO rules might be brought to the Dispute Settlement Body. The first time Least Developed Countries, LDC,
The purpose of this study is to examine the international legal instruments specifically addressing the practice of enforced disappearance and analyse if they are sufficient in relation to the gravity and seriousness of the crime. The instruments examined are: the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappe
Sedan 1999 har antalet fredsfrämjande interventioner som fått tydliga mandat att aktivt skydda civilbefolkningen kraftigt ökat. Att använda militärt våld för humanitära syften är dock inte oproblematiskt. Denna uppsats undersöker den reglerade våldsanvändningen, i form av Rules of engagement, i moderna fredsfrämjande insatser med utgångspunkt ur frågan om beskydd för civila. Den undersöker, med h
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate international counterterrorism efforts to estimate their costs and potential adverse effects over time. An underlying presumption of the study is that flawed counterterrorism measures to some extent are counterproductive, and building on this idea a comparison is made between the distinguishing features of the 'War on Terror' and an alternative mode
This essay revolves around two questions: what is the nature of politics, and what kind of political order ensures a high rate of citizen participation? By using Cantal Mouffes theory on the political this essay shows how different understandings of the nature of politics can lead to diverging views on what forms democracy should take. Two such understandings are identified; one that sees the natu
Environmental problems are said to be research dependent, as science is needed to identify phenomena such as climate change. New technological cures are however often characterised by both research dependence and scientific uncertainty. One example is Biofuels. A few years back they were seen as a sustainable solution to the transport sector's carbon dioxide emissions and oil dependence. Since
The purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyze why, in the case of Afghanistan, the government chose to establish a highly centralized political system, when from a democratic standpoint a less centralized system would be preferable. The time period that is examined span from 2001 when the so-called Bonn-Accord was signed, to the parliamentary elections held in 2005, a period often referred
The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which power not only manifests itself in the politics of statehood, but also defines what it is to be a state. The role of power can either be supportive or marginalising in relation to an entity's claim to statehood. Moreover, power in itself can be identified in various forms and facets. What forms of power catalyse state formation, and
Gender-based violence affects at least 80 million women in Europe, and consequently is a human rights scandal in urgent need of efficient response. This thesis explores the protection level of women's right to be free from gender-based violence, in terms of human rights law and its implementation, under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Wom
