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Who Governs? The Participation of Ministers in Council Meetings
Vlček, Václav ; Parízek, Michal (advisor) ; Plechanovová, Běla (referee)
The thesis deals with the participation of ministers in the Council of the European Union. The first goal is to explore the participation as such, i.e. how often the ministers attend the Council meetings and what differences there are among the member states and the Council configurations. Secondly, the thesis seeks to reveal factors at the institutional (European), national and governmental level which have an impact on the participation. From the theoretical point of view, the thesis is framed by the rational choice approach. In terms of methodology, a quantitative analysis based on extensive dataset for the period 2009 - 2015 and logistic regression have been employed. The thesis concludes that the ministers attend the Council meetings quite often - the average for the period was 64%. Regarding the individual factors, it is argued that the ministers representing the presidency country attend the sessions more often. Similarly, the participation is higher if there are many points on the agenda or if the minister represents a pro-European government. On the contrary, the probability of the participation is lower if the ministers face upcoming legislative elections at home. The analysis also shows that the public attitude towards the EU is irrelevant in this case. The results are, finally,...
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Afghanistan after the End of the Cold War: A Fragile State and the Rise of Taliban
Svobodová, Adéla ; Makariusová, Radana (advisor) ; Parízek, Michal (referee)
Afghanistan has long been a hotbed of instability and insecurity, as evidenced by its history of tension and the continued presence of insurgent radical movements. In recent years, the country has experienced a series of upheavals, culminating in the Taliban's return to power in 2021. Its return has significant implications for the local population, regional dynamics and global security. The study first examines what qualifies Afghanistan as a weak state. Ineffective governance, limited access to basic services and an adverse security environment categorizes Afghanistan as a weak state. Factors contributing to this vulnerability include protracted conflict, corruption, problems with government capacity, social fragmentation, external intervention and the presence of extremist groups. The work deals with foreign intervention, including the invasion of the United States and the international coalition, and within regional countries, especially interventions from neighbouring Pakistan, given the role of the rise of the Taliban movement. The study also sheds light on the causes of extremism in Afghanistan, particularly the absence of a stable government and external influences. The consequences of the revival of the Taliban in Afghanistan have an impact on regional and global security, this fact is...
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Religion Overt and Covert in Post-secular International Relations
Pur, Matěj ; Parízek, Michal (advisor) ; Karlas, Jan (referee)
Inspired by the idea of the return of religion, this thesis explores the impact of religion on international relations. The theoretical basis was post-secular theory, first outlined by Jürgen Habermas. This theory suggests that spirituality grows outside traditional institutions even as organized religion loses members. The major turning point that led to the resurgence of religion in international politics was the end of the Cold War and the subsequent process of globalization. This shift opened the door for the analysis of the influence of religion in international relations, especially after 9/11 and during the Arab Spring. This thesis focused on three main areas: the use of religious language in the UN General Assembly, voting patterns in the UN, and the survival of international alliances. An innovative methodology was used for the content analysis of the General Assembly speeches, which expanded the lexical set of religious terms. The results showed that despite the theory of secularism, representatives of states use religious language. Analysis of voting patterns revealed a statistically significant influence of religion, particularly in the context of the Palestinian conflict and human rights resolutions. Finally, analysis of alliance survival revealed that religious diversity may lead to...
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International Sport Events and Regional Integration: Case study of World Football Championships in Republic of South Africa and Qatar
Křivský, Martin ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Parízek, Michal (referee)
This thesis examines the impact of international sporting events on regional integration. The main aim of the thesis is to provide a new perspective on how top sporting events such as the World Cup affect international relations and cooperation between different countries and regions. The thesis focuses on the analysis of two specific cases: the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. These two countries present unique settings in terms of political, economic and social aspects, allowing for a comparison of impacts in different regional and geopolitical settings. The paper summarizes findings from relevant literature on mega-event theory and regional integration and, through a comparative analysis of two selected cases, shows whether and how international sporting events contribute to improved relations and integration at the regional level.
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Abeho a Trumpův odkaz? Strategický narativ Indo-Pacifiku
Švárová, Kristýna ; Kolmaš, Michal (advisor) ; Parízek, Michal (referee)
The thesis seeks to investigate the respective strategic narratives of Japan and the United States regarding the Indo-Pacific. The emergence of the Indo-Pacific concept in Japan, followed by its adoption in the United States, raises questions about the formation of the Indo-Pacific narrative and the motivations behind these developments. The thesis challenges the assumption of a shared vision between the two countries despite their significant similarities in their terminology around the Indo-Pacific, aiming to unravel their strategic narratives. Building on the strategic narrative theoretical framework and distinguishing between three narrative types, the qualitative content analysis examines Japan's and the United States government communications from 2016 to 2021, covering the Abe and Trump administrations. The thesis analyzes each strategic narrative type to uncover the underlying motivations and goals shaping the Indo-Pacific narratives. Ultimately, the thesis argues that while both countries prioritize regional stability in the Indo-Pacific region, their narratives reflect distinct national interests and visions for the Indo-Pacific, underscoring the complexity of regional dynamics and strategic alignments.
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Mapping the Proliferation of Strategic Partnerships
Rosendorf, Ondřej ; Parízek, Michal (advisor) ; Karlas, Jan (referee) ; Faude, Benjamin (referee)
Since the end of the Cold War, states have increasingly resorted to the establishment of informal alignments, with "strategic partnerships" at the forefront, whereas the number of formal military alliances has been stagnating. In spite of the rapid proliferation of these partnerships-next to other forms of informal cooperation-the extant International Relations literature has paid only limited attention to this phenomenon. In this dissertation, I introduce and analyze the first dataset of Bilateral Intergovernmental Strategic Partnerships (BISPs) established by G20 members between 1993 and 2020. Utilizing insights from international alignment and institutionalist literature, I aim to: (1) provide the first empirical account of the extent to which strategic partnerships have proliferated among the G20 and over time; (2) identify factors driving states to form strategic partnerships; and (3) determine whether these partnerships operate primarily as complements to the existing alliance structures, or exist in place of them as "low-cost" alternatives. Firstly, I found that G20 members alone established approximately 382 strategic partnerships by the end of 2020, surpassing previous estimations. Secondly, I found that the onset of strategic partnerships correlates with factors such as economic...
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Representation in International Organizations: Size and Composition of National Delegations
Vlček, Václav ; Parízek, Michal (advisor) ; Karlas, Jan (referee) ; Sommerer, Thomas (referee)
In general, states and their governments make decisions in international politics and international organizations. However, the states are, in fact, represented by people. How many and who are they? This dissertation thesis deals with state representation in international organizations. In particular, it studies the size and composition of national delegations to plenary meetings of international organizations. From the theoretical perspective, the thesis builds on rationalist assumptions and tests established theories in the field. As for the causes of the various delegation sizes, the thesis hypothesizes 1) various institutional power, 2) different economic resources, 3) various intensity of national interests, 4) different levels of government effectiveness, and 5) different domestic political regimes. Next, the theoretical framework explains the various delegation composition by 1) different intensity of the national preferences, 2) different levels of government effectiveness, and 3) different domestic political regimes. From the methodological perspective, the thesis builds on an extensive statistical analysis using a unique quantitative dataset across seventeen international organizations and the UN General Assembly sessions from 1993 to 2016. The delegation composition is operationalized in...
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At a Loss for Words: Capturing the Duality of Political Correctness (PC)
Djokićova, Eliška ; Parízek, Michal (advisor) ; Földes, Kristián (referee)
This thesis examines the concept of political correctness (PC). This social phenomenon has recently become a political tool used widely by right-wing politicians to describe the divide between the ruling "elites" and the "ordinary people." More generally, PC acts as an indicator of a broader cultural turn toward "post-material values" in the West. However, despite its prevalence, there is a lack of consensus on its definition and underlying purposes. This thesis wishes to contribute to the PC debate by 1) outlining the historical development of PC, 2) reviewing and synthesizing existing literature, 3) proposing a conceptualization of PC, and 4) developing a measurement tool for PC at the individual level. It is argued that PC has a dual nature: it is comprised of a normative (adherence to social norms and values) and a behavioral dimension (prescription of designated behaviors meant to be their expression). Moreover, it is hypothesized that a gap exists between these dimensions that can be influenced by reputational concerns (social desirability), perceived threats to freedom (psychological reactance), and political orientation. In this context, three pilot studies were conducted to validate the new measurement tools and examine the associations between PC's two dimensions and social desirability,...
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