POL S 407 INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT
Autumn 2026
T/Th 10:00am-11:20am
Johnson Hall (JHN), Room 102
Course Description
This course examines the problem of war, and consequently of peace, from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. The primary purpose of this course is to introduce students to the systematic study of the causes of interstate war, or large-scale armed conflict between countries. Most disputes usually end peacefully, but sometimes countries resort to military force to try to settle their differences. We will seek to discover what conditions make the outbreak of war between countries more or less likely to occur. The course organizes the causes of war around three main levels of analysis: individual, state, and systemic. After considering each level of analysis and how they might be combined, the final section of the course deals with several special topics, such as the role of nuclear weapons and peacekeeping.
Throughout the course we will pay special attention to evaluating both the logic and evidence supporting various causes of war. Upon completing the course students will not only be acquainted with the main types of explanations for war, but will also be able to evaluate evidence supporting or impugning these explanations. Students should also be able to apply this knowledge to hypothetical or real-world scenarios in order to assess the prospects for peace and conflict in the current and future world order.
Course Requirements
• Midterm Exam
• Written Assignment
• Participation
• Final Exam