GOVT 3867

The Causes of War

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2015-2016.

This course surveys leading theories of the causes of interstate war-that is, large-scale organized violence between the armed forces of states. Why is war a recurring feature of international politics? Are democracies more peaceful than other types of states, and if so what explains this "democratic peace?" Why do democratic publics seem to reward threats to use force by "rallying around the flag" in support of their governments? Does the inexorable pattern of the rise and fall of nations lead to cycles of great power wars throughout history? These and other questions will be examined in our survey of theories of war at three levels of analysis: the individual and small groups, domestic politics, and the international system. Topics include (1) theoretical explanations for war; (2) evaluation of the evidence for the various explanations; (3) the impact of nuclear weapons on international politics; (4) ethics and warfare; (5) the uses and limitations of air power.

When Offered Fall.

Distribution Category (SBA-AS)
Course Subfield (IR)

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