Rage against the regime: Policy responses to international investment arbitration

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. August 2019. Major: Political Science. Advisors: Ronald Krebs, John Freeman. 1 computer file (PDF); xv, 454 pages.Common in political discourse and academic literature is the notion that the international investment regime is experiencing backlash. At the center of this backlash is the belief that international investment treaties unduly restrain states’ ability to regulate in the public interest, most notably by allowing foreign investors to file international arbitration claims directly against governments for a variety of regulatory acts. The rise of investment arbitration--also know as investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS)--has provoked a regime-wide reassertion of states' autonomy to regulate foreign investment under investment treaties. However, states have embarked on this process in different ways and to different extents. While some have become more cautious of how much legal autonomy they sacrifice in the future, others have partially or completely recovered autonomy lost to previous treaties. My dissertation explains why states pursue different policies in the aftermath of ISDS. I argue that negative ISDS experiences are filtered through ideational lenses that incline policy-makers to reclaim more or less legal autonomy. Yet policy-makers face constraints and opportunities when acting on these emerging preferences. Thus, I also argue that policy outcomes depend on the combination of a domestic and external variables. Most scholarly attention has been placed on the political behavior of economic actors, either domestic firms or foreign investors. However, ISDS disputes also affect a broad and diverse ensemble of local and transnational civil society groups. These actors have competing interests regarding continuity and change in investment treaty policies. Thus, I examine the conditions under which their mobilization can enhance or hinder policy-makers' ability to implement their desired policies. I test the expectations derived from this argument using a mixed methods research design that combines quantitative statistical analysis and qualitative case studies. Through regression analysis of an original measure of international legal autonomy, I show that after ISDS claims hit, states are less willing to sacrifice their legal autonomy and in some cases start to recover it. Further analysis of three original datasets of treaty signature, treaty content and treaty termination shows these actions are not equally likely across states. Through within- and cross-case comparisons of investment treaty policy-making in the United States, Ecuador and India, I show how alternative combinations of the explanatory variables make a given policy reaction to ISDS more likely. Whether states continue to endorse strong treaty protections is a pressing question, given the recent rise in the number of governments elected on nationalist platforms. There are also normative stakes in the answers to these research questions. Policy variation does not simply revolve around technical legal disagreements; it reflects fundamental disagreements about the limits of state authority in a globalized economy

Event-based media monitoring methodology for Human Rights Watch

Executive Summary This report, prepared by a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota for Human Rights Watch (HRW), investigates the use of event-based media monitoring (EMM) to review its application, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and offer suggestions on how HRW can better utilize EMM in its own work. Media monitoring systems include both human-operated (manual) and automated systems, both of which we review throughout the report. The process begins with the selection of news sources, proceeds to the development of a coding manual (for manual searches) or “dictionary” (for automated searches), continues with gathering data, and concludes with the coding of news stories. EMM enables the near real-time tracking of events reported by the media, allowing researchers to get a sense of the scope of and trends in an event, but there are limits to what EMM can accomplish on its own. The media will only cover a portion of a given event, so information will always be missing from EMM data. EMM also introduces research biases of various kinds; mitigating these biases requires careful selection of media sources and clearly defined coding manuals or dictionaries. In manual EMM, coding the gathered data requires human researchers to apply codebook rules in order to collect consistent data from each story they read. In automated EMM, computers apply the dictionary directly to the news stories, automatically picking up the desired information. There are trade-offs in each system. Automated EMM can code stories far more quickly, but the software may incorrectly code stories, requiring manual corrections. Conversely, manual EMM allows for a more nuanced analysis, but the investment of time and effort may diminish the tool’s utility. We believe that both manual and automated EMM, when deployed correctly, can effectively support human rights research and advocacy

Making Human Rights Campaigns Effective While Limiting Unintended Consequences (2017)

In 2016, USAID's Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance launched its Learning Agenda—a set of research questions designed to address the issues that confront staff in USAID field offices working on the intersection of development and democracy, human rights, and governance. This literature review—produced by a team of political scientists, sociologists, and lawyers—synthesizes scholarship from diverse research traditions on the following Learning Agenda question:What are the consequences of human rights awareness campaigns? What makes a human rights awareness campaign successful? Why do many campaigns fail? What are the unintended negative consequences of both successful and failed campaigns? How do local norms and other cultural factors constrain or enable the translation of campaigns from one context to another? This report synthesizes scholarship bearing on these questions from diverse research traditions and assesses the interdisciplinary state of knowledge regarding the effects, both intended and unintended, of human rights awareness campaigns and the characteristics that make such awareness campaigns effective. This review is divided into five sections:A broad overview of the steps involved in designing an effective awareness campaign.A review of research on campaigns generally, drawn from a broad range of fields, such as marketing, communications, public health, and political science.An overview of human rights awareness campaigns specifically, building on the well-known precept that to be successful, human rights campaigns must be adapted to the local context. The authors identify the mechanisms that facilitate and the barriers that impede local adaption, particularly the use of frames. Drawing on framing theory, the report highlights four points in communication where framing is critical: contexts, communicators, targeted populations, and message design.A discussion of effective media strategies, including ways to approach both traditional and new media, with the most effective campaigns combining traditional print media strategies with new social media forms.A discussion of the unintended negative consequences of campaigns, including backlash, confusion, desensitization, and/or frustration among targeted audience. This section also identifies the typical causes of these outcomes and ways to avoid them

Las Américas en tiempos adversos: en busca de una agenda renovada

“Sociedad civil, cooperación internacional y nuevo diálogo entre América Latina y Estados Unidos”El Colegio de México, en coordinación con la Universidad Torcuato di Tella y la Universidad de los Andes, con la participación de docenas de expertos del sector académico, diplomático y social de distintos países en América Latina y el Caribe presentan el informe Las Américas en tiempos adversos: en busca de una agenda renovada, en el marco de la IX Cumbre de las Américas, a llevarse a cabo del 6 al 10 de junio de 2022 en Los Ángeles, California, Estados Unidos. Este documento presenta una visión latinoamericana, plural y no gubernamental de la agenda prioritaria en las Américas, con una perspectiva de mediano y largo plazo que ayude a delinear rutas de salida a la difícil coyuntura actual. En sincronía con el marco temporal que guía el proceso multilateral de las Cumbres de las Américas, propone una mirada estratégica trienal sobre los principales desafíos compartidos en el momento de mayor incertidumbre e inflexión geopolítica mundial en tres décadas y en el que hay más desarticulación que diálogo a nivel regional.Fundación For

(Co)Construyendo una Agenda Estratégica para las Américas

El documento “(Co)construyendo una Agenda Estratégica para las Américas” surge de un proceso participativo, transregional, plural y no gubernamental liderado por El Colegio de México en coordinación con la Universidad Torcuato Di Tella y la Universidad de los Andes. Con el apoyo de la Fundación Ford, más de 112 académicos, funcionarios públicos, miembros del servicio exterior, organizaciones no gubernamentales y miembros de la sociedad civil participaron en este proyecto. El informe es complementario al primer documento presentado en la Cumbre de las Américas en Los Ángeles en junio de 2022, Las Américas en tiempos adversos: en busca de una agenda renovada. El objetivo central del informe es repensar y fortalecer la interlocución, el diálogo y la coordinación en las Américas a múltiples niveles y con la participación de diferentes actores, tanto entre gobiernos como instituciones académicas, de reflexión y organizaciones de la sociedad civil. La intención es promover una discusión amplia de las ideas propuestas para avanzar en una agenda común, que permita incubar un diálogo que dé lugar a la acción colectiva sin buscar proveer recetas. El informe propone que, dados los problemas comunes que afectan al continente, una agenda de cooperación y diálogo interamericano se debe centrar en tres temas prioritarios, simultáneos e integrales para la región: las desigualdades, las migraciones y los efectos del cambio climático. A lo largo del documento se desarrollan estos temas con una visión que nace de América Latina y el Caribe, pero que busca promover un diálogo continental en el que la academia y la sociedad civil sean actores fundamentales

Neural correlates of episodic memory in adults with Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease

Background Adults with Down syndrome are at an ultra-high risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Episodic memory deficits are one of the earliest signs of the disease, but their association with regional brain atrophy in the population with Down syndrome has not been explored. We aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of episodic memory in adults with Down syndrome and symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. Methods Single-center, cross-sectional study. A total of 139 adults with Down syndrome (85 asymptomatic and 54 with symptomatic Alzheimer's disease) were included in the study (mean age 43.6 +/- 10.9 years, 46% female). Episodic memory was assessed using the modified Cued Recall Test. Immediate (trial 1 free immediate recall, trial 3 free immediate recall, total free immediate recall score, and total immediate score) and delayed scores (free delayed recall score and total delayed score) were examined. Cortical thickness from magnetic resonance imaging was determined with surface-based morphometry using the FreeSurfer 6.0 software package. The clusters of reduced cortical thickness were compared between symptomatic and asymptomatic participants to create a cortical atrophy map. Then, the correlation between cortical thickness and the modified Cued Recall Test subscores were separately assessed in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects, controlling for age, sex, and severity of intellectual disability. Results Compared with asymptomatic participants, those with symptomatic Alzheimer's disease showed a pattern of cortical atrophy in posterior parieto-temporo-occipital cortices. In symptomatic subjects, trial 1 immediate free recall significantly correlated with cortical atrophy in lateral prefrontal regions. Trial 3 free immediate recall and total free immediate recall were associated with the most widespread cortical atrophy. Total immediate score was related to posterior cortical atrophy, including lateral parietal and temporal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and medial temporal lobe areas. Delayed memory scores were associated with cortical atrophy in temporoparietal and medial temporal lobe regions. No significant relationships were observed between episodic memory measures and cortical atrophy in asymptomatic subjects. Conclusions Different episodic memory measures were associated with cortical atrophy in specific brain regions in adults with Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. These results overlap with those described in sporadic Alzheimer's disease and further support the similarities between Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer's disease and that in the general population

Longitudinal Clinical and Cognitive Changes Along the Alzheimer Disease Continuum in Down Syndrome

IMPORTANCE Alzheimer disease (AD) is the main medical problem in adults with Down syndrome (DS). However, the associations of age, intellectual disability (ID), and clinical status with progression and longitudinal cognitive decline have not been established. OBJECTIVE To examine clinical progression along the AD continuum and its related cognitive decline and to explore the presence of practice effects and floor effects with repeated assessments. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This is a single-center cohort study of adults (aged >18 years) with DS with different ID levels and at least 6 months of follow-up between November 2012 and December 2021. The data are from a population-based health plan designed to screen for AD in adults with DS in Catalonia. Spain. Individuals were classified as being asymptomatic, having prodromal AD, or having AD dementia. EXPOSURES Neurological and neuropsychological assessments. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The main outcome was clinical change along the AD continuum. Cognitive decline was measured by the Cambridge Cognitive Examination for Older Adults With Down Syndrome and the modified Cued Recall Test. RESULTS A total of 632 adults with DS (mean [SD] age, 42.6 [11.4] years; 292 women [46.2%]) with 2847 evaluations (mean [SD] follow-up, 28.8 [18.7] months) were assessed. At baseline, there were 436 asymptomatic individuals, 69 patients with prodromal AD, and 127 with AD dementia. After 5 years of follow-up, 17.1% (95% CI, 12.5%-21.5%) of asymptomatic individuals progressed to symptomatic AD in an age-dependent manner (0.6% [95% CI, 0%-1.8%] for age = 50 years; P < .001), and 94.1% (95% CI. 84.6%-98.0%) of patients with prodromal AD progressed to dementia with no age dependency. Cognitive decline in the older individuals was most common among those who progressed to symptomatic AD and symptomatic individuals themselves. Importantly, individuals with mild and moderate ID had no differences in longitudinal cognitive decline despite having different performance at baseline. This study also found practice and floor effects, which obscured the assessment of longitudinal cognitive decline. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found an association between the development of symptomatic AD and a high risk of progressive cognitive decline among patients with DS. These results support the need for population health plans to screen for AD-related cognitive decline from the fourth decade of life and provide important longitudinal data to inform clinical trials in adults with DS to prevent AD

Association of biological sex with clinical outcomes and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome

The study of sex differences in Alzheimer's disease is increasingly recognized as a key priority in research and clinical development. People with Down syndrome represent the largest population with a genetic link to Alzheimer's disease (>90% in the 7th decade). Yet, sex differences in Alzheimer's disease manifestations have not been fully investigated in these individuals, who are key candidates for preventive clinical trials. In this double-centre, cross-sectional study of 628 adults with Down syndrome [46% female, 44.4 (34.6; 50.7) years], we compared Alzheimer's disease prevalence, as well as cognitive outcomes and AT(N) biomarkers across age and sex. Participants were recruited from a population-based health plan in Barcelona, Spain, and from a convenience sample recruited via services for people with intellectual disabilities in England and Scotland. They underwent assessment with the Cambridge Cognitive Examination for Older Adults with Down Syndrome, modified cued recall test and determinations of brain amyloidosis (CSF amyloid-β 42 / 40 and amyloid-PET), tau pathology (CSF and plasma phosphorylated-tau181) and neurodegeneration biomarkers (CSF and plasma neurofilament light, total-tau, fluorodeoxyglucose-PET and MRI). We used within-group locally estimated scatterplot smoothing models to compare the trajectory of biomarker changes with age in females versus males, as well as by apolipoprotein ɛ4 carriership. Our work revealed similar prevalence, age at diagnosis and Cambridge Cognitive Examination for Older Adults with Down Syndrome scores by sex, but males showed lower modified cued recall test scores from age 45 compared with females. AT(N) biomarkers were comparable in males and females. When considering apolipoprotein ɛ4, female ɛ4 carriers showed a 3-year earlier age at diagnosis compared with female non-carriers (50.5 versus 53.2 years, P = 0.01). This difference was not seen in males (52.2 versus 52.5 years, P = 0.76). Our exploratory analyses considering sex, apolipoprotein ɛ4 and biomarkers showed that female ɛ4 carriers tended to exhibit lower CSF amyloid-β 42/amyloid-β 40 ratios and lower hippocampal volume compared with females without this allele, in line with the clinical difference. This work showed that biological sex did not influence clinical and biomarker profiles of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome. Consideration of apolipoprotein ɛ4 haplotype, particularly in females, may be important for clinical research and clinical trials that consider this population. Accounting for, reporting and publishing sex-stratified data, even when no sex differences are found, is central to helping advance precision medicine