Journal of Political Science: Bulletin of Yerevan University
The Journal of Political Science: Bulletin of Yerevan University is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original results of fundamental and applied research of theoretical and practical significance in the field of political science, informing the domestic, regional and international political science community about the latest results of political science research. Manuscripts in all areas and methodologies of political research are welcome for consideration. The Journal is open to comparative research and especially welcomes those manuscripts that are based on interdisciplinary approaches to political science issues. The Journal of Political Science: Bulletin of Yerevan University is a public platform for the consolidation and structuring of the Armenian and regional political science network, ensuring the integration of Armenian and regional political science into international political science, contributing to the development of university political science education in Armenia and the region.
Publishing House of Yerevan State University
Nida-Rümelin, Julian, and Nathalie Weidenfeld. 2022. Digital Humanism: For a Humane Transformation of Democracy, Economy and Culture in the Digital Age. Springer, Cham
This book analyzes the various dimensions of digital humanism, taking into account the transformation of democracy, economics, and culture. At every level of modern life, from global politics to everyday routines, the past few decades have seen dramatic changes. In this new reality, critically important is not only the emergence of a new information and communication field that has radically transformed the familiar infrastructure of social life, but also the explosive growth in the pace of change caused by the breakthrough development of digital technologies. In this context, numerous questions arise, not so much related to the experienced consequences of the transition to a digital society, but rather to the continuation of these changes and, more importantly, their unprecedented speed, driven by the radically increased rate of change in the technological and, consequently, social environment. This latter factor dramatically narrows the horizon of foresight and makes even the medium-term future so multifaceted that it becomes almost uncertain. The relevance of this research topic is also determined by the insufficient development of theoretical approaches to international legal regulation of digitalization and digital security in the field of information and communication technologies, the rapid development of the digital environment, and the lack of systemic international legal regulation of relations within it.
Copyright (c) 2025 Viktorya Melkonyan, Narine Mkrtchyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Measuring the Political System Stability of Armenia and Israel from 2008 to 2023: A Comparative Analysis Using the SIPS Model
This article examines the political stability of Armenia and Israel from 2008 to 2023 using the Stability Index of Political Systems (SIPS) model in a comparative context. The article aims to identify the extent to which internal and external factors shape the stability of political systems in small and medium-sized states in the face of a number of regional and global challenges and risks. The comparative analysis reveals that the experiences of both Armenia and Israel reveal a broader pattern: in small and medium-sized states, particularly those located in geopolitically sensitive and security-challenged regions, political stability is primarily determined by the dynamics of external factors. The results indicate that in both countries, external influences, particularly those related to the national security environment, regional conflicts, and foreign policy pressures, had a dominant impact on domestic political processes and institutional stability. In this context, by highlighting the primacy of external factors, the article contributes to the academic debate on how small states ensure their political stability in the face of persistent regional and global vulnerability.
Copyright (c) 2025 Armen Mirzoyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
​​ Homeland, Belonging, and Return: Push–pull Factors of Armenian Repatriation During the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
This article examines both push and pull factors influencing the repatriation of Armenians in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and subsequent full-scale war. Based on secondary analysis of statistical data, sociological research, and qualitative materials, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, the study identifies key political, social, and economic push factors driving emigration from Russia and Ukraine, including fear of ongoing war, uncertainty, instability, and deteriorating economic conditions. The article also explores key pull factors attracting Armenians to their homeland, including the desire for a safer environment, cultural and social ties, a sense of belonging, a more comfortable lifestyle, and a desire to contribute to the development of their country. Potential factors pushing for repatriation within Armenia are also highlighted, including an underdeveloped repatriation system, persistent security concerns, economic difficulties, limited infrastructure, limited opportunities for professional advancement, and low wages. Taken together, these findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex motivations driving Armenian repatriation in a context of regional instability.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nvard Melkonyan, Yuliana Melkumyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Resilience and the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood Countries: Crisis, Transformations and Policies, edited by Gilles Rouet, and Gabriela Carmen Pascariu. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2025. XXXIII, 617 pp.
This book explores one of the central issues in contemporary international relations and, simultaneously, the confrontation between Russia and the West: the eastward expansion of the EU. Globally, the eastward expansion of the EU holds the potential for the EU to emerge as a new pole of global politics, capable of significantly influencing the balance of power in the modern world. Regionally, the latest wave of EU enlargement, which has included post-socialist European states, could be decisive in establishing a new type of interstate relations on the continent and in determining the extent to which Eastern European and Baltic countries adapt to EU standards and norms. In other words, it could have a direct impact on reform processes in post-Soviet and post-communist countries. For Eastern European countries, analyzing this process is important not only for determining prospects for further development within the EU political system or for the Eastern Partnership countries. This book analyzes the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe following the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s ongoing, aggressive, full-scale war against Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. In this context, the authors of various chapters in this book examine the economic, social, institutional, and political instability in the countries of the eastern part of the EU.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ashot Aleksanyan, Khalid Khayati https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Legitimacy Beyond Performance: Trust, Accountability, and Executive Authority in Transitional Regimes
The article analyzes the issues of institutional legitimacy in transitional regimes, the effective solutions of which depend not only on the stability of the political system, but also on the level of technical performance. This article examines how the legitimacy of the executive branch is formed through the complex interaction between institutional effectiveness and perceived effectiveness. Based on legitimacy theory and comparative analysis methodology, the article concludes that the performance-legitimacy relationship is mediated by three important factors: trust, accountability, and communication. Despite the governance reforms implemented in the political system of the Republic of Armenia after 2018, including the Open Government Partnership initiatives and anti-corruption measures, legitimacy remains fragile when the above-mentioned mediating factors are weak. The article uses comparative cases from Georgia, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to reveal how institutional cultures and political events mediate the effectiveness-legitimacy nexus, pointing to comprehensive governance strategies focused on legitimacy for transitional states.
Copyright (c) 2025 Marina Margaryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
U.S.-Iran Hostility and the Pursuit of Nuclear Technology Development in the Context of the Global Energy Transition: An Integrative Analysis
This article analyzes the Iranian nuclear program, which oscillates between friendship and hostility between the United States and Iran, threatening sustainable global peacebuilding and energy transition goals. Although research has been conducted on the relationship between the two countries, the results of existing studies have not been integrated to answer questions about the implications of the issues surrounding the Iranian nuclear program for energy transition aspirations. This study analyzes the consequences of hostility between the two countries due to the Iranian political elite's pursuit of nuclear technology, thereby attempting to implement national steps toward a global energy transition. The study hypothesizes that the previously existing hostile relationship between the two countries will influence their preference for nuclear technology as a measure of energy transition. This study uses an integrative analytical approach as its data collection method. The theoretical basis of the analysis is offensive realism, which is applied from the perspective that the desire to maximize power, egoism, and fear of other states are the conditions responsible for the conflict and competition observed in the international system. The survival of the modern Iranian state in the global system underscores the reason for this behavior of political leadership in its relations with other states. In this regard, the study notes that Iran's nuclear issues do not affect the country's desire to use nuclear technology. To acquire nuclear technology, the country must meet certain criteria, including technical, social, and political ones. However, the primary emphasis is on the social and political criteria, including an effective government and a politically stable economy. The study recommends that Iran's political leadership take real and proactive steps to adopt and implement consolidating democratic principles to ensure success in achieving its goal of establishing a civilian nuclear program.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rotimi Adeforiti https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The cost of commitment: Understanding the Iran's Intervention in the Israel-Hamas War
Using the concept of commitment trap, this article makes the argument that Iran’s indirect war support to the Palestinian Hamas militant group in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war in 2023-2024 should be explained primarily based on the Islamic Republic’s public commitment to Palestinian armed struggle against Israel. This article explains that the need to avoid the costs of abandoning its commitment to support Palestinian armed struggle compelled Iran to provide military support to Palestinian militant forces in Gaza through using its Lebanese proxy group of Hezbollah group to attack Israel from Lebanon despite the Hezbollah’s lack of preparedness to engage in a war with Israel. Thus, the defeat of Hezbollah in the resultant war with Israel weakened the Iran’s own military defense in Syria against Syrian armed opposition. As a result of this power shift, the HTS-led armed opposition succeeded in overthrowing the Iran-backed Assad government in a short war which also ended the Iran’s military-political influence in the country.
Copyright (c) 2025 Aso M. Ali https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Water Insecurity in the South Caucasus: A Hydro-Strategic Assessment of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
The intersection of water security and geopolitical tensions in the South Caucasus is nowhere more evident than in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This article provides a comparative analysis of the hydrostrategic aspects of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing the duality of water resources as a source of conflict and a potential unifying force. Control over river basins such as the Kura-Araks River and the Sarsang Reservoir, vital for both countries, has become a top priority for Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this regard, the Kura-Araks River basin, which supplies vital water resources to both countries, has often been the source of confrontation and struggle for control, determining not only military strategies but also economic and political stability. Similarly, the Sarsang Reservoir, located in the conflict zone, symbolizes a hydropolitical struggle, where access to water determines the survival of local communities and regional security as a whole. Using a hydrostrategic approach, this article examines the multifaceted impact of water scarcity, control over infrastructure, and climate vulnerability on the escalation of hostilities. The potential of water diplomacy and the possibility that shared water resources will ultimately foster cooperation rather than conflict between these two regional powers is also considered.
Copyright (c) 2025 Filippo Verre https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Crisis of Small Towns in Armenia: Territorial Peculiarities and Transformations of the Regional Settlement System
The article summarizes the results of a sociological survey conducted in 2024, as well as official statistical data on the manifestations of the crisis in the regional cities of the Republic of Armenia. The quantitative study was conducted to identify public perceptions of the situation in the enlarged communities of the Republic of Armenia. Based on the analysis, the authors note that the partial deindustrialization of small towns of the Republic of Armenia, which occurred as a result of ineffective public policy, led not only to an economic crisis, but also to a certain spread of ruralism in them. The public policy of enlarging communities of the Republic of Armenia has created new risks in this regard, continuing to reproduce social and spatial inequality between them and the capital and increasing the vulnerability of small urban settlements.
Copyright (c) 2025 Artur Mkrtichyan, Vahan Yengidunyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Glocal Soft Power as an Instrument of China’s Strategic Influence in the South Caucasus: A New Model of Integration and Geopolitical Consequences
The article analyzes the global and regional importance of the South Caucasus region for China from an economic point of view, primarily as a market for its goods, as an area for investment. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are part of China’s global bridge to Türkiye and the countries of the EU, which are the most important partners and necessary for China’s rapidly developing economy. In addition, the countries of the South Caucasus have both resource potential and a favorable geographical position with access to the Caspian and Black seas, so China actively interacts with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. The article examines the issues of China’s soft power, which has begun to conduct active public diplomacy for strategic influence on the foreign policy of the South Caucasus and with the states bordering this region. The main focus is on the implementation of China not only humanitarian projects, but also its economic projects, such as the Belt and Road Initiative. As a result, significant successes of China are highlighted and characterized, which, thanks to the voluntary participation of these countries interested in new investments, in creating an atmosphere of mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation. It is emphasized that, given the current geopolitical and regional realities, the countries of the South Caucasus have the opportunity to become a regional part of Chinese global projects.
Copyright (c) 2025 Paylak Yengoyan, Zhanna Grigoryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Transforming Governance in Armenia: From Soviet Legacy to Strategic Reform
This article analyzes the evolution of institutional reforms in the public administration system of the Republic of Armenia since its independence in 1991. In this context, it is taken into account that only the state is able to ensure the co-evolution of management technologies to achieve global goals and strategic objectives of the development of Armenian society. Technological dominants of political transformations, social and economic development require appropriate management adaptation, which is the focus of this study is the correct development and application of the functionality of decision support systems. Therefore, this study considers four stages of reforms: 1) Initial institutional creation from 1991 to 1999; 2) Formalization and adoption of Western governance models from 2000 to 2008; 3) European integration and administrative modernization from 2009 to 2017; 4) Political transformation accompanied by renewed administrative reforms since 2018. These reforms reflect a complex interplay of historical legacies, external influences, and internal aspirations for public administration modernization. Issues such as institutional inertia, limited localization of imported models, and political resistance are assessed in detail. In addition, the article compares these historical reforms with Armenia’s long-term goals outlined in the Public Administration Reform Strategy of the Republic of Armenia until 2030, emphasizing the transition from imitation reforms to sustainable institutional transformation.
Between Patronage and Donorship: Global Gateway and its Vis-a-vie in Eurasia
This article examines geoeconomic leadership as a narrative of the EU foreign policy towards different countries. The article analyses the European discourse of leadership, which is associated with sovereignty/autonomy as the management of interdependence. The ongoing debate has not yet reached a consensus on its exact objectives and scope. However, it describes systemic pressures and competing interests of the EU Member States as the main variables in the leadership narrative in the EU political system. The EU’s Global Gateway strategy aims to improve ties with countries around the world by adopting a pragmatic approach to sectoral cooperation. The article criticizes the Global Gateway strategy as a new approach, but raises concerns about its viability in the Eurasian space. It is evident that the EU seeks to compete with China’s Belt and Road Initiative and other influential players in both the regional and global arenas in order to regain its global position. However, the Global Gateway strategy appears to reflect the evolving discourse around EU sovereignty at the national level. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the Global Gateway strategy in a broader macro-regional context, with a particular focus on the challenges and inconsistencies between the immediate and long-term objectives of EU foreign policy.
Copyright (c) 2025 Oxana Karnaukhova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Dynamics of Russian-Turkish Relations after the Second Karabakh War: New Priorities of National Interests and Strategies of Struggle in the South Caucasus
The article analyzes the dynamics of Russian-Turkish relations after the Second Karabakh War of 2020. Particular attention is paid to the fact that the Second Karabakh War was an important military-political step for Türkiye, since, despite being in a bad economic situation and involved in various regional conflicts, Türkiye still managed to act as a new regional superpower and increase its role in the South Caucasus. The article discusses the aggressive steps that led to the fact that Türkiye, having developed and implemented its strategy, without having the necessary natural resources, having many problems within the country, Türkiye can increase its role on several platforms and even show ambitions to be involved in the global governance system. Türkiye opposed the established international relations at the strategic level, putting forward the point of view ‘the world is bigger than five’. At the regional level, combining soft power with hard power for Azerbaijan, Türkiye violated the existing balance and, as a result, increased its share of presence. This is why Russian-Turkish relations are analyzed in the context of the tactical steps taken by Türkiye, as well as in the context of theories of offensive realism and strategic balancing. The article describes how Türkiye, pursuing a more active policy after 2016, managed to prevent the emergence of anti-Turkish coalitions, balance regional rivals, and, if necessary, enter into allied relations with them. In addition, the work used a political-ideological approach to analyze the ideologies and program goals that determine Türkiye’s regional policy, as well as a resource-actor approach, which analyzes the resource base and the activities of states and non-state actors directly involved in the implementation of the foreign policy of the two countries.
Copyright (c) 2025 Gevorg Harutyunyan, Marut Vardazaryan, Svetlana Jilavyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The Transformational Engagement of Central Asia with the European Union: Opportunities and Prospects
The article analyzes the specifics of interaction between the Central Asian countries and the EU, taking into account global changes that have caused a complete restructuring of the previously existing system of international relations. The article pays special attention to the experience of cooperation between the EU and the Central Asian states, with some of which new type agreements have already been signed or are in the process of being prepared, opening up broad opportunities for bilateral cooperation, which has certainly contributed to their political and economic development. The article notes that the EU’s diplomatic representation in the region has increased, assistance has been expanded and cooperation mechanisms have been introduced. In this vein, a new stage of political liberalization and diversification of the economy with a focus on industrial and innovative development can be noted in Kazakhstan. The article concludes that the EU can rightly position cooperation with Central Asia as a model, using developments for other regions and presenting the achieved results as evidence of the effectiveness of European diplomacy. The Central Asian countries, in turn, have significant potential for developing a partnership with the EU in the context of the interests of the entire region, which would meet its new needs and opportunities.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kuralay Baizakova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Understanding the Dynamics of Transition of the Women’s Movement in Armenia: Challenges for Democratic Representation and Increasing Political Influence
The article analyzes the origins of women’s social movements in the transit Armenian NGO network, which are closely linked to the emergence of modernity, where capitalism, state-building, urbanization and other factors created conditions for collective action. The results of women's civic initiatives are divided into direct results, such as changes in public policy, and indirect results, such as shifts in public opinion. The article draws attention to the fact that women's movements in Armenia are distinguished by the fact that they are future-oriented, ideologically driven and more inclusive than other civic initiatives. These new movements are often devoid of hierarchical structures, advocate for horizontal cooperation and are often marginalized by the media and public opinion. In this sense, the aim of this article is to analyze the resilience of women's movements in Armenia using the theory of civil society and political transformation of post-Soviet countries, focusing on the quality of political institutions and regimes, mobilizing social networks and protest cycles. The theoretical and practical position of this article reveals the peculiarities of the development and effective political adaptation of the women's community in the context of European integration of Armenian society. The main provisions of this article contribute to further research into the problems of women’s political adaptation in a transitional economy, identifying the main directions for establishing gender equality as one of the priorities of public policy, as well as strengthening the political activism of women in Armenia.
Copyright (c) 2024 Olga Azatyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Human Security in Asia: Interrogating State, Society, and Policy, edited by Debasish Nandy, and Debtanu Majee. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore, 2024. XXI, 346 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3585-7
This book comparatively analyzes the relationship between human security and national security from the theoretical perspective of the transition from traditional security to human security. The different chapters of this book analyze the structured and organized dimensions of human security that shed light on the economic, food, health, community, environment and political security conditions in Asian countries. The authors explore the theoretical foundations and various models of human security to understand the challenges threatening human security of Asian countries. This book also analyzes the different situations of Asian countries where economically vulnerable and politically unstable and sometimes broken political systems are unable to easily address the problems of hunger, poverty, illiteracy, militancy, terrorism and ethno-religious conflicts that pose a real threat to human security. The book discusses the challenges of health policies in Asian countries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a major humanitarian crisis, taking into account the limited role of Asian countries in combating COVID-19. It is important to note that this book develops an interdisciplinary discourse on human security among scholars not only in Asian countries but also throughout the world.
Copyright (c) 2024 Viktorya Melkonyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
New Cybersecurity Challenges: Digital Transformation and the Political Implications of their Implementation
The purpose of this article is to analyze modern challenges in the field of cybersecurity and mechanisms for countering cyber threats, assess the problems our country faces in this area, and identify possible solutions. To achieve this goal, the article studies the basic concepts related to cyberspace, considers real examples of cyber attacks recorded in recent years, and studies the experience, legislative and institutional framework of the leading countries in this area. In this context, the author highlights the structural similarities and differences of the countries in question. The relevance of this article is due to the analysis of new challenges to cybersecurity and the growing scale of application of information technologies in all spheres of human political activity. In the era of digitalization, information is acquiring the status of the most important object, a strategic resource of both the state and any management structure in the political management system. In this context, the relevance of the research topic is manifested in the development of the concept of a knowledge and information society developing on the basis of modern information and communication technologies. Information as a strategic resource requires a special state attitude not only in terms of its development and accumulation, but also protection. The article also analyzes the development of new information technologies, which causes an increase in the technological gap between the increasingly complex requirements for information resource security indicators in all countries and the capabilities of information technologies and software and hardware used to ensure information security.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Sisoyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Russia’s Foreign Policy in the South Caucasus in the Context of Increasing New Regional Competition
The purpose of this article is to study various factors of Russia’s foreign policy in the South Caucasus during the 44-day Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) war of 2020 and in the post-war period. Russia’s mediation efforts to end the war in Nagorno-Karabakh and establish peace are considered. Particular attention is paid to the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and the military-political significance of this initiative and the consequences, as well as the main reasons for the failure of this peacekeeping mission. The article also analyzes the multi-vector foreign policy pursued by regional states in the South Caucasus, in particular Türkiye and Iran. In this context, the prospects for Russian-Turkish cooperation in the South Caucasus, in particular, in the process of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are highlighted. This also makes a comparative analysis of the foreign policies of the United States, European Union (EU) and France in the region significant. The article examines Russia’s ability to maintain its military and political influence and expand its economic presence in the South Caucasus. Issues that have hindered the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus were also discussed.
Copyright (c) 2024 Zhak Manukyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Theoretical Approaches to Political Stability: How Do Theories Interpret the Factors Influencing It?
Political stability is a crucial concept within political science, yet its theoretical foundations and influencing factors are often dispersed across various perspectives. This article presents the first comprehensive attempt to synthesize and analyze the theoretical approaches to political stability within a single work. Drawing from both political science and sociology, this study aims to explore how political stability shapes and is shaped by political, economic, social, and cultural systems. By examining the reciprocal relationships between these systems and political stability, the article identifies key theoretical frameworks that explain its trends and impacts. Notably, this is the first effort to address these theories in a unified manner, filling a gap in both Armenian political science literature and broader global scholarship. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the factors that influence political stability and offers insights into their implications for societal development.
Copyright (c) 2024 Armen Mirzoyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Persecutory policies against Roma in Nazi Germany
The article provides an analysis of the persecution measures against the Roma in Nazi Germany, identifying what measures were taken and, in particular, what tragic consequences they led to on a practical level. The article comparatively analyzes various aspects of the persecution of Roma in Germany, and indeed throughout Europe, preceding the totalitarian seizure of power by the Nazis in 1933 and the emergence of Nazi Germany. The main focus is on identifying the stages of the persecution policy in Nazi Germany against Roma, as well as the chronology of the adoption of the persecution policy against Roma in Nazi Germany in 1933-1945. As a result, a turning point in the anti-Roma policy is identified and characterized, which included both the freezing of Roma mobility and the resettlement of Roma, as well as their deportation to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Copyright (c) 2024 Andrej Pupik https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Populism and Accountability: Interdisciplinary Researches on Active Citizenship, edited by Antonio Maria Baggio, Maria-Gabriella Baldarelli, and Samuel O. Idowu. XVIII, 325 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20032-8
This book comparatively analyzes various forms of populism in countries with democratic political systems and regimes. In various chapters, the authors draw attention to the common elements of populism that have already emerged: the desire for political representation, a charismatic leader, a nationalist idealization of the historical role of ‘the people’, criticism of the EU, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and international law. In this book, various authors point out that populist phenomena are used to destroy both the tools and the rules and culture of democracy. Most populist political parties gain widespread acceptance among young people because of their extreme views and statements, thereby calling for the abandonment of democratic principles, that is, the political order and the rule of law. In this book, the authors use an interdisciplinary approach to highlight the importance of political and social accountability and responsibility, examining the major challenges facing current and future corporate leaders. In its various chapters, the authors propose counter-populist approaches for effectively measuring political and socially responsible action and accountability. In this context, the authors offer tools to combat the causes of populism in both the political and social spheres, as well as in business.
Copyright (c) 2024 Arnak Sargsyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Reinhold, Thomas. 2024. Towards a Peaceful Development of Cyberspace: De-Escalation of State-Led Cyber Conflicts and Arms Control of Cyber Weapons. XXVIII, 361 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43951-4
The book analyzes cyberspace issues and its global infrastructures, which are essential for the global political system, civiliarchy, political economy and effective administration of political processes. In the modern context, cyberspace is becoming an intelligence and military operational domain for various actors. According to the author, this is evident in the establishment of military cyber departments and the integration of cyberspace into the security and defense strategies of small and large states. Current military technologies as well as established instruments of transparency, de-escalation and arms control measures do not work for cyberspace due to its specific technical characteristics. In this context, it is important for international organizations to achieve de-escalation of state-led conflicts in cyberspace, but in reality it is simply impossible to develop arms control over cyber weapons. In this context, an effective system of classification of cyber weapons, an approach to mutual reduction of stocks of vulnerability and non-interference in cyber conflict are also important.
Copyright (c) 2024 Svetlana Jilavyan, Haykuhi Mkrtchyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The War Against Ukraine and the EU: Facing New Realities, edited by Claudia Wiesner and Michèle Knodt. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. XIII, 230 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35040-5.
This book discusses the multiple implications of the war against Ukraine for the EU political system. It draws on a number of different authors to analyse the main dimensions of the Russian attack on Ukraine and the subsequent large-scale war, which impact the global order and EU foreign policy. In the context of war and Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU needs to position itself in a changing world order, internal and external challenges to liberal democracy and the development of its strategic autonomy. In various chapters of the book, the development and strengthening of strategic partnership and friendship with Ukraine is considered by the EU as one of the central foreign policy priorities. Without the support of the Ukrainian partner, it is difficult for the EU to achieve positive results in European politics and play the role of an influential power in the international arena. In this context, various authors note that only the formation of political and economic ties between the EU and Ukraine will be the optimal way out of the full-scale war and crisis that Ukraine has found itself in. Only the combination of opportunities and efforts will allow the Ukrainian political elite and society to eventually stand on par with leading European countries.
Copyright (c) 2024 Manya Mkrtchyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Polarization, Shifting Borders and Liquid Governance: Studies on Transformation and Development in the OSCE Region, edited Anja Mihr, and Chiara Pierobon. Springer Cham. XVII, 427 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44584-2
This book examines the dynamics of national and regional security in the age of Zeitenwende amid polarization and conflict management. Through a comparative analysis, the authors reveal the intricate problems of border dynamics and practice in cases of border disputes and conflicts in the member states of the OSCE. The authors offer their approaches on how to peacefully settle the disputed borders, which can be supported by the EU, the NATO and the OSCE. It can be of significant help in preventing security crises and conflicts. In this regard, a number of solutions that can affect the Russian-Ukraine war and the settlement of Russia-Ukraine relations are highlighted. From the author’s approach, it becomes clear that various European countries and international organizations should play an active role in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and the strengthening of European security.
Copyright (c) 2024 Nane Aleksanyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Schramm, Lucas. 2024. Crises of European Integration: Joining Together or Falling Apart? Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. XVII, 303 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-54748-5.
The book analyses the main factors of European integration crises, taking into account eight major cases from the early 1950s to recent times. The author pays special attention to constitutional crises, the euro crisis and the migration crisis, thus showing that crises have been an integral part of the process of European integration from its very beginning. Although the book does not analyse the current confrontation between Russia and the West, the author argues that European integration began with a serious setback, when member states failed to implement plans to create a European army through the European Defence Community. The global scale and radicality of the ongoing changes allow many researchers to suggest the formation of a new system of international relations. In parallel with these processes, many provisions and phenomena characterizing the system of international relations itself are being revised.
Copyright (c) 2024 Vahram Petrosyan, Lusine Harutyunyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Corruption and neo-colonialism in Latin America
Corruption is deemed one of the main drivers of development challenges in many countries, mainly in those territories that drag the shackles of colonialism. The roots of corruption in underdeveloped countries can be traced from Colonial times from South America, Asia to Africa the pattern seems to be repeated: populations subjugated to new masters, disenfranchised indigenous people, labour and sexual exploitation, brutal punishments for those who resisted colonial power were commune features for countries that experienced colonialism. Many of those power excesses have been recognised historically, however one of the most persistent element of Colonialism that survives until nowadays is corruption. The present text aims to shine a light on the relation of colonialism and corruption in Latin America. The hypothesis raised suggests that corruption was installed through colonialism in the Latin America region. The text is presented in three parts; the first one offers some historical considerations about European colonialism, the second one describes the strategies used by colonisers and the use of corruption as a tool to impose their rule and consolidate their power, and the third one exposes the new colonial form of corruption carried out by the West, led today by the United States.
Copyright (c) 2024 Nubia Nieto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Dimensions of the Shadow Reforms of Yuri Andropov’s Bureaucratic Management: Lessons from the Myths of the Totalitarian Leadership of the USSR
The article discusses the issue of bureaucratic leadership and economic reforms in the USSR during the administration of Yu. V. Andropov, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The article analyzes Andropov's consistent policy in the Soviet bureaucratic system and his uncompromising position in the fight against corruption. In this regard, the article emphasizes the years of his leadership, in which the reforms of the Soviet economy occupied a significant place, trying to inspire confidence in the Soviet society and citizens. However, the totalitarian regime of the USSR and the bureaucratic system simply blocked the package of measures proposed by the General Secretary. An analysis of the works examining the personality and party and state activities of Yu. V. Andropov allows us to conditionally distinguish two periods of the formation and development of the historiography of the problem. The first, personifying the Soviet era, ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The second covers the 1990s, as well as the beginning of this century. Within the framework of the first period, the activities of Yu. V. Andropov were covered in various works devoted to the problems of modern Soviet history. Against this background, the position of Western researchers turned out to be preferable. In the West, the steady growth of interest in Yu. V. Andropov on the part of Sovietologists was mainly due to his activities as Chairman of the KGB. At the same time, it cannot be denied that, as a rule, the noted works were distinguished by their tendentiousness and bore the imprint of the Cold War.
Copyright (c) 2024 Gevorg Harutyunyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Transformation of Modern Wars in the South Caucasus: Azerbaijan's Hybrid War Against Artsakh
The Third Artsakh war has dramatically transformed the security environment in the South Caucasus. Being a result and indicator of changing world order, it unleashed the parameters of the newly-developing formats of conflicts, confrontations, and wars, called hybrid warfare. From this perspective the paper studies the parameters of hybrid warfare against Artsakh launched by Azerbaijan. Application of hybrid warfare against Artsakh is not a new phenomenon and has being practiced by Azerbaijan at least during the last 10-15 years. However, the results of the 44-day war has provided new framework, opportunities, and instruments to intensify hybrid operations, striving to maximize the results. Hence, the paper discusses the Azerbaijani strategy of hybrid war against Artsakh by analyzing the main strategies, tactics, instruments and tools used by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, specifically, after 44-day war. The paper argues that after the Third Artsakh war of 2020 Azerbaijan has launched a full scale hybrid operation to provide ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and receive ‘Nagorno-Karabakh without Armenians’. The operation was based on the following components: information-psychological campaign/influence operations (against Armenians in Artsakh), economic and energy aspects, ecological issues, blockade, international campaigns, support to split Armenian power (in Armenia and Armenian Diaspora), sabotage against critical infrastructure and population, and so on. Concluding the paper launches, a discussion about Azerbaijani engagement with Armenia after the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh of Autumn of 2023.
Copyright (c) 2024 Ruben Elamiryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The Image of the US Army in American movies: The Soft Power of American Cinema
The formation of the army's image has acquired newfound significance in our time. Paradoxically, alongside the spread of humanist ideology, the number of violent conflicts worldwide is increasing. These stimulates the need for propaganda aimed at shaping the image of the army and enhancing the attractiveness of service. As one of the world's largest military forces, the US army has engaged in a diverse array of conflicts with over 750 military bases in approximately 80 countries (Kohli 2020). A diverse range of tools is employed to shape the image of the US army, including media, recruitment campaigns, social media, public events, etc. Among these tools, movies have their specific role. While traditionally intended for entertainment, movies have been used for over a century as a means to shape public opinion. This article delves into the main attributes of the US Army as a social institution, analyzing its four fundamental characteristics: the Militia Tradition, Mobilization Miracles, Man-Mindedness, Maritime Influence, the weapon and the enemy as distinctive attributes. Additionally, it features the seven core values of the US Army: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. The article provides a detailed analysis of how various components of movie production tools communicate the attributes and core values of the US Army and contribute to shaping its image, examining a high-viewership movie “Interceptor” (2022). The goal of the study was to find out the image of the US Army that “Interceptor” projects and to identify the verbal and visual communicative means it uses for this purpose. The content analysis made it possible to distinguish verbal and visual elements of the movie, encompassing human voice, mise-en-scène, as well as film editing techniques, to identify and highlight the messages and ideas conveyed about the attributes of the US Army.
Copyright (c) 2024 Yuliana Melkumyan, Nvard Melkonyan, Sofi Javadyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Self-exclusion as a Security Strategy of Small States
This article analyzes the strategy of self-exclusion in the foreign policy of small states, considering their goals and expected results of this strategy, that is, the main conditions for its implementation, the main determinants, and also identifies and characterizes its varieties and practical manifestations. In this context, global transformations also cause changes related to the positions and roles of small states in world politics and international relations. At the same time, global transformations change the understanding of the security of small states, which in turn leads to an increase in the number of studies in this area. Together, these factors become the rationale for the relevance of studying the security problems of small states in modern conditions. In conclusion, the results of the analysis are summarized, the features of the strategy of self-exclusion, common features and differences in its varieties are shown.
Copyright (c) 2024 Narek Galstyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0