How, When and Why do Western Democracies Use Coercive Military Power?

How, When and Why do Western Democracies Use Coercive Military Power? Trying to present a total or even a mere account of the global conflicts through the history of humanity would be almost an endless process. What is essential to present is that the way and "for what reasons" those wars were conducted has changed dramatically throughout late history. In order to present a more in-depth overview of the advances that formed the art of war in contemporary history, the following will be examined at brief. The pre-westphalian world, the post Westphalian system, the world wars and the cold war, summarising the most important changes that formed the way military force is been used today, focusing in the west regions, were later the western liberal democracies were formed. Before the westphalian system, religious authority was ruling in Europe. The Roman Empire had a centralised authority since the fifth century, and then a decentralisation followed in the middle ages. The majority of the western Europe regions, reverted to feudal principalities then, authority was placed on private hands and as a consequence, power were allocated in different overlapping levels1. The predominant institution was once again the church with the pope and the central authority in Rome. Wars then were fighting for territorial expansion and religious unification under the name of Christianity. Later

  • Word count: 4153
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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What lessons should Congress draw from its recent efforts to win greater control over the conduct of foreign policy?

What lessons should Congress draw from its recent efforts to win greater control over the conduct of foreign policy? "In the areas of defense and foreign affairs, the nation must speak with one voice, and only the president is capable of providing that voice." (President Ronald Reagan, 1984)1 "... the American system of government disintegrates the leadership of Congress, and then largely stakes the fate of itself and the world of nations with which it is merged by physical oneness, upon the character and ability of one solitary man in the White House: that is, upon an accident... ruin as well as bliss is risked upon a single throw." (Professor Herman Finer, 1951)2 The American Constitution has placed immense power, prestige and influence in the hands of a single individual. Yet, the President, as seen by the men of 1787 who drafted the Articles that created the presidency, was to be official Head of State, mostly an honourable position, and an officer above the level of parties or factions who would carry out the will of Congress. His chief powers were to be confined to conducting foreign relations and administering federal laws. Both these fields were expected to be small with America so remote from the rest of the world and with the then prevailing view that all government should, in any case, be kept to a minimum. This view of the President as a dignified statesman

  • Word count: 4153
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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'The formation and development of the European Union has lead to political stability, prosperity and social/cultural understanding between its member states'. Discuss.

MG1060 - Introduction to European Business Robert Peter Rogala - 0117439 Tutor: Ted Crawford Date of Submission: 19/04/2002 'The formation and development of the European Union has lead to political stability, prosperity and social/cultural understanding between its member states'. Discuss. Between 1870 and 1945 there were three major wars fought in Europe. It seemed obvious that there was a need for countries in Europe to cooperate, however, approaches differed. Some countries favoured intergovernmental arrangements (e.g. Council of Europe established in 1949), while others preferred a federal Europe. By 1951 countries had grown dissatisfied of intergovernmental arrangements and so Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Paris. This set the groundwork for the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. The Treaty of Rome followed in 1957 setting up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM). The Treaty of Rome has since been amended by the Single European Act (1986) and the Maastricht Treaty agreed by European Council in December 1991. The number of countries in the three communities grew from the original six to fifteen by 1995. Britain, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland joined in 1973, Greece in 1981, Spain and Portugal in 1986 and finally Sweden, Finland &

  • Word count: 1096
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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The REAL-ism world.

Adams, R 4145723 (BA) International Studies The REAL-ism world. Political Science 262 University of Stellenbosch Index *Introduction *A Liberalist perspective on international organisations * A Realist perspective on international organisations * A Marxist perspective on international organisations * A Functionalist perspective on international organisations * My opinion - A Realist approach * Conclusion * BIBLIOGARAPHY Introduction There are several different theoretical insights on and approaches to the emergence, nature and consequences of international organisations in the academic field. So, this essay on the topic of different theories, which focuses on international organisations, contain four main theories namely a liberal-, realist-, Marxist-, and functionalist perspective which describes the roles of international organisations in the international system. Each theory will be dealt with on a separate basis where there will be a discussion on each of their core principles and how they view the world's political sphere. Furthermore, there will also be a discussion on the theory which I think describes the role of international organisations the best as well as a brief discussion on the relationship which America has with international organisations and how this super power has the potential to influence, and in extreme circumstances, control

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Power and Politics

Power and Politics MGT 331 Team B May 3, 2007 Gary Denney Abstract Political activity is inevitable in any organization. Politics can be either positive or negative depending on the strength of self-interest that pervades. Organizational politics are a natural result of the fact that people think differently and want to act differently. Power, the ability to make decisions and control resources, originates in the dynamics of the relationships between people. This diversity creates a tension that can best be resolved through political means. Politics is part of the corporate culture of every organization and it is important to understand how it plays into an organization. There are specific actions an organization can take to exert influence over a group. Power and Politics A Corporation is a living, breathing, and growing entity. It changes on an irregular basis, adapts to its environment, and sometimes performs acts that seem almost ludicrous. In this way, a corporation is very much like a human being. As a part of this being, one must learn how to grow and change. Most of the time, this information is not evident. However, part of the task of becoming a viable asset to this being is to look beyond the surface and find out where things are going. Politics are a natural result of the fact that people think differently and want to act differently. Most of

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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"Forced Labour in Burma: An assessment of procedures and strategies for the international protection of Human Rights."

LONDON SOUTHBANK UNIVERSITY International Protection of Human Rights LLB Law - Year 3 - Full Time Student No. 2152002 Unit Co-ordinator: Andy Unger Title: "Forced Labour in Burma: An assessment of procedures and strategies for the international protection of Human Rights." TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction................................................................................page 2 .1 The meaning of Forced Labour and its relation to Slavery............page 4 .2 How and Where Forced Labour Appears In Burma.................page 6 .3 Why Forced Labour is occurring in Burma? .............................page 8 2.1 The Forced Labour Convention and Burma.............................page 10 3.1 The International Labour Organisation Procedures...................page 14 3.1.1 Article 24 procedure...........................................................page 14 3.1.2 Article 26 procedure...........................................................page 15 3.2 Other procedures of the UN.................................................page 17 4.1 The United Kingdom..........................................................page 19 4.2 The European Unio............................................................page 20 4.3 The United States..............................................................page 21 4.4 Action by Individuals and other NGO's

  • Word count: 6016
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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The Torrey Canyon Disaster

The Torrey Canyon Disaster The "Torrey Canyon", was an American built oil tanker, which was constructed in 1959, with a capacity of over 120,000 tonnes. The Torrey Canyon was owned by a subsidiary of Union oil and at the time of the accident was chartered to BP. On February 19th 1967, the ship left Kuwait with a full cargo of oil that was bound for the Atlantic Ocean. They reached the canary isles on the 14th of March, where the captain was informed of the next destination, which was to be Britain's huge oil port of Milford Haven. Due to the sheer size of the ship, it was essential that the Torrey canyon arrived in Milford Haven by 18th march in order to catch the high tide. This gave the crew only five days to steam nearly 2000 miles. Her time of arrival at this destination was critical as to miss this tide would have meant a very costly delay since another tide of the same range was not was not expected for at least two weeks. The captain of the Torrey canyon was under a great deal of pressure from the management ashore to keep within this tight time schedule and it was this pressure which led him to make an impromptu decision of catastrophic consequences. On the morning of the disaster, the Torrey Canyon was being operated by autopilot, using classical navigation techniques and was aimed for Scilly Isles as their first landfall. Due to a combination of adverse weather

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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"15th state of Euroland or 51st state of the Union? Does the British people face a choice between these alternatives? If so Which should it choose?

"15th state of Euroland or 51st state of the Union? Does the British people face a choice between these alternatives? If so Which should it choose? The European Union as it is today has developed from the European Economic Community created by the Treaty of Rome in 1957. However it's origins precede that date. In the aftermath of war Europe was a continent ravaged by crippling economic and social dislocation. In reaction to this sorry state of affairs the leading politicians of Europe set their sights on a future of close co-operation between all European countries, leading eventually to some form of economic and political union. The early co-operative initiatives were characterised mainly by the relative prominence of functionalism over federalism within them. The highly federalist goal of the 1949 Council of Europe 'for collective collaboration in economic, social and cultural matters, and for collective self defence', and the subsequent reluctance to be involved of Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia was the first indication that not all countries viewed the international security bound up in closer integration as being so desirable as to override the importance of national sovereignty. Therefore it is not surprising that the following pan-European initiatives were, at least in terms of presentation, created with far more emphasis on the functional importance of collaboration

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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"Ethical sanctions are a contradiction in terms." Discuss

"Ethical sanctions are a contradiction in terms." Discuss The increasing use of sanctions in the last decade, coupled with the humanitarian suffering as a consequence, has called to question the use of sanctions as an ethical means of policy inducement. Through targeting the most innocent, vulnerable sectors of the population, and instrumentalising them as a means to achieving compliance to a certain norm, sanctions have come to be understood as a policy which exploit human dignity, and so one which is unethical. However, although historical accounts of sanctions implementations show dire realities as a result of the policy, the problems associated with sanctions are increasingly being studied and understood. Increasingly we can see the development of a new type of sanction, different from the type accounted for in the past, trying to deal with the very unethical problems past sanctions have caused. Therefore it is possible to now see a 'smarter', more ethical sanction developed, in contrast and addition to many types of sanctions which have been imposed in the past. However, the fact that many sanctions as they appear today are still in the same form as before, ignoring humanitarian consequences, mean that sanctions cannot in themselves be viewed as ethical, but rather that the possibility of them being more ethical should not be discounted. The fact that it is the

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Is the European Union a Global Power?

Is the European Union a Global Power? Since its inception the European Union (EU) has continually grown in power and size, and it now boasts 27 member states, a powerful central economy, the worlds 3rd largest population and burgeoning unified military policy. This essay will discuss whether or not the EU has achieved global power status, by examining its global economic, military and political roles and power. Is the E.U a Global Economic Power Japan in the 1970s claimed to be first state to become a global power on the basis of its economic strength, suggesting that while it was incapable of projecting military force, its economic power meant it was able to project global power through the use of its economic and industrial might1. If economic power alone can classify a region as a global power then it could be argued that the E.U has a claim to the title. "There are various ways of measuring the size of an economy with Gross Domestic Product being the most commonly quoted"2. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) world fact book, the E.U has the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of any area in the world eclipsing the United States, even when their total is combined with that of all other North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) members3. In 2007, the IMF estimated the E.U's nominal GDP at

  • Word count: 3587
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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