SIGma IOTA RHO HONOR SOCIETY FOR INTERNATIONAL Journal of STUDIES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ALEXANDER VERSHBOW | Russia vs. Ukraine: War Without End? ISABELLA MCCALLUM | Should the United States Discourage the Proliferation of Indigenous Nuclear Weapons in South Korea? MACKENZIE HEATHER | The Chechen Conflict and its Influence in Future Transnational Conflict AMBER PIRSON | Transnational Corporations: The Duty Bearers of International Human Rights in the 21st Century ALEXANDER NORRIS | One Island, Two Cypruses: A Realist Examination of Turkey’s Recent Actions in the Eastern Mediterranean LEONARDO HOWARD | Understanding United Nations Peace Operations in the 21st Century ETHAN WOOLLEY | “The Refugee Test: European Disunity in the Face of Crisis” SARA TOHamY | Making Space: Spatial urban growth and the size of the informal economy ALEXANDER WOLFE | Popping China’s Bubble: An explanation of the conflict between economic health and the Chinese Dream MEGAN PHANSALKAR | The Impact of Filing: How does U.S. Participation within the WTO affect America’s Economic Relationships? Volume 22 Spring 2020 Calling all Undergraduates: The Sigma Iota Rho (SIR) Journal of International Relations is soliciting submissions from undergrauate students for the 2021 edition, which will be published in the spring of 2021. • The Journal publishes manuscripts relevant to the theory and practice of international relations, including articles covering economics, political science, history, area studies, and current events. • The journal focuses primarily on research conducted by undergraduates, but graduate students who are members of SIR may submit a paper for review. • All work must be original. • Papers should be between 2,000 and 6,000 words in length. • For formatting guidelines, please refer to our webpage. Submission for the 2021 Edition of the Journal are due on or before January 31, 2021. To submit an article, email the Editorial Board at [email protected] Join the Editorial Board • The Journal is published entirely by undergraduates for undergraduates. • Over 3,000 copies of the Journal are distributed to hundreds of universi- ties and IR related organizations. • Come join the editorial board team: Serve as an Assistant Editor, and help review submissions. • To express your interest in serving on the editorial board, contact the Editor-in-Chief at [email protected]. Contribute to the Online Journal • Do you want to contribute an Op-Ed? • Do you have a short research paper? • Do you have an abroad experience to share? • Do you want to take on writing for a blog? • Contact the Online Journal [email protected] and become involved. Journal of International Relations A Publication of Sigma Iota Rho There has never been a more important time to get involved in international affairs. Join SIR today! ✧ Editorial board and leadership opportunities ✧ Attend conferences ✧ Apply for research and travel grants ✧ Participate in career fairs, workshops and discussion panels ✧ Promote international issues in your community ✧ Distinguish yourself with SIR graduation regalia ✧ Share op-eds, travel experiences abroad, and think-pieces in the SIR Online Journal ✧ Publish your research in the Journal of International Relations Start your campus chapter ✧ Submit a letter expressing you interest ✧ Draft a constitution of by-laws ✧ Submit a copy of your school’s international affairs major requirements ✧ Designate a person to serve as your national council representative. (Typically the faculty advisor.) ✧ Designate a student to serve as chapter preseident ✧ Submit the $150.00 fee to establish the chapter. www.sigmaiotarho.org www.sirjournal.org [email protected] Sixth Annual International Relations Research Conference Friday, April 23, 2021 - Philadelphia, PA Presented by: Sigma Iota Rho & The International Relations Program, The University of Pennsylvania Call for Papers • The conference features undergraduate research papers relevant to the theory and practice of international affairs, and may cover economics, political science, history, area studies, and current events. • Authors must be current undergraduates, and all work must be original. • Papers may be longer research papers (~15,000 words), senior thesis, and capstone projects. • Papers will be grouped into panels by topic. • For formatting guidelines, please refer to the SIR webpage. • Please contact SIR at [email protected] with any questions or instructions on submission. • Travel funding support of up to $500 is available to accepted presenters. Deadline for Submissions is March 31, 2021 Journal of International Relations iii Fordham University’s MA Program in International Political Economy and Development offers a unique and innovative interdisciplinary approach to studying international economic relations. Students may specialize in: Global Finance & Emerging Markets International & Development Economics International Development Studies Global Environment & Resource Management FORDHAM | IPED THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK CITY Generous merit-based For additional information please visit: fellowships are available to iped.fordham.edu those who wish to pursue or contact us at: careers in international Dealy Hall E-517 banking and finance, public 441 East Fordham Road service or with private Bronx, New York 10458 Telephone: (718) 817-4064 international relief and Fax: (718) 817- 4565 development organizations. Email: [email protected] Spring 2020 | Volume 22 iv Journal of SIGMA IOTA RHO NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES SPRING 2020 | VOLUME 22 Journal of International Relations v EXECUTIVE BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PRINT JUSTIN MELNICK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ONLINE FRANCESCA ARRUDA DE AMARAL DEPUTY EDITOR. PRINT AARON CHEN DESIGN EDITOR ASHLING SUI MANAGING EDITOR JUAN PUJADAS SPECIAL THANKS TO: DR. FRANK PLANTAN NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF SIGMA IOTA RHO DR. TOMOHARU NISHINO FACULTY ADVISOR OF THE SIGMA IOTA RHO JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS MR. MARK CASTILLO SENIOR LIAISON OFFICER, SIGMA IOTA RHO MS. MARISOL ARCAYA SENIOR LIAISON OFFICER, SIGMA IOTA RHO Spring 2020 | Volume 22 vi STAFF COPY ONLINE ASSOCIATE EDITORS DEPUTY ONLINE EDITOR ALEXANDRA CIULLO ANNIE HSU ITIN AO JULIANNA EMANUEL N R MARYANNE KOUSSA ASSOCIATE EDITORS EGAN HANSALKAR M P MAI PHAN (LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE) ELLIE RAMPULLA GABRIELLE THOMAS ETHAN WOOLLEY ANGELA YANG The JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS is a non-profit publication produced by undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania. All inquiries and comments should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, 635 Williams Hall, 255 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia PA 19104. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. Copyright 2020, Journal of International Relations. Cover Design by Ashling Sui Journal of International Relations LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Reader: I am honored to present the twenty-second edition of the Sigma Iota Rho Journal of International Relations. The Journal brings together leading undergraduates in the field of international relations, proudly displaying their commitment to research and interest in learning more about our world. This year’s articles continue a well-earned reputation of academic rigor and excellence, drawn from a highly competitive pool of submissions around the world. The Journal’s unique place within the scholarly community offers a seminal forum for undergraduates to debate issues like United Nations peacekeeping, the crisis of European refugees, and the management of the Chinese economy. I also invite you to peruse our online journal at SIRjournal.org for opinion, blog and research pieces that contribute to SIR’s mission to encourage open forum discourse on international affairs. Our online Editor-in-Chief, Francesca Arruda de Amaral, has made a truly phenomenal contribution to the online journal this year by continuing to publish important articles offering critical perspectives on the challenges facing our world today. This year, we are honored to publish former Deputy Secretary General to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Ambassador Alexander Vershbow. Contemporary challenges in American democracy have been precipitated by a lack of transparency. Central to these shortcomings are American political relationships in Russia and Ukraine, which Ambassador Vershbow addresses in his speech at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Reflecting on his time as United States Assistant Secretary of Defense and Ambassador to Russia, Ambassador Vershbow brings a clear and honest perspective to the importance of democracy and transparency in Ukraine in order to uphold the international rules-based order and propagate global leadership guided by democratic values. Following the transcript of Ambassador Vershbow’s speech, the Journal features nine undergraduate articles that contribute their research to the field of international studies. This year’s topics span a wide range of contemporary global phenomena, including nuclear proliferation in South Korea, the Chechen conflict, and an examination of Turkey’s foreign policy in Cyprus. I hope that these pieces challenge you to think critically and evaluate your perspectives on important affairs in world politics. Finally, I would like to recognize the contributions of numerous individuals whose hard work was instrumental to the publishing of this year’s journal. I wish to thank Dr. Frank Plantan, National President