https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/141481 2026-04-11T06:41:43Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145867 Advocacy groups versus state power : creating global politics of the environment Ozeroff, Harry Cleveland. Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science, 1999; Includes bibliographical references (v. 2, p. 633-667). 1999-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145767 The dilemmas of United Nations peacekeeping in the post Cold War era Carey, Elizabeth Ann, 1975- Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science, 2001; Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-137). 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145766 The effect of property rights protection on economic growth and environmental pollution : a cross-sectional time-series analysis Wickboldt, Anne-Katrin, 1970- Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science, 2001; Includes bibliographical references (p. 90-96). 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145765 State collapse : causes, dynamics and linkages to conflict McHugh, Gerard Paul, 1967- Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science, 1998; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-118). 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145764 Information networking as an instrument of sustainable development : the photovoltaic example Funk, Karina. Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technology and Policy Program, 1997; Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-130). 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145763 Markets for energy efficiency--development, challenges, and opportunities : an analysis of the joint impacts of regulation and market forces on efficient residential and commercial end-use equipment Levin, Jeremy Ben. Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1997; Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-124). 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145761 The paradoxes of industrial strategies : neoliberal reform and state intervention in Argentine industry from ISI to Martínez de Hoz. Dominguez, Ricardo Mario. Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Political Science, 1996; Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-87). 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145756 The future of Bahrain as a financial center Al Qassim, Abdul Razak Abdulla Hassan. Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1994; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-88). 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145755 Bahrain's competitiveness in the aluminum industry Al Noaimi, Ahmed Saleh. Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1994; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-113). 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145753 Strategic plan for a new research and education institution in the Middle East Nasrallah, May.; Salty, Samer. Thesis: M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1993; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-191). 1993-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145743 Information technology and sustainable development : understanding linkages in theory and practice Haghseta, Farnaz Saboori, 1974- Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technology and Policy Program, 2003; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-86). 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111071 Uneasy welcome--the political economy in migration policy in Kuwait Russell, Sharon Stanton, 1944- Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1987.; Bibliography: v. 2, leaves 396-422. 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109623 Rise and decline of ethno-national movements of Pakistan : domestic and international factors Amin, Tahir Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1988.; Title as it appeared in M.I.T. Graduate Lists, February 1988: Ethno-national movements of Pakistan: domestic and international factors.; Bibliography: v. 2, leaves 314-330. 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/97324 Finding order in a contentious Internet Sowell, Jesse H., II (Jesse Horton) This inquiry started with the simple question, "Who manages the Internet infrastructure and how?" Since, this question evolved into an evaluation of the routing system and the institutions that manage it. This institutional complex is referred to as the number resource system (NRS). NRS authority is contingent, rooted in consensus based knowledge assessment necessary to adapt apace with Internet growth. The efficiency with which observable negative externalities are remediated is a compelling entry point to this work. The Pakistan-YouTube story is a halcyon parable of "self-repair." Network operators recognized a global negative externality, traced it to the origin, and remediated the complicit networks in approximately three hours. To the casual observer, organic cooperation surfaced to remediate damages, then dissolved into the background noise of "normal operations." Remediation is far from organic; rather, it is a consequence of distinct rights and obligations amongst, and enforced by, NRS participants. Explaining the rationale and mechanics of "ad hoc" crisis management is the first contribution of this work. The early NRS comprised "close-knit yet loosely organized" communities created to 1) share operational knowledge (network operator groups, NOGs); 2) delegate unique network identifiers (Regional Internet Registries, RIRs); 3) create neutral markets for exchanging routes and traffic (Internet eXchanges, IXes); and 4) limit abusive messaging (anti-spam, later anti-abuse). Alongside Internet growth, NRS norms evolved into distinct institutions, replete with function-specific constitutional, collective choice, and operational rules for managing the knowledge commons and facilities supporting routing system function. The NRS institutions form a contingent social order, rooted in shared, authoritative images of system function and externalities management. NRS institutions collectively ensure participants common interests in the jointly provisioned routing system stability. The second contribution of this work explains NRS institutional structures and how the attendant rules keep pace with a high clockspeed Internet infrastructure. NRS institutions are characteristically, and necessarily, adaptive: each comprises a unique consensus process, animated by a diverse set of nominal competitors, that creates and adapts function-specific rules and processes contributing to routing system integrity. Consensus processes evaluate the performance of common resource management rules and, when-not if-necessary, adapt these rules to satisfy changing resource demands and patterns of use in the broader Internet infrastructure industry. Anticipation and evaluation in the consensus process are essential to adaptive capability, framed as a form of joint knowledge assessment. Moreover, diverse representation, comprising experts across industry sub-sectors, animated by constructive conflict amongst these experts, mediated by consensus processes, makes for a durable family of credible knowledge assessment processes that are rare amongst conventional regulatory arrangements. Processes described thus far are largely endogenous to the NRS and its constituencies. Historically these institutions have operated quietly underneath the hood. Adaptation and the resulting policy is scoped to common interests, explicitly avoiding impinging on public policy. In contrast to conventional international regimes, the NRS self-limits to the scope of its authority, namely supporting and enhancing routing system function. Thus far, the NRS's common interests have not run counter to the public interest. Nonetheless, a path-dependent history of harmonious alignment between a common and the public does not carry the assurances of alignment resulting from explicit coordination and cooperation. Some states and state-sanctioned international governance organizations see control of NRS facilities as critical to preserving their own authority. Predatory claims to stewardship of routing system resources further complicates the alignment problem. To better frame and understand this alignment problem, the concluding chapters of the dissertation explore the question: 'Are the incentives and resources of NRS institutions commensurate with the aggregate social loss due to a partial, or worse yet, systemic, failure?" Simply put, absent the progress on the explicit assurances above, the answer is no. Would-be state principals also fall short. State-based authorities are severely deficient in basic operational capacity that form the foundation of knowledge assessment capabilities and subsequent adaptive capabilities in the NRS. States' deficiencies correspond to those capabilities engendered by the NRS. Adding NRS stewardship to a state's portfolio of domestic regulatory interests will expose management processes to powerful short-term interests that will inevitably weaken, if not eliminate, extant credible knowledge assessment and adaptive capabilities. In effect, aggressive predatory rule would likely eliminate precisely the characteristics that make the NRS a valuable steward of a high clockspeed infrastructure. This initial conclusion is not a prediction of adaptive management doomed to failure. Although neither the NRS, nor state authorities, have sufficient capabilities and modes of authority to manage an Internet underpinning an ever-increasing array of public, private, and social goods on their own, a mix of their capabilities is sufficient. Rather, the conclusion frames a discussion of what explicit assurances will look like and the barriers to developing those assurances. The last part of this dissertation lays out the challenges for establishing such a comity, a mutual recognition of the norms and authority between the NRS and state authorities. In the global political arena, the NRS's political capital is credible knowledge assessment and adaptive capacity as the roots of authoritative policy advice. Barriers to explicit assurances draw lessons from the deconstruction and reconstruction of scientific knowledge in political environments, instances of international epistemic consensus, and characteristics of elusive, but effective, adaptation that has survived in conventional regulatory environments. Analytically, the dissertation argues the NRS and state authority need not be competitors-the two can be quite complementary. If these two sets of institutions can avoid the pitfalls of previous efforts, in particular short-term usurpation of the others' authority, the global, nondiscriminatory character of the Internet may be sustainable. Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2015.; Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (pages 477-498). 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/88399 Sustainability standards for biofuels : analyses of the current standards and recommendations of the future direction Lee, Leebong Past decades have seen development and expansion of biofuels industry around the world thanks to the environmental and economic contribution that biofuels have promised. As more and more people became concerned about the real benefits of biofuels in comparison to the conventional fossil-based options, the need for ensuring sustainability of biofuels has emerged, which, in turn, led to the development of numerous sustainability standards for biofuels over the last decade. This work analyzes and compares a selected set of nine standards developed by organizations with different scales and characteristics. Based on this analysis, major weaknesses and limitations of the standards are presented and possible recommendations addressing those weaknesses are provided. It was concluded that one of the major limitations of the nine standards is the lack of harmonization. Many standards deal with different feedstock, products, and scopes of supply chain among others. Therefore, it is suggested that international organizations, particularly the ISO, CEN, RSB, GBEP and FAO take the lead in providing the fundamental common grounds for harmonization of standards. In addition, the inclusion of technological sustainability area is recommended in order to properly address issues that are strongly dependent on the nature of current technologies used. Thesis: S.M. in Technology and Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2014.; Some pages printed landscape. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (pages 152-156). 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64545 Reading contamination : an environmental education center at the Wells G&H Superfund Site Berry, Rebecca Lynn, 1973- This thesis proposes and architectural and programmatic methodology which makes legible the processes and consequences of site contamination. This methodology is chiefly demonstrated through a plan for the site which emerges from the examination of the intersection of site contamination with the site's (natural) characteristics and perceptual phenomena, The site plan arises from the (abstract) institutional entities associated with the site. These entities - the wetlands demarcation zone in particular - begin to organize the site in a way which speaks not to the site's (natural) systems, but to the institutional systems which govern the site, and the means by which these systems deal with contamination. The site is populated by wells which have been drilled to monitor pollutant levels in the groundwater. The wells (non-natural) monitor the (natural) processes of site contamination. The lines of sight between these wells (as abstraction) become the generators for site geometries, and the placement and form of the built (architectural) areas of the site. Each built area has two sides defined by the wetlands demarcation line. Within the non-protected zone, the ground is engaged and inhabited. Within the protected zone, users never engage the ground, but instead float above it. These varied experiences of ground delineate the idea of ground as more than plane, as instead a multi-layered strata. The tectonics of the individual built elements vary as one crosses the demarcation line. This contrast between (natural) materials in the non-protected zone and (non-natural) materials within the protected zone makes legible the invasion of contamination. The different construction methods also demonstrate the fragility of the wetlands soils. At the same time, the lifting of the structures from the ground emphasizes the danger to the ground from man, and the danger to man from the ground. Due to the nature of the wetlands soils, contamination from a point source has a tendency to distribute itself throughout the site. The institution, an "environmental education center," disperses itself throughout the site. This dispersion forces the users to continually re-confront the site, making the link between the site's contamination and its (natural) characteristics legible through experience. Thesis (M.Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1999.; Vita.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-87). 1999-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/63241 A matrix based integrated framework for multi disciplinary exploration of cyber-international relations Gaurav, Agarwal Cyberspace is the most pervasive and rapidly adopted communication media and the most disruptive until date. It is now indispensable for almost every facet of modern society and touches, practically, everyone by providing a powerful platform for interaction and innovation. Given the widespread availability of tools to operate in this environment, a growing array of actors are trying to benefit as they seek to control critical decision points in the real world and cyberspace. It is imperative to understand what cyberspace "is made of' - over and above the Internet and answer the question "who gets what, when, and how?" The intent of this research initiative is to contribute to the generation, management and sharing of knowledge to enhance understandings of the emerging area of cyber-international relations as a complex, flexible and adaptive domain of interactions. The first contribution of this thesis is the development of a multi-dimensional Cyber System for Strategic Decisions (CSSD) framework. This framework enables a holistic identification of the elements of a system, which are structured as set of nested and hierarchical relationships. It facilitated in mapping the entities that comprise different domains of cyberspace and the dependencies within and across those entities. The second contribution of this thesis is the development of the foundations for an internally consistent and articulate representation of cyber-international relations in terms of actors- individuals and group of individuals, layers of the Internet and the context of cyber engagement that form the basis of the CSSD framework. This approach can be applied to diverse domains to build scenarios and model different facets of both the real world and cyberspace according to the practical needs. The instruments and intensity of engagement and the extent of time of engagement are the two dependencies that map the interactions among the different entities. The third contribution of this thesis is the development of a robust, comprehensive, and coherent test use-case based on "Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)" domain. The CSSD framework is then adapted to test its applicability to the use-case. IPR has been selected as the test use-case because it provided both the legal understanding and legislative efforts at international level, in as collaborative, effective and uniform manner as possible, to protect the rights of intellectual property owners and to avoid future conflicts. Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2010.; Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-130). 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/61833 Winning the competitive edge in the DRAM market : a system dynamics analysis Liu, Wenyun, 1971- Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1998.; Includes bibliographical references. 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/58084 Nuclear non-proliferation regime effectiveness : an integrated methodology for analyzing highly enriched uranium production scenarios at gas centrifuge enrichment plants Kwak, Taeshin (Taeshin S.) The dramatic change in the international security environment after the collapse of the bipolar system has had a negative impact on the effectiveness of the existing nuclear non-proliferation regime. Furthermore, the success of the Pakistani Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Technology (GCET)- based nuclear weapons program has imposed a great challenge on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. In this context, this study tried to answer two questions: (a) what is the probability of proliferators successfully producing Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) at Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plants (GCEPs) and (b) how effective is the current NPT regime in dealing with this issue. In order to tackle these two questions, an integrated methodology is used that reflects all factors affecting the nuclear proliferation on the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. A quantitative assessment of the proliferation risks of producing HEU for multiple scenarios is presented using success tree models, uncertainty analysis, sensitivity analysis, importance measures, and expert opinion. This assessment identifies the factors that can reduce the proliferators' success of producing HEU, which will be helpful in prioritizing the use of the IAEA's limited resources.; (cont.) The study found that legal capabilities of the NPT regime are more problematic than technological capabilities in preventing proliferators from producing HEU at GCEPs, since the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the only NPT regime component that has compliance-enforcing resources. This study recommends three approaches as follows: First, the NPT regime should take a multi-faceted approach that incorporates all NPT regime components into each step of nuclear weapons program development. Second, the NPT regime should impose nuclear elements control via Multilateral Export Control Regimes (MECRs). Third, the NPT regime should develop an approach that challenges HEU production from both technological- and legal points of view. Since law governs technological capability, a multidimensional approach that includes this relationship would be more effective than an approach that focuses on either aspect individually. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2010.; Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 399-417). 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/52749 Does it take one or two to tango? : language skills, physical appearance, and immigrant integration in Germany Wickboldt, Anne-Katrin, 1970- Breaking with a long-held political stance that Germany is, despite a sizeable share of permanent immigrant residents, not a country of immigration, the German legislature has drawn up a new immigration law, which entered into force in January 2005. It states a new commitment to integrate legal immigrants into German society by teaching them German and acquainting them with the legal, cultural, and historical precepts of the German state and society. To gauge the role of the host society in the integration process, I use a three-pronged methodological approach to evaluate the influence of physical appearance and several other potentially salient attributes of immigrants on integration outcomes. Statistical analysis of recent census data provides a general picture of economic integration outcomes of foreign national residents in Germany. More specific information gathered by way of a structured survey among second generation immigrants in Germany allows me to investigate deeper levels of integration using variables geared more narrowly to my research question. Finally, qualitative interviews provide valuable insights into whether and to what extent immigrants themselves perceive language skills and physical appearance, as well as other issues, as shaping their integration experience. Overall, my analysis suggests that language proficiency is a strong predictor of economic integration. The impact of physical appearance, by comparison, is negligible. The survey suggests that despite high levels of cultural, social, and identificational integration, immigrants still feel disadvantage as a function of their cultural difference from the host society. They also universally report having and cherish ties to both German and their society of origin. In-depth interviews suggest that second generation immigrants, although aware of a certain degree of discrimination, do not see it as a major issue. Still, lasting emotional attachment to Germany could be boosted by policies that show genuine acceptance of immigrants' perceived or real ties to two cultures and communities, and recognize the assets they entail. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2008.; This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.; Page 239 is a foldout table. Includes survey in German.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-287). 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/45720 The U.S. Army Coprs [sic] of Engineer's role in reconstruction of Kuwait : a case study and its implications for future international missions Baker, Brian Lee Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1992.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-103). 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44793 Development of a Bayesian Network to monitor the probability of nuclear proliferation Holcombe, Robert (Robert Joseph) Nuclear Proliferation is a complex problem that has plagued national security strategists since the advent of the first nuclear weapons. As the cost to produce nuclear weapons has continued to decline and the availability of nuclear material has become more widespread, the threat of proliferation has increased. The spread of technology and the globalization of the information age has made the threat not only more likely, but also more difficult to detect. Proliferation experts do not agree on the universal factors which cause nations to want to proliferate or the methods to prevent countries from successfully developing nuclear weapons. Historical evidence also indicates that the current nuclear powers pursued their nuclear programs for different reasons and under different conditions. This disparity presents a problem to decision makers who are tasked with preventing further nuclear proliferation. Bayesian Inference is a tool of quantitative analysis that is rapidly gaining interest in numerous fields of scientific study that have previously been limited to purely statistical methods. The Bayesian approach removes the statistical limitations of large-n data sets and strictly numerical types of data. It allows researchers to include sparse and rich data as well as qualitative data based on the opinions of subject matter experts. Bayesian inference allows the inclusion of both the quantitative data and subjective judgments in the determination of predictions about a theory of interest. This means that contrary to classic statistical methods, we can now make accurate predictions with reduced information and apply this probabilistic method to problems in social science. The problem of nuclear proliferation is one that lends itself to a Bayesian analysis. The data set is relatively small and the data is far from consistent from country to country.; (cont.) There is however, a wide body of literature that seeks to explain proliferation factors and capabilities through both quantitative and qualitative means. This varied field can be brought together in a coherent method using Bayesian inference and specifically Bayesian Networks which graphically represent the various causal linkages. This work presents the development of a Bayesian Network describing the various causes, factors, and capabilities leading to proliferation. This network is constructed with conditional probabilities using theoretical insights and expert opinion. Bayesian inference using historical and real time events within the structure of the network is then used to give a decision maker an informed prediction of the proliferation danger of a specific country and inferences about which factors are causing it. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2008.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 110-112). 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44644 Regional integration in the developing world : ASEAN in a new perspective Yamakage, Susumu Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1982.; MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY; Bibliography: leaves 264-273. 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/10154 Feedback complexity in integrated climate-economy models Fiddaman, Thomas S. (Thomas Scott) Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1997.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 799-205). 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38599 The private sector's capacity to manage climate risks and finance carbon neutral energy infrastructure Hart, Craig A This dissertation examines the financial aspects of climate change relating to the private sector's capacity to manage climate risks and finance carbon neutral energy infrastructure. The dissertation examines (a) potential risks posed by climate change to private sector investment in critical infrastructure, (b) the potential effectiveness of standard private contractual methods for mitigating risks posed by climate change, (c) the capacity of private capital markets to finance carbon neutral energy infrastructure, and (d) the potential for market failure in developing carbon neutral energy infrastructure. The dissertation first identifies climate risks to infrastructure by examining scientific evidence concerning climate change from studies and atmospheric models. Based on this data, it modifies a framework widely used by practitioners in the finance field for purposes of evaluating financial risks in infrastructure projects. Using the modified risk assessment framework, the dissertation identifies financial risks posed by climate change to financing and developing infrastructure. The dissertation then assesses whether these climate risks can be mitigated and managed by employing private contractual methods typically used in infrastructure finance, such as insurance, derivatives, and carbon offsets.; (cont.) Each contract is evaluated based on the following six criteria: (a) scope of risk covered, (b) geographic coverage, (c) contract duration, (d) availability, (e) price, and (f) market capacity. Based on these criteria, the potential for these private contractual methods to address long-term climate change risks is assessed. The evaluation of climate risk and methods to address these risks are similar to the identification, allocation, and mitigation of risks that is commonly preformed by banks and project sponsors in order to evaluate the risks of an infrastructure investment. The conclusion of the dissertation's analysis is that climate risks will pose fundamental problems for infrastructure finance, including that no party may be best positioned to accept and mitigate climate risks, and that private contractual methods typically used by the private sector will be inadequate to address climate risks in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner. If this is true, climate risks should reduce the private sector's willingness or ability to invest in or develop infrastructure. The risk assessment analysis will be supplemented by three case studies focusing on different financial aspects of climate change in sectors of the economy that are critical to developing carbon neutral energy infrastructure:; (cont.) (i) the capacity of capital markets to supply adequate investment capital to develop a portfolio of carbon neutral electricity infrastructure providing 10-15 TW of power within a 50-year period, (ii) the financial effects of increasingly intense storms on the electric utility industry in the Eastern United States from 1990 to 2005, and (iii) the financial effects of the increasing frequency and intensity of natural catastrophic events on the insurance industry from the 1970's to 2005, especially in connection with underwriting risks for energy infrastructure. The research is supported by a survey of the insurance, derivatives, banking, and energy industries with respect to their use of private contractual risk management methods and an examination of the models used to price these contractual instruments. This dissertation is intended to contribute to economic and policy literature concerning climate change by providing an analysis of how the financial aspects of climate change might influence the capacity and willingness of the private sector to invest in carbon neutral energy infrastructure. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, February 2007.; Includes bibliographical references (v. 2, leaves 275-312). 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/37975 Privacy in context : the costs and benefits of a new deidentification method Trepetin, Stanley The American public continues to be concerned about medical privacy. Policy research continues to show people's demand for health organizations to protect patient-specific data. Health organizations need personally identifiable data for unhampered decision making; however, identifiable data are often the basis of information abuse if such data are improperly disclosed. This thesis shows that health organizations may use deidentified data for key routine organizational operations. I construct a technology adoption model and investigate if a for-profit health insurer could use deidentified data for key internal software quality management applications. If privacy-related data are analyzed without rigor, little support is found to incorporate more privacy protections into such applications. Legal and financial motivations appear lacking. Adding privacy safeguards to such software programs apparently doesn't improve policy-holder care quality. Existing technical approaches do not readily allow for data deidentification while permitting key computations within the applications. A closer analysis of data reaches different conclusions. I describe the bills that are currently passing through Congress to mitigate abuses of identifiable data that exist within organizations.; (cont.) I create a cost and medical benefits model demonstrating the financial losses to the insurer and medical losses to its policy-holders due to less privacy protection within the routine software applications. One of the model components describes the Predictive Modeling application (PMA), used to identify an insurer's chronically-ill policy-holders. Disease management programs can enhance the care and reduce the costs of such individuals because improving such people's health can reduce costs to the paying organization. The model quantifies the decrease in care and rise in the insurer's claim costs as the PMA must work with suboptimal data due to policy-holders' privacy concerns regarding the routine software applications. I create a model for selecting variables to improve data linkage in software applications in general. An encryption-based approach, which allows for the secure linkage of records despite errors in linkage variables, is subsequently constructed. I test this approach as part of a general data deidentification method on an actual PMA used by health insurers. The PMA's performance is found to be the same as if executing on identifiable data. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2006.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-150). 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/37196 Dependence, independence, and interdependence in world politics Mistree, Dinsha (Dinsha Farrokh Allen) We implement techniques of graph theory to international trade in order to empirically inspect the international system of trade. Examining macro and submacro levels of the international system of trade from 1962-2003, we find the presence of a Scale-Free Network with a Multiscalar Hierarchy. Such structures are resilient to bottom-up economic collapse, but are susceptible to top-down and horizontal economic failures. Our findings are based upon an especially novel approach for examining submacro systems, applying latent community identification analysis to identify trading communities that are not necessarily formalized or institutionalized as trading blocs. Following this analysis, we examine the role of international institutions in the international trade network, specifically considering macro level institutions for stability solutions and examining the effects of joining a trade bloc. We find evidence that supports the intergovernmentalist framework, whereby certain types of trade blocs seem to succeed while others fail, leading to different results in integration and unification. Thesis (S.M. and S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2006.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-156). 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34485 Effective information integration and reutilization : solutions to technological deficiency and legal uncertainty Zhu, Hongwei The amount of electronically accessible information has been growing exponentially. How to effectively use this information has become a significant challenge. A post 9/11 study indicated that the deficiency of semantic interoperability technology hindered the ability to integrate information from disparate sources in a meaningful and timely fashion to allow for preventive precautions. Meanwhile, organizations that provided useful services by combining and reusing information from publicly accessible sources have been legally challenged. The Database Directive has been introduced in the European Union and six legislative proposals have been made in the U.S. to provide legal protection for non-copyrightable database contents, but the Directive and the proposals have differing and sometimes conflicting scope and strength, which creates legal uncertainty for valued-added data reuse practices. The need for clearer data reuse policy will become more acute as information integration technology improves to make integration much easier. This Thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach to addressing both the technology and the policy challenges, identified above, in the effective use and reuse of information from disparate sources.; (cont.) The technology component builds upon the existing Context Interchange (COIN) framework for large-scale semantic interoperability. We focus on the problem of temporal semantic heterogeneity where data sources and receivers make time-varying assumptions about data semantics. A collection of time-varying assumptions are called a temporal context. We extend the existing COIN representation formalism to explicitly represent temporal contexts, and the COIN reasoning mechanism to reconcile temporal semantic heterogeneity in the presence of semantic heterogeneity of time. We also perform a systematic and analytic evaluation of the flexibility and scalability of the COIN approach. Compared with several traditional approaches, the COIN approach has much greater flexibility and scalability. For the policy component, we develop an economic model that formalizes the policy instruments in one of the latest legislative proposals in the U.S. The model allows us to identify the circumstances under which legal protection for non-copyrightable content is needed, the different conditions, and the corresponding policy choices.; (cont.) Our analysis indicates that depending on the cost level of database creation, the degree of differentiation of the reuser database, and the efficiency of policy administration, the optimal policy choice can be protecting a legal monopoly, encouraging competition via compulsory licensing, discouraging voluntary licensing, or even allowing free riding. The results provide useful insights for the formulation of a socially beneficial database protection policy. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology, Management, and Policy Program, February 2006.; "September 2005."; Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-148). 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8660 Global Knowledge Network Huang, Biao, 1970- The convergence of Digital Economy, Globalization, and Knowledge-based Economy, creates the potential for Global Knowledge Networks and e-Knowledge Commerce. "The e-knowledge markets will grow to be a $1 trillion global micro-economy by 2010," estimated by Kaieteur Institute For Knowledge Management in 2000. The next wave of growth is likely to be associated with E-Knowledge Commerce, far exceeding the ECommerce. However, up to date, significant disconnections exist among Digital Economy, Knowledge-based Economy, and Globalization. e-Knowledge Commerce is too new to have business models to exist in either the business world or literatures. This thesis tries to fill this significant gap, by focusing on a new type of global institutional development, known as Global Knowledge Network, by defining its characteristic features and formulating the relevant 'best business models.' More specifically, this thesis (a) determines and formulates business models relevant for different types of e-Knowledge Commerce, and (b) explores how to develop the functionality of a Global Knowledge Network such as Global System for Sustainable Development (GSSD) in the context of e-Knowledge Commerce. Furthermore, this thesis examines the policy and legal issues in e-Knowledge Commerce & Global Knowledge Network, such as intellectual property right, customer privacy, digital trusted system, security such as firewalls, encryption, watermark, etc. Finally, draws conclusions about e-Knowledge Commerce & Global Knowledge Network and provides some recommendations for further research work. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technology and Policy Program, 2001.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-115). 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8856 The value of knowledge networks : conceptual framework in application to sustainable production Haraldsson, Vignir Mar, 1969- The thesis is motivated by two major trends: the rise of a global information and knowledge economy, and environmental degradation and the search for sustainable solutions. The increasing importance of knowledge has by some been equated with a new industrial revolution, one based on computer technology, digital infrastructure, and highly educated and technically skilled workers. But how do we assess the value of knowledge in this 'new' economy? The question over value is explored through the diffusion and localization of new knowledge via a knowledge network, based on information technology. The central argument is that in the knowledge economy, the value of knowledge lies in the ability to share it over a knowledge network, which allows for diffusion and localization of new knowledge. This central thesis and the value of knowledge networks is further explored by looking at the case of environmentally friendly or sustainable production. The knowledge network targets barriers to environmentally friendly practices by encouraging and enabling diffusion of knowledge related to sustainable products and processes. The knowledge scope for environmental solutions is analyzed, with the objective to develop common categories, and to understand better the increasing complexities and knowledge needs as enterprises engage in sustainable production. In discussing the knowledge economy and knowledge networks, the thesis focuses mostly on the business enterprise. But the development of the knowledge age has much larger implications, such as 'knowledge for whom?' and 'value for whom?'. The information technologies and networks offer new ways for people and groups to interact and influence social issues and can enable the diffusion of wide variety of views and perspectives. Thinking about the information and knowledge age in the larger economic and social context requires us to consider who builds, controls, influences and benefits from the technology and its use. Before we can reasonably approach this analysis, a basic conceptual framework or understanding of knowledge sharing, knowledge networks, and value of knowledge is called for. This thesis is a building block for such a framework, a contribution to future research into the economic and social implications of the knowledge economy. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2000.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-56). 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/10094 Private regimes and legitimacy : the politics of self-regulation in liner shipping and international standardization Sundgren, Jan Matias, 1962- Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1998.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-153). 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/10544 Strategic assessment of Indonesian technological policy : an analysis from technology trangle framework Priaadi, Yudo Dwinanda Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1997.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-81). 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/11370 Roads to the rule of law : the emergence of an independent judiciary in contemporary Egypt Rosberg, James H. (James Howard) Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1995.; Includes bibliographical references (v. 2, leaves 378-396). 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/13893 Wars as international learning: Chinese, British and Japanese in East Asia. Inoguchi, Takashi Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Political Science. Thesis. 1974. Ph.D.; MICROFICHE COPY ALSO AVAILABLE IN DEWEY LIBRARY.; Vita.; Bibliography: leaves 591-627. 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17661 Re-engineering knowledge networks for development Raghavan, Amrith, 1976- This thesis examines the evolution of Internet based knowledge networks (e-knowledge networks) in the domain of sustainable development. The objective of this thesis is to use an engineering systems approach to understand knowledge networks, identify the barriers to their sustainability and recommend strategies for re-engineering them. e-Knowledge Networks refer to the set of Internet based tools and platforms that support communication, collaboration and group decision-making processes amongst groups of individuals. e-knowledge networks are particularly important in the context of international development initiatives that recognize that knowledge is the key to technological change and sustainable economic development. This thesis is intended to aid knowledge network managers and researchers in their efforts towards making their knowledge networks sustainable. The thesis addresses in depth the most important barrier towards a knowledge network's sustainability- the problem of collective action among the participants of a knowledge network. It takes the view that knowledge is a public good, and a knowledge network would face the problem of under provision of this public good due the problem of free-riding and lack of mechanisms to mobilize collective action. This thesis provides guidelines and recommendations for the restructuring of incentives and organizational policies and the re-engineering of the technology to overcome this barrier. The thesis first outlines a framework and taxonomy for describing different knowledge network configurations and maps out the state of existence of important knowledge networks existing in the sustainable development domain within this framework. It then provides individual and comparative; (cont.) studies of two important knowledge networks related to sustainable development- the MIT developed Global System for Sustainable Development (GSSD) and the Development Gateway's Knowledge Network. The engineering systems approach used in this thesis enables the study of each of the sub-systems that make up a knowledge network- the human subsystem, the technological subsystem and the institutional subsystem. This is done with the view towards providing insights into the structure of the network and the network of relationships that develop within a Knowledge Network, determining the motivations that drives the creators and the participants and the incentives that have been engineered into the technological and organizational policies to meet these motivations and assessing the quality, quantity and the evolution of knowledge and the throughput of participants in the network. A detailed description of each of the subsystems is provided and the interrelationships amongst them are analyzed and the result is synthesized to develop an integrated framework for the assessment of knowledge networks. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2004.; Includes bibliographical references. 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17563 Global knowledge networking for the multinational enterprise Lim, Shung Yar, 1979- This thesis proposes a technology strategy that is formulated to serve as the foundation for a holistic. global knowledge networking strategy for multinational enterprises (MNEs). This thesis is framed in the context of the increasing salience of knowledge for all enterprises, everywhere, today. The uncertainties of the marketplace, global e-business opportunities born of the Internet revolution, and the paradigmatic shifts in thought on organizational design have amplified the demand for the right knowledge of the right kind at the right time. The multi-dimensional nature of knowledge and the complexities of enterprise activities are compounded by the fact that enterprises today are increasingly globalized and seeking to globally expand its activities. The capabilities to acquire quality-controlled knowledge within the necessary time-horizons, and the capabilities to leverage and diffuse acquired knowledge throughout the organization have become critical. However, the mechanisms by which to perform and enable these functions are not strategically integrated across the organization, and on a global basis. This thesis focuses on the knowledge network as a mechanism and as a process by which to coordinate innovation and learning for enterprises and enterprise-value-networks on a global basis. While knowledge networks have been formed in both non-profit and for-profit sectors, this thesis will be concerned solely with knowledge networks for businesses. Knowledge networks can be analyzed into technology and human elements, but often there is no coordinating strategy that synthesizes both elements into integrative solutions that can capture the value of knowledge for the enterprise. The hypothesis . guiding this thesis is that existing models of knowledge networking are not sufficiently holistic. and proposes an integrated knowledge networking strategy that leverages both technology infrastructure and human competencies in meeting organizational knowledge requirements. The emergent nature of strategically initiated knowledge networks in business can adapt knowledge networking solutions that have been developed in the non-profit sector. One such framework for knowledge networking from the non-profit sector is the GSSD (Global System for Sustainable Development) initiative, developed in MIT with partners in academic institutions around the world, is one such methodology that aims to facilitate knowledge flows and knowledge sharing on a global scale. This thesis (a) develops a technology strategy that adapts the GSSD framework for enterprises that operate on a global scale, (b) illustrates its conceptual feasibility by proposing several designs for GSSD-E, or GSSD for the enterprise, and (c) applies the designs to a test case. The test case is a conceptual implementation of the GSSD-E design for Sony Environmental Management Systems. The thesis concludes by suggesting further possible directions in researching GSSD-E possibilities. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2003.; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-126). 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17189 Alcohol as fuel in Brazil : an alternative energy policy and politics Santos, Maria Helena de Castro Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1985.; MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY.; Bibliography: leaves 671-718. 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/16800 Between global flows & territorial control : the state, tourism development, and the politics of reterritorialization in the Middle East Hazbun, Waleed (Waleed Albert), 1968- This dissertation presents a new type of theory about the impact of increased transnational capital flows on state building processes. Most of the political science literature about globalization has been focused on debating the question of deterritorialization where the powers of territorial nation-states are viewed as being eroded by the increased transnational mobility of capital. This dissertation, in contrast, demonstrates how international tourism development-like many other aspects of globalization--can also produce "reterritorialization" characterized by the increased relevance of "place" for global economic activity. With increased globalization firms often seek to locate themselves in specific territories in order to capture what I call locational rents and external economies. In contrast to the dislocating effects of deterritorialization, reterritorialization can increase the political influence of state, societal, and transnational agents able to create localities that generate locational rents and external economies. The dissertation explores how states in the Middle East have promoted reterritorialization through tourism development in an attempt to enhance their control over capital and cultural flows as they promote economic liberalization and the incorporation of their economies into global markets. My fieldwork explored two national case studies with different configurations of territorial control. In Tunisia, I found that centralized state control over the territorially defined resources and institutions driving the reterritorialization process allowed the state to extend its control over transnational capital flows, the local private sector,; (cont.) and the location of tourism development within Tunisia. In Jordan, by contrast, control over tourism spaces has been highly fragmented between rival state organizations, private firms and land holders, non-governmental organizations, and transnational actors such as environmentalists and heritage preservation experts. This situation has required the state to contend with societal resistance, organizational obstacles, and unfavorable bargains with societal actors. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2002.; "February 2002."; Includes bibliographical references (p. 412-441).; This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z