POLITICS OF WAR Political Science 343 Portland State University, Spring 2018 David Kinsella Department of Political Science Hatfield School of Government Office: Urban Center Building, room 650L 503.725.3035 | [email protected] Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 1:00-2:00 Description Issues of war and peace have long been of central importance to world politics. War seems to be an enduring feature of international history and is the subject of constant analysis and commentary. Peace is less frequently analyzed than war, perhaps because its universal value seems to be taken for granted. But how much to we really know about war and peace? The course examines how conflict is manifest in world politics. We take up the subject of violent conflict and its causes: the roots of aggression, weapons proliferation, interstate and civil war, and terrorism. We also consider forces restraining war, including the laws and ethics of war. Throughout the term we will focus on both practical and theoretical issues—historical overviews of specific wars as well as theories and moral arguments pertaining to the recurrence of violence in the international. Learning Objectives The general objective of this course is to develop the student’s capacity to critically examine problems in international conflict and cooperation, consider the range of possible solutions to those problems, and communicate this analysis to others. This is to be accomplished by exposing students to relevant literature from the fields of international politics and foreign policy. By the end of the term, students should be able to: show a familiarity with a wide range of substantive issues in war and peace; interpret historical and contemporary wars and military interventions using appropriate theoretical frameworks; and articulate normative positions on key ethical dilemmas arising from conflict between and within states. Requirements and Evaluation Course grades are based on a midterm exam (30%) and a final exam (50%). The exams consist of questions requiring both short answers and longer essays. Students will also be preparing and 1 presenting briefings (20%) summarizing recent and ongoing conflicts, as well as international efforts to resolve them. Attendance is required; course grades will be adversely affected by excessive absence from class. Readings All assigned readings are available online; there are no books to purchase for the course. Unless the reading includes a link to a D2L file, it is available online from the PSU library. You must retrieve these readings (all journal articles) by logging into the PSU library website and locating and downloading the article from one of the library’s full-content subscription services. Likewise, you will need to be logged into D2L in order to access readings stored there. In addition to the assigned readings, you should be reading, on a regular basis, the New York Times, the Washington Post, or some other newspaper with thorough international coverage. Your performance in the course will reflect your familiarity with current issues of international organization and governance, and not just an understanding of lecture material and course readings. Conduct and Courtesy Students are responsible for being familiar with the PSU Student Code of Conduct, especially the section concerning academic misconduct -- that is, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty. If you are unsure of the definition or consequences of academic misconduct, consult your instructor. Because they are distracting to others, cell phones (voice or text) and MP3 players may not be used during lecture and should be turned off at the start of class. Laptops and tablets may be used to take notes, but not for email, web browsing, or social media. Electronic devices may not be used to photograph, video, or stream course lectures or discussion, but lectures may be audio recorded with permission of the instructor. Student Resources If you have, or think you may have, a disability that may affect your work in this class and feel you need accommodations, contact the Disability Resource Center to schedule an appointment and initiate a conversation about reasonable accommodations. The C.A.R.E. Team, hosted by the Dean of Student Life, is available to consult with you regarding any issues of students in distress, including sexual misconduct. 2 WEEKLY SCHEDULE and ASSIGNMENTS 2-6 Apr Causes of War Azar Gat, “So Why Do People Fight? Evolutionary Theory and the Causes of War.” European Journal of International Relations 15 (November 2009): 571-99. Kenneth N. Waltz, “The Origins of War in Neorealist Theory.” Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 18 (Spring 1988): 615-628. slides: Prisoner’s Dilemma 9-13 Apr Great Power Conflict Stephen Van Evera, “The Cult of the Offensive and the Origins of the First World War.” International Security 9 (Summer 1984): 58-108. Scott D. Sagan, “The Origins of the Pacific War.” Journal of Interdisciplinary History 18 (Spring 1988): 893-922. Stephen Walt, “Alliance Formation and the Balance of World Power.” International Security 9 (Spring 1985): 3-43. slides: World War I, World War II 16-20 Apr Deterrence Thomas Schelling, Arms and Influence (Yale University Press, 1966), chap. 1. (D2L) Robert Jervis, “Deterrence and Perception.” International Security (Winter 1982-82): 3-30. Uri Friedman, “Can America Live with a Nuclear North Korea? The Lessons—and Limits—of Deterrence.” The Atlantic, 14 September 2017. (web) slides: Cold War, nuclear deterrence 23, 27 Apr Conflict in the Periphery No class on Wednesday, 25 Apr Raymond Hinnebusch, “Revisiting the 1967 Arab-Israel War and its Consequences for the Regional System.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 44 (September 2017): 593-609. Melvin R. Laird, “Iraq: Learning the Lessons of Vietnam.” Foreign Affairs 84 (November- December 2005): 22-43. Seyom Brown, “Purposes and Pitfalls of War by Proxy: A Systemic Analysis.” Small Wars and Insurgencies 27 (March 2016): 243-257. slides: Arab-Israeli conflict 3 30 Apr, 2 May Internal War Ted Robert Gurr, Why Men Rebel (Princeton University Press, 1970), chap. 2. (D2L) Stuart J. Kaufman, “Symbolic Politics or Rational Choice? Testing Theories of Extreme Ethnic Violence.” International Security 30 (Spring 2006): 45-86. Kelly M. Greenhill and Paul Staniland, “Ten Ways to Lose at Counterinsurgency.” Civil Wars 9 (December 2007): 402-419. 4 May MIDTERM EXAM 7 May Guest speaker: Yong-Sup Han, “Resolving the North Korea Nuclear Crisis” 9-11 May Post-Cold War Conflict Mary Kaldor, New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era (Stanford University Press, 1999), chaps. 4-5. (D2L) John Mueller, “The Banality of ‘Ethnic War’.” International Security 25 (Summer 2000): 42-70. slides: internal war 14-18 May Covert War Douglas Little, “Mission Impossible: The CIA and the Cult of Covert Action in the Middle East.” Diplomatic History 28 (November 2004): 663-701. Alexander B. Downes and Mary Lauren Lilley, “Overt Peace, Covert War? Covert Intervention and the Democratic Peace.” Security Studies 19 (May 2010): 266-306. Jennifer D. Kibbe, “The Rise of the Shadow Warriors.” Foreign Affairs 83 (March-April 2004): 102-115. 21-25 May Global War on Terror Max Abrahms, “What Terrorists Really Want: Terrorist Motives and Counterterrorism Strategy.” International Security 32 (Spring 2008): 78-105. Maria Ryan, “‘War in Countries We Are Not at War With’: The ‘War on Terror’ on the Periphery from Bush to Obama.” International Politics 48 (March 2011): 364-389. (D2L) John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart, “The Terrorism Delusion: America’s Overwrought Response to September 11.” International Security 37 (Summer 2012): 81-110. slides: war on terror 30 May, 1 Jun Law of War James Turner Johnson, Morality and Contemporary Warfare (Yale University Press, 1999), 4 introduction, chaps. 1-2. (D2L) David Kinsella, “Principles Under Pressure: Just War Doctrine and American Anti-Terror Strategy After 9/11.” In Harvey Starr, ed., Unifying Theory, Method, and Policy in International Politics: Crossing Boundaries (Palgrave, 2006), pp. 259-277. (D2L) 4-8 Jun Future of War Michael Carl Haas and Sophie-Charlotte Fischer, “The Evolution of Targeted Killing Practices: Autonomous Weapons, Future Conflict, and the International order.” Contemporary Security Policy 38 (August 2017): 281-306. Erik Gartzke and Jon R. Lindsay, “Thermonuclear Cyberwar.” Journal of Cybersecurity 3 (February 2017): 37-48. 14 Jun (Thu) FINAL EXAM, 12:30-2:20 This syllabus is available online at web.pdx.edu/~kinsella/ps343s18.pdf and course materials can be linked from there. Last updated on 23 May 2018. 5 .