"Audience costs" models of international relations suggest a purely informational role for domestic politics in conflict settings. Here, domestic politics serve as a rich signal of belligerents' true intentions, allowing them to more quickly resolve disagreements, decreasing the likelihood and duration of war. But if belligerents can have different beliefs about publicly available information, then domestic politics might confuse rather than clarify conflict situations, increasing the likelihood and duration of war. I present empirical evidence of conventional "audience costs" models' shortcomings in explaining the dynamics of the US counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq and the response of Iraqi insurgents to those efforts. I then develop a formal model to show how differences in beliefs between insurgents and counterinsurgents about domestic political audiences in Iraq may have contributed to the prolonged nature of the conflict. I argue that the underlying cause of the conflict's duration is disagreement between belligerents about whether and how Iraqi civilians contribute to a successful counterinsurgency, leading belligerents to disagree not only before fighting about who is likely to win, but during fighting about who is actually winning. / text

This thesis presents hypothetical return plans for hurricane evacuees who have previously evacuated their residence in southern Rhode Island. Using Geographic Information Systems software, appropriate time tables for evacuees to return to their homes are generated. Two case scenarios based on Category 3 and 4 intensity hurricanes making landfall in Westerly, Rhode Island were simulated. Over the last century, population and especially home values in coastal Rhode Island have increased leaving great risk to those in the area. Statistically, hurricanes are less likely to strike Rhode Island than the Gulf Coast or the Southeastern United States. However, within the last century dangerous and damaging hurricanes have affected Rhode Island. This lower frequency of hurricanes decreases awareness and emphasizes the need for further research. Reentry zones for each scenario are defined and ranked by severity of damage using debris, building damage, potential economic loss and population displacements with HAZUS software. Results from both Category 3 and Category 4 test cases show that the downtown census tract experiences the greatest amount of damage and longest return times for evacuees. / Department of Geography

<p>Currently, one of the most dramatic threats to human security is constituted by internal armed conflicts. In 1998, violent conflicts took place in at least 25 countries. Of these armed conflicts, 23 were internal, engaging one or more non-State armed groups. A crucial feature of internal conflicts is the widespread violation of humanitarian law and human rights by armed groups, from rebel groups to private militias. This thesis aimed at identifying various ways of promoting a better implementation of the Geneva Conventions and its Protocols by NSAGs in the Great Lakes Region.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 10, 2009). Thesis advisor: Bruce Ralston. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Les échecs des opérations de maintien de la paix de l’ONU au Rwanda et en Bosnie ont grandement entamé l’image des Casques bleus, impuissants face aux massacres et atrocités dont ils étaient témoins. Or depuis 1999, la « protection des civils » a connu une expansion et une normalisation institutionnelles au sein des Nations unies, tant dans la doctrine que dans les pratiques. En l’invoquant comme la tâche prioritaire des opérations de paix, le Conseil de sécurité et le Secrétariat se sont investis dans un développement essentiel du concept de protection des civils. De même, les activités des peacekeepers sur le terrain ont confirmé ces inflexions. La Mission des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUC, puis MONUSCO), laboratoire des pratiques de protection depuis 15 ans, a démontré une hyperactivité remarquable pour protéger les populations. De nombreux outils et mécanismes spécifiques ont été développés pour renforcer les capacités de réponse aux besoins de protection, et les soldats de la paix ont démontré qu’ils pouvaient exploiter un pan immense de pratiques opérationnelles pour protéger les civils, de la simple présence dissuasive aux opérations offensives contre les groupes armés. Cette thèse démontre les évolutions conceptuelles et pratiques qui sont advenues et met en lumière les facteurs influençant la mise en œuvre concrète de cette politique de protection, désormais centrale dans le maintien de la paix de l’ONU. Elle explore la dynamique institutionnelle d’une part, et la dynamique politique d’autre part, dessinant toutes deux les contours des pratiques de protection, et pouvant tantôt réduire, tantôt accroître leur efficience. / The failures of UN peacekeeping operations in Rwanda and Bosnia greatly eroded the aura of Blue helmets, appearing as helpless witnesses of massacres and atrocities. Nevertheless, since 1999, “protection of civilians” went through an institutional expansion and normalization within the UN, both in doctrine and practice. The Security Council and the Secretariat raised it as the priority task of peace operations, and engaged in a critical development of the concept of protection of civilians. The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC, then MONUSCO), which has been the laboratory for practices of protection for the last 15 years, displayed a remarkable hyperactivity to protect people. Various specific tools and mechanisms were developed in order to strengthen the Mission capability to respond to protection needs. Similarly, UN peacekeepers proved that they could handle a large range of operational practices to protect civilians, from simple deterrent presence to offensive operations against armed groups. This thesis demonstrates the conceptual and practical evolutions that occurred, and clarifies the factors that influence the concrete implementation of this protection policy, now central to UN peacekeeping. It explores the institutional dynamics and the political dynamics that both delineate the outline of the practice of protection, and that can reduce or increase their efficiency.

Present data are gathered from a sample of civil population (n = 1003) and military cadets (n =488). The main objective of this study was to obtain the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) of the Organizational Description Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 1992). In reference to reliability, results show good levels of internal consistency for both dimensions, although they are a little bit lower for the transactional culture dimension for both populations. In reference to validity, the evidence allows affirming that the test is valid. The factorial analysis showed that the items group in 2 factors that respond to the theoretical proposal made by the authors of the test. Lastly, we have found differences between leaders and followers on the perception of organizatio-nal culture for both populations. / Se presentan datos correspondientes a un estudio realizado con población civil (n = 1003) y militar (n = 488) que tuvo como objetivo principal determinar las características psicométricas (fiabilidad y validez) del Organizational Description Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 1992). Con respecto a la fiabilidad, los resultados muestran buenos niveles de consistencia interna para ambas dimensiones aunque son algo bajos para la dimensión cultura transaccional para ambas poblaciones. Con respecto a la validez, se encontraron evidencias que permiten afirmar que la prueba es válida. El análisis factorial mostró que los ítems se agrupan en dos factores los cuales responden a la propuesta teórica hecha por los autores de la prueba. Por último, se encontraron diferencias en la percepción de la cultura organizacional que tienen líderes y seguidores de ambos contextos.

Based on Bass' Jeadership model (1985, 1990), the M.L.Q. questionnaire (Multifactor Leader­ship Questionnaire) was validated for the assessment of Jeadership styles in Argentinean civil and military population. Data were gathered (N=363) on military (cadets and officers) and ci­ vilian population. A factorial structure of seven grouped in three styles of Jeadership (34 items) was obtained and it was confirmed by means of confirmatory factor analysis. The results point out better adjustment of the obtained pattern for civil population than for military. Individual differences were also found among the styles of leadership of civilians and military population. In the first ones characteristics related with the exchange and the negotiation prevail. In the mi­ litary environments The style of transformational Jeadership prevails in military environments. In both populations valued Jeader characteristics were perceived with more intensity in self-per­ ception format than in the perception of subordinates regarding their superiors. / Basados en la teoría de Bass (1985, 1990), se adaptó el cuestionario M.L.Q. (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire) para la evaluación de los estilos de liderazgo civiles y militares argentinos. Se recogieron datos de 363 sujetos, civiles (53%) y militares cadetes y oficiales (47%). Se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio y luego confirmatorio resultando una escala de 34 ítems que responde a un modelo de siete factores agrupados en tres estilos de liderazgo. Los resultados señalan mejor ajuste del modelo para población civil que para militar. Se encontraron diferencias individuales entre los estilos de liderazgo de civiles y militares. En los primeros predominan las características relacionadas con el intercambio y la negociación. En los ámbitos militares predomina el estilo de liderazgo transformacional. En ambas poblaciones las características más valoradas de los líderes se autopercibían con mayor intensidad en el formato de autoregistro que en la percepción del subalterno respecto del superior.

No description available.

Research on military health indicates that some members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) experience challenges during their military-to-civilian (MTC) transition(s). This novel study explored the Canadian public’s perceptions of the issues facing CAF members during their transition back into civilian society. Its significance is in its unique results and contribution to a previously unexplored topic within research on MTC transitions. A cross-sectional survey was administered via structured in-person interviews with 100 Canadian civilians not affiliated with the military. Results included civilian participants’ accurate as well as inaccurate perceptions about MTC transition issues compared to existing literature on veterans’ transition experiences. Participants underestimated issues regarding transitioning CAF members’ social networks and overestimated PTSD as the biggest struggle facing CAF members during their MTC transitions. Though participants accurately perceived that CAF members experience struggles during their transition, they overestimated the level of transition difficulty as reported by CAF members (Black & Papile, 2010; Life After Service Survey, 2014). Further research is recommended to examine the public’s perceptions of MTC transition issues and to better understand the potential implications of civilians’ perceptions on transitioning CAF members. / Graduate

Magister Legum - LLM / Currently, one of the most dramatic threats to human security is constituted by internal armed conflicts. In 1998, violent conflicts took place in at least 25 countries. Of these armed conflicts, 23 were internal, engaging one or more non-State armed groups. A crucial feature of internal conflicts is the widespread violation of humanitarian law and human rights by armed groups, from rebel groups to private militias. This thesis aimed at identifying various ways of promoting a better implementation of the Geneva Conventions and its Protocols by NSAGs in the Great Lakes Region. / South Africa