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For his departmental honors thesis in International Affairs, senior Cameron Hall of Portland, Ore., a graduate of Tigard Senior High School, is researching a topic that has garnered headlines in recent months, the growth of globalization and its impact on state sovereignty. He is examining whether state sovereignty may be in decline.
“My thesis investigates the status of sovereignty in the international system, primarily in the First World,” explains Hall, an International Affairs major. “I’m also looking at why some states give up sovereignty in order to be included in different international organizations. State sovereignty is a hot issue today, so I was intrigued by the relevancy of the topic.”
Hall is tackling one of the most hotly debated topics in international relations, agrees his thesis adviser, Neil A. Englehart, assistant professor of government and law.
“This is really a critical issue,” Englehart says. “With the growth of so many non-government organizations such as Amnesty International and the World Trade Organization, as well as multilateral treaties like NAFTA, there is a genuine interest in whether or not state sovereignty is in decline.”
Englehart’s areas of special interest and expertise include comparative politics and international relations. He recently mentored Susan Antonioni, a senior from Hellertown, Pa., participating in Lafayette’s EXCEL Scholars program, in an exploration of the relationship between political culture and human rights policies in India, Japan, China, South Korea, and Singapore. EXCEL scholars collaborate closely with faculty members on research projects while earning a stipend. Englehart also served as thesis adviser for Ken Kligge of Hatfield, Pa., a double major in government and law and International Affairs who graduated in May with honors. Kligge wrote on international nuclear weapons policy, examining how a new, innovative method for weapons-storage might reduce the chances of an accidental launch of intercontinental nuclear missiles.
Hall credits Englehart not only with providing valuable academic assistance but also with sharing an genuine enthusiasm for the work.
“Professor Englehart oversees the process and gives me different ideas that I may have overlooked,” Hall says. “He steers me in the right direction if I am going down the wrong path. I feel that he has plenty of useful advice for me, and I feel he is as dedicated to the project as I am.”
“Cameron is a hard worker who is very disciplined,” Englehart says.
Hall feels the thesis will aid him in his future plans, which may include graduate school.
“I would like to do research and teach in the future and this project is giving me a rough idea of what that lifestyle would entail,” Hall says. “I am trying to turn this experience into an internship of sorts.”
Hall is a member of ROTC.