...On Bread and Circuses: Food Subsidy Reform and Popular Opposition in Egypt Ram Sachs Advisor: Professor Lisa Blaydes Center for International Security and Cooperation Stanford University May 21, 2012 ii Abstract In January 1977, Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat faced tremendous public protest after implementing relatively small changes to the country’s food subsidy regime. In contrast, during the 1980s, and more aggressively in the 1990s, the government of Hosni Mubarak implemented more consequential reductions to subsidies on core food items while avoiding popular protest on a similar scale. I argue that the Mubarak regime engaged in covert price increases, distribution controls, temporary policy reversals, and repression, which allowed it to successfully reduce food subsidies without igniting regime-threatening public opposition during this period. Following the January 2011 revolution, further reform efforts are unlikely as the transitional democratic politics and the increased number of political participants will block change in the short term. iii iv Acknowledgements This thesis has served to unite my academic experience at Stanford. Four years of preparation, and the past year of writing, have produced this exploration of food, politics, and the Middle East. The CISAC Honors Program has provided a fantastic interdisciplinary home for this pursuit. I am thankful to Professors Blacker and Crenshaw for their guidance in this yearlong process. I...
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...Europe experienced a wave of Democracy, dubbed as the “Third Democratic Wave” (Huntington,1). The fast speed and large expansive spread of a Democratic regime influenced one-party governments to transition to a multi-party participant regime. An example of a transition from a single party regime to a democracy was in Poland beginning in 1988, with the start of the demise of the Soviet Union. The Third Wave of Democracy, compromised of similar motives of transition among the countries that were affected. For example, the weakening authoritarian regimes as democratic ideas were strengthening and spreading, an economic growth that were global during the ‘60s, a cultural shift which derived from the transformation in the Catholic...
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...DEFINITION FROM WIKI (understand and write it yourself) In ecology, resilience is the capacity of an ecosystem to respond to a perturbation or disturbanceby resisting damage and recovering quickly. Such perturbations and disturbances can include stochastic events such as fires, flooding, windstorms, insect population explosions, and human activities such as deforestation and the introduction of exotic plant or animal species. Disturbances of sufficient magnitudeor duration can profoundly affect an ecosystem and may force an ecosystem to reach a threshold beyond which a different regime of processes and structures predominates.Human activities that adversely affect ecosystem resilience such as reduction of biodiversity, exploitation of natural resources,pollution, land-use, and anthropogenic climate change are increasingly causing regime shifts in ecosystems, often to less desirable and degraded conditions. Interdisciplinary discourse on resilience now includes consideration of the interactions of humans and ecosystems via socio-ecological systems, and the need for shift from the maximum sustainable yield paradigm to environmental management which aims to build ecological resilience through "resilience analysis, adaptive resource management, and adaptive governance". The concept of resilience in ecological systems was first introduced by the Canadian ecologist C.S. Holling in order to describe the persistence of natural systems in the face of changes in ecosystem variables...
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...information about technological and policy development. Lee himself is also professional lawyer who is specialized in space law, so his book s a reliable source of information. I am able to use this work as a good reference book to discuss how ethical theories such as deontology can be applied to commercial exploitation of outer space resources. Livingston, D. (2003). A code of ethics for conducting business in outer space. Space Policy, 19(2), 93-94. Livingston’s article presents a list of code of ethics for commercial operations in outer space and serves as an independent guideline for companies that want to venture into space. His guideline provides me with a good tool to evaluate different approaches that I want to propose in my paper using ethical theories. I believe the ethical consideration is the most important factor to ensure equity of commercial exploitation of celestial resources. Livingston is the founder of a talk radio show called Space Show, which aims at increasing space commerce and developing space tourism. His long experience in the industry should enable him to provide a reliable and reasonable guideline for sustainable businesses in space. This guideline is a good starting point for me to bring in various ethical theories...
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...Amanda Dennis Dr. Knickman World History II 9 March 2013 Collapse of Communist Regimes In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the great communist regimes in Eastern Europe collapsed. All across Europe, in countries such as Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Russia, the people and their governments were in constant struggle. These struggles eventually lead to a falling out in the communist governments, and the citizens won their victory. Because the people's needs were not met by the government, corruption in government and poor leadership, and the views on countries' economies were different, the communist regimes in Eastern Europe eventually collapsed. Communism was first developed by Karl Marx in the 19th Century; it is the theory of a society in which people take only what they need and give only what they can. Communism started out as a decent cause, but it evolved into a violent revolution in which the government controlled the people only through force. Communism took away people’s freedom in their separate economies, which caused anger to ripple through the people. Strikes were led by angry mobs, and by 1991, all communist regimes had completely collapsed in Eastern Europe. After years of revolt and protest, the official communist government positions had lost all popular support by the people and the Iron Curtain was dismantled, allowing Eastern Europe to become communist-free. In many countries, the people’s needs were rarely met by the government....
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...people, cultures and identities within it. Around the world various cultural traditions, beliefs, food etc. can be seen as either already having a permanent place within other societies or as being slowly integrated. Simply, globalisation can be seen in the food we eat and the products we buy. The advancements of new technology, the ability to book a flight cheaply and the influence of international media corporations means that various parts of the world are becoming more westernised and increasingly multicultural – Like the UKs. While this may sound like a good thing in theory, it can be argued that globalisation can cause fundamentalism in response, meaning that some groups of people and individuals respond to globalisation in a hostile way as they see the introduction and integration of various other cultures as threat, to what they see as, their own dominant culture. Steve Bruce identified one function of religion as creating cultural defence. When applied to a context of globalisation and fundamentalism it can be said that some communities feel that their culture and identity is threatened not by individuals but by alternative ideals and beliefs from other cultures. For example In the 50s Western capitalist powers had significant influence in Iran, which in turn resulted in the implementation of pro-Western regime. In 1979 there was a revolution in protest to the regime and an Islamic Republic was created. Though this is an extreme example, on a smaller scale similar...
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...characterized by a government system led by a dictator who exercises harsh and strict control over the citizens, and the commons are mandated to comply with the government rule without resistance. Most authoritarian regimes rely on nationality or race to garner influence and support for a centralized autocratic government. The main aim of a fascist government is to enhance national unity and maintain a stable order in the society by exercising the element of fear among the citizens. Totalitarianism was able to exercise influence, by garnering devotion from regime loyalist. Its prominent execution was purported to collectively influence the success of a country. Supporters of the regime were rewarded by significant posts and incentives while non-loyalists were expected to remain silent without questioning the administrations motives. Use of violence was supported by the administration system to neutralize any emergent form of oppression. Fascism was a prominent governing system that was established during the early twentieth century, based on the need to respond to western influence and assert dictatorial states as new world leaders. The common character present in both ideologies is the nation or state was put before the rest. If a state was conceived by fascist regimes then the nation would speaks would be organized, structured and from its unity arise above the rest (Eatwell, 2011).Stalwarts were the propellers of the movement, their role was to obey and follow the chain of command...
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...FAO COMMODITY AND TRADE POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER No.22 Threshold cointegration in the sugarethanol-oil price system in Brazil: evidence from nonlinear vector error correction models George Rapsomanikis and David Hallam1 Commodities and Trade Division Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations September 2006 1 The authors are Economist and Chief in the Trade Policy Service, Commodities and Trade Division. FAO Commodity and Trade Policy Research Working Papers are published by the Commodities and Trade Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). They are working documents and do not reflect the opinion of FAO or its member governments. Also available at http://www.fao.org/es/ESC/ Additional copies of this working paper can be obtained from Olwen.Gotts@fao.org The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction...
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...A Direct Test of the Theory of Comparative Advantage: The Case of Japan Author(s): Daniel M. Bernhofen and John C. Brown Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 112, No. 1 (February 2004), pp. 48-67 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/379944 . Accessed: 10/02/2012 10:27 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. The University of Chicago Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Political Economy. http://www.jstor.org A Direct Test of the Theory of Comparative Advantage: The Case of Japan Daniel M. Bernhofen and John C. Brown Clark University We exploit Japan’s sudden and complete opening up to international trade in the 1860s to test the empirical validity of one of the oldest and most fundamental propositions in economics: the theory of comparative advantage. Historical evidence supports the assertion that the characteristics of the Japanese economy at the time were compatible with the...
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...The French Revolution, an uprising against the monarch in 1789, was caused by a series of events and matters throughout the 1700s. The third estate was extremely unhappy with the way they were being treated; many were left with little food and a low income yet had to pay extremely high taxes. The second and third estates had special privileges like not having to pay taxes and getting rewarded with a share of the peasant’s harvest. In addition, the Nobles lived in the Palace of Versailles with the king and got payed. Whilst the second and first estates were being rewarded for the little actions they had done, the third estate was being punished for working very hard and trying to provide for themselves. Since the third estate was 98 percent...
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...body project gives me an opportunity to not only understand myself about body sculpting, but allow a better understanding on the literature and provide additional evidence that will either support or reject themes and theories in this chosen topic. My choice to choose the topic of dieting for this body project was an easy one to make. From the age of about fifteen I have been conscious of my weight despite being told ‘you aren’t fat,’ and ‘you don’t need to diet.’ These comments were not enough to deter me not to take up different dieting techniques and phases of exercising however more times than not I would fail at reaching my targets. I therefore saw this opportunity as a way to try again as the pressure of keeping a diary and writing up on it may encourage me to maintain it for longer than my previous attempts. I find the topic of dieting very interesting not just in terms of myself but also in terms of society as a whole. After researching this topic of interest and not realising it myself but dieting has a significant association with the increased risk of not only binge eating but also purging behaviours (Jones, Bennett, Olmsted, Lawson and Rodin, 2001). This made me realise as well that my need to diet is partly been due to when I do fail, it is down to food purges and binges and I fall back into a viscous cycle of dieting and purges. My body project will use my diary I have kept throughout this process and using this data alongside academic work and...
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...remarkable benchmark in 1992, global environment as well as global climate change is being practiced almost with every aspect of international relations which include state, non-state actors, domestic international relationship, various political approach, several global accord, security and world trade as well. In this paper, we will try to find out the intensity of the intimacy between international relations and global climate change through several different approaches. In the beginning of the paper we will survey on the theories of international relations through which both international relations and global climate change can be explained then the discussion will be shifted to the role of state and non state actors on climate change, which will be pursued to the effect of climate change on human activities and the history of global climate change co-operation. Then we will move to an analysis of the global climate change regime through the several grand theories of international relations. Having theoretical analysis the paper will look forward to the domestic-international relationship on the global climate change negotiation and the political approach to climate...
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...his country against the forces of international law. A prime example of where realist theory falls short, Hussein’s forces were trumped by a multilateral coalition of international peacekeeping institutions in one of history’s most lopsided wars. Hussein sought power, and was willing to sacrifice his country’s foreign relations, as well as the health of his own people, to obtain it. In Gulf War I, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was quickly dismantled in a conflict instigated by its own realist intentions. The theory of realism is based on the three factors of statism, survival, and self-help of the sovereign state. The survival of the state as a whole, rather than its citizens themselves, is the main focus of realism. The realist state is expected to enhance its national power by any means necessary; “A POLICY MAKER’S PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO CREATE, MAINTAIN, AND INCREASE NATIONAL POWER – THE MEANS AVAILABLE TO A STATE TO SECURE ITS NATIONAL INTERESTS – AT ALL COSTS” (Lamy 71). Oftentimes, this comes at the expense of surrounding states. A realist state is concerned with its own security first and foremost; “THE FIRST MOVE…FOR THE REALSIST IS TO ORGANIZE OWER DOMESTICALLY. ONLY AFTER POWER HAS BEEN ORGANIZED CAN COMMUNITY BEGIN” (Lamy 72). However, once domestic security has been established, the realist state will look to pursue its self-interest internationally, by means of force. Realist theory insists that war is inevitable due to the brutal nature of mankind, and the lack of...
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...the autocratic government regime to rebel, however due to liberalist ideas gradually spreading across cities riots, strikes, and protest occurred more frequently. In order for the Tsar to survive he entwined a strategy of repression, and concession to the Russian people, enabling to elongate he’s reign in the dynasty. An extremely significant reason in why the Tsar remained during the 1905 revolution was because there no political alliance between other political groups. This was evident in the Liberal revolutionaries; the Liberals did not represent the people during the revolution as their aims were to share power with the Tsar. They ignored the initial aim of the people which was to overthrow Tsar. Moreover, the Social Democrats wanted a socialist state. However, the people of Russia didn’t understand these revolutionary theories, as majority were illiterate, and all they wanted was better economic livelihood. This lack of central coordination enabled the Tsar to command for so long. Along with the Orthodox Church heavily influencing the people of Russia, so did the political parties. However, the parties did not affiliate; in fact there was friction amongst the parties. Political parties having disagreements meant their priorities will sway away from trying to overthrow the Tsar, this is what enable is long reign. On the contrary, if the political parties were to affiliate/unite then it would be less challenging for them to abolish the Tsar’s regime. As they would have a lot...
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...REFLECTION INTRODUCTION The essence of this essay is to reflect on my 'lived' personal experience as a newly diagnosed patient with type II Diabetes. The author's assignment was to pretend to have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. As part of this exercise, the author was to maintain a record of exercise, food, and a regular blood sugar monitoring regime on daily basis. This reflection seeks to highlight the impact, experience and changes that occurred in the author's 'lived lifestyle of a patient with type II diabetes' and will include reference to current literature, research, theories and best practice. The author would explain the changes that occurred in her life and how experiencing type two diabetes has helped her to understand the challenges patients undergo in relation to their daily routine of monitoring their blood sugar levels. The author will explain how her 'lived experience' would help her understand and provide the necessary support for people with diabetes in the future. BACKGROUND INFORMATION I am a female non-smoker of African descent. I am married with two children aged 13 and 21. My thirteen-year old daughter currently lives with me in New Zealand. I am of an average height of about 163cm and weigh 80kg which signifies an unhealthy BMI of 30.1 (Health Information for New Zealanders, (n.d.) BMI Calculator section) I am currently out of job and often depressed as a result of my inactivity. I have a normal blood pressure of 136/78 and my pulse rate...
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