DWA 250 International Security

This course is an introduction to International Security and Strategic Studies. This field is, fundamentally, about both the use of force by, and violent conflict among, states and non-state actors. The course will be guided by general theoretical questions regarding security: how does violent conflict or competitions shaped by the lurking possibility of such conflict affect international relations and individual societies? How has the role of violent conflict in international politics changed since the end of World War II? What is the nature of security today? These general questions will frame explorations of more specific strategic questions. Such questions will include: how do states and non-state actors use force to persuade their enemies to take (coercion), or refrain from taking (deterrence), a particular action? How can nations best prepare to prevent violent conflicts or to win them if they occur? What has determined success and failure and the intensity, duration, and consequences of military action? We will have a particular focus on emerging transnational security issues, intra-state security, and the relationship between security development and state failure. Pursuing answers to these questions will require an approach that integrates theory, history, and current events.