Self-reliance has been an aspirational long-term goal for China due to the country's easy access to foreign technology and knowledge, but its national semiconductor development over the last decade...Show moreSelf-reliance has been an aspirational long-term goal for China due to the country's easy access to foreign technology and knowledge, but its national semiconductor development over the last decade has been directly challenged by a U.S.-led multilateral export control regime. Consequently, the situation calls for an examination of China's path choices concerning these tensions in the semiconductor industry. So far, contributions by International Relations (IR) theories lack consideration of China's fluctuating strategic priorities in response to global shifts. This thesis therefore uses the analytical concepts of historical institutionalism to explore China’s economic policy development in the semiconductor industry from 2014 to 2024 and structures the research around the critical juncture of the U.S.-led sanction regime towards China that commenced on October 7, 2022. To provide a foundation of knowledge on China’s current economic strategies in the microchip tech war, a scoping review was conducted to systematically map recent studies (March 2023–March 2024) and trace the dynamic process of China’s strategic path choices, which may aid EU Member States and policy practitioners in framing China in their international agenda on semiconductors. The findings suggest that China 1) has demonstrated a deliberate commitment to caution in its foreign policy to maximize strategic advantages over technology, 2) aims to deter future U.S. action by reinforcing its techno-economic statecraft and domestic economic competitiveness, and 3) has increased efforts to enhance worldwide reliance on China through its comparative advantages and technological standards for critical technologies, including AI and 5G.Show less
This thesis delves into the intricate landscape of (green) industrial policies, focusing on Tata Steel Nederland (TSN) and its governance within the Netherlands from 2009 to 2023. Against the...Show moreThis thesis delves into the intricate landscape of (green) industrial policies, focusing on Tata Steel Nederland (TSN) and its governance within the Netherlands from 2009 to 2023. Against the backdrop of global sustainability imperatives, the study navigates the evolving paradigm of industrial policies in response to climate challenges. As the manufacturing sector, particularly steel production, stands pivotal in achieving emission reduction targets, the research unravels the change in governmental rhetoric and policy outcomes towards TSN. This thesis addresses change surrounding TSN governance, injecting agency into Historical Institutionalism (HI) analysis and considers three pressures — expert knowledge, mobilisation, and salience — collectively to address existing research gaps. HI provides the theoretical lens, supported by agency to address the theory’s limitations. The directional flow of pressures, from the communicative to the coordinative policy sphere, elucidates the role of actors in inducing institutional changes. A process-tracing case study methodology is employed and the research analyses governmental documents, health reports, news articles, and interviews to trace the unfolding changes in TSN's governance. The empirical findings show a departure from historical patterns, marked by the maatwerkafspraken, as well as increased monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure the company adheres to the new green industrial vision of the Netherlands. The findings indicate a necessity of coexisting pressures—expert knowledge, mobilisation, and salience—to trigger change. The absence of any one pressure prompts dynamic equilibrium in favour of the powerful interests of TSN, emphasising the need for high pressure in the communicative policy sphere.Show less
This thesis applies collective action theory from a historical institutionalist perspective. With applying collective action theory on an international level, the boundaries of collective action...Show moreThis thesis applies collective action theory from a historical institutionalist perspective. With applying collective action theory on an international level, the boundaries of collective action theory are pushed further than before. Collective action theory from a historical perspective is used to investigate the scope of regime complexity intergovernmental organizations experience and the development of state membership of intergovernmental organizations.Show less
This thesis takes a comparative approach to understanding the impact of TAN populist executives on the asylum systems of Hungary and Italy following the 2015/16 migration crisis. The interlinking...Show moreThis thesis takes a comparative approach to understanding the impact of TAN populist executives on the asylum systems of Hungary and Italy following the 2015/16 migration crisis. The interlinking concepts of TAN populism, autocratization, and their relationship with judicial control and the asylum seeker are first expanded upon in the Literature Review. Then, the Theoretical Framework chapter delves into the applicability of the path dependence approach for understanding the links between these concepts and hypothesises that the degree to which a TAN populist executive can inflict Asylum System Assault (ASA) depends on its ability to reshape judicial control. This hypothesis is tested using a research design based on MSSD-I which is discussed in the Methodological Approach chapter. The comparative part of the thesis begins with a chapter on the case study of Hungary. In this case we see how the drafting of a new constitution by the Fidesz party in 2010 severely weakened judicial independence, allowing for a path dependent trajectory of further autocratization and, following the migration crisis, of ASA. In turn, this led to the structural death of asylum in the country by 2020. Meanwhile, the next chapter on the Italian case shows how an independent judiciary can act as a lifebuoy for migrant rights by stopping the successful implementation of key TAN populist executive ASA policies. This being the case both during the Conte I government, and in the current Meloni-led government.Show less
