Sec Coop: Strat, Conseq, Dilem

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Security Cooperation: Strategy, Consequences, and Dilemmas States rarely provide for their security alone. They form alliances, fight in coalitions, arm and train other militaries, work through proxies, and even cooperate with rivals to manage shared threats. This course examines the strategies states use to build security together, the consequences, and the dilemmas that arise when they do so. We will examine when and why states pursue different forms of security cooperation, how they use these efforts to enhance military power and advance strategic goals, and what makes cooperation difficult. We will then turn to the consequences of these efforts. Under what conditions does security cooperation achieve its intended goals—such as combat effectiveness, arms control, and deterrence—and when does it produce unintended consequences such as conflict escalation, political instability, or human rights abuses? Topics cover many facets of security cooperation including alliances, proxy warfare, arms transfers and arms control, and cooperation in emerging domains. Throughout, we will approach these issues from multiple theoretical and empirical perspectives, paying particular attention to the trade-offs and dilemmas inherent in security cooperation.