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ID: 101105

Afghanistan, networks and connectivity / Mendel, Jonathan

Mendel, Jonathan	Journal Article
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2010.

Summary/Abstract

Afghanistan is often thought to be a failed state because it is isolated from the networks of globalisation: for example, Afghanistan is viewed as part of Thomas Barnett's Non-Integrating Gap. On the contrary, the article will show that Afghanistan has - for decades - been very much integrated into a range of international networks. These networks have played major roles in Afghanistan and have also spread to have significant impact across the world: offering an example of what Friedman has referred to as the flattening of the world. Afghanistan is thus an example of the substantial role which networks and connectivity can play in 'failed' states and of the unpredictable outcomes that can result from such networks.

Key Words

Globalization ; Afghanistan ; Network Connectivity ; Network Insurgency ; Opiate Trade

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ID: 145691

Effects of shocks on international networks : changes in the attributes of states and the structure of international alliance networks / Maoz, Zeev; Joyce, Kyle A

Maoz, Zeev	Journal Article
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Summary/Abstract

We study the effects of shocks – such as major wars that change states’ strategic environments – on alliance networks. This has important implications for the structure of security cooperation networks. We develop an agent-based model (ABM) that: (1) models network evolution processes of security cooperation networks; (2) induces shocks that cause significant changes in agents’ utilities due to shifts in common interests between states; (3) analyzes how networks reorganize in the post-shock period. We derive propositions from the ABM about the relationship between shock attributes and network structure. We compare the results of the ABM to similar shocks that operate on real-world alliance networks. The ABM results with random network data suggest that states that experience dramatic changes in their strategic environment increase network connectivity and consistency. Consequently, post-shock networks become increasingly connected (denser) and consistent (transitive). With a few notable exceptions, these results are corroborated by analysis of alliance network reorganization following shocks. We discuss the theoretical and empirical implications of the results and offer directions for future research on shocks and international networks.

Key Words

Homophily ; Network Connectivity ; Agent-Based Models ; Alliance Networks ; Network Consistency ; Network Reorganization ;
Shocks

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