Through closed reading analysis, this thesis looked at the North Korean nation brand specifically in relation to the image of the state. It found that, through three topics which also act as...Show moreThrough closed reading analysis, this thesis looked at the North Korean nation brand specifically in relation to the image of the state. It found that, through three topics which also act as symbols in the new nation brand, the state tried to convey care for its people and its competence as a leading body. This leads to the conclusion that North Korea is trying to establish a more positive nation brand by improving its image using the image repair theory. It did so by both stressing the good traits of the state and by delivering counter-messages to the ideas that North Korea is a dictatorship and that people are being forced to follow the state. This was done by emphasizing the benefits of living in North Korea and establishing the narrative that people follow the state out of gratitude.Show less
One year into the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war, debates still rage over the Russian motivations for this war. Purely international explanations, found in offensive and defensive realism, emphasise that...Show moreOne year into the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war, debates still rage over the Russian motivations for this war. Purely international explanations, found in offensive and defensive realism, emphasise that wars are best understood as a means of states to ensure security among states. I argue that domestic considerations matter by stressing the analytical utility of the selectorate theory of war, which argues that state behaviour is best explained by a leader's desire to stay in power through ensuring loyalty by providing public and private goods. Using a qualitative explanatory case study research design, focusing on a single case: the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is found that before the war, Vladimir Putin was facing a crisis of political survival because his ability to ensure support from the elites he depended on and the wider public was increasingly constrained during his presidency due to a persistently stagnating economy. The war strengthened Putin’s political survival because newly acquired territories provide new sources of revenue for Russia’s elites. For the wider public, this study strongly suggests that Putin was aiming for a rally round the flag effect to distract the public at home from deteriorating circumstances and temporarily reduce the demand for public goods. In addition, the war legitimised greater repression, which signals a high cost of expressing discontent with Putin which deters future opposition and serves as a means to purge the elites and the broader public from disloyalty. Understanding these domestic factors that are negated by the purely international explanations of war is crucial for understanding the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war. This thesis provides a novel contribution to the literature explaining Russia’s foreign policies by using the selectorate theory of war, a theory that has not been used systematically for explaining Russia’s foreign policy.Show less
