http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/sovereignty 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 Mon, 29 Jun 2026 04:57:24 -0400 Mon, 29 Jun 2026 04:57:24 -0400 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/1742/a-state-of-illegitimacy-the-dynamics-of-criminal-and-state-legitimacy-in-mexico By Benjamin J. Mackey - The following paper seeks to elucidate the complex processes involved in the Mexican State’s loss of authority and the subsequent acquisition of this authority by armed criminal groups operating in that country. In theoretical terms, this authority is termed the monopoly on the legitimate use of violence, and its transfer from the State to criminal groups carries profound implications - both quantifiable and otherwise - that are explored here. In order to detail the first half of this process, wherein the Mexican State has lost its authority, this paper presents a framework based on the... Mon, 08 Oct 2018 08:15 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1742/a-state-of-illegitimacy-the-dynamics-of-criminal-and-state-legitimacy-in-mexico 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/1521/looking-into-the-crystal-ball-of-kosova-perceptions-understandings-and-predictions-of-the-next-generation By Rachael A. Pulwers - Although the country discussed is often referred to as Kosovo, this paper uses the name Kosova to describe the location. This is the Albanian interpretation of the name, and is being used in the paper because those interviewed are of Albanian ancestry. Although use of Kosova is not accepted everywhere, it is used here to reflect the words and thoughts of those interviewed. Here, Kosovars are those who live in the defined boundaries of the country. Albanians refers to those who live in Kosova but have heritage connected to those in Albanian and speak Albanian every day. Serbs refers to those who... Sun, 29 Jan 2017 10:34 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1521/looking-into-the-crystal-ball-of-kosova-perceptions-understandings-and-predictions-of-the-next-generation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1457/poetic-sovereignty-in-the-work-of-the-romantic-poets-self-determiniation-and-revolutionary-thought By Hayley E. Tartell - This essay first explores how Romantic poets William Wordsworth and Percy Shelley invoke the medium of language, specifically poetic language, to opine on the relationship between the reader’s sense experience and freedom. Subsequently, this piece delves into Romantic thinker Walter Benjamin’s analysis of Holderlin’s poetic language in order to reveal the power dynamics between poetry and the readership. Furthermore, by probing and fleshing out the work of Shelley, one can gain a deeper understanding of the nature of poetic sovereignty and its rootedness in themes of possession... Mon, 10 Oct 2016 08:45 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1457/poetic-sovereignty-in-the-work-of-the-romantic-poets-self-determiniation-and-revolutionary-thought http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1339/competing-claims-in-the-south-china-sea-viewed-through-international-admiralty-law By Constantine J. Petallides - The Spratly Islands sit in the eastern waters of the South China Sea, west of the Philippines and northwest of Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia.[1] The island chain consists of “more than 140 islets, rocks, reefs, shoals, and sandbanks spread over an area of more than 410,000 square kilometers.”[2] Some of the islands are totally submerged, some appear and disappear with the tides, and some are always above the sea.[3] Less than forty of the Spratly Islands’ features are islands under Article 121(1) of UNCLOS, which defines an island as “a naturally formed area of land, surrounded... Wed, 27 Jan 2016 05:36 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1339/competing-claims-in-the-south-china-sea-viewed-through-international-admiralty-law http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/883/the-sovereignty-of-the-european-court-of-justice-and-the-eus-supranational-legal-system By Hakan Kolcak - The European legal system has been considered as either an intergovernmental legal system or a supranational one. The intergovernmental order, on the one hand, emphasises that the European Court of Justice should consider the preferences of member-state governments in its decision-making processes. The supranational order, on the other hand, underscores that European law generates its own legal system, therefore, the Court should rule its case law in pursuant of the primary and secondary resources of European law. In this article, it is argued that the European legal system may be recognised as... Fri, 04 Apr 2014 11:46 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/883/the-sovereignty-of-the-european-court-of-justice-and-the-eus-supranational-legal-system http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1211/should-the-responsibility-to-protect-be-enshrined-in-international-law By Amanda Lo - The structure of the paper is as follows. First, I will discuss the historical background that gave rise to the concept of the “responsibility to protect” in order to understand its purpose and definition. Next, I will address the inherent tensions found within the responsibility to protect, and will focus on the tensions between the moral responsibility versus legal responsibility of states when they are faced with the “responsibility to protect.” Through the case of Libya, I argue that humanitarian concerns do not override the importance of the principle of state sovereignty... Thu, 01 Nov 2012 06:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1211/should-the-responsibility-to-protect-be-enshrined-in-international-law http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/645/sovereignty-over-airspace-international-law-current-challenges-and-future-developments-for-global-aviation By Chrystel Erotokritou - The issue of sovereignty lies at the very heart of international aviation because all aviation relations are built upon it. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the spectacular evolution of the concept of sovereignty in the air by adopting a multifaceted approach to this issue. In the first part the concept of sovereignty under general international law is briefly explained, before defining it in the more specific framework of public international air law. This discussion is followed by an analysis of the way states open their airspace for the purpose of entering into commercial agreements... Mon, 21 May 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/645/sovereignty-over-airspace-international-law-current-challenges-and-future-developments-for-global-aviation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/578/uk-membership-in-the-european-union-undermining-parliamentary-sovereignty By Miles G. Kellerman - This account, albeit comical, illustrates the power of geography in the development of a national identity, and perhaps provides insight into Great Britain’s general animosity towards European integration. Throughout the development and expansion of the European Union, challenges to British sovereignty and independence have been met with strong internal opposition and intense Parliamentary debate. The United Kingdom Independence Party gained its first Parliamentary seat in 2008 – a signal of growing disillusionment with the EU in Britain, and a feeling no doubt exacerbated by the 2008... Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:09 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/578/uk-membership-in-the-european-union-undermining-parliamentary-sovereignty http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/413/ungoverned-space-fragile-states-and-global-threats-deconstructing-linkages By Chloe A. Diggins - It is widely recognized that state security is no longer contingent upon a balance of power or the threat of conquering states, but global stability is now instead jeopardized by weak or fragile states. Fragile states represent chaos, disorder, and underdevelopment, and their very existence threatens not only the security of the developed world, but the capitalist, consumer-driven lifestyle to which the Western world is accustomed. Of critical concern are the global circulatory flows affiliated with poverty, conflict, and migration, which carry the potential to destabilize and undermine Western... Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/413/ungoverned-space-fragile-states-and-global-threats-deconstructing-linkages http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1112/a-parcel-of-rogues-scotlands-politicians-and-the-issue-of-independence By Matthew Cambell - But the position becomes more interesting if one looks at how the House of Commons would be affected by the removal of all the Scottish MPs. The Tories have only one MP in Scotland5 (the constituency of Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale), out of a grand total of 193 UK wide.6 Labour, by comparison would lose no less than 39 MPs. While this is less than their current majority, it is still a significant number of MPs, especially if you consider that Scotland contains some of Labour’s safest seats, as well as the constituencies of the current Prime Minister, Chancellor and two other Cabinet... Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1112/a-parcel-of-rogues-scotlands-politicians-and-the-issue-of-independence