UC Irvine

This dissertation investigates coordination as a key component of social systems, from a network of international environmental governance to a localized response to disaster. Chapter 2 is a study of international environmental agreement (IEA) co-ratification. I focus specifically on mixing effects and how these demonstrate a shift in the global configuration of cooperative behavior within this context. Chapter 3 dives deeper into this network, looking more closely at the structural factors influencing ratification of IEAs, including factors at the agreement level. The goal of this chapter was to better understand the formation of new ratification ties over time, while making several methodological contributions as well. Finally, Chapter 4 is a study of dynamic communication patterns across 17 localized first responder networks in the midst of a disaster. We utilized a recently developed tool for relational event model simulation to study the resilience of these networks as they reorganized in the face of varied disruption. This dissertation pushes for the view of social systems as interconnected and specifically demonstrates the advantages of studying coordination from this perspective. I hope it spurs future research on these topics, especially in the realm of environmental degradation as it is ever more often encompassing both regulation and disaster response.