American criminal jury trials are more likely than not very intense and hectic. Often, these trials revolve around a murder, where it is the prosecutor’s job to persuade the jury to convict the...Show moreAmerican criminal jury trials are more likely than not very intense and hectic. Often, these trials revolve around a murder, where it is the prosecutor’s job to persuade the jury to convict the murderer. It is no wonder therefore, that the prosecutorial opening statements during these kids of trials stand symbol for cornerstones to persuasive oratory. This thesis starts off by describing how prosecutors can use Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion called ethos, pathos and logos, most effectively to persuade the jury during their opening statement and uses the findings on how to use these three modes to analyze and compare two real-life criminal jury trials that occurred in the United States in order to answer the following question: Is the use of prosecutorial persuasion in the opening statement of a trial resulting in conviction more compelling than the use of prosecutorial persuasion in the opening statement of a trial resulting in acquittal? The first trial that will be analyzed is the State of Arizona vs. Jodi Ann Arias, which is a trial where a woman named Jodi Arias was convicted of the brutal murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Victor Alexander, prosecuted by Juan Martinez. The second trial to be analyzed is the State of Florida vs. Casey Marie Anthony, which is a trial where a woman named Casey Anthony was acquitted for the murder of her toddler daughter Caylee Anthony, prosecuted by Linda Burdick. Both these trials have been well known around the world and dealt with two of the most hated women in the United States.Show less
Over the past few years transgender rights have become increasingly mainstream, and issues affecting transgender people have frequently made headlines. When considering these issues, transgender is...Show moreOver the past few years transgender rights have become increasingly mainstream, and issues affecting transgender people have frequently made headlines. When considering these issues, transgender is often placed within the greater scope of LGBT rights. However, only fairly recently has the LGB community embraced the T. This research will look at the history of transgender activism, and how the sectional nature of homosexual men and lesbian women excluded the intersectionality of transgender people. This thesis will consider the relationship between these factions in activism, in medical terms and in social terms. It will further come to show that the history of transgender activism is a struggle that is still alive today.Show less
Recent developments such as the Syrian civil war and the Ukraine conflict have put Russia and the U.S. at opposing sides just as Japan increasingly sought relations with Russia over the Northern...Show moreRecent developments such as the Syrian civil war and the Ukraine conflict have put Russia and the U.S. at opposing sides just as Japan increasingly sought relations with Russia over the Northern Territories. The influence of the U.S. on the Russia-Japan relationship and thereby the Northern Territories dispute has been insufficiently researched. Using the Syrian Civil war and the Ukraine crisis as two case studies, the influence of the U.S.on the Russia-Japan relationship will be analyzed in this thesis. The theoretical framework will reflect on prevalent models with which to study Japan in international relations, considering Japan being either a reactive or adaptive state. To analyze the U.S.’ influence on the Russia-Japan relations and by proxy, the Northern territories issue, discourse analysis will be used. The discourse analysis will be looking for uses of discursive power: the ability to pressure another actor by the dominant power through the use of discourse. What is meant by discursive power and its significance to this research will be discussed in the methodology. This research will specifically look for forms of pressure, either explicit or implicit, that pressure Japan in the Ukraine or Syria case studies to sanction or take actions against Russia despite Japan’s interests in good relations with Russia because of the Northern Territories issue. Lastly, changes in the U.S. administration will be discussed briefly. The change from President Obama to President Trump has already caused a stir in the media discourse about the relationship between the U.S. and Russia, and between the U.S. and Japan. A brief speculation about the implications the change in administration might have is therefore necessary, since it is then established that the United State-Russia relationship will have an effect on the Russia-Japan relationship.Show less
Since the ratification of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the United States has moved towards a policy of trade liberalization that endeavors to retain its leading position in the...Show moreSince the ratification of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the United States has moved towards a policy of trade liberalization that endeavors to retain its leading position in the global economy. Partly due to the self-interest of the United States, the Doha Round has failed. This essay elaborates on the foreign trade relations of the United States and discusses the chronology, objectives and failure of the Doha Round. Three arguments are presented for why the United States' trade liberalization policy has changed and caused the Doha Round to fail. The first argument explains the protectionist strategy of the United States regarding its agricultural sector. The second argument goes into the emerging economies that are threatening the leading position of the United States. The third and final argument points out alternative negotiations on trade, for example the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that have partly replaced the objectives of the Doha Round on a regional level.Show less
Alliance politics and securitisation theory have been studied and theorised. However, research on a possible link between these fields remains absent. Yet, when we look at prevalent alliance theory...Show moreAlliance politics and securitisation theory have been studied and theorised. However, research on a possible link between these fields remains absent. Yet, when we look at prevalent alliance theory by Walt, we see that security and threat perceptions play a great role in the formation and persistence of state alliances. We would then expect that the discursive construction of these threats would too. This research takes the “special relationship” between the United States and Israel and their most recent rift over a nuclear Iran as its case study. Other than most analyses of the construction of threat within foreign policy discourse, this research aims to trace interaction between two converging or diverging formal state discourses. A Post Structuralist discourse analysis of formal speeches given by Netanyahu and Obama on policy towards Iran will show that over the eight years of their simultaneous leadership, interaction between their respective discourses increased and took an a more direct form. Results thereby illustrate that securitisation discourse should perhaps more often be studied as not simply emanating from and interacting with the domestic realm. It is not simply a dialogue between leadership and a respective domestic audience. Obama and Netanyahu are also required to legitimate their foreign policy options towards one another and both of their domestic audiences.Show less
