AbstractsPolitical Science

This paper analyses the current state of autonomy and the opportunity-structure for future independence of Kurdistan from Iraq. The study examines this by applying a neorealist international studies perspective studying the relations between the Kurdish Regional Government and the international community. The analysis investigates its field of interest by applying the neorealist theory to second-hand empiricism that highlights the current political turmoil concerning the Kurdish Regional Government. Moreover, it accounts for the Iraqi constitutional design in order to illustrate the juridical framework in which the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan exists. The findings of the study demonstrates that neorealist theory can explain why Kurdistan strives for independence and how their power-projection capabilities have strengthen their position in the international community since the rise of the so called IS. Advisors/Committee Members: Younes, Miriam (advisor).