Listed in: Political Science, as POSC-348
Eleonora Mattiacci (Section 01)
[G] Nuclear weapons were used only once in conflict, by the U.S. against Japan during World War II. Then, why do countries such as North Korea and Iran decide to spend countless time and resources to acquire nuclear weapons, even at the cost of multiple sanctions and international isolation? And why do countries such as the United States with vastly superior conventional military capabilities vow to stop them with all the means at their disposal? This class will address these fundamental questions surrounding the role of nuclear weapons in international politics. The class will use multiple learning techniques to explore the three fundamental components of this international question. First, the class will delve into the motivations of the states that pursue nuclear weapons and the challenges they face, investigating their standing in the international system, their domestic politics, as well as their history and their aspirations. The class will then explore the reasons why some members of the international community mobilize to stop other countries from acquiring these weapons. Finally, the class will inspect the international negotiations (those that took place during the Cold War and the more recent ones) to halt the spread of nuclear weapons in the international arena: when they fail, when they succeed, and why. The aim of the class is to wrestle with the fundamental contradiction between the efforts of nuclear weapons countries to stop others from acquiring nuclear weapons, and those very same nuclear weapons countries’ refusal to completely give up their own nuclear weapons.
Limited to 25 students. Fall semester. Visiting Professor Mattiacci.
Section 01
W 02:00 PM - 05:00 PM CHAP 201
This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.
| ISBN | Title | Publisher | Author(s) | Comment | Book Store | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: An Enduring Debate | W. W. Norton & Company | Sagan & Waltz | Amherst Books | TBD | ||
| Nuclear Energy: What everyone Needs to Know | Oxford University Press | Charles Ferguson | Amherst Books | TBD |
These books are available locally at Amherst Books.