The purpose of this study was to shed light on the relationship between regimes with a strong personalist dimension and a negative post-tenure fate. This was a relevant exercise, because the...Show moreThe purpose of this study was to shed light on the relationship between regimes with a strong personalist dimension and a negative post-tenure fate. This was a relevant exercise, because the personalist dimension was missing in existing frameworks addressing post-tenure fates of authoritarian leaders and elites. Based on available literature, this personalist dimension was hypothesized to be a strong indicator for a negative post-tenure fate. In this thesis this hypothesis is substantiated and found to be statistically significant through merging of the Archigos data-set on regime leaders and Geddes’ (1999) typology of authoritarian regimes. The relationship is then further explored through analysis of two similar cases, Libya and Tunisia. Based on this analysis it was possible to draw several plausible hypotheses regarding the relationship, which provide an interesting starting point for future research. All in all, it is clearly shown that the conditions that come with a strong personalist dimension can be expected to have a strong negative influence on the post-tenure fate of the regime leadership.Show less
Het falen van de financiële markten heeft een grote rol gespeeld in de aanloop naar de huidige wereldwijde economische crisis. Op een pijnlijke manier is duidelijk geworden dat er grote gevaren...Show moreHet falen van de financiële markten heeft een grote rol gespeeld in de aanloop naar de huidige wereldwijde economische crisis. Op een pijnlijke manier is duidelijk geworden dat er grote gevaren schuilen in de manier waarop ons economisch stelsel is ingericht. De sociale kosten voor het falen van de financiële markten zijn groot geweest en de roep om economische hervorming en vergroting van regulering lijkt te zijn toegenomen. Het vraagstuk over regulering wordt in de economische theorie en in de politiek dikwijls besproken in termen van efficiëntie en welvaart. In deze tekst zal gepoogd worden daar een normatieve discussie aan toe te voegen. Het doel van de onderstaande tekst is het geven van een antwoord op de volgende vraag: Wat zijn de mogelijkheden tot legitieme regulering van de financiële markten?Show less
Thomas Pogge in his paper “Cosmopolitanism and Sovereignty” developed an idea for global institutional reform which contributed significantly to the debate about global justice and promotion of...Show moreThomas Pogge in his paper “Cosmopolitanism and Sovereignty” developed an idea for global institutional reform which contributed significantly to the debate about global justice and promotion of human rights. Pogge attempts to use a strategy that would permit him to go beyond the debate between two extreme approaches to duties, namely libertarianism and utilitarianism. The idea is to invoke strong obligations on the part of individuals by appealing only to their negative duties and not affirming positive duties. In this way, Pogge attempts to broaden the circle of responsibility for the fulfillment of human rights. This thesis will discover how succesful Pogge is in his strategy to do it. It will explore how Pogge adresses within his institutional cosmopolitanism the duties that human rights entail and reveal this way a number of weak points in the theoryShow less
Dit artikel bekritiseert de vorming van de minimale staat van Robert Nozick. De onvervreemdbare individuele rechten staan centraal. Er wordt betoogd dat de theorie van Nozick ten onder gaat aan...Show moreDit artikel bekritiseert de vorming van de minimale staat van Robert Nozick. De onvervreemdbare individuele rechten staan centraal. Er wordt betoogd dat de theorie van Nozick ten onder gaat aan interne inconsistenties, omdat het niet voldoet aan de eisen die hij zelf stelt. Hierbij speelt zijn eigen Wilt Chamberlain argument een centrale rol. Daarnaast wordt er een vergelijking gemaakt met het anarchokapitalisme, waarbij vooral gekeken wordt naar de bescherming van de individuele rechten. De centrale conclusie is dat er een niet-Nozickiaanse argument noodzakelijk om tot de Nozickiaanse minimale staat te komen.Show less
This thesis tests the RAS model created by John Zaller. By using the Dutch Parliamentary Election Study from 1998 to 2003, the observed change in public opinion of Dutch voters towards non western...Show moreThis thesis tests the RAS model created by John Zaller. By using the Dutch Parliamentary Election Study from 1998 to 2003, the observed change in public opinion of Dutch voters towards non western immigrants is tested. Results include the inability to explain the changes in public opinion according to the RAS model. However, key variables such as political knowledge and political predispositions prove to be significant explanatory variables in this case.Show less
Advanced master thesis | Political Science (Advanced Master)
closed access
The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), now a nascent political grouping of powerful emerging market economies, began as little more than an economic idea. A report...Show moreThe BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), now a nascent political grouping of powerful emerging market economies, began as little more than an economic idea. A report published by a prominent financial firm coined the term “BRICS” because of their similar economic sizes and future market potential. The report never considered the possibility of these countries forming a grouping. When the global financial crisis began 2007, the BRICS saw an opportunity for cooperation. Naturally, their greatest common interests were to reform this failing financial system. This study examines the factors that explain BRICS cooperation to understand how they contribute to their contemporary degree of cooperation.Show less
Advanced master thesis | Political Science (Advanced Master)
open access
The main focus of this thesis lies in re-examining the impact of territoriality on the conduct of international relations in the context of separatism of exclaves. The enclaves were selected...Show moreThe main focus of this thesis lies in re-examining the impact of territoriality on the conduct of international relations in the context of separatism of exclaves. The enclaves were selected because of their specific territorial character, being separated from their mother state by a territory of another state entity. Our initial hypothesis stating that the demands of independence are formed by coexistence of both territorial and historical factor has been demonstrated on the cases of Cabinda and Oecussi. Using the qualitative comparative analysis, we have justified the selection of variables and conducted a cross-case study that confirmed our hypothesis. According to our findings, the historical background has a more important role in the creation of separatist tendencies than territory, while this has only a modifying effect on the initial preconditions. In the discussion we contrasted this result with the opportunity and willingness model and concluded that causal logic that applies to the interstate conflict does not adequately describe the situation of exclave’s separatism and therefore a further research into this area is needed.Show less
Er zijn INGO's die mensenrechtenschendingen van multinationals proberen tegen te gaan. Dit doen zij door zich in te zetten voor bindende regelgeving en voor vrijwillige bedrijfscodes. In deze...Show moreEr zijn INGO's die mensenrechtenschendingen van multinationals proberen tegen te gaan. Dit doen zij door zich in te zetten voor bindende regelgeving en voor vrijwillige bedrijfscodes. In deze scriptie wordt aan de hand van de begrippen 'logic of consequences' en 'logic of appropriateness' uiteengezet in hoeverre de strategieën die INGO’s hiertoe hanteren ten aanzien van staten verschillen van de strategieën die zij gebruiken ten aanzien van multinationals.Show less
This paper adresses the underlying obstacles that blurs the debate about the legitimacy of interventions, emphasizing the divergent notions of sovereignty that are used within the realm of...Show moreThis paper adresses the underlying obstacles that blurs the debate about the legitimacy of interventions, emphasizing the divergent notions of sovereignty that are used within the realm of political philosophy.Show less
A study on the role of socio-demographic variables on political tolerance levels in the Netherlands. To answer the research question (‘what socio-demographic variables contribute to changes in the...Show moreA study on the role of socio-demographic variables on political tolerance levels in the Netherlands. To answer the research question (‘what socio-demographic variables contribute to changes in the levels of political tolerance?’), a six-item scale for political tolerance was constructed. The regression analysis showed that the socio-demographic variables age, social class, education, city size and religion were of significant influence on political tolerance levels. Moreover, income and gender appeared not to have any significant effect on political tolerance. Also, income and education proved to be correlated.Show less
