Thesis (M.S.)--Naval Postgraduate School, 2002. / Thesis advisor(s): David R. Henderson, Robert M. McNab. Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-108). Also available online.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Comparative Asian Studies / Master / Master of Arts

This dissertation explains the reasons for democratic stability and breakdown in two industrially advanced developing countries, India and Brazil. Arguments of this dissertation have been derived from econo-military dependency, economic development, and civil-military relations perspectives. None of the existing explanations for stability of the Indian democracy and the 1964 breakdown of the Brazilian democracy has made any conscious attempt to combine both internal and external variables. Modifying the existing mono-causal explanations, this dissertation argues that a combination of such variables as econo-military dependence on the United States, aid dependence on the United States and multilateral financial institutions, role of the military and the counter-hegemonic forces account for most of the variations between the two cases.

This thesis investigates the intellectual foundations of the thinking of the father of the modern West German armed forces, Wolf Graf von Baudissin, during their establishment between 1951 and 1956. Its aim is to identify the main areas of reform as advocated by Baudissin as well as to shed light on central features of Baudissin's character and ideas, primarily his ideas on the role and impact of democracy in a modern society. The thesis demonstrates how the environment in which Baudissin operated was characterised by strong opposition to new ideas by former Wehrmacht soldiers, whose ideas belonged to a traditionalist movement of military thinking. It also reveals how Baudissin's ideas were to a large extent the product of collaboration with a great number of politicians, academics and intellectuals, some of whom dominated the intellectual scene of the early post-1945 Federal Republic. The thesis demonstrates how Baudissin's thinking was influenced by certain polarities, out of which he developed three historical types of soldiers as an intellectual response to opposition. Baudissin's proposals for reform were directed towards the German youth as those who were to build the new West German post-war society. He stressed the extensive democratic rights allocated by the Federal Republic's constitution and the positive educational value of the proposed reforms, all in the face of accusations that they were utopian. Investigating Baudissin's intellectual foundations, the thesis stresses Baudissin's positive image of occidental culture, with a strong attachment to ethical and communitarian values, and a negative image of Russia as the exponent of communism and authoritarianism. Looking specifically at democracy, the thesis highlights Baudissin's emphasis on democracy by proclaiming that his conversion to democracy was the product of amalgamation of pre-war conservative thinking with modern democratic liberalism. The thesis finally argues that the overall image of an ethical-democratic citizensoldier, the 'Staatsbürger in Uniform' negates the historical antinomy between the condition of being a soldier and a citizen.

With rapid development of internet, it not only brings landmark revolution impact to the global media but also makes people’s lives great changes. Relative to China, development of internet also provides a new communication tool and information channels, but also offers a variety of media into Chinese society. Thus, with the advent of a new era of internet, it can be said that the Chinese social and political system have more challenges. Therefore on the one hand how China authorities strengthen the internet monitoring and management to avoid becoming a way for the international community conducting "peaceful evolution" in China, and also by controlling the internet to carry out its political advocacy work has become the most significant problems. Through collecting relevant literatures and analyzing China’s current internet control, this study will explore internet development in China and its impact for democratization, and the impact for CCP facing internet development. So as to make readers can basically understand China’s internet development and its democratization.

The island of Taiwan, located around 160 km east of China, has existed amongst contention and confusion for centuries, with a complex history of foreign occupation beginning in the mid-seventeenth century with the Dutch and only ending after the Nationalist Chinese Party’s (the KMT’s) relocation in the mid-twentieth century, at which point the desire of the people to rule and be free in their own country began shifting the notions of Taiwan and the Taiwanese. It was at this juncture that the processes of democratization and national identity formation collided and have since progressed as an influential parallel to the present day, in which Taiwan is now an established democratic nation with the majority of its citizens identifying as Taiwanese, distinct from the periods of foreign rule in the past and the present threat from across the Strait. An analysis of this paralleled progression through history is essential to fully comprehending the deeply embedded notions of democracy and national identity on the island which are currently influential factors shaping the domestic outlook towards the continuing cross-strait dilemma. Drawing on the academic literature and data from ESC (Election Study Center) and TEDS (Taiwan Election and Democracy Studies), a synthesis of agent- and process- oriented approaches, which emphasizes the roles of political elites, civil society and historical context, will be employed in this study to explore the parallel of democratization and Taiwanization in postwar Taiwan. / The island of Taiwan, located around 160 km east of China, has existed amongst contention and confusion for centuries, with a complex history of foreign occupation beginning in the mid-seventeenth century with the Dutch and only ending after the Nationalist Chinese Party’s (the KMT’s) relocation in the mid-twentieth century, at which point the desire of the people to rule and be free in their own country began shifting the notions of Taiwan and the Taiwanese. It was at this juncture that the processes of democratization and national identity formation collided and have since progressed as an influential parallel to the present day, in which Taiwan is now an established democratic nation with the majority of its citizens identifying as Taiwanese, distinct from the periods of foreign rule in the past and the present threat from across the Strait. An analysis of this paralleled progression through history is essential to fully comprehending the deeply embedded notions of democracy and national identity on the island which are currently influential factors shaping the domestic outlook towards the continuing cross-strait dilemma. Drawing on the academic literature and data from ESC (Election Study Center) and TEDS (Taiwan Election and Democracy Studies), a synthesis of agent- and process- oriented approaches, which emphasizes the roles of political elites, civil society and historical context, will be employed in this study to explore the parallel of democratization and Taiwanization in postwar Taiwan.

Abstract The process of Democratization has brought various impacts on the relations between the Nation and the Media. This thesis is to discuss the changes resulted from the impacts in 3 periods: Marshal-law, Post-marshal-law and DPP Administration. They are viewed with the angle of Media both internally and externally. The relations between the Nation and the Media had a significant change when Marshal-law was lifted In addition, the rapid growth of commerce and the rising of the civil-consciousness had amplified the changes, especially when the three factors (Nation, Market, and the Society) evolved through time. In Marshal-law period, the ruling was the political party and the administration combined. The Media was dictated directly and unilaterally by the government using the means of setting regulations and controlling the organization from within. In other words, the Media then was government-owned propaganda instrument. Between Post-marshal-law and the new Party¡¦s assuming the office, the controlling force has lessened. Only the KMT Intelligence Department was still shadowing over the Union of Journalists and the Television Broadcast Systems. However, the market diversification was also observed due to policy and regulation abolishment. And that was the beginning of interactive-relations. From year 2002 onward, the new administration has withdrawn the control significantly. Nevertheless, this study has observed that the attempt to manipulate the Media by ways of using the influence of the Commerce existed.

This thesis examines democratic transitions that occur in the context of international administration, where international actors not only provide assistance and guidance regarding domestic development, but also hold temporary executive authority over some or all of the functions of government. It argues that the process of regime change in the context of international administration is systematically different from more conventional settings, where such extensive international intervention is absent. The theoretical framework of the thesis suggests that the most significant impact of international administration derives from the fact that external actors assume roles conventionally held by domestic actors, and thus have available to them extensive mechanisms of influence at the domestic level. International agents can favour some local elites over others, structure the political environment through agenda-setting and veto powers, and ultimately bypass local actors if deemed necessary by drafting and imposing laws and institutions. As a result, the presence of international administrators heavily shapes the final mode of transition, and one of the most significant implications of the external influence is that purely non-democratic regime outcomes are unlikely to emerge. However, the influences of international administration are not always positive, and neither are they constant across contexts. The final impact on the transition process itself will depend in large part on the nature of the domestic political landscape, and in particular the balance of power and ideology among the domestic political parties. When domestic elites are favourable to democracy, international administrations can work with local actors to co-author a new democratic regime through a pacted transition. When dominant local parties are opposed to democratic development, however, the international and domestic interaction may contribute to a more conflicrual and contentious mode of transition entailing elements of international imposition. The nature of the transition mode will, in turn, have implications for post-transition regime consolidation. These findings are based on a structured, focused comparison of three cases, those of Bosnia, Kosovo and East Timor. In attempting to isolate the international influence, the case studies utilise the process tracing method to identify the causal mechanisms that connect international actions to democratic political outcomes, and the experiences in each case are compared to facilitate the generation of bounded generalisations about the impact of international administration on the processes of regime change.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Texas, August, 2008. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Yale University, 2007. / Adviser: John E. Roemer. Includes bibliographical references.