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The Surveillance of Individuals in International Politics

Keiber, Jason A
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397573412

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Political Science.
In an increasingly interconnected world in which individuals are more empowered than ever to harm state interests, states seek to protect their interests from individuals with nefarious intentions. In order for states to neutralize such threats, they must first know about them. Surveillance, therefore, is important. But while states enjoy something of a monopoly on legitimate surveillance domestically, states cannot effectively conduct surveillance on the citizens of other states with abandon. As recent NSA spying revelations demonstrate, such surveillance abroad is controversial. While the field of International Relations has much to say about how states spy on other states, it has little to say about how states spy on the citizens of other states. This dissertation argues that the surveillance of individuals outside of domestic contexts is a significant international political practice which helps structure international security in the 21st century. To make this case I begin with a conceptualization of the surveillance of individuals abroad—what I call i-veillance—to help structure the empirical research. I use this conceptual framework to document the institutional underpinnings of i-veillance and detail the practices themselves. Most of the empirics are drawn from U.S. i-veillance activity, much of which is done with some cooperation from other states. In addition to demonstrating the extent of i-veillance, the empirical work highlights the particular ways, some surprising and unanticipated, in which surveillance is conducted. In addition to the empirical work I explore the theoretical implications of i-veillance today. I argue that changes in norms, interests, and identity suggest a common international purpose in fighting terrorism—a task for which i-veillance is an indispensable tool. Second, I argue that there is an incipient internationalization of the state’s surveillance function, itself a critical part of what it means to be a state. Finally, I argue that these internationalizations of purpose and power suggest an internationalization of authority with respect to i-veillance. This is not to argue that there exists an international state, but it is suggestive of how states might respond to a future in which individuals are increasingly empowered by and connected through technology at a global scale.
Alexander Wendt (Committee Chair)
Randall Schweller (Committee Member)
Jennifer Mitzen (Committee Member)
245 p.
International Relations; Political Science
surveillance; international relations; security; terrorism; international state; global governance; transnational crime

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Keiber, J. A. (2014). The Surveillance of Individuals in International Politics [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397573412

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Keiber, Jason. The Surveillance of Individuals in International Politics. 2014. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397573412.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Keiber, Jason. "The Surveillance of Individuals in International Politics." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1397573412

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1397573412
3,462
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.