INR 4335 Strategic Studies and National Security Report

1. What needs to be done for the literature review paper? 

For the literature review paper, you need to write in the introduction (1) what your chosen case is (i.e., the name of the crisis, names of countries in conflict and their regime types, positions of each state, interest at stake for each side, relative power distribution between the states, alliance dynamics, possession or non-possession of weapons of mass destruction, etc.) and (2) the theory you would like to use for analyzing and suggesting a policy recommendation to resolve the crisis, and then in the main body, you should (3) summarize the scholarly debates on your selected theory. You don’t have to study the crisis itself yet. The literature review assignment is mainly about the theory you want to use.

2. How can I know which case should I choose?

You need to choose one international crisis for this project. Civil war or other domestic security problems that do not involve more than one country (i.e., riots, terrorism by a native organization, etc.) are not international crises. The easiest way to find a crisis is to look at pre-war events (i.e., the First and Second Morrocean Crises before WWI, Rhineland and Sudetenland Crises before WWII, or crises before Falkland War or Iraq War) as, by definition, the crisis involves a high probability of war.

3. How should I select a theory?

After selecting your case, you need to choose one main theory you will turn to the most for making policy recommendations to resolve the crisis. This is the key part of the assignment. How can you know which theory is the best theory for your case? First, think about the actual policy taken in real history. For example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Kennedy administration chose blockade to address the Soviet missile challenge in Cuba. This is a measure of coercive diplomacy that includes both elements of deterrence and compellence, so you can easily tell that the most relevant theory for your chosen case is deterrence or compellence, depending on which aspect of the story you are focusing on. Second, you may also consider the scope condition of the theory. For example, the Balance of Power theory assumes the international system is non-unipolar. Accordingly, it is not a good idea to apply the Balance of Power theory to the 21st Century international crises where the U.S. maintains the unipolar status. But, of course, if you strictly focus on regional crises that do not involve the U.S., it might still be okay to use the theory for the particular case.

4. What should I read? 

The major part of the literature review paper should be about how your selected theory has evolved and what are the key independent variables the theory suggests. These variables will help you to predict the outcome of your policy. You are expected to read all required and recommended readings in the syllabus related to the theory. You might think about using security theories that this course does not discuss, but I strongly recommend you not to do so. Although the course does not talk about all security theories in the IR discipline, it does review the majority of the mainstream theories. Please select a theory among those in the syllabus, and read books/articles in the reading list. 

List of theories to choose from

Middle-range Theory

Classical Balance of Power Theories

Power Transition and Hegemonic Stability Theory

Security Dilemma Theory

Deterrence Theories

Compellence Theories

Format:

• Page size: Letter
• Font: Times New Roman
• Size: 12 points
• Margins: Normal (2.54cm or 1 inch on each margin)
• Line Spacing: 2.0 (double-spaced)
• Page number at the bottom of the page, centered
• Word Limit:
  • Literature Review Paper: 2,000 words (minimum 1,500 words)
  • Final Paper: 4,000 words (minimum 3,000 words)
• Failure to cite any materials used will result in an automatic zero for the assignment. Use the Chicago manual “author-date system.” You should use in-text citations and add a reference page. For a guide to this citation style, visit The Chicago Manual of Style Online(Links to an external site.).
• MS Word (.doc) format or PDF (.pdf) format.

I chose security dilemma theory. Here’s the only sources you can use for security dilemma theory.

Here’s the only sources you can use for security dilemma theory

• Required Reading:
  1. *Jervis, Robert. 1978. “Cooperation under the Security Dilemma.” World Politics 30(2): 167-214. Reprinted in The Use of Force: Military Power and International Politics edited by Robert J. Art and Kelly M. Greenhill, 46-68. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
• Recommended Readings:
  1. Glaser, Charles L., and Chairn 1988. “What Is the Offense-Defense Balance and How Can We Measure It?” International Security 22(4): 44-82.
  2. Glaser, Charles L., 1997. “The Security Dilemma Revisited.” World Politics 50(1): 171-201.
  3. Biddle, Stephen. 2001. “Rebuilding the Foundations of Offense-Defense Theory.” The Journal of Politics. 63(3): 741-774.
  4. Tang, Shiping. 2009. “The Security Dilemma: A Conceptual Analysis.” Security Studies 18(3): 587-623.