Suchergebnisse

The role of ethnic politics & security dilemmas in the disintegration of state organization & power is discussed in reference to the collapse of the Yugoslav, Soviet, & Czechoslovak federations. It is suggested that the disintegration of these multiethnic states can be attributed at least partially to two simultaneous & mutually reinforcing manifestations of ethnic conflict: politicans' use of ethnic identities as a means of mobilizing support & maintaining/improving their power (ethnic politics), & the self-reinforcing fears of insecurity between & among ethnic groups (security dilemmas). During the transition from communism & authoritarianism to capitalism & democracy, the salience of ethnic politics was accentuated by political entrepreneurs' attempts to mobilize support through ethnic identity, & security dilemmas were exacerbated by the increased level of threat sensed by ethnic groups during unstable times. Therefore, the processes of ethnic competition intensified & contributed to the collapse of these Eastern European states. Despite the dangers of increased ethnic competition, it is concluded that these risks can be reduced through two means: political reliance on multiple ethnic groups for support (vote pooling), or creation of a single legitimate party for each ethnic group (consociationalism). 1 Figure. Adapted from the source document.

Applies the interaction between domestic position taking and international agenda setting to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Refers to the influence of Greece regarding recognition of Macedonia and the influence of Muslim states on arms sales to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

AbstractThis study introduces a new type of oversight in civil-military and executive-legislative relations:community policing. Building on principal-agent theory, this type of oversight emphasises trust rather than confrontation. To illustrate how community policing functions, the study examines how legislative oversight of military affairs operates in Belgium and New Zealand. Legislative defence committees in both countries rely on trust when overseeing the executive's handling of defence affairs. This allows these committees to perform their oversight function at low cost in terms of time and effort, but with a high degree of access to information. Community policing therefore combines the strengths of recognised 'police patrol' and 'fire alarm' oversight, while avoiding their respective weaknesses. However, since it relies on a higher degree of trust and cooperation between the principal and agent, community policing is inherently fragile.

"Foreign Intervention in Ethnic Conflicts" published on by Oxford University Press.