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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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Women Strike for Peace against Nuclear Arms and the Vietnam War
Kunovská, Kristýna ; Pondělíček, Jiří (advisor) ; Tůma, Oldřich (referee)
This Bachelor's thesis deals with the women's peace activist group Women Strike for Peace (WSP) and its opposition to nuclear arms and the war in Vietnam. It covers the period from 1961, when the group was founded, to the early 1970s. In my thesis I deal with WSP membership characteristics, tactics the group used to achieve its goals, important protests or other significant activities that WSP conducted in connection with its dissenting opinion on nuclear arms and the war in Vietnam. WSP held an important position in the Cold War peace movement. Already at the beginning of its activities, WSP had support from many American women and media because of its decent, respectable behavior and emphasis on motherhood. WSP used gender stereotypes to legitimize its activities, claiming, for example, that women as mothers have the right to decide on nuclear arms testing, as there are plenty of harmful substances entering the atmosphere that affect children's health. Women used the same tactics also when their sons were taken to the war in Vietnam due to conscription. However, in the second half of the 1960s, WSP protests and actions became more radical, resulting in increasing criticism from society. The original theoretical basis of WSP also questioned the fact that younger female members began to identify...
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'Special relationship' between the United Kingdom and the United States and renascence of their relationship after September 11, 2001
Žáčková, Olga ; Rovná, Lenka (advisor) ; Nálevka, Vladimír (referee)
Diploma thesis 'Special relationship' between the United Kingdom and the United States and renascence of their relationship after September 11, 2001, deals with the special Anglo-American relationship in past and present. Both countries share common history, common language and threads of cultural heritage. The United States maintains close economic and military relationship with the UK. US military and intelligence cooperation in its current form dates back to the World War II and it was rooted in the doctrine of anti-Soviet Containment. US-UK 'special relationship' was widely seen as likely to expire with the end of the Cold War, but was revived following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States. Particular emphasis in explaining the renascence of the 'special relationship' in the world changed by terror is placed on the role of Prime Minister Tony Blair and his relationship to President George W. Bush.
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Perspectives of the Cuban Transition to Democracy
Fungačová, Hana ; Mlejnek, Josef (advisor) ; Dvořáková, Vladimíra (referee)
Diploma thesis "Perspectives of the Cuban Transition to Democracy" tries to analyze the current situation in Cuba and answer a question if the transition to democracy is possible and if so, in which period of time. It also tries to confirm or disprove two hypotheses set ahead: 'the transition to democracy is possible but only in a long period of time' and 'there will not be any changes during Fidel Castro's life'. This paper also tries to depict some theoretical models of the transition to democracy, brief history of Cuba which is indispensable for understanding of the current situation in Cuba and the perspectives of the future transition as well. The thesis also comprehensively deals with characterization of the current Cuban regime and its main representatives, analysis of the civil society and the inner opposition in Cuba and also with the international situation and its main actors which are able to to influence the current situation in Cuba and its future transition as well. There are also depicted some scenarios and factors of the future transition and briefly described some essential subsequent reforms though the application of some theoretical approaches on the analysis of the particular situation in Cuba.
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Africa: clash of two hegemons?
Dunajová, Alžběta ; Werkman, Kateřina (advisor) ; Oklešťková, Ivana (referee)
On the base of the theoretical concept of hegemony, the work tries to discover whether the United States and China can be considered a leaving, respectively rising hegemonic power in Africa. The theoretical part is based on the conception of hegemony by Immanuel Wallerstein and Robert Gilpin and sets an analytic framework for the identification of four groups of indicators - political, economic, military and cultural ones. The results of the research confirmed China as a rising hegemon and United States as an actual hegemonic power in Africa.
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What is the Strategic Impact of Chinese Anti-Access and Area-Denial Capabilities on the Offence-Defence Balance in East Asia? A Comparative Case Study of the United States and Japan
Oldemeier, Niels ; Kučera, Tomáš (advisor) ; Urbancová, Kateřina (referee)
iv ABSTRACT Over the last four decades, the People's Republic of China has modernized its armed forces and acquired the world's largest and most diverse missile arsenal. In light of Beijing's vague yet increasingly assertive stance in the region, China's A2/AD capabilities have sparked a discussion about their offensive potential and threat to the region's stability. This thesis has conducted a qualitative strategic impact of Chinese anti-access and area-denial capabilities on the offence-defence balance in East Asia. Applying Biddle's revised offence-defence theory, this thesis investigated and compared the Sino-American and Sino-Japanese balances. The analyses found that Chinese A2/AD capabilities do not have a uniform impact on the offence-defence balance in the region. Despite its offensive potential, Chinese A2/AD does not provide an effective, sustainable counter to Japan's deep, reserve-oriented force employment strategy. Even though China fields the world's largest fleet, it does not field enough principal surface ships to exploit a temporary offensive advantage. As such, any Chinese attempt to claim the Senkakus would result in a Chinese naval overstretch and create a mutually contested no man's land in the East China Sea. As for the Sino- American balance, Chinese A2/AD creates an...
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The Islamic Petroleum State: A study of US-Led airstrikes against ISIS's oil network in Iraq and Syria
de Rooij, Mats Julian ; Dowd, Caitriona (advisor) ; Špelda, Petr (referee)
Dissertation Mats de Rooij Charles University Student Number: 17287595 ABSTRACT Keywords: ISIS oil financing strategy-making third-party interventions United States This dissertation will explore the US-led coalition's strategy for disrupting ISIS's oil network in Iraq and Syria. Scholars have debated the desirability of third-party interventions and strategies for countering financing structures of violent non- state actors. However, remarkably limited research exists on ISIS's estimated largest source of revenue during the existence of its caliphate: the production and distribution of petroleum. This study will therefore introduce a framework for analysing the military response enacted by the US-led coalition between September 2014 and October 2017. It will do so through a mixed method study that includes the first-hand generation and analysis of a dataset containing 5,768 unique data points that present both an insight into the strategy behind the strikes and vulnerabilities in ISIS's oil network. Findings demonstrate how the coalition was able to exploit vulnerabilities specifically in the production, transportation, and refinement stages of the production chain. It will be argued that, as the campaign proceeded, the coalition became increasingly willing to take risks of collateral damage as a...
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