SISU-105 FA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Power Transition Theory, Democratic Peace Theory, Ethnic Conflict

• School: American University
• Department: SISU - INT'L SERVICE UNDERGRADUATE
• Course: SISU-105 FA3
• Professor: Tuomi

Document Summary

Sisu-105 - lecture note - 2/20 international conflict, terrorism. Major warfare is cyclical (kondratieff"s long economic waves vs. 100-year cycles of creation and decay of world order) Linear long-term change: war becoming less likely due to technology and international norms becoming obsolete as means of leverage. Most difficult types of conflict involve intangibles such as nationalist identity, ethnic hatred, religious hatred, religious fervor, or ideology. Conflicts about material interests are often easier to settle than conflicts of ideas, because of reciprocity principle. Terrorism: political violence that targets civilians deliberately and indiscriminately more willing than states to violate the norms of the international system. Purpose: to demoralize a civilian population in order to use its discontent as leverage on national governments or other parties to a conflict. Persistence despite its mixed record of success. Suicide bombings are inexpensive and guarantee media coverage good at demoralizing population and substantially changing their daily behavior.