Tech Alliances Indo-Pacific

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

The purpose of this course is for students to gain a richer understanding of two critical variables in international politics—technology and alliances—that can shape the global balance of power and deterrence. The course will have a special focus on the Quad, which sits at the intersection of the two concepts. These concepts are often studied independently but this course aims to examine the intersection of the two. Because both concepts have become central to how the United States thinks about its great power competition, particularly with China, they have been invoked by the last two US Presidential administration’s as key sources of American strength, power, and comparative advantage. However, neither of these concepts are cost-free. Alliances involve policy tradeoffs between augmented capability and sovereignty. Technology innovation development involves significant fiscal tradeoffs, and tech collaboration incurs significant risk of diffusion into the wrong hands. Moreover, these tools of alliances and technology could be equally and effectively wielded by competitors like China. The course then seeks to examine the intersection of technology and alliances as a concept, and in practice, particularly in the case of the Quad grouping.