International Security and the Causes of War

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to the scientific study of international security with a focus on the causes of war between states, the causes of civil wars, and other forms of violence such as terrorism, piracy, and transnational crime. By surveying the theoretical foundations, historical case studies, correlates, and scholarly findings of why various international conflicts exists, we will investigate the central puzzle of war, that it is costly, but nevertheless recurs. The class is divided into three sections: theoretical explanations, conflict processes, and explaining peace. (GOVT-IR)