To compete and thrive in the 21st century, democracies, and the United States in particular, must develop new national security and economic strategies that address the geopolitics of information. In the 20th century, market capitalist democracies geared infrastructure, energy, trade, and even social policy to protect and advance that era’s key source of power—manufacturing. In this century, democracies must better account for information geopolitics across all dimensions of domestic policy and national strategy.
This seminar examines how domestic nuclear markets shape how states seek to acquire nuclear weapons. While scholars have studied the demand and supply drivers of nuclear proliferation extensively, little is known about how these two factors influence the behavior of states pursuing nuclear weapons. Understanding how states come to pursue different nuclear acquisition strategies can shed light on several important issues. What determines how much states are willing to invest in their efforts to acquire nuclear weapons? How do state elites navigate opportunities and constraints in their efforts to acquire such weapons? Why do many states opt for seemingly suboptimal acquisition strategies? Under what conditions do "rogue nuclear capitalists," such as A.Q. Khan, emerge as competing suppliers?
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.
Co-sponsored by Project on Managing the Atom