Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
-International Security
Volume 41, No. 4 – International Security is America’s leading journal of security affairs. IS was ranked first in impact factor for 2014 among 85 journals of international relations in the annual “Journal Citation Reports”® released by Thomson Reuters. International Security’s 2014 Impact Factor is the highest of any international relations journals.
The New Era of Counterforce: Technological Change and the Future of Nuclear Deterrence
Keir A. Lieber and Daryl G. Press
Nuclear deterrence has long depended on nuclear arsenals’ ability to survive an adversary’s first strike. Technological advances, however, are undermining deterrence by eroding arsenals’ survivability. Thus, the United States should enhance its counterforce capabilities and avoid reducing its nuclear forces.
Would China Go Nuclear? Assessing the Risk of Chinese Nuclear Escalation in a Conventional War with the United States
Caitlin Talmadge
Would China escalate to nuclear use in a conventional war with the United States? It might if it believed that U.S. conventional attacks threatened the survivability of Chinese nuclear forces or that a U.S. counterforce attack was imminent. The United States will face difficult trade-offs in managing escalation risks.
Bullets for Ballots: Electoral Participation Provisions and Enduring Peace after Civil Conflict
Aila M. Matanock
Which peace agreements are most likely to prevent civil conflicts from recurring? Agreements mandating that both rebels and government participate in elections have a greater chance of succeeding, because such elections attract monitoring by international organizations that can enforce agreements.
The Illusion of International Prestige
Jonathan Mercer
The conventional wisdom that prestige enhances states’ authority is wrong. Policymakers rely on their feelings about their state to evaluate its prestige rather than analyzing other states’ views, and they discount other states’ prestige. States should thus avoid costly pursuits of prestige.
Ethnic Cleansing and Its Alternatives in Wartime: A Comparison of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires
H. Zeynep Bulutgil
When do states carry out mass violence against minority ethnic groups collaborating with adversaries during wartime? Comparing the policies of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires during World War I shows that states with influential political organizations reflecting non-ethnic identities are less likely to pursue mass killings.
For more information on this publication:
Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation:
"International Security." Belfer Center Newsletter, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School (Summer 2017).
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Volume 41, No. 4 – International Security is America’s leading journal of security affairs. IS was ranked first in impact factor for 2014 among 85 journals of international relations in the annual “Journal Citation Reports”® released by Thomson Reuters. International Security’s 2014 Impact Factor is the highest of any international relations journals.
The New Era of Counterforce: Technological Change and the Future of Nuclear Deterrence
Keir A. Lieber and Daryl G. Press
Nuclear deterrence has long depended on nuclear arsenals’ ability to survive an adversary’s first strike. Technological advances, however, are undermining deterrence by eroding arsenals’ survivability. Thus, the United States should enhance its counterforce capabilities and avoid reducing its nuclear forces.
Would China Go Nuclear? Assessing the Risk of Chinese Nuclear Escalation in a Conventional War with the United States
Caitlin Talmadge
Would China escalate to nuclear use in a conventional war with the United States? It might if it believed that U.S. conventional attacks threatened the survivability of Chinese nuclear forces or that a U.S. counterforce attack was imminent. The United States will face difficult trade-offs in managing escalation risks.
Bullets for Ballots: Electoral Participation Provisions and Enduring Peace after Civil Conflict
Aila M. Matanock
Which peace agreements are most likely to prevent civil conflicts from recurring? Agreements mandating that both rebels and government participate in elections have a greater chance of succeeding, because such elections attract monitoring by international organizations that can enforce agreements.
The Illusion of International Prestige
Jonathan Mercer
The conventional wisdom that prestige enhances states’ authority is wrong. Policymakers rely on their feelings about their state to evaluate its prestige rather than analyzing other states’ views, and they discount other states’ prestige. States should thus avoid costly pursuits of prestige.
Ethnic Cleansing and Its Alternatives in Wartime: A Comparison of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires
H. Zeynep Bulutgil
When do states carry out mass violence against minority ethnic groups collaborating with adversaries during wartime? Comparing the policies of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires during World War I shows that states with influential political organizations reflecting non-ethnic identities are less likely to pursue mass killings.
"International Security." Belfer Center Newsletter, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School (Summer 2017).
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Analysis & Opinions - The Washington Post
U.S. Elections are a Mess, Even Though There's No Evidence This One Was Hacked
Magazine Article - The Atlantic
The Thucydides Trap: Are the U.S. and China Headed for War?
Analysis & Opinions - Agence Global
Deterrence Works, but Only until War Recurs
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Report - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Arctic Climate Science: A Way Forward for Cooperation through the Arctic Council and Beyond
Paper - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
Attacking Artificial Intelligence: AI’s Security Vulnerability and What Policymakers Can Do About It