International Affairs Journal at UC Davis

The International Affairs Journal is an academic journal based at the University of California in Davis that strives to connect the academic world through scholarly papers in order to spread awareness, start conversations and spark curiosity about the international issues that are facing our world today. We promote the publication of both undergraduate and graduate papers, giving all students the opportunity to have their work published and recognized in the academic community.

The International Affairs Journal releases two publications: the International Affairs Journal and the International Update, found on our website.

Next Issue

International Affairs Journal presents the Davis Edition
Paper Submissions Due: May 10, 2010
Release Date: May 24, 2010
Spotlight: Education

The Russo-American Missile Shield: A Tenuous Display of Transnational Cooperation on Global ICBM Defense

By Justin Baker

May 2010

Imagine an almost paradoxical dynamic whereby the state with the greatest defense posed the greatest threat to international strategic stability. In this dynamic, wars will no longer be won or lost based on the offensive prowess of the advancing military; rather, they will be won or lost based on a nation’s ability to [...]

Using Business to Fight Drugs

By Samantha R. McRoskey

April 2010

High-level U.S. and Mexican officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, met recently to re-strategize the war on drugs initiated under the 2008 Merida Initiative. This year’s budget, valued at $330 million, will provide continued military aid, but will be directed toward judicial reform and programs to promote [...]

An Explanation for the Formation of CELAC

By Ian King, Guest Columnist

April 2010

With the recent formation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), many have begun to wonder why the U.S. and Canada were not asked to join the new organization. A quick economic explanation makes the answer to this question very clear: in a region where class distinctions still [...]

The U.S. Investment in Colombia’s Upcoming Presidential Elections

By Bécquer Medak-Seguín

March 2010

Of the upcoming elections in Latin America, the Colombian presidential election will likely command the most attention by United States politicians and pundits. The election itself, set to take place on May 30, still lacks an outright frontrunner among the six major candidates largely owing to the legacy of the current president, Álvaro [...]

Where will the people go?: What shifting demographics will mean for the Western Hemisphere

By Samantha R. McRoskey

March 2010

Imagine this: at a distance, you see tiny bodies moving across dozens of oil rigs perched in the waters of the Santos Basin off of the São Paulo, Brazil, coastline. It is 2020, and production in Brazil’s Tupi oil field is topping out at more than 150,000 barrels per day.  As you [...]

Tossing the Cartel Overboard: How the Tea Party Movement is Trying to Rock the Boat of the US Party System

By Kevin Taber

March 2010

Due to various factors endogenous and exogenous to the historical development of the party structures of many advanced industrialized democracies, the argument has been made that major political parties have evolved from their “catch-all,” mass-based roots to become more “cartelistic” in nature. The nature of the party system itself has changed through this [...]

US Drone Strikes in Pakistan: Legal and Moral?

By  Rheanne Wirkkala

March 2010

Since last fall, the US has raised the number of drone strikes carried out in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan from roughly one per week to nearly one every day. The strikes have been largely successful in targeting al Qaeda and Taliban operatives hiding out in the border region between Afghanistan and [...]

The State of the American Union

By Samantha R. McRoskey

February 2010

President Obama’s State of the Union Address made it clear how the public, and the administration, view the state of our union: our most pressing problems are at home. For most of his speech, the president addressed the vulnerabilities of the economy and how to overcome them. He transitioned to issues of foreign [...]

The US and Iran at a Crossroads

By Rheanne Wirkkala

February 2010

In a recent New York Times op-ed, Air Force Research Institute analyst Adam B. Lowther laid out five reasons why he thinks a nuclear armed Iran can potentially benefit the US and the Middle East. While Lowther’s argument is certainly provocative, it relies on some very shaky assumptions about the nature of [...]

Public Health Risks In Post-Quake Haiti

By Rafi Chaudhury

February 2010

The effects of the massive earthquake in Haiti are gradually becoming clear, nearly a month after its occurrence. The 7.0-magnitude quake is the worst natural disaster in recent years, with over 112,000 confirmed dead and 800,000-1,000,000 displaced.1 The Haitian government is claiming a death toll of 217,000.2 A considerable amount of physical infrastructure [...]