Lee Marsden

Lessons from Russia : Clinton and US democracy promotion

Introduction A policy for Russia Clintons Russia policy Promoting democracy or backing Yeltsin Whither democracy? Implementing the strategy An analysis of paralysis Demoting democracy Bibliography Index.

Faith-based Diplomacy: Conservative Evangelicals and the United States Military

Religion is becoming an increasingly important factor for theorists and policy makers alike in the consideration of United States foreign policy. In recent years a new school of faith-based diplomacy advocacy has emerged and begun to resonate with foreign policy practitioners. This article examines the efficacy of such faith-based approaches to foreign policy problems with a religious component and argues that such an approach is inherently flawed. The article argues that a combination of a distinct military culture, which feels itself morally superior to its civilian leadership and the activism of conservative evangelicals in the chaplaincy and military leadership makes such faith-based approaches unrealistic. While acknowledging a role for pluralist religious actors in foreign policy the article rejects a faith-based advocacy approach which can exacerbate rather than resolve foreign policy problems.

Pushing Back the Obama Legacy: Trump’s First Year and the Alt-Right—Evangelical—Catholic Coalition

In the 2016 presidential elections, Donald Trump carefully courted an unholy alliance of Alt-Right, conservative evangelicals and Catholics in his successful campaign united around an agenda of pushing back against Obama reforms on LGBT, same-sex marriage, health care, reproductive rights, education and foreign policy. This chapter examines the key issues bringing together this coalition and analyses the campaign promises made by Trump, prior to the election, and the extent to which these are being fulfilled over the first year of his presidency.

The Golden Rule: Interfaith Peacemaking and the Charter for Compassion

Abstract The Charter for Compassion has been signed by over two million people from around the world and partnered with hundreds of interfaith organizations and cities seeking to put into practice the Golden Rule, common to the main faith traditions, of doing unto others as you would be done by. This article sets the Charter within the context of a post secular international society and faith-based diplomacy, in which religious interreligious initiatives emerge as serious, rather than peripheral, actors in developing sustainable peace making through bottom-up approaches. The article critically engages with the Charters claim that ‘any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate’ while accepting that peaceful interpretations of scriptures are helpful to peace processes where religious actors are involved. The article explores the claims of the Charter for Compassion International as they seek to make peace through compassion, before concluding that the Charter for Compassion is a long-term project aimed at changing hearts and minds but has had limited substantive impact to date.

The Importance of Being Theoretical: Analysing Contemporary Politics

The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of the ways in which we seek to engage students in the idea of using theory in their studies and to reflect on why this matters. While we are aware that there are different ways in which students can ‘do’ political analysis, here our focus is upon the application of theoretical frameworks as a mechanism to understand, or attempt to explain ‘real world’ events or phenomena. Our argument is that through understanding the way in which theoretical frameworks may be used and applied, students are provided with the tools and skills that they need to analyse political phenomena, event(s) or action(s).

International/Political Economy

AFAM 3072 Civil Wars in Africa 4 AFAM 3075 Democracy in Africa 4 AFAM 3141 Women in Africa 4 AFAM 3148 History of South Africa 4 AFAM 3150 Caribbean Peoples and Culture 4 AMCS 3256 Comparative Economic Systems 4 ANTH 1050 Anthropology Focus 3 ANTH 1300 Introduction to Archaeology 3 ANTH 2500 Taboo: Anthropology of the Forbidden 4 ANTH 2619 Magic, Science, and Religion 4 ANTH 2620 The Anthropology of Cities 4 ANTH 2770 Anthropology of Childhood 4 ANTH 2880 Human Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective 4