Abstract
In this article, we explore the rhetorical space structuring the debates in the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Committee on Disarmament and International Security. To this end, we unfold the speeches by UN member states by combining three established methods. First, we estimate terms’ relevance for latent topics structuring the debates. Second, we estimate topic-specific positions based on the Wordfish scaling algorithm. Third, we map these positions onto a lower-dimensional rhetorical space using principal component analysis. We identify two latent conflicts. First, a debate over the regulation of conventional weapons with states emphasizing geopolitical interests on the one end and humanitarian interests on the other. Second, a conflict over weapons of mass destruction and new technologies that pits defenders and challengers of the status quo against each other.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Tidsskrift | Political Science Research and Methods |
| ISSN | 2049-8470 |
| Status | Accepteret/In press - 2024 |