Treballs de l'Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI)

URI permanent per a aquesta comunitat http://hdl.handle.net/10230/42578

Recent Submissions

Unveiling the drivers: a multidimensional analysis of the determinants shaping the European Union’s global gateway initiative
(2023) Abeledo Vilariño, Lucas Ignacio
Little is known about the emergence of the EU Global Gateway Initiative. Some argue that it is a geo-political challenge to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, while others claim that it satisfies an existing demand for infrastructure funding. This dissertation uncovers the relevant determinants in the emergence of Global Gateway. Using global governance as a theoretical framework and a case study research design, it argues that the EU economy, the global demand for infrastructure funding, and the geo-political challenge from China are the main determinants in the emergence of Global Gateway. It also discards the role of less-considered determinants, such as the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen, in the emergence of the Initiative. In doing so, this dissertation confirms a number of hypotheses established through the literature review and chosen theoretical framework, which offer broader insights into the emergence of Global Initiatives. It also opens avenues for future research, while staying conscious of potential limitations.
In the eye of the storm: gendered impacts of climate change in Africa
(2023) Morales Chinea, Ainhoa
This dissertation explores the climate change and gender inequality nexus with a focus on Africa. The research question is: Is climate change likely to exacerbate gender inequality across countries and time? The two complementary hypotheses are H1: Countries with higher climate change impacts will show greater gender inequality than those with lower climate change impacts; and H2: The intensity of the impact of climate change on gender inequality increases over time. To test such hypotheses, I employ a multiple cross-country regression model. The study examines various dimensions of gender inequality circa 2010 and circa 2019. The dependent variables are the reproductive health index and the gender gaps in average years of schooling, enrollment rates, and labor force participation. Independent variables include disaster frequency (accumulated over 10 years), GDP per capita, agricultural dependency, dependency ratio, urbanization rate, extreme poverty rate, and civil wars. I formulate a core model with these variables, augmented models with additional variables and perform robustness checks. The key findings reveal that disaster frequency counterintuitively narrows the average years of schooling gap, while it worsens reproductive health. Additionally, agricultural dependency and the dependency ratio emerge as significant factors influencing most dimensions of gender inequality. Extreme poverty, GDP per capita, and civil wars also have explanatory power for certain gender inequality variables.
The Cентябрьский: exit, voice, and the consequences of mobilisation in Putin’s Russia
(2023) Willoughby, Arthur
On the 21st of September 2022, Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of Russian reservists to support his ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. For hundreds of thousands of young men eligible for conscription, the news sparked an immediate decision to emigrate. The idea of protesting against the decision within Russia no longer seemed viable. Exit, for them, had become a necessity. Drawing on the framework of Hirschman’s (1970) Exit, Voice, and Loyalty, I ask how the Hirschmanian model applies to the September 2022 migratory wave from Russia. My research builds upon nine interviews I conducted in late 2023 with the Sentyabrsky (сентябрьский), a term I introduce to Western literature to denote the September relocants, that is, the collective of predominantly young men who fled Russia in the wake of the 2022 conscription announcement. First providing a taxonomy of the Sentyabrsky, I assess the interplay of their emigration with political voice across the Russian world. Ultimately, I argue that the mass emigration of this politically engaged class, in tandem with the increasingly repressive policies of state authorities, has significantly diminished the prospects for reform in Putin’s Russia. Exit, just as Hirschman would suggest, has subdued the voices against the war in Ukraine; because, for many of the Sentyabrsky, the hope of return means that outspoken opposition remains a dangerous prospect. In such a way, mobilisation might be seen as an invaluable tool in ensuring domestic loyalty for ongoing conflicts.
From autocrats to democrats: a comparative analysis of authoritarian successor parties and democratic acceptance in Spain, Panama, and Myanmar
(2023) Harty, Michael
Political parties often emerge from authoritarian regimes that contend democratic elections following transitions to democracy. However, the behavior that these parties display in regard to democratic acceptance varies, ranging from working to reestablish authoritarian rule to accepting democracy and becoming important democratic actors. This study seeks to account for this variation in behavior by identifying the conditions under which these parties, known as authoritarian successor parties (ASPs), accept democracy. It conducts a comparative analysis using Mill’s Method of Agreement for two cases in which ASPs have accepted democracy and have become major democratic actors: the Alianza Popular/Partido Popular in Spain and the Partido Revolucionario Democrático in Panama. It then applies Mill’s Method of Difference to compare these results with the case of the Union Solidarity and Development Party in Myanmar, which has played a role in autocratization. The study finds that economic incentives for democracy, the level of support for democracy and relevance of domestic political actors (i.e. civil society, opposition parties, the military), and the level of international influence for democracy are determinant factors in ASP acceptance of democracy, while public support for democracy is not a determinant factor.
Preferential trade agreements: an effective policy tool in climate change governance?
(2022) Weber, Katharina
This dissertation explores the nexus between environmental provisions in Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) and greenhouse gas emissions. It aims to shed some light on the inconclusive debate of issue linkage in PTAs as a policy instrument in climate change. Using a mixed-method approach, the study examines (1) whether environmental provisions in PTAs lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of trading partners, and (2) how the design and legal nature of climate provisions influence their effectiveness. The empirical analysis is conducted using data for 184 countries over a time frame from 1990-2019. A case study on the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement explores the mechanisms through which PTAs take effect. The study finds that countries which include numerous environmental provisions in PTAs will tend to reduce per capita GHG emissions compared to those without environmental provisions. Provisions explicitly targeted at climate change appear especially effective. The study adds new findings to the yet small body of literature by identifying long-term effects on trading partners' emissions. It finds PTAs to be an effective tool in climate governance due to their enforceability. They can take effect through changes in domestic law and through fostering civil society activity.

Treballs de l'Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI)

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