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Legislative Process in the European Union: European Citizens' Initiative
Houda, Ondřej ; Knutelská, Viera (advisor) ; Plechanovová, Běla (referee)
This thesis is embedded in the theoretical approach of multilevel governance and presumption of the rational behaviour of actors. Using the method of process tracing it aims to uncover the legislative process in the European Union. It is a single case study and as a case was chosen the negotiation of the regulation of the citizens' initiative. Various actors were involved in the negotiations, this thesis focuses on the main one - European Commission, European Parliament, the Council, interest organisations and national parliaments. The thesis presumed, that all actors will try to push through their interests based on their rational choice. This presumption was verified, although the success rate of the players varied a lot. As the most successful should be considered the European Parliament, who defended the interests of the individuals and the Council, which apparently represented the interests of the governments of the member states (especially in the issues of lowering the bureaucratic burden). The interest organisations showed their positions clearly, however the Commission did not take their positions much into account while preparing the draft regulation. The position of the national parliaments was different then presumed. Although the thesis expected them to be directly involved in the...
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Lifelong Learning Politics: complementary and compatibility CR to the EU
Svobodová, Aneta ; Plechanovová, Běla (advisor) ; Knutelská, Viera (referee)
In my bachelor thesis deals with defining the relationship between the emerging concept of adult education at EU level and the expression of support in the national curriculum of the Czech Republic, response documents and putting into practice on a national scale. The fundamental point I think the concept of the Lisbon process and its implementation at European level. The priority thesis will evaluate the progress of the Czech Republic in accordance with the educational policy of the European Union, mutual compatibility and complementarity of the two concepts of education.
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Reform of the IMF Real empowerment of developing countries or just a gesture?
Kroupa, Michal ; Plechanovová, Běla (advisor) ; Parízek, Michal (referee)
Recently implemented reform of the IMF was motivated by empowering smaller developing and emerging countries. My work has an ambition to assess the countries were empowered and whether there would be a more efficient way for IMF reform. I analyse of role and power of countries using well-established methodology of Voting Power Indices. Apart from the immediate change a longer perspective covering last 20 years would be implemented. My aim is not only assess the power of countries as isolated variables but also to assess them in context of other indicators such as economic development. Lastly, I would suggest a new way of reform proposal for the IMF. Currently countries are represented in the locus of executive power through constituencies. Constituencies are formed arbitrary often reflecting power-seeking behaviour of developed countries. The result is composition of constituencies that often further marginalize the developing countries. My proposal is to restructure these constituencies in line with regional international organizations, which can enhance the position of developing countries in two ways. By providing institutional capacity of already existing organizations the consensus within the constituency would be better facilitated. By formation constituencies in line with regional...
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The Organizational-Cybernetic Approach to International Institutions
Parízek, Michal ; Karlas, Jan (advisor) ; Plechanovová, Běla (referee) ; Krpec, Oldřich (referee)
The Organizational-Cybernetic Approach to International Institutions Michal Parízek Abstract of the dissertation One of the key tasks of the institutionalist research in international relations should be to explore how the functioning of international institutions can be enhanced through alterations of their design, where design is understood as the only factor that can have a direct causal effect on the institutions' functioning and that, at the same time, is at least in principle amenable to conscious manipulation. The task of this dissertation is to elaborate on whether this can be at all done and, if yes, how exactly and under what conditions. To deal with these problems, I present what is best labelled as the organizational-cybernetic approach, a theoretical and conceptual framework based on insights from the field of organizational cybernetics. Building on the organizational-cybernetic framework, I outline the concept of information transmission capacity as the right dependent variable for the study of how design impacts on functioning of institutions. Subsequently I present the viable system model, an organizational- cybernetic model that identifies on a general level all the key information channels necessary for viability of any governance scheme. Using this approach, we can proceed in the...
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Reform of the UN Security Council and the associated stumbling block
Jindřich, Petr ; Karlas, Jan (advisor) ; Plechanovová, Běla (referee)
Reform of the UN Security Council and a stumbling block associated with it - abstract This thesis deals with matter of the Security Council reform, the most crucial body of the United Nations. It examines approaches of eleven specific countries which are divided into two groups. The first group is comprised by permanent members of the Security Council, the second one by states which, in case of their creation, could claim new permanent seats in this body. This thesis examines not only their real policies, but also their policies from theoretical - specifically neorealistic - point of view. Two different hypotheses were deduced from neorealism which were tested and subsequently evaluated as (in)valid. Hypothesis emerging from a standard neorealism put emphasis on policy whose goal is to maintain, alternatively to increase a state's autonomy (autonomy-seeking policy). International organizations are viewed as entity which limits, to some extent, this autonomy. On the other hand, hypothesis emerging from a modified neorealism put emphasis on policy whose goal is to gain, alternatively to increase influence on other actors (influence-seeking policy). On the contrary, within this policy international organizations are an useful entity because it is possible to achieve such an influence by means of them. In the...
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Lifelong Learning Politics: complementary and compatibility CR to the EU
Svobodová, Aneta ; Plechanovová, Běla (advisor) ; Knutelská, Viera (referee)
In my bachelor thesis deals with defining the relationship between the emerging concept of adult education at EU level and the expression of support in the national curriculum of the Czech Republic, response documents and putting into practice on a national scale. The fundamental point I think the concept of the Lisbon process and its implementation at European level. The priority thesis will evaluate the progress of the Czech Republic in accordance with the educational policy of the European Union, mutual compatibility and complementarity of the two concepts of education.
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Law and Protection of Human Rights in communication of the EU as of the actor of international security
Peterka, Bohumil ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Plechanovová, Běla (referee)
logiky vhodnosti. Abstract Presented diploma thesis aims to answer a question whether the European Union can be perceived as a relevant actor of international security relations in the context of human rights protection and international security threat regulation. For the purpose of achieving the main goal of the thesis a definition of the EU actorness is used which presumes that the EU could be perceived as an actor of a policy provided it is being perceived as an actor acknowledged by other actors of international security and is able to influence their behavior at the same time. Both are proved by analysis of the antiterrorist sanction régimes, and more specifically a related the Court of Justice case Kadi. By means of the case, the EU pushed for institutional changes within the UN Security Council strengthening human rights protection. Within the EU, regarding the Member States, the EU can be perceived as actor if it succeeds in spread its own normative patterns among them. By the analysis of the Kadi case as well as of the Court's human rights doctrine development I try to prove that an EU institution (in this case the Court of Justice) succeeds in convincing the Member States that they should support the Court of Justice doctrine even though it might diminish their own power and influence. Normative...
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The Change of Developmnet Aid's Paradigm on the Microfinance Example
Tůmová, Dominika ; Kučerová, Irah (advisor) ; Plechanovová, Běla (referee)
The Thesis "The Change of Development Aid's Paradigm on the Microfinance Example" deals with the issue of microfinance from the point of view of development theories. Microfinance as a form of development aid is a relatively new phenomenon. It is a form of a direct financial support of small entrepreneurs in developing countries. Since the 90s commercial institutions have become increasingly involved in the process of microfinancing and projects and financing have gone beyond borders of individual states. After 2000 microfinance has become a part of the agenda of international organizations. In the last century, there was a dynamic development in the area of development theories. The change of development aid's paradigm, which took place during the 90s, marked a culmination of this process. Since the 90s the term Comprehensive Development Framework is being used. This thesis verifies validity of the subsequent hypothesis, interest in microfinancing is in accordance with the change of development theories paradigm. The incorporation of microfinance into the development aid's agenda is assessed by concepts the new paradigm works with; the human potential (individual as an active player of development), role of the institutional environment, multidisciplinarity and sustainable development.
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Are the development aid and democracy inseparable?
Vokolek, Aleš ; Plechanovová, Běla (advisor) ; Kučerová, Irah (referee)
Master Thesis called Are the development aid and democracy inseparable? aims to find out what impact does development aid have on democracy. The development aid is divided into four groups. Hypotheses are tested on data of 48 of countries from Sub-Saharan Africa in the period starting from the end of the Cold War and ending in 2009. In order to achieve its aim, the study uses regression model of ordinary least squares in combination with moving averages, when in position of dependent variable stands either value of democracy according to Polity IV Project or value of democracy evaluated by Freedom House. In first two chapters is presented theoretical concept of this study, on which this study is based on. In third chapter dependent and independent variables are analyzed including their descriptive characteristics. In the fourth and the fifth chapter the basic model is introduced, estimated results are analyzed and in following sixth chapter the model and results are tested. The estimated results of both models confirm the hypothesis about positive influence of human capital development aid on democracy. On the contrary, both models disprove the hypothesis about positive relationship of institutional aid with democracy and they both find negative influence of institutional development aid on...
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NATO Transformation and the Capability Gap
Ruml, Ken ; Plechanovová, Běla (advisor) ; Karlas, Jan (referee)
The present Master Thesis is a macro-level comparative case study that addresses the problem of most member states' lack of adequate motivation to acquire innovative military capabilities and contribute them to the North Atlantic Alliance. There has been a significant gap between NATO's ambition and its military capability since at least the 1999 Kosovo Crisis. Even today, a couple of years after the adoption of the longawaited new Strategic Concept, which confirmed NATO's role in crisis management beyond its borders, the evaluations of the recent NATO operation in Libya hint to fact that the gap persists. The question is: what factors play the most significant role in shaping state behaviour within NATO and what can be done to stimulate the member states' proactive attitude? The problem is addressed through the prism of Neorealism, which emphasizes structural constraints of state behaviour, and Constructivism, which, for its part, highlights the importance of domestic factors, namely state identity. Based on the results of the fuzzy-set analysis, it is argued that the harmonization of NATO's and EU's capability development initiatives, as well as the eventual military integration of lower-capability NATO member states is most likely to reset the balance between the Alliance's ambition and available...
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