Papers by Gabriella Gricius
Sicherheit und Frieden, 2019
Russia today is a case study of what can happen when a leader utilizes populism as a tactic and a... more Russia today is a case study of what can happen when a leader utilizes populism as a tactic and adapts it for their own ends. This article analyzes the development of Russian populism throughout the 21st century, particularly focusing on security threats to the state and the usage of this tactic to reorder social relations. Furthermore, this article identifies the consequences of Russian populism, namely decreasing pluralism in politics and increased militarization within Russia. The article additionally considers how this model of populism can be frightening as an exported model to other societies and what lessons can be learned
The Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, 2019
Many of the world's conflicts today are self-sustaining and ongoing, making the application of tr... more Many of the world's conflicts today are self-sustaining and ongoing, making the application of transitional justice measures difficult. Particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, namely Georgia and Ukraine, both of which have experienced regime changes in the twenty-first century and implemented lustration and vetting measures-the question of whether or not transitional justice will be successfully utilized is very much still under debate. My research explores the relationship between lustration and vetting policies and corruption in Ukraine and Georgia. Past studies of corruption in these countries have focused the extent of state exploitation of the forms through which corruption is expressed such as political appointments, and protection from prosecution. This research, by contrast, aims to study the relationship that corruption has with the particular transitional justice measure of lustration and vetting.
The Kyiv-Mohyla Law and Politics Journal, 2019
A wide range of normative implications exists between corruption and the stability of de-facto st... more A wide range of normative implications exists between corruption and the stability of de-facto states. While some claim that corruption inherently disrupts institutional development and stumps economic growth, others argue that corruption in some cases acts as a stabilizing factor for authoritarian regimes. Regardless, corruption generally plays a role in the political economy of any state. In de-facto states, corruption tends to play an outsized role, either or equally impacting the exercise of political authority or the allocation of public goods and services. This research aims to examine the case study of the Luhansk and Donetsk "People's Republics" and the relationship between corruption and governance in these two de-facto regions to better understand how corruption and stability are interrelated. Methodologically, I plan to use mostly political economy methods, namely focusing on using Goodhand's framework of analyzing different economies during conflict. I will rely mostly on open-source information for this preliminary research to determine what the governance structure is, namely focusing on the DPR's and the LPR's respective governments.
The Asian Journal of Peacebuilding, 2018
The effectiveness of the nuclear non-proliferation regime is no longer as sturdy as it once was a... more The effectiveness of the nuclear non-proliferation regime is no longer as sturdy as it once was and new infusions of creativity are greatly needed. Concentrating on positive incentives may better promote non-proliferation. Incentives targeting industry have a higher chance of success due to their vast influence in multiple governments. The IAEA's ElBaradei Report is one conceptualizatoin of an intergovernmental nuclear fuel supply bank. As a multilateral approach, nuclear fuel banks promote more opportunities for diplomacy amongst states. While it is only one approach to overcoming the current crisis of the non-proliferation regime, it has the potential to make a huge difference in how the world handles nuclear power on a supranational basis.
The Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, 2020
After the onset of Western sanctions in 2014, the Russian National Card Payment System (NSPK) and... more After the onset of Western sanctions in 2014, the Russian National Card Payment System (NSPK) and its corresponding Mir bank cards launched the following year. Five years later, estimates show that 56 million people are using Mir cards, more than 20 percent of Russia's bank card market and will be operational in twelve foreign countries. Traditionally, scholars have examined Russian soft power as aiming to integrate post-Soviet countries with Russia and Central Asian countries through promoting beneficial economic and cultural relationships. With the Mir card system, Russia is seeking primarily to become less dependent on a dollar-dominated financial system, as well as to avoid potentially increasing US sanctions and to overarchingly seek to build a multipolar system. This research will investigate the Mir card system.
International Handbook of Peace and Reconciliation, 2012
Thesis Chapters by Gabriella Gricius
The Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 was marked by the securitization of the political identi... more The Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 was marked by the securitization of the political identity of Russian speakers living in Crimea. Discourse from Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as other important Russian political actors all framed the situation in Crimea as one that required exceptional and emergency measures from the Russian state. How did this happen? This thesis aims to examine how Russia securitized political identity by using methodology and discourse analysis from the Copenhagen School of Security Studies. Beyond simply a discourse analysis, this research also aims to determine what the actual reasons were for the annexation. In doing so, the thesis conducts a historical and cultural analysis of Russian-Ukrainian relations, examines the international, domestic, and local factors of the annexation, summarizes the Russian explanation for their actions, thoroughly analyzes the relevant discourse on the subject, asks what the actual reasons for annexation may have been, examines a similar case study of South Ossetia and asks what the implications of this securitizing move will be. Particularly interesting is that the role of political identity as a tool to be securitized will most likely remain geopolitical in nature. Further, the thesis overall makes a claim that abstract ideas that are securitized do not need to be present objective threats to the state. They simply need to be presented as such, The framing of the narrative surrounding the Crimean annexation is not only interesting due to its manipulation of facts, but to its ultimate circling of the question of whether Russia and Ukraine share a common historical memory, as the Russian explanation would have observers believe.
Conference Presentations by Gabriella Gricius
No two countries under the influence of the former Soviet Union handled the early 1990s in the sa... more No two countries under the influence of the former Soviet Union handled the early 1990s in the same way. This paper aims to compare leadership and the situational forces influencing the presidency of Vaclav Havel in Czechoslovakia and Zviad Gamsakhurdia in Georgia. Both leaders were former political dissidents to the Soviet-supported regimes. However, while Havel brought his country towards liberal standards, Gamsakhurdia acted in ways that ultimately led Georgia towards a violent coup d'état. In both cases, situational and institutional forces played a role in hindering both leader’s wishes. Political leadership is instrumental in determining the future of any country, however, situational forces also play a defining role. In a post-Soviet sphere, continued political instability magnifies that idea. The differing ways that Havel and Gamsakhurdia governed their countries led the Czech Republic and Georgia in entirely different directions - one to violent nationalism and the other to a more European focused foreign policy. This paper will analyze different policies and leadership styles that these two leaders adopted and address the consequences of Czech and Georgian societies that followed. It aims to answer the question of whether leaders can overcome the situational and institutional frameworks that attempt to constrain them.
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Papers by Gabriella Gricius
Thesis Chapters by Gabriella Gricius
Conference Presentations by Gabriella Gricius