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University Students Research Paper Published in the Journal of International Relations

Paper Examines the 2001 Economic Crisis of Argentina


Research-Paper-Students-PhotoSamuel Maynard and Alexandria Todd, junior and senior political science majors, were selected earlier this month for publication in the Journal of International Relations after examining the domestic and international facets of the 2001 Argentine economic crisis.

The team found out about their paper’s acceptance on Sunday, February 3. “Chaos, Pure and Simple: Examining the Complexities of the 2001 Economic Crisis in Argentina,” will be published in the Journal in March 2013 and was selected for publication by a double-bind, peer review process, according to a member of the editorial board at the Journal of International Relations.

The source continued, “Its [the piece’s] innovate perspective and analytic strength in examining an important issue in international relations and political economy made it a perfect fit for the Journal of International Relations. It has been a pleasure for the Journal’s staff to work with the authors in readying the piece for publication.”

Maynard and Todd both took Dr. Ken Mitchell’s Argentine Politics class during the fall semester and had to complete a paper on a topic of Argentine politics that they found interesting before departing on a two-week cultural trip to Buenos Aires.

“Dr. Mitchell, the encouraging academic that he is, mentioned that if we wanted to attempt to submit our paper for publication that we would be permitted to write the paper with a partner,” said Todd. “Samuel [Maynard] and I decided to join forces to increase our chances for publication. Plus, two of our friends in the class had decided to partner up for the project, and we love friendly competition.”

The Argentine politics class incorporated readings and lectures involving Spanish colonization and examined political party, economic, social and cultural development up until the most recent administration under Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

“Lexi [Todd] and Sam [Maynard] analyzed a complex event, the Argentine sovereign default of 2001, which is the largest national default in history,” said Mitchell. “It sent shock waves across the international financial system, and in part paved the way for the current troubles in Greece, Portugal and Ireland. It also marked the end of Washington’s neoliberal, pro-Cold War experiment in Latin America because no country embraced this model more than Argentina during the 1990s – and look where they [Argentina] ended up.”

The duo examined the domestic and international aspects of the economic crisis and its results. “I examined the international implications of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) involvement and the policies of the Carlos Menem administration, particularly in the 1990s. Lexi [Todd] took a more historical approach and wrote about the unstable economic history dating back to the 1930s,” said Maynard.

“What made their paper unique, I think, is that it is organized as a debate between the authors rather than a single argument or narrative,” Mitchell continued. “To their credit, both took on their particular task in this paper without preconceptions as to the likely conclusion. In short, either argument at the start of the project could have prevailed. In the course of their research and eventual writing of the paper, they crafted a convincing argument on the origins of the crisis that rejects some and embraces other domestic and international factors.”

Maynard and Todd wrote the paper before the trip and submitted it after visiting Buenos Aires. “It’s interesting, when you read the press all the signs are pointing towards another debt default, but the feeling is quite different on the streets in Buenos Aires,” Maynard said. “The public has learned from the instability and has found ways to insulate themselves from the current problems,” he continued.

The Journal of International Relations has a circulation of 3,000 copies that are distributed to over 120 undergraduate international relations programs and Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) graduate international relations schools.

“We in the department couldn’t be any prouder of them,” said Dr. Joseph Patten, chair of the political science department.

PHOTO COURTESY from Susan Pagano