Met de focus op het inzichtelijk maken van de relatie tussen gepersonaliseerd kiesgedrag en ideologisch kiesgedrag heeft dit onderzoekt tot doel uitspraken te kunnen doen over de vermeende...Show moreMet de focus op het inzichtelijk maken van de relatie tussen gepersonaliseerd kiesgedrag en ideologisch kiesgedrag heeft dit onderzoekt tot doel uitspraken te kunnen doen over de vermeende onderlinge afruil (Lachat, 2014; McAlliser & Quinlan, 2022). Allereerst wordt getoetst of de kans op gepersonaliseerd kiesgedrag toeneemt wanneer er sprake is van een ideologische afstand tussen de kiezer en diens partijkeuze. Vervolgens wordt getoetst of gepersonaliseerd kiesgedrag onder kiezers dan ook toeneemt naarmate de afstand toeneemt. De resultaten laten zien dat inderdaad, al dan niet met een kleine effectgrootte, een positieve relatie bestaat tussen gepersonaliseerd kiesgedrag en kiezers die zich minder door ideologie laten beïnvloeden. Gezien het effect ook statistisch significant is kan verondersteld worden dat meer invloed van ideologie op het kiesgedrag van een kiezer tot op zekere hoogte de invloed van individuele politieke actoren als persoon zijnde uitsluit. Ook is er reden om aan te nemen dat wanneer de afstand toeneemt het effect groter wordt. Daarnaast bevestigd het onderzoek ook de op de literatuur gebaseerde verwachtingen dat 'partijverbondenheid' alsook het 'volgen van de politiek' de kans op gepersonaliseerd kiesgedrag verminderd, en dat het zijn van een vrouw juist de kans versterkt.Show less
On the 24th of February 2022, Russia undertook the largest land invasion into a sovereign state since World War II. The unprecedented move was met with a swift deployment of economic tools to deter...Show moreOn the 24th of February 2022, Russia undertook the largest land invasion into a sovereign state since World War II. The unprecedented move was met with a swift deployment of economic tools to deter the invasion and increase Russia’s costs of sustaining the military effort in the long term. As a result of this economic warfare between Russia and the Global North, sovereign assets of more than 300 Billion US Dollars belonging to the Russian Central Bank (RCB) have been frozen. This constituted the largest seizure of sovereign assets since World War II. As of June 2024, calls in the United States and the European Union to use the RCB assets for Ukraine’s military and humanitarian efforts have only been amplifying. These voices neglect international legal perspectives- specifically from the Global South- which highlight the discourses on sovereign immunity and countermeasures. These voices probe the following questions: What do the RCB sanctions mean for the existing sovereign immunity regime? What is the validity of the countermeasures doctrine with regards to the RCB? And most importantly, what do such measures mean for Western financial hegemony? This thesis encapsulates all these legal discourses by asking the question: What is the legality of the Global North states’ sanctions against the Russian Central Bank?Show less
This thesis investigates the factors explaining the varying levels of success of international funded microfinance projects in Kenya, focusing on the role of the theory of asymmetric information....Show moreThis thesis investigates the factors explaining the varying levels of success of international funded microfinance projects in Kenya, focusing on the role of the theory of asymmetric information. This research highlights Kenya as a critical case due to its significant financial exclusion, and many Kenyans lacking access to basic financial services. Through process tracing, the thesis examines the impact of microfinance projects funded by the World Bank and the European Union. The analysis reveals that the World Bank’s emphasis on sustainability and innovations leads to higher success levels compared to the European Union’s focus on long-term loans and gender equality. Additionally, the World Bank’s ability to navigate and mitigate problems caused by asymmetric information contributes significantly to the success of its projects. This thesis contributes to the broader theoretical debate on international development finance, providing insights into optimizing the operations of global financial institutions. The implications of this thesis are relevant for both developed and developing countries, as they provide for financial inclusion and poverty reduction, ultimately benefiting the global economy.Show less
Efforts to tackle the global climate crisis are increasingly complicated by the rise of right-wing populism (RWP) and persistent geopolitical crises. This paper investigates the understudied...Show moreEfforts to tackle the global climate crisis are increasingly complicated by the rise of right-wing populism (RWP) and persistent geopolitical crises. This paper investigates the understudied intersection of these challenges by analyzing how do right-wing populists use nationalist rhetoric to influence climate change action in times of geopolitical crisis? The question is explored with a focus on the Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, PiS) party of Poland, in particular its discourse in parliamentary committee sessions amidst the Russian war against Ukraine and subsequent energy crisis. Through a discourse analysis, it was found that the war served as a justification for PiS to concentrate on short-term solutions prioritizing fossil-fuel based energy security. Polish RWP capitalized on the war-induced crisis by using nationalist rhetoric to undermine the energy transition away from coal and EU climate measures. These findings underscore how geopolitical crises and political ideologies can create significant barriers to effective global climate action.Show less
