Department of Public and International Affairs
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This collection contains research from members of the Department of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University.
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Item Africa's Dilemma - European Borders, Contested Rule(1995) Katz, Mark N.Africa has recently seen movement toward democratization. Whether out of the growing conviction that it is preferable, or the sense that political change is inevitable, several one-party or dictatorial regimes now permit a free press, opposition parties, and more or less "free" elections. Indeed, contested elections are becoming an increasingly common feature of political life in Africa. Of course, there are countries where progress toward democracy seemed to have begun but was halted when the ruling elites saw that this would lead to their removal. But these regimes are no longer so self-confident; they are very much on the defensive and appear to be weakening. The demise of authoritarian regimes does not necessarily mean that democracy will flourish in Africa; authoritarian regimes have not been the only obstacle to democracy. The "legacy of empire" - that all the borders between African states were drawn by outside powers without reference to preexisting national, ethnic, or other boundaries - may become the most serious obstacle to the establishment and maintenance of democracy in Africa. Democratization often brings forward demands for secession or a realignment of existing patterns of ethnic relations. As a result, democratization efforts may not proceed smoothly and peacefully, and may involve internal conflict and demands for the alteration of the colonial - era borders recognized and maintained by the member countries of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).Item An Emerging Russian-Iranian Alliance?(US-Azerbaijan Council, 1996) Katz, Mark N.Item Analysing the Changing Foreign and Domestic Politics of the Former USSR(Elsevier, 1992) Katz, Mark N.For the past few years, history seems to have been switched from "normal" speed to "Fast forward." Vast transformations have been occurring in what once appeared to be immutable aspects of Soviet foreign and domestic politics as well as in international relations generally. Nor have these transformations necessarily come to an end. Others may yet be in store. How should questions about the foreign and domestic politics of the former Soviet Union be analysed during this period of rapid change? The question is an important one since the methodology or approach scholars employ can in large measure determine the answers to the questions they ask. I will argue here that traditional Sovietology, or an analysis of domestic and foreign policy issues from the perspective of Russian and Soviet history, is not the most fruitful method for studying a situation in which rapid change is occurring. A more productive approach, in my view, is what will be called here comparative historical analysis - an approach which seeks to relate questions regarding the foreign and domestic politics of the former USSR to similar situations which have occurred elsewhere. No claim is being made that this method will yield definitive answers. What it can do, though, is bring to light a range of answers or possibilities that traditional Sovietology, by examining questions solely in terms of the Russian/Soviet historical experience, does not. In this paper, I will first examine traditional Sovietology and consider why it is no longer as useful a methodology as it once was. I will then outline comparative historical analysis and discuss why it might be a more appropriate methodology for analysing the current situation. Finally, I will discuss two examples of the very different results which different methodologies might yield when applied to the same question.Item Anti-Soviet Insurgencies - Growing Trend or Passing Phase?(1986) Katz, Mark N.Item Assertive, But Alone(Chatham House, 2007) Katz, Mark N.Some would say that Russian foreign policy has become belligerent. But the strident, confident tone is playing well at home in this election season. More discerning domestic commentators are pointing out that it is simply not working and may have unintended, longer-term consequences.Item Assessing the Political Stability of Oman(2004) Katz, Mark N.Oman is facing important economic and political challenges. The economic challenge it faces is that its population is rising while its oil reserves are declining. The political challenges it faces are the extreme concentration of authority in the hands of one man (Sultan Qaboos), the sultan's unwillingness to allow meaningful political participation or dialogue, political legitimacy issues concerning both Sultan Qaboos and the succession process he has set up, and sporadic but persistent signs of opposition. This article examines these problems and assesses their implications for the political stability of Oman.Item Beyond the Reagan Doctrine - Reassessing U.S. Policy Toward Regional Conflicts(Center For Strategic and International Studies, 1991) Katz, Mark N.The crisis in the Persian Gulf region has brought into sharp focus the transformation of problems of regional security in the post-cold war era and the special promise of international consensus in an era not divided by East-West discord. Yet it also has demonstrated the continued and growing problem of North-South and South-South conflict, especially with the proliferation of advanced military capabilities. The Following essays assess different aspects of the regional security challenge.Item Breaking the Yemen-Al Qaeda connection(Current History, 2003) Katz, Mark N.Item Can The Superpowers Plot Peace?(1990) Katz, Mark N.Item Central Asian Stability: Under Threat?(The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997) Katz, Mark N.Item Civil Conflict in South Vemen(1986) Katz, Mark N.In January 1986, fighting erupted in South Yemen (also known as the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen- PDRY) between two factions of the ruling Marxist leadership. Both of the factions were strongly pro-Soviet, and the group that won said it would pursue the same policies as the group it ousted. What the issues were in the struggle appeared quite confusing, and during the ten or so days when the fighting was at its heaviest, it was unclear what was happening. Reports that the leaders of each side had been killed alternated in quick succession with reports that the leaders of each were alive and were victorious. By the time the fighting ended, the top leaders of one faction had all been killed, but that faction prevailed nevertheless. At first glance, what happened in Aden, South Yemen's capital, might not seem especially interesting: no matter which pro-Soviet faction defeated the other, the USSR would retain its influence in South Yemen. But skepticism greets the protestations of the new leaders that they will follow the same policies as their predecessors, since the new leaders are associated with a policy that the ousted leader, 'Ali Nasir Muhammad al-Hassani, had ended namely, the exportation of revolution to South Yemen's neighbors. Hence, predictions as to the probable behavior of the new leadership and their Soviet allies toward the rest of the region are fraught with considerable uncertainty. This article will examine the background of the crisis; the crisisItem Comparing Putin's and Brezhnev's Policies toward the Middle East(Springer New York, 2008) Katz, Mark N.This article compares Moscow'sand Washington's foreign policies toward the Middle East in 1982 and 2008. In 1982, Moscow and Washington each had a distinct set of friends and foes. In 2008, Washington still has a distinct set of friends and foes, but Moscow has relatively good relations with all governments and most major opposition movements in the region—the only exceptions being Al Qaeda and its affiliates. It is argued that Putin's policy toward the Middle East is not really aimed at displacing the U.S. in the region, but protecting Russia and Russian interests from Al Qaeda and its allies. Indeed, a continued American presence in the region serves to protect Russian interests in the region.Item Democratic Revolutions: Why Some Succeed, Why Others Fail(Heldref Publications, 2004) Katz, Mark N.Item Election Day in Aden(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 1997) Katz, Mark N.Item Emerging Patterns In The International Relations Of Central Asia(1994) Katz, Mark N.This paper will first examine Ccntral Asia's political evolution as well as the foreign policies favored both by ruling and non-ruling parties in the region. Next, the foreign policies toward Central Asia of important external powers will be studied in order to explore how they might affect the region's political evolution. Lastly, there will be a discussion of how both the political evolution of the various Central Asian states and the foreign policies of external actors toward them interact and may affect the region's international relations.Item Evolving Soviet Perceptions of U.S. Strategy(Center For Strategic and International Studies, 1989) Katz, Mark N.Commentators lament the absence of grand strategy in the foreign policies of the United States. Indeed, the real need for a more strategic vision in U.S. policy provided the original impetus to the founding of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in 1962. The need is far easier to identify than to meet, and much of what passes for strategic thinking is a disappointing rehash of ideology or budget rationale. The essays that follow shed new light on the character of U.S. strategy and the choices confronting Americans today.Item Exploiting Rivalries for Prestige and Profit: An Assessment of Putin’s Foreign Policy Approach(M. E. Sharpe, 2005) Katz, Mark N.Neither feared as a threat nor valued as a friend, Russia often finds itself simply ignored— much to the chagrin of both the Putin administration and the Russian public.Item Implications of the Georgian Crisis for Israel, Iran and the West(2008-12) Katz, Mark N.Abstract: The August 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia has not only had a strong impact on the United States and Europe, but also on Israel and Iran. This article examines Israeli and Iranian reactions to the crisis, as well as its broader impact on regional energy and security concerns.Item Iran and America: Is Rapprochement Finally Possible?(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2005) Katz, Mark N.Item Less-Than-Great Expectations: The Pakistani-Russian Rapprochement(2005) Katz, Mark N.