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TTIP: Why did the negotiations start as late as 2013?
Karl, Václav ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Fiřtová, Magdalena (referee)
This thesis' focus is a free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States of America called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The main goal of the thesis is to answer the question of why the negotiations began as late as 2013. The thesis touches on the issue of regionalism; therefore it presents a short introduction on this topic in the beginning. It then follows to the Second World War and by chronologically analysing the trade relations between the EU and the USA it describes the factors which led to the negotiations of TTIP, as well as those that called them off. Among these main factors it primarily mentions the failure of multilateral negotiations within the WTO and various interest groups on both sides of the Atlantic, mainly trade and consumer organisations. Furthermore, it mentions the Great Recession of 2007 and the decline in the influence of the United States and the European union on the world geopolitical scene. The thesis also analyses which of the mentioned factors were relevant at certain moments and in individual cases, as well as if it shifted the negotiations back to the start. The whole thesis is written from the american perspective on this issue and it takes the european one into consideration only in the cases of dispute. In the end, it...
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Defence cooperation in the small states of Central Europe : a discourse analysis of reality through the neorealist paradigm
Szentpetery, Dalma ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Cibulková, Petra (referee)
In the following dissertation I seek to highlight some of the key aspects to defence cooperation in the region of Central Europe. The neorealist paradigm will be the guiding foundation through which I will explore the present circumstances and the potential for further alignment on cooperation. I aim to explore whether aspects of reality correspond to the expectations of neorealist paradigm in the small states of Central Europe. I have chosen to focus my dissertation on small state security because of its unique nature. Cooperation is a way for small states to be heard, and a way for them to shape policy. By working together, small states could increase the relative power they have within the system. They would also be able to avoid some of the expensive and potentially ineffective overlapping of military resources which exist in the European context. Budget cuts in the last few years have reduced the resources allocation of most military operations and therefore countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, already operating under limited resources, are faced with even more restrictions. Despite factors which encourage the creation of joint-military structures, the small states of Central Europe continue to maintain their own military presence. The sovereignty of the state is tied in...
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US cooperation with the Middle East in the fight against the Islamic state
Koláč, Vojtěch ; Calda, Miloš (advisor) ; Raška, Francis (referee)
The Islamic State's phenomenon has been the subject of many analyses since its inception, and in 2018 it is a very dynamic, dynamic issue with a global dimension. The main goal of the bachelor thesis is to find out in what way the approach to defeating the "IS" in the four major powers, except the USA, also in the concepts of Russia, Iran and Turkey based on a search of available literature, domestic and foreign articles and analysis of elaborated strategic documents. The Middle East is a region where the interests of global actors meet the national interests of local powers. This work also aims to define the ways in which the Islamic State influences and influences the strategic interests of four selected actors: the United States of America, Russia, Turkey and Iran. Analytical and descriptive methods are used in the work. Because of the topicality of the issue, it is largely drawn from internet sources, in the form of expert analyses and newspaper articles, to a lesser extent from the final works and book publications.
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Pakistan: Key Factor for American Involvement in Afghanistan (during presidency of George W. Bush)
Snášel, Filip ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee)
American relations with Pakistan went through various ups and downs from being allied during the Cold war to imposing sanctions in last decade of the twentieth century. After 9/11 attack on World Trade Center and Pentagon Pakistan quickly joined the United States in the War on Terror. In my thesis I analyze positions and influence of Pakistan during invasion to Afghanistan. and seven next years of the Operation Enduging Freedom during George W. Bush administration. At first I concentrate on historical experience of Pakistan and development in the area before american invasion to Afghanistan. I also surveying terrorist movements on Pakistani soil, which are important for later development and are connected to Pakistani secret service ISI. ISI tried some years after 2001 to maintain friendly relations with Taliban and other terrorist groups along Afghan - Pakistan border, but terrorists, basically anti-system movements, wanted to establish in Pakistan and Afghanistan states constituted as Islamic emirates. President Musharraf under pressure of forthcoming events and the United States understood that supporting Taliban is no longer sustainable policy and decided to act against terrorist groups home in Pakistan. This move however triggered suicide bombings and massive uprising which hit in 2006/2007...
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Re-established partnership: Analysis of the American-Philippine security cooperation during Bush and Obama administrations
Kryl, Šimon ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Hornát, Jan (referee)
This bachelor thesis analyzes the security cooperation between the United States and the Philippine Republic during the period between 2001 and 2016 during which the security cooperation went through major changes. The U.S.-Philippine alliance became one of the cornerstones for the stabilization of the turbulent region of Southeast Asia. The main goal of this thesis is to analyze the areas of mutual cooperation, what are the arguments for the improvement of the partnership and what role was played by the People's Republic China in forming this relationship. The first chapter is explaining the historical context of the cooperation which is necessary to deepen the understanding of the topic. The second part analyses the security threats which influenced the building of the security cooperation between Washington and Manila. The third chapter focuses on the evolution of the U.S.-Philippine security relations during George W. Bush's administration. Bush's declaration of War on terror had a significant impact on improvement of the U.S.-Philippine security relations. The last chapter analyzes president Obama's Pivot to Asia and examines how Chinese military activities are reflected in Washington's relations with Manila. The thesis concludes that both Bush and Obama administrations could be credited for...
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Redistricting Bodies and Redistricting Reform in the U.S.: Where Are We Now and the Way Forward
Šára, Pavel ; Bečka, Jan (advisor) ; Calda, Miloš (referee)
While drawing electoral districts and its special type called gerrymandering (redistricting with a certain purpose in mind) has been present in American politics since the founding of the United States, it has recently received a lot of attention and criticism. Gerrymandering has been accused of ruining electoral competition, contributing to the gridlock in Congress, and hampering the spirit of American democracy. Moreover, legislators responsible for redistricting are frowned upon for choosing their own voters and thus ruining the purpose of the electoral process. Redistricting currently follows certain principles, the most important of which and the only two recognized at the federal level are population equality and minority representation. These principles were designed to limit the redistricting bodies when drawing districts. State legislatures remain the most common redistricting institution. However, for the criticism that they face various redistricting commissions with different powers were established. The current trend in the redistricting reform is to delegate the redistricting power to independent commissions which can adopt a redistricting plan without the consent of a legislature and whose members have no connections to politics. Competition and partisanship are the two most discussed...
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The Role of Business Lobby in the Immigration Reform in the United States during the Second Administration of George W. Bush
Mackuliaková, Kristína ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Raška, Francis (referee)
This bachelor thesis deals with the role of business lobbying in relation to the political arena of immigration reform in the United States during the second Bush administration era. It attempts to evaluate the impact of businesses on immigration policies through their lobbying activities. It analyzes expenditures on two separate bills that were introduced in Congress in the years 2006 and 2007. The thesis tries to answer the question whether American businesses enjoy an uneven impact on politics and is based on several premises. Businesses try to increase their profits via decreasing the wage level which is made possible by abundance of workers. They also try to prevent a situation in which there is a scarcity of workers. Businesses thus demand open liberal immigration policy and spend considerable resources to achieve this goal. Businesses have, according to some authors, a special position among other interest groups which enables them to effectively control political decisions. Given the fact that both bills I considered were liberal and heavily supported by the business lobby groups and still did not pass in the Congress I will claim that businesses are not as powerful as often expected.
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The percetion of equality in the US
Černochová, Johana ; Hornát, Jan (advisor) ; Klvaňa, Tomáš (referee)
This thesis analyses the perception of equality in the United States in the context of today's high economic inequality. The main characteristic feature of this perception is the emphasis on the equality of opportunity. According to this ideal, America is the land of equal opportunity to achieve success, which depends on hard work and talent, not on family wealth. This concept is often considered as the opposite of the so-called equality of outcomes, which demands more even distribution of wealth, and which is usually perceived as foreign to American values. However, the large economic inequality, which is even much higher in America than in other advanced countries, has provably negative impacts on the general possibility of fair equal opportunity. Hence, the aim of this thesis is to verify the assumption that in the context of today's high and rising economic inequality, these negative impacts on the real state of equal opportunity must also find expression in the actual American perception of equality. Based on the analysis of an extensive set of public opinion surveys, it concludes that a certain change in the perception takes place. The emphasis on the equality of opportunity is still crucial, but the findings of the thesis do not support the notion that larger equality of outcomes is...
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Comprehensive immigration reform suspended: Lessons from the U.S. Senate 2004-2010
Švajda, Michal ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Calda, Miloš (referee)
The M.A. thesis "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Postponed: Lessons from the Senate 2004- 2010" elaborates upon the causes hindering in the years 2004 to 2010 the adoption of a comprehensive immigration reform in the United States of America. The main goal of the thesis is to assess the consequences of the polarization of the American political scene on the immigration reform and to evaluate the party divide on the matter upon the floor remarks made by the members of Senate Committee on the Judiciary taking in account the differences in between the 109th and 111th Senate. The focus on the Committee on the Judiciary is justified by the role played by its members in the drafting process of particular reform proposals. The scope of the polarization of the Committee is assessed upon the aggravated means attributed to the most dominant narratives used by the senators. The remarks used in the evaluation are addressed in the context of the most significant contemporary factors influencing the polarization of American political scene as well as under the light of the development surpassing the domestic affairs.
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US Private military companies.
Pejřimovský, Martin ; Anděl, Petr (advisor) ; Raška, Francis (referee)
Private military companies in the USA aren't a completely new phenomenon. According to various sources, first mercenaries set foot on the American soil no later than during the famous war of independence. What has changed about the US private military contractors since these times is their overall number, the amount of countries they operate in, the scale of services they can provide and last but not least, the extent of money they receive. The process of development of the US private military firms wasn't continual. They played only a minor role approximately up to the end of the Cold war. The US Army used them only to provide the construction, support and logistical services. These days however, the department of defense needs them to provide highly specialized tasks such as spy and counterspy operations, risk consulting, training of the elite armed forces, and the protection of convoys or high-profile people in the warzone. In this thesis I am trying to examine, why did the US private military companies become so essential for the army of the United States. The results of my research show that the most important reasons for this development were the introduction of professional armed forces in 1973, a continuous decline of the defense budget after the end of the Cold war and the widespread...
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