International Security - Journal Highlights

Vol. 44 No. 2 Fall 2019

Following are brief summaries of articles in the current issue of the journal International Security. 

China in a World of Orders: Rethinking Compliance and Challenge in Beijing’s International Relations

Alastair Iain Johnston

Rather than debating whether China is challenging a single, U.S.-dominated liberal order, scholars and analysts should consider China’s actions in relation to multiple orders in different domains, where China is supportive of some, unsupportive of others, and partially supportive of still others.

Dangerous Confidence? Chinese Views on Nuclear Escalation

Fiona Cunningham and M. Taylor Fravel

Maintaining the liberal international order is central in the debate over U.S. security and foreign policy. Much of what the liberal order purports to explain, however, can be explained by other theories. Analyzing issues through a grandstrategic lens would provide broader options for achieving U.S. interests.

Home, Again: Refugee Return and Post-Conflict Violence in Burundi

Stephanie Schwartz

In post-conflict societies, divisions can emerge between returnee and nonmigrant groups, which can in turn lead to violence and destabilization when government institutions favor one group over another.

The Domestic Politics of Nuclear Choices— A Review Essay

Elizabeth N. Saunders

Domestic politics play a significant role in nuclear decisionmaking under two conditions: when uncertainty over the nature and intensity of a threat is high, and when leaders are incentivized to centralize nuclear policymaking.

The journal International Security  is edited at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center and published quarterly by the MIT Press. Questions may be directed to IS@hks.harvard.edu. Follow us on Twitter @journal_is

Compiled by International Security staff