In 1975, most civil wars were located in Asia, and all but two were guerrilla wars—contests entailing an asymmetric rebel challenge launched from the country’s rural periphery. In 1993, in contrast, most internal conflicts were located in sub-Saharan Africa, and guerrilla wars comprised less than half of them. Much more common were conventional wars using heavy armor and artillery in a landscape dominated by siege warfare and trenches, or “primitive” wars between poorly armed and trained militias. We argue that this dual geographic and military shift is symptomatic of a broader transformation of internal conflict—the result of a major structural change in the international system: the end of the Cold War. This transformation has been overlooked for three reasons: (1) the literature has stressed the determinants of civil war onset over the way in which civil wars are fought, (2) it has treated civil wars as a homogeneous phenomenon over time and space, and (3) it has emphasized the impact of domestic factors compared to international ones. We show instead that incorporating the international system into the analysis of civil wars

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International System and Technologies of Rebellion: How the End of the Cold War Shaped Internal Conflict

Energy commentary is often burdened with what Smil (2011a, 1) describes as “a surfeit of shallow generalities ... uncritical proffers of naive solutions ... [and] the persistence of many seemingly ineradicable myths.” This is surely the case, and the stubbornness of this problem can be traced to the inescapable reality that the complex solutions available are sometimes not easily implementable for the non-specialists (politicians in particular) that are often tasked with formulating them. Must policymakers use their tools to facilitate the adoption of electric car infrastructure, or should they prioritize the development of higher efficiency internal combustion engines? What is the place of wind generation, solar power, or geothermal sources in the electricity systems of the future? Is the world really around the corner from a revolutionary hydrogen-fueled economy? And what needs to be done about energy supply and demand if we hope to address worrisome anthropogenic climate change in the timely manner it so urgently requires?

The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World

The Evolution of Family-Centered Care

The impact of religion on the 2004 presidential election results provoked widespread consternation and surprise. In fact, religion and faith have played a vital role in American elections for some time, and here, Green explores the links and how they have changed over time.Green posits that an old religion gap describing longstanding political differences among religious communities has been supplanted by a new religion gap revealing political divisions based on religious behavior and belief. He puts the differences into context and documents the changing role of religion in politics over the last 60 years. The impact of religion on the 2004 presidential election results provoked widespread consternation and surprise. Given the intensity and closeness of the results, however, the role of religion should not have come as a shock. In fact, religion and faith have played a vital role in American elections for some time, and here, Green explores the links and how they have changed over time. Specifically, he concludes that there was an old religion gap that described longstanding political differences among religious communities, which has been supplanted by a new religion gap that shows political divisions based on religious behavior and belief. Green puts the differences into context and documents the changing role of religion in politics over the last sixty years. Covering three areas of religion that tend to influence election outcomes, Green illuminates the meaning of religious belonging, behaving, and believing in current political context. Each of these aspects of religion affects the way people vote and their views of issues, ideology, and partisanship. He reviews the importance of moral values in the major party coalitions and discusses the role religious appeals have in presidential campaigns. In addition, he compares the influence of religion to other factors such as gender, age, and income. Given the emphasis on the influence of religion on American politics and elections in recent years, this book serves as a cogent reminder that the situation is not new, and offers a careful analysis of the real role faith plays in the electing of government officials.

The faith factor : how religion influences American elections

This paper extends theory and research concerning cultural models of development beyond family and demographic matters to a broad range of additional factors, including government, education, human rights, daily social conventions, and religion. Developmental idealism is a cultural model-a set of beliefs and values-that identifies the appropriate goals of development and the ends for achieving these goals. It includes beliefs about positive cause and effect relationships among such factors as economic growth, educational achievement, health, and political governance, as well as strong values regarding many attributes, including economic growth, education, small families, gender equality, and democratic governance. This cultural model has spread from its origins among the elites of northwest Europe to elites and ordinary people throughout the world. Developmental idealism has become so entrenched in local, national, and global social institutions that it has now achieved a taken-for-granted status among many national elites, academics, development practitioners, and ordinary people around the world. We argue that developmental idealism culture has been a fundamental force behind many cultural clashes within and between societies, and continues to be an important cause of much global social change. We suggest that developmental idealism should be included as a causal factor in theories of human behavior and social change.

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Tony Sharp

Papers

Shattered Peace: The Origins of the Cold War and the National Security State

Mobilizing Women for War: German and American Propaganda 1939–1945

The impact of civilian evacuation in the Second World War

Life with the Enemy: Collaboration and Resistance in Hitler's Europe 1939–1945

Ireland in the War Years: 1939–1945