http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/international-relations Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:22:12 -0400 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:22:12 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1937/knowledge-production-in-international-relations-a-poststructural-feminist-critique-of-liberal-feminism By Dana K.J. Al-Thani - In popular international relations (IR) theory, knowledge production is often dismissed as an objective process between the researcher and the empirical world. This article rejects this notion and contends that the process of knowledge production is always inherently political in the conduct and study of IR. In order to achieve this argument, a poststructural lens is adopted in order to critique the liberal understanding of knowledge production within IR as a scientific process capable of revealing ‘universal truths.’ Additionally, in discussing ‘the political’ this article... Wed, 09 Feb 2022 01:27 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1937/knowledge-production-in-international-relations-a-poststructural-feminist-critique-of-liberal-feminism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1932/chinas-international-investments-under-xi-jinping-long-term-implications-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-and-asian-infrastructure-investment-bank By Rakkshet Singhaal - The study examines the degree to which Xi Jinping has brought about a strategic shift to the Chinese outward investment pattern and how this may present significant political leverage and military advantages for China in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In order to understand China’s intention behind its outward investments, the study examines the numerous outbound investments made by Chinese businesses and state-owned enterprises, especially in the infrastructure and energy sector, and demonstrate a strategic shift brought by Xi Jinping to achieve his domestic objective, which can be seen... Fri, 14 Jan 2022 10:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1932/chinas-international-investments-under-xi-jinping-long-term-implications-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-and-asian-infrastructure-investment-bank http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1906/turning-crisis-into-opportunity-how-global-economic-institutions-can-use-covid-19-to-address-global-challenges By Nicolas Verbeek - The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated current global challenges. However, this article argues that this time of crisis can also be a unique opportunity for the existing global economic institutions - G20, WTO, IMF, and World Bank (WB) - to make the necessary improvements that are needed to effectively address the global challenges of our time. First and foremost, these challenges include the immediate health crisis, climate change, and global inequality. The opportunity has come to become effective altruists, that is, to do the best possible for people who are worse off at a moderate cost to oneself... Thu, 16 Sep 2021 08:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1906/turning-crisis-into-opportunity-how-global-economic-institutions-can-use-covid-19-to-address-global-challenges http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1870/liberal-and-realist-explanations-of-merkels-open-door-policy-during-the-2015-refugee-crisis By Niklas Ernst - During the 2015 refugee crisis Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed refugees to enter Germany in unprecedented numbers. Her historic decision to adapt the so-called “open-door policy” continues to shape contemporary German politics. More precisely, it will likely define Merkel’s legacy and political future. This article analyzes her decision through two major IR theories: liberalism and realism. It aims to contribute to the discipline’s understanding of the “open-door policy” by assessing what each theory can explain well and less well. While the article analyzes... Mon, 01 Feb 2021 02:03 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1870/liberal-and-realist-explanations-of-merkels-open-door-policy-during-the-2015-refugee-crisis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1806/the-effectiveness-of-the-international-criminal-court-challenges-and-pathways-for-prosecuting-human-rights-violations By Sarah J. Goodman - Of the thousands of potential cases that could have been investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC), only 44 individuals have been indicted, with 45 cases currently before the ICC. Further, only 14 out of the 45 have resulted in a complete proceeding, and only nine were convicted. Scholars in the field have not adequately addressed why cases come before the ICC and how this process may result in a full hearing and verdict. Because of these gaps, empirically-informed recommendations for areas of improvement for the ICC are also largely absent. To begin to fill these gaps, this research... Wed, 30 Sep 2020 12:04 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1806/the-effectiveness-of-the-international-criminal-court-challenges-and-pathways-for-prosecuting-human-rights-violations http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1778/seeking-a-better-life-asylum-law-the-migration-crisis-and-available-legal-remedies By Audrey Cialdella - Between 2012 and 2017, the number of asylum applications from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—countries collectively known as the Northern Triangle—increased by eight hundred percent[1]. The Trump administration has responded by increasing deportations, separating families, and forcing would-be asylum seekers to wait to file their claims in Mexico, where they have limited resources and remain exposed to many of the dangers from which they fled[2]. The root of this mass exodus from three small countries reaches back to the Cold War, when the US became enmeshed in civil wars in... Thu, 27 Feb 2020 08:22 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1778/seeking-a-better-life-asylum-law-the-migration-crisis-and-available-legal-remedies http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1769/united-states-patents-biopiracy-and-cultural-imperialism-the-theft-of-indias-traditional-knowledge By Daanyaal R. Kumar - This article aims to present the biopiracy of traditional knowledge from India by the United States, which has occurred directly through the use of patent law and indirectly through economic power and cultural imperialism. Throughout this essay, I will analyze U.S. patent law, patent law cases where Indian traditional knowledge is being stolen, and the influence of U.S. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America in India. Through lenses of economic power and cultural imperialism, I will examine how economic power and U.S notions of cultural imperialism have given the United States the... Thu, 03 Oct 2019 08:21 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1769/united-states-patents-biopiracy-and-cultural-imperialism-the-theft-of-indias-traditional-knowledge http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1745/changes-in-estonian-defense-policy-following-episodes-of-russian-aggression By Benjamin Cooper - After joining the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004, Estonians felt secure and in charge of their future. However, following the 2007 Bronze Horseman incident in the Estonian capital of Tallinn which included riots incited by Russian disinformation as well as cyberattacks on the Estonian banking and government infrastructure, many in Estonia became cognizant of the need for the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), NATO, and the EU to do more to combat the growing Russian threat. When Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, any Estonian illusions of a peaceful and mutually... Tue, 30 Oct 2018 09:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1745/changes-in-estonian-defense-policy-following-episodes-of-russian-aggression http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1715/realism-and-arab-nationalism-an-uneasy-partnership By Marina M. Elgawly - The relationship between realism and nationalism is not clearly articulated in international relations literature. On one hand, realism and nationalism are viewed as contradictory forces, standing against one another as reason to emotion, reality to identity. On the other, nationalism and power politics are inherently intertwined; nationalism often significantly promotes the escalation of war, thus affecting the balance of power. In the context of the modern Middle East, the relationship between realism and nationalism is obfuscated even further as Arab nationalism, a neither particularistic nor... Mon, 18 Dec 2017 10:09 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1715/realism-and-arab-nationalism-an-uneasy-partnership http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1707/decision-making-theories-and-chinas-military-intervention-in-the-korean-war By Hao Ming Xiong - This article uses two decision-making theories – rational choice theory and prospect theory – to examine China’s resolution to intervene militarily in the Korean War. I argue that Chairman Mao Zedong was in a domain of loss both domestically and internationally when the U.N. Command crossed the 38 Parallel and approached the Yalu River. In this context, loss aversion predisposed him to gamble on a risky option – direct military intervention – which is estimated to have a higher utility than strengthening border defenses, an option that would have been more attractive... Wed, 22 Nov 2017 09:42 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1707/decision-making-theories-and-chinas-military-intervention-in-the-korean-war http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1659/tracing-the-success-of-soft-power-in-the-us-state-departments-future-leaders-exchange-program By Leyla R. Latypova - The United States government started exploring the soft power potential of student and scholar exchange programs as early as 1908, with the establishment of the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program.[1] The father of the theory of soft power, Joseph Nye, was not even born when Edmund James, then president of the University of Illinois, outlined precisely the soft power benefits of the student exchange in his letter to president Franklin D. Roosevelt. James wrote, “The nation which succeeds in educating the young Chinese of the present generation will be the nation which, for a given expenditure... Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:42 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1659/tracing-the-success-of-soft-power-in-the-us-state-departments-future-leaders-exchange-program http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1647/when-trying-to-surprise-your-opponents-backfires-exposing-the-weaknesses-of-the-indirect-approach By Joshua Schwartz - It is often thought that great military strategists do not engage in simple, frontal assaults, but instead devise complex plans meant to deceive, manipulate, and surprise their enemies. However, do such strategies always lead to victory? If not, what are some of the reasons why they fail to? In order to answer these questions, this paper will examine one such strategy known as the "indirect approach," which was developed by Basil Liddell Hart, a famous British historian and military strategist. The main concept of the indirect approach is that the optimal military strategy is to position your... Mon, 22 May 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1647/when-trying-to-surprise-your-opponents-backfires-exposing-the-weaknesses-of-the-indirect-approach http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1627/hegemonic-overreach-in-the-british-empire-economic-distress-strategic-imperative-and-the-fall-of-singapore By Peter Bennett-Koufie - Since the end of the Second World War, scholars of British military history have busied themselves with attempts to explain the British defeat at Singapore to Japan in February 1942. Research reveals that there existed what Peden has called an “imbalance between limited military power and extensive commitments” in the interwar era.[1] Put simply, the economic and military resources at Britain’s disposal were incommensurate with the scale of effort required to adequately defend her empire. This raises the question of why such an imbalance existed. One prominent explanation is... Wed, 19 Apr 2017 09:13 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1627/hegemonic-overreach-in-the-british-empire-economic-distress-strategic-imperative-and-the-fall-of-singapore http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1550/globalization-and-the-state-assessing-the-decline-of-the-westphalian-state-in-a-globalizing-world By Sagnik Guha - In the year 1648, two treaties signed in the cities of Osnabruck and Munster, collectively known as the Treaty of Westphalia, brought into creation a notion of statehood that would go on to shape and influence the formation of nation states across the world for centuries to come. The Westphalian state is widely believed to be characterized by two distinctive features: Territoriality and Sovereignty. Territoriality is understood as the recognition of humans being organized into exclusive territorial communities that are political in nature and have fixed borders. The Westphalian notion of sovereignty... Fri, 03 Mar 2017 11:33 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1550/globalization-and-the-state-assessing-the-decline-of-the-westphalian-state-in-a-globalizing-world http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1525/development-discourse-and-the-conduct-of-conduct-promoting-good-governance-in-tanzania By Samuel W. Singler - Following the failure of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) in the 1980s, and the liberal triumphalism caused by the end of the Cold War, development discourse underwent a significant transformation. Key to the new development paradigm was the promotion of “good governance,” stressing the role of governments in providing a sound legal and institutional framework for economic growth and development, and conversely locating the failures of past development programmes in the “poor governance” of aid recipient states (World Bank, 1992: 9). According to the good governance... Wed, 01 Feb 2017 11:53 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1525/development-discourse-and-the-conduct-of-conduct-promoting-good-governance-in-tanzania http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1567/understanding-the-potential-for-conflict-in-the-south-china-sea By Bailey Wong - Foreign policymakers, academics, and regional pundits have all acknowledged the importance of the South China Sea. This region, rich in resources and trade, is the subject of intense territorial contest and is perpetually at risk for escalation and confrontation. This research analyzes the potential for conflict in the South China Sea by examining when and why China has used force in its past territorial disputes. Current theories in international relations offer multiple competing explanations for when and why states use force, highlighting different explanatory variables, such as military might... Sat, 31 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1567/understanding-the-potential-for-conflict-in-the-south-china-sea http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1565/reevaluating-military-strategy-the-effectiveness-of-conventional-deterrence By Dan Fitzgerald - The rise of modernized and efficient militaries competing for dominance against the United States' military has resulted in increased eruptions of conflict globally. A majority of decisions by the Joint Chiefs and EUCOM about long-term U.S. military policy in these areas are currently being based off personal and historical observations, along with blatant speculation. The question that should be asked before formulating these positions is if crisis management techniques, like conventional force movement, have a positive effect on the response to crisis triggers. The aim of this research is to... Sat, 31 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1565/reevaluating-military-strategy-the-effectiveness-of-conventional-deterrence http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1480/the-muslim-brotherhood-and-egypts-failed-democratic-transition By Jacob C. Potts - In January of 2011, massive protests emerged against Hosni Mubarak, the autocratic leader of Egypt since 1981. After Mubarak stepped down, there was a period of relative freedom for Egyptians, which unfortunately came crashing down roughly two years later, when the military forced the democratically elected president, Muhammad Morsi, to resign. The subsequent regime headed by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has gone further in its authoritarian practices compared to the former Mubarak regime. After this turn of events, many wonder why this transition to democracy was such a failure. Many have placed blame... Fri, 28 Oct 2016 11:20 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1480/the-muslim-brotherhood-and-egypts-failed-democratic-transition http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1455/chinese-nationalism-or-the-chinese-communist-party-who-is-really-guiding-chinas-foreign-policy By Tennessee F. Abbott - China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that leads it has historically limited itself in regards to projecting power and inserting itself into international disputes and affairs. With the exception of its involvement in the Korean War, most conflicts that China has involved itself with were over border disputes.[1] This relative lack of assertiveness is by no means an accident, and in fact is a deliberate strategy that harks back to the early days of Deng Xiaoping and the reform and opening up policies. China's “peaceful rise” as its leaders like to put it has placed a heavy emphasis... Wed, 05 Oct 2016 12:11 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1455/chinese-nationalism-or-the-chinese-communist-party-who-is-really-guiding-chinas-foreign-policy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1444/spectrums-of-nationalism-a-comparison-of-american-and-chinese-nationalism By Aeron L. Roach - American media generally depicts nationalism as a negative concept, which is threatening to peace and security. However, in its broadest sense, nationalism can incorporate two phenomena: “(1) the attitude that the members of a nation have when they care about their identity as members of that nation and (2) the actions that the members of a nation take in seeking to achieve (or sustain) some form of political sovereignty.”1 Neither of these is inherently threatening to either peace or security. Why, then, is Chinese nationalism so often viewed as a threat? I propose that this perception... Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:02 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1444/spectrums-of-nationalism-a-comparison-of-american-and-chinese-nationalism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1434/theories-of-nuclear-proliferation-why-do-states-seek-nuclear-weapons By David A. Smith - Nuclear proliferation refers to the spread of nuclear weapons and the technology used to produce such weapons, and to the process by which a state develops and/or comes into possession of nuclear weapons (US Department of Defence 2005). The first nuclear fight for survival ended in 1945 when the United States (US) used two nuclear bombs against Japan to bomb the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Carroll 2007). However, after WW2 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) accelerated its nuclear development program, due to fears that the US and their Allies would attack them (Holloway 1995,... Tue, 30 Aug 2016 02:35 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1434/theories-of-nuclear-proliferation-why-do-states-seek-nuclear-weapons http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1439/detente-studies-in-cold-war-international-history-questions-unmarked By Jittipat Poonkham - Détente is generally understood as a relaxation of international tension. However, there are many conceptions and characteristics of détente: superpower détente (such as ‘Nixinger's, Leonid Brezhnev's or Mao Zedong/ Zhou Enlai's détente), European détente (such as Charles de Gaulle's détente and Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik) and, to a lesser extent, small powers' détente. Détente connotes different things to different states (and statesmen) at different time. That is, it is one concept with many interpretations. The article examines the... Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1439/detente-studies-in-cold-war-international-history-questions-unmarked http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1418/state-failure-in-the-south-pacific-and-southeast-asia-the-importance-of-australias-response-for-national-and-regional-stability By David A. Smith - The occurrence of state failure is an important concern for Australia as it pertains to the security and stability of the broader region (Ezrow & Frantz 2013, pp. 16-17). Rotberg (2003, p. 1) defines state failure as the result of internal violence and corruption that leads to a situation where “positive goods can no longer be delivered to the inhabitants,” leading to a loss of legitimacy. Responding to so called failed states and states that are heading towards failure is essential in maintaining regional security. For Australia, areas of concern include the South Pacific Islands... Thu, 02 Jun 2016 09:38 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1418/state-failure-in-the-south-pacific-and-southeast-asia-the-importance-of-australias-response-for-national-and-regional-stability http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1572/thrifty-authoritarians-us-regime-change-1945-present By Daniel J. Savickas - The efficacy of efforts by the United States government to influence regime change in foreign nations has been increasingly called into question. Motivated by these statements of skepticism, the study herein provides a statistical analysis of the impact US intervention has had on both democratic evolutions in target nations for regime change, and for the development of their GDP per capita. An analysis of GDP per capita in target nations for US-sponsored regime change offers observers insight into both how standard of living conditions may have improved in those nations and a brief overview of... Tue, 31 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1572/thrifty-authoritarians-us-regime-change-1945-present http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1574/terrorist-divorce-examining-alliance-break-ups-and-the-al-qaedaisil-split By Vivian G. Hagerty - Though somewhat counterintuitive given terrorist organizations' clandestine nature, such organizations do engage in strategic alliances and partnerships with one another. A handful of scholars have grappled with terrorist alliances, but a gap in the literature remains when it comes to how these alliances end. This study will examine "terrorist divorce" – the point at which these alliances fall apart – by building a preliminary theoretical discussion and investigating the break-up of al Qaeda Core and The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (formerly al Qaeda in Iraq). The study finds... Tue, 31 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1574/terrorist-divorce-examining-alliance-break-ups-and-the-al-qaedaisil-split http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1341/crossed-wires-international-cooperation-on-cyber-security By Madeline Carr - Although cyber security is quite clearly a ‘post-state' problem, it has actually proven very difficult to move beyond a Westphalian conception of either the problem or the possible solutions. This leads to a central paradox about cyber security as we currently conceive it: on the one hand, it appears to be a problem that cannot be dealt with effectively by state instruments like the military or law enforcement but despite that, there remains a strong expectation that the state retains responsibility for providing security in this realm. This paradox has led to an emphasis in cyber security... Sun, 31 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1341/crossed-wires-international-cooperation-on-cyber-security http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1342/book-review-cyber-war-will-not-take-place By Justine Chauvin - In Cyber War Will Not Take Place1, Thomas Rid develops his argument on the concept of "cyberwar", previously formulated in an article of the same name2 published in January 2012. His chief point is that "cyber war has never happened in the past, it does not occur in the present, and it is unlikely that it will disturb our future";3 ergo the use of this concept to describe cyberoffenses is misleading.4 He has also written several articles related to cyberwar5, cyberweapons6 and cyberpeace,7 in which he argues against the militarization of the debate about cyberattacks,8 and in particular the confusing... Sun, 31 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1342/book-review-cyber-war-will-not-take-place http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1343/stuxnet-the-worlds-first-cyber-boomerang By Alex Middleton - In June 2012, two years after the initial discovery of the Stuxnet worm,1 an excerpt from David Sanger's then soon to be released book entitled Confront and Conceal was published in the New York Times.2 This piece, purportedly based on the testimony of several current and former American, European and Israeli officials, declared that Stuxnet – "the world's first fully fledged cyber weapon"3 was engineered by the United States and Israel as part of a wider covert operation aimed at undermining the Iranian nuclear program.4 Whilst the United States and Israel had long been suspected of developing... Sun, 31 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1343/stuxnet-the-worlds-first-cyber-boomerang http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1344/the-internet-as-a-slippery-object-of-state-security-the-problem-of-physical-border-insensitivity-anonymity-and-global-interconnectedness By Memphis Krickeberg - Cybersecurity is presented in the growing literature on the subject as an essentially "slippery" object for state security.1 The Internet puts a lot of stress on the conventional conception of state security as the insurance of the state's survival in the international realm. In addition, cybersecurity supposedly leads to a reconfiguration of state security which must be apprehended through new paradigms. In this article we establish a typology of the main arguments found in cybersecurity discourses that emphasize fundamental differences between cybersecurity and more conventional factors of state... Sun, 31 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1344/the-internet-as-a-slippery-object-of-state-security-the-problem-of-physical-border-insensitivity-anonymity-and-global-interconnectedness http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1320/united-states-india-defense-relations-a-strategic-partnership-for-the-21st-century By John Pedro - The uptick in U.S.-India cooperation originated late in the Clinton administration, was carried through the Bush Administration, and has been continued by the Obama Administration's pivot to Asia and recent renewal of the mutual defense framework. I argue that although past relations have been tumultuous, collaboration will continue to grow in the future as a result of converging interests and strategic necessities. India is rapidly growing in influence and power; with 1.3 million active personnel, it is the world's third largest military, and with 1.2 billion people, its largest democracy.1 In... Fri, 01 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1320/united-states-india-defense-relations-a-strategic-partnership-for-the-21st-century