This research investigates whether or not the resource curse remains applicable when a state transitions from oil dependency to water dependency. In the context of Sudan, this thesis investigates...Show moreThis research investigates whether or not the resource curse remains applicable when a state transitions from oil dependency to water dependency. In the context of Sudan, this thesis investigates the strategic choices of the Salvation Regime during this transition from the '60s till the fall of the regime in '19. Results of this research indicate that (continued) strategic dependency on foreign powers and distributive efforts to capture the voting block domestically by the government strongly reflect on symptoms predicted by the resource curse model.Show less
The United States played an important role in Central America throughout the first half of the 20th century. However, despite far-reaching similarities between the different Central American...Show moreThe United States played an important role in Central America throughout the first half of the 20th century. However, despite far-reaching similarities between the different Central American countries and the fact that the US did not differentiate between them in its foreign policy approach, significant differences in the political developments of the Central American republics occurred during this period. Using a comparative method to investigate two such cases, namely the nondemocratic administrations of Anastasio Somoza García in Nicaragua and Tiburcio Carías Andino in Honduras, this thesis demonstrates that the manner in which the individual Central American leaders used their agency to shape the relationship between their respective administration and the United States was the crucial factor determining the different outcomes in regime survival. This was for an important part due to the fact that both nondemocratic regimes studied relied on their military to stay in power, and the extent to which these militaries in turn relied on US support differed as a result of different leadership decisions. Based on such findings, this thesis argues for a revised explanation of US-Central American relations during the 20th century, away from the widespread but incorrect “Banana Republic” narrative which overlooks Central American agency.Show less
