Midterm 2 Readings

Question 1

Russett Reading

Answer 1

Game theory lays out all the possible outcomes and uses backward induction to determine which actions lead to which outcomes and how to get the favorable outcome

Question 2

Fearon Reading

Answer 2

War happens to rational actors because of (1) private information and incentives to misrepresent that information (2) the suspected inability of some states to commit to upholding a deal

Question 3

Waltz

Answer 3

Iran should get the bomb because it will bring stability to the Middle East as it will counter Israel

Question 4

Kahl

Answer 4

Iran should not get the bomb because of the stability-instability paradox: the supposed stability created by mutually assured destruction with nukes generates greater instability by making provocations, conflicts, and disputes below the nuclear threshold seem safe

Question 5

Layne

Answer 5

Democratic peace is a myth: there is nothing liberal that keeps democracies from going to war with each other, instead all 4 examples where democracies came to the brink of war and did not bite were because of realist reasons

Question 6

Barnett and Fang

Answer 6

UN Peacekeeping needs to focus on bargaining, not acting superior, and being accountable

Question 7

Spiegel

Answer 7

UN undertakes observer missions, peacekeeping missions and peace enforcement missions: but often they encounter issues where the problem is deeper

Question 8

Price

Answer 8

The UN is worth the money spent on it, undemocratic countries may have too much power, the security council should definitely have democracies on it