The purpose of this thesis is to test the hypothesis that a majority of developing countries suffer from a lack of genuine political will to combat corruption, and that this is a decisive factor in determining the success or failure of anticorruption reforms. Assuming a lack of political will, this thesis also seeks to understand the factors contributing to this deficit. This is done by utilizing

Latin America has a profound tradition of anti-abortion legislation and a conservative view on women’s sexuality. Most of the countries allow for abortion in extreme cases, such as rape or when there is a risk to the woman’s health, while others still prohibit it under any circumstances. But in 2007, Mexico City decriminalised abortion up until the 12th week of pregnancy. Mexico City thus constitu

The aim of this study was to investigate mental health and emotion regulation strategies of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and adolescents. A survey was conducted, using questionnaires that also contained queries regarding the participants’ belief of the future. A total of 95 boys in the ages of 13 to 17 years old, living in seven refugee housing facilities, answered the questionnaire “The

This essay investigates if NATO’s humanitarian intervention in Kosovo 1999 can be justified. To answer this question we use values like sovereignty, nonintervention, human rights and perspectives that are essential to the question. The perspectives used are two normative ethical perspectives and the Just War theory, which has some criteria’s for going to war and how war should be conducted. By usi

Abstract In this thesis the EP’s role and influence in the development of the co-decision procedure is analysed. Over the last decades the European Parliament has increased its power in the legislative process. It has been one of the central actors in the development of the co-decision procedure, established in the Maastricht Treaty and extended in the Amsterdam Treaty. The question of how the EP

The Treaty of Lisbon entered into force December 1 2009, but the road to get there was long and bumpy. For years this Reform Treaty of the EU has been subject of debate and conflict. This paper aims at giving a theoretical understanding of this last amending treaty of the EU, using and comparing two widely recognised approaches in the study of European integration: neo-functionalism and liberal in

This thesis is about whether Swedish immigrants are to be considered politically empowered or not. The term politically empowered refers to a state where individuals have the capabilities and possibilities to effectively change their situation via the established democratic system. My conclusion is that political empowerment is not yet a reality within ethnic minority groups. In decision making ar

In light of the current process of regional integration prospering in the European Union, the Öresund region has become a dynamic geographical entity that in the most recent decades has experienced substantial increased growth in terms of economy, innovation, social activity and culture. Thus, the interest of this study lies in investigating a perspective of this integration process, namely the de

Vi blev nyfikna på hur Internet formar nya former för påverkan av demokratiskt politiskt deltagande. Med denna nyfikenhet tar uppsatsen avstamp utifrån den debatt som pågick bland bloggare inför voteringen av FRA-lagstiftningen 2008. Med utgångspunkt från Jurgen Habermas koncept om den publika sfären samt Lincoln Dahlbergs riktlinjer för deliberativa internet-forum genomförs en kvalitativ textanal

Är vårdgarantin en effektiv årgärd mot långa vårdköer? Den svenska regeringen införde år 2008 en maximal väntetidsgaranti vid namnet vårdgaranti, som inte var bindande. Den 1 juli 2010 blev vårdgarantin bindande lagstiftning, men kan man förvänta sig att väntetiderna till speciliserad vård kommer att minska? Med denna kvalitativa fallstudie vill jag ge ett tentativt svar på frågan. I en genomgång

This Masters’ thesis contributes to the empirical and theoretical academic literature on the debate on European integration in new EU member states. It analyzes Czech and Slovak debate on the Lisbon Treaty in the parliament and media through a Grounded Theory method of data analysis. Actors' differentiation between two issues in the debate lead to development of two dimensions on which actors

This is a field study conducted in Mozambique of the empowerment of small-scale farmers within the initial process of commercialization. The WFP initiative named Purchase for Progress intend to purchasing crops locally directly from farmer organizations. The study’s aim is capturing the farmers’ perceived empowerment, defined as access to purposive choices, through a theoretical framework where op

This thesis investigates the prospects of a common counter-terrorism strategy in the European Union. It analyzes how Member States’ security cultures influence the establishment of a common European counter-terrorism strategy. The study examines the differences between Member States’ security cultures under the framework of social constructivism that emphasizes the impact of the socially construct

This paper adresses key issues of constructions and ideas of our social reality in relation to the international political organisation. Through constructivist analyses this paper highlights and contrast two identity contructions which are of great relevance for the European integration of today. By definig the main charachters of the persistant and condemning discourse of Balkanism and the young

Conflict over declining water resources has been a highly debated issue the last decade. Theorists suggests that environmental degradation may in some cases cause violent conflict or war. A different school of thought proposes the opposite – that water is more likely to create cooperation, rather than conflict. This thesis will focus on Lake Victoria and why there is cooperation over the lake betw

Derived from theories of hard- and soft power, sanctions and constructive engagement, the thesis analyses the effect and interplay of targeted sanctions and political dialogue, by highlighting the political strategies that the EU conducts towards Zimbabwe. Based on semi-structured interviews with six influential officials in the EU, the thesis explains and describes the tensions of the foreign pol

In March 2008 a conflict started in Argentina between the government and the farm sector due to the introduction of a new tax scheme on the exportation of grains. Turning into one of the biggest conflicts the country had seen in recent years, the President decided to send a tax proposition to the Congress in order to give further approval to the measure. Despite having the President the majority o

In September 2005 Jyllandsposten published twelve cartoons figurative prophet Muhammad. The reaction from the Muslims were calm until the winter when it became intense. Muslims all over the world showed their frustration about – what they thought – was an offence of their Prophet. Many Muslims caught it as a provocation from the western world as a hole confronting Islam and the Muslims. MEMRI is a

This thesis explores the strategic interaction between mainstream parties and the Sweden Democrats (SD), a Swedish radical right-wing populist party (RRP-party). The purpose is twofold: (1) to identify strategic difficulties in responding to SD, and (2) to problemize and simplify the results in order to deepen the strategic understanding. Ten qualitative and explorative interviews are conducted wi