This thesis examines the influence of Brexit on British foreign policymaking by making use of the concept of strategic culture. In 2016, a general referendum in the United Kingdom was held asking...Show moreThis thesis examines the influence of Brexit on British foreign policymaking by making use of the concept of strategic culture. In 2016, a general referendum in the United Kingdom was held asking the question whether the country should remain a member of, or leave, the European Union. A majority vote in favour of ‘leave’ transformed both the foreign policy outlook of Britain, as well as the reigning Conservative Party government. These changes are embodied in the defence review published under Johnson’s Conservative government, named as Global Britain in a Competitive Age. By combining foregoing academic research with an analysis of British defence reviews since the end of the Cold War, this thesis articulates the defining characteristics of British strategic culture. By comparing this with an analysis of the defence review published under Johnson’s government, this thesis shows that Brexit has brought about a change in strategic culture on several accounts and has thereby considerably affected British foreign policymaking.Show less
This thesis discusses the potential larger role of domestic actors playing a role in the creation of military agreements or alliances. Previous literature has mostly focused on states or the...Show moreThis thesis discusses the potential larger role of domestic actors playing a role in the creation of military agreements or alliances. Previous literature has mostly focused on states or the potential economic transaction of the alliance formation process, and under-analysed the role of domestic actors. This thesis attempted to add to that debate by using the Kingdon model of policy change to assess the role of domestic actors.Show less
The objective of this single-case exploratory study is to investigate the annexation of Kashmir by India in 2019. The research question in this thesis is how domestic factors have played a role in...Show moreThe objective of this single-case exploratory study is to investigate the annexation of Kashmir by India in 2019. The research question in this thesis is how domestic factors have played a role in the decision of the Modi administration to annex Kashmir. Kingdon’s (1995) Multiple Streams Framework has been applied to the annexation of Kashmir in order to investigate what domestic factors led to the window of opportunity, the annexation of Kashmir. By study of the problem, political and policy stream, an explanation of the course of events leading up to the window of opportunity has been formed. Each stream has been separately analyzed according to Kingdon’s (1995) parameters and indicators in order to select the information relevant to this thesis. This thesis recognizes that there might have been limitations regarding other parameters such as e.g. psychological/leadership parameters, which could not have been taken into consideration. However, Kingdon’s model (1995) has proven useful to understand the annexation of Kashmir by India through a public policy perspective.Show less
The influence of the EU or ‘top-down Europeanization’ on the convergence of Member States has been a popular area of research. This study will take it a step further and address the following...Show moreThe influence of the EU or ‘top-down Europeanization’ on the convergence of Member States has been a popular area of research. This study will take it a step further and address the following research question: ‘What effect has Europeanization posed on the shaping of the Counter-Terrorism strategy of France and the Netherlands?’. This specific research will take a look at which terrorism related events happened in both countries before 9/11, how the process of counter-terrorism strategies developed after 9/11, and how (top-down) Europeanization had influenced the shaping of these counter-terrorism strategies.Show less
