Distance, Size and Turmoil: North-South Mediterranean Interactions

Aspirations toward the economic and political integration of a Mediterranean region were and continue to be articulated by potential members, with strong emphasis on “shared prosperity.” We attempt to evaluate the degree to which the past 17 years of aspirations have led to observable economic and political integration between potential members. Has a politically relevant Mediterranean region begun to coalesce? How have levels of integration risen or fallen since the original aspirations of integration were expressed in the wake of the Cold War? Which factors are motivating observed integration? To accomplish this task, we first evaluate and discuss levels of integration through qualitative network analysis of political interactions and trading relationships. Second, we identify the contexts in which Northern Mediterranean states interact with the South, and whether those interactions are cooperative or conflictual. Northern States appear to interact with former colonies, but a general avoidance of Southern states occurs when those states experience domestic turmoil. However, overall levels of integration are limited and in decline.L’aspiration au développement d’une région méditerranéenne cohérente a été et continue à être exprimée par des membres potentiels de l’Union, avec une forte rhétorique en faveur de l’intégration dans l’espoir d’une « prospérité partagée ». Nous tentons d’évaluer dans quelle mesure les 17 dernières années de leurs aspirations ont conduit à l’intégration économique et politique effective entre membres potentiels. Une région de la Méditerranée politiquement pertinente a-t-elle commencé à se structurer ? Comment les niveaux d’intégration ont augmenté ou diminué depuis l’aspiration initiale à l’intégration suite à la guerre froide ? Quels facteurs motivent l’intégration observée ? Pour mener à bien ce projet, nous avons d’abord évalué et discuté des niveaux d’intégration à travers une analyse de réseau qualitative des interactions politiques et des relations commerciales. Puis, nous avons identifié les contextes dans lesquels les pays méditerranéens du Nord interagissent avec le Sud, et si ces interactions sont coopératives ou conflictuelles. Les États du Nord semblent interagir avec leurs anciennes colonies, mais en évitant les états du Sud qui connaissent des troubles intérieurs. Cependant, les niveaux globaux de l’intégration sont réduits et en recul

International politics and state strength

A very fine piece of scholarship... The authors have produced one of those rare pieces of academic work that weaves together current theoretical debates, strong empirical evidence, and significant policy relevance... This is a valuable and insightful book

International politics and state strength

ix, 173 p. : ill. ; 24 cm

Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) and Interstate Conflict: Parsing Out IGO Effects for Alternative Dimensions of Conflict in Postcommunist Space

While the relationship between intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and conflict has captured the attention of international relations scholars for decades, the empirical results of this research agenda have presented contradictory conclusions regarding the pacifying effect normally attributed to IGOs. We address these contradictions by refocusing primarily on potential IGO effects on low-severity conflicts. We examine new states in the postcommunist space spanning Europe and Central Asia as a useful research site to explore these relationships in the post-Cold War era. We argue that especially in the case of newly emerging states, where there is little institutional memory and long-term experience in foreign affairs, IGOs expose differential policy preferences between members, and such information should be associated with the likelihood of increased low levels of conflict. We find a strong association between shared IGO membership and low severity conflict, a significant relationship between low and high severity conflict, and differences between IGO membership effects on low versus high severity conflict, consistent with our theoretical argument

Rising powers, status competition, and global governance: a closer look at three contested concepts for analyzing status dynamics in international politics

This article focuses on the intersection of rising powers, competition for status, and the extent to which governance is influenced by such elements. Despite extensive scholarly attention to these concepts, contestation regarding the classification of state powers, the exact role status plays, and the consequences that can exist when it comes to global and regional forms of governance continues. We contend that the majority of states within this project have effectively risen, with some potentially still rising (from one grouping to another), while two countries, Iran and Turkey, are considered at best rising, but with uncertain trajectories. It remains unclear how they may rise sufficiently to become influential as ‘rising’ powers in the current state of international politics. We argue as well that the impact of status seeking on global governance is highly variable and, depending on the status seeking strategy chosen, may not exacerbate conflicts between rising powers.18 month embargo; published online: 3 June 2019This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Political shocks in foreign policy and international politics: an alternative approach

Political shocks are used extensively in research on foreign policy and international politics yet the analysis of political shocks, as its own topic of study, remains underdeveloped, and especially so when compared to analyses of other key concepts in the field. What we do know about shocks primarily comes from work where the focus is typically on other phenomena driving the inquiry. In this effort we reconceptualize what is meant by political shocks, focusing on actual versus potential shocks, create a methodology for identifying actual political shocks, based on a punctuated equilibrium approach to foreign policy change, illustrate its utility with application to human rights violations by countries, and suggest at the conclusion a theoretical framework that may help to spur a more comprehensive approach to explaining political shocks effects for both interstate and intrastate politics.18 month embargo; published online: 06 Feb 2022This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]