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Taiwan's Lobby in the United States Between Years 2017-2020.
Tučková, Gabriela ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Raška, Francis (referee)
Lobbying is an integral part of political decision-making processes. It is a relevant way of communication, during which lobbying companies and lobbyists try to influence different policy areas for the benefit of their clients. This also applies to foreign lobbying, where a given country tries to influence the foreign policy of the target state to its advantage through lobbying companies. This tool is also used by Taiwan, for which it is one of the crucial tools to break out of international isolation and to ensure one's own security. Thus, Taiwan has invested millions of US dollars over the years, and this trend continued in the period 2017-2020, the administration of Donald Trump. The work analyzes Taiwan's lobbying activities in the U.S. between 2017 and 2020 using publicly available reports from the US Department of Justice. It evaluates the number of companies hired by Taiwanese government entities, the funds they have received for their services, and the contacts made by these companies with U.S. lawmakers. At the same time, it maps political contributions made in favor of sponsors and co-sponsors of selected laws. The thesis also deals with the activities of the American organization Formosan Association for Public Affairs, which contributes significantly to the promotion of Taiwanese issues...
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South China Sea Hegemony: Does China have the capacity to dominate the South China Sea amidst U.S presence in the region ?
Britto, Aidan ; Raška, Francis (advisor) ; Riegl, Martin (referee)
In the last decade China has transformed itself into a maritime power. It is well established that the appointment of Xi-Jinping as the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist in 2013 has been effective in rivalling the U.S Pivot to Asia of 2012 concerning the hegemonic dominance of the highly contested South China Sea region. The thesis aims to demonstrate how emerging powers like China are ready to exhibit methods of soft and hard power to liberate contested waters worth billions of unclaimed dollars of hydrocarbon resources beneath its seabed to showcase how an emerging power is ready to challenge an established power for regional hegemony. A combination of both qualitative and quantitative data has been used to examine Chinese power projection in the South China Sea with relation to their actions in terms of modernisation of their naval fleet, hedging of multilateral institutions and artificial constructions in disputed territories. In sum, a theoretical in depth analysis on how control over the South China Sea is crucial to long term Chinese security. .
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Regulation of Autonomous Weapon Systems: EU and U.S. policy strategies
Ortmann, Matyáš ; Špelda, Petr (advisor) ; Solovyeva, Anzhelika (referee)
This diploma thesis deals with the issue of autonomous weapon systems in connection with the phenomenon of artificial intelligence. Within the issue of AWS, the master's thesis addresses their potential regulation or complete ban. This burning topic is discussed based on an empirical analysis of international organizations and state institutions that deal with the matter. The main essence of the master's thesis is to approach the functioning of artificial intelligence and autonomous weapon systems, to map the development of AWS and to present the current situation in the context of AWS regulation. The secondary purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyze the international debate and to look at the arguments presented regarding the moral and ethical aspects of development and deployment of autonomous weapons. The diploma thesis concludes that at present times, there are still no fully autonomous weapon systems operating in the field, but their development is gaining momentum. Regarding the matter of regulatory measures of AWS discussions are taking place at present times. These discussions have so far resulted in individual agreements that correspond to the form of hybrid regulation. Individual countries approach the topic of AWS regulation based on their technological and economic capabilities...
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American jazz diplomacy and the Czechoslovak Socialist Society
Vlášek, Jakub ; Calda, Miloš (advisor) ; Perutka, Lukáš (referee)
This thesis is focused on the activity of American jazz diplomacy in countries of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War era. It follows the historical development of US jazz diplomacy and highlights its most important protagonists, the so-called jazz ambassadors, who were not only fighting against Communism through the medium of jazz music but also helping to create the positive image of US culture in the world. The primary aim of this thesis is to analyze the tolerance of the ruling regime towards American jazz music, as an instrument of cultural diplomacy, in the fifties and sixties of former Czechoslovakia. At the same time, it tries to find the reasons and preconditions which all led to organizing concerts of American jazz ambassadors, despite the negative attitude of the communist party towards jazz music. The author concludes that the communist authorities could use the concerts of African-American jazzmen in their own propaganda, emphasizing American racial segregation. Jazz music was also much more bearable for the Communists to let in in comparison to other new musical genres because it did not incite revolt.
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Anti-Americanism and Canadian Cultural Policy (1928-1957)
Havlíková, Veronika ; Fiřtová, Magdalena (advisor) ; Pondělíček, Jiří (referee)
This thesis named "Anti-Americanism and Canadian Cultural Policy (1928-1957)" examines how Canadian federal government cultural policies were influenced by a specific form of anti-Americanism, which reflected concerns over Americanization and cultural absorption by the United States, in this formative period for the development of a distinct national identity during the time of Canada's colony-to-nation transition. The chosen research design is interpretative content analysis of the reports of two Canadian royal commissions commonly known as the Aird Commission (1928-1929) and the Massey Commission (1949-1951). The aim of this thesis is to identify the main factors and incentives for a policy of government intervention in the field of culture and to assess the role of anti-Americanism as a response to what was perceived as American cultural invasion that threatened the development of a distinct Canadian culture. The theoretical framework contains a discussion about different forms of anti-Americanism, with emphasis on its unique nature in Canada, and introduces the concept of cultural imperialism which helps us to better understand Canadian opposition to American cultural influences in the examined period.
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Impact of NAFTA on Mexican agricultural sector
Moravcová, Markéta ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Fiřtová, Magdalena (referee)
The objective of this thesis is to evaluate impacts of North American Free Trade Agreement on Mexican agricultural sector. The treaty was a substantial liberalization element for Mexico. After coming to force, the agriculture of both partner countries was gradually liberalized and after fifteen years the trade between the partner countries was free of all trade barriers on agricultural commodities. The thesis analyses the problem from various aspects. The first aspect consists of subsidies which the Mexican government pays to its farmers and subsidies which the U.S. pays to its farmers. The U.S. subsidies are considerably higher than the Mexican ones. The second aspect comprises the impacts on agricultural commodities and its production in general. This part examines impacts of the agreement on production of particular agricultural commodities and the change of production of certain commodities is examined. The production of more remunerative commodities like fruits and vegetables replaces the production of staples like corn. The following aspect examines the employment and poverty on the countryside and its connection to the treaty. The last aspect lists the impacts of the new agricultural structure on the environment in Mexico. The thesis comes to conclusion that the agreement created more...
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The Role of the US in NATO: How Did It Change after 9/11 under Bush Administration
Štverková, Iva ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Hornát, Jan (referee)
The goal of this thesis is to examine president Bush's policy after 9/11 and its implications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The shock of 9/11 attacks resulted in "war mentality" manifesting itself in the pressure of the public and media for swift radical actions. This resulted in ad hoc decisions taken without proper analyses and consideration of consequences. After 9/11, Bush Administration used black-and-white rhetoric and simplified the war on terror into war between good and evil. The U.S. under Bush did not consider international institutions to play significant role in international politics and preferred bilateral cooperation. By omitting the Alliance, Washing, however, undermined NATO. Europe was sympathetic to the U.S. and proclaimed its support for Washington since day one but European NATO members and the U.S. had different threat perception regarding Iraq, and could not agree on a common solution. The actions taken by Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq and the reluctance of European allies in supporting the U.S. war against terrorism resulted in escalation of relations in the Alliance. As the U.S. headed toward engagement in two conflicts, it increasingly appreciated the value of NATO. On the other hand, Europe never forgot that the United States is its main ally. Most...
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Language Policy in the U.S.: Debating Official Language
Mertová, Viktorie ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Zukerstein, Jaroslav (referee)
U. S. does not have an official language even though the country is home to the highest number of English speakers in the world and English is the primary language spoken there. Since 1980s, there have been efforts to make English the official language of the land. However, they have not been successful so far. The paper Language Policy in the U. S.: Debating Official Language attempts to clarify why English has never been officialized. First, the language policy debates since the American Revolution are examined and the role of official language in the debates is defined. Second, the actors of official English debates are introduced, their motivation is explained and arguments for and against making English official are presented. Third, potential impact of official language legislation is scrutinized based on a comparative analysis of five official English bills. Thus, the paper provides an overview of the topic of official English debates and gives reasons why the U. S. Congress has never passed an official language law.
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Mexico's dual approach at the southern border : clash of realism and humanitarianism
Vrchota, Petr ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Ditrych, Ondřej (referee)
In my thesis I will show the case of Mexico, a country that is struggling hard to fulfill its principles of national security - one of the most characteristic features of Mexico's policies. Simultaneously, Mexico is making efforts to fulfill human rights' obligations of both its nationals and foreigners. Increasingly especially since the turn of the millennia, the United States has been fortifying its border with Mexico with the aim to prevent the Mexican and other immigrants reaching the United States illegally. Yet, hard-line border controls and migration-related policies have not been adopted solely by the United States, but also Mexico has played a dominant role in fortifying its border areas, especially along the southern border with Belize and Guatemala. My research questions would then focus on what is driving Mexico to adopt dual approach towards Central American migrants along Mexico's southern border, and why is Mexico balancing between realistic principles of national security and human rights' obligations, which has espoused by signing and ratifying international conventions?
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Prison Privatization in the United States: The Limits and Consequences of the Transfer of Public Power into Private Hands
Kršková, Martina ; Kozák, Kryštof (advisor) ; Kucer, Maxim (referee)
The thesis Prison Privatization in the United States: The Limits and Consequences of the Transfer of Public Power into Private Hands analyzes selected consequences of prison privatization in the United States. Although the prison privatization in the US is considered a modern phenomenon, the private sector was involved in corrections from the very early history of the US. Therefore, the thesis introduces the history and philosophy of private sector involvement in corrections. The thesis then examines the factors that led to the decision to privatize prisons, namely overcrowding of prisons, other political factors, and so-called PIE-program that enabled interstate trade with prisoner-made goods. Further, it provides detailed statistics to illustrate the steep rise in the prison population. It also addresses the question of cost-savings and efficiency and it provides examples of specific factors that influence economic performance of private prisons. Important part is dedicated to the growth of prison-industrial complex characterized by the overlapping interests of bureaucracy, politicians and private prison companies that lead to increased pressure to maintain or increase the prison population. In the final chapter, the thesis analyzes the consequences such as increasing tax burden; demographic...
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