POLS 478 (33509 Undergrad, 33510 Grad)                         

Dr. Brandon Valeriano

University of Illinois at Chicago                                            

Causes of War: The Steps In and Out of War

The goal of this course will be to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the literature in the area of conflict studies research, specifically the causes of war branch of scholarship.  The focus will be mainly on the causes of interstate warfare as studied from the quantitative perspective.  We will also study the steps out of war.  This is an advanced course that integrates graduate and undergraduate students. 

Required Books:

1.      Diehl, P. and Goertz, G, War and Peace in International Rivalry, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. (ISBN: 0472088483)

2.      Michael Colaresi, Karen Rasler, and William R. Thompson, Strategic Rivalries in World Politics: Position, Space and Conflict Escalation, Cambridge University Press, (ISBN-10: 0521707617)

3.      Chenoworth, Erica and Maria Stephen, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Non-violent Conflict, Columbia University Press, (ISBN 0231156820)

4.      Vasquez, John, War Puzzle Revisited, Cambridge University Press, (ISBN 0521708230)

5.      Gibler, Douglas, The Territorial Peace: Borders, State Development, and International Conflict, Cambridge University Press.

6.      Rosen, Stephen Peter, War and Human Nature, Princeton University Press, (ISBN: 0691130566)

Assignments and Schedule:

Aug 25

Session 1

Introductions and Syllabus

Scientific Method, Research Programs, and Progress

Sept 1

Session 2

What is War?

Power Politics

Read: Vasquez, War Puzzle Revisited, Ch 1-3

Sept 8

Session 3

Realism, Issue Conflict, and Framing Questions

Read: Vasquez, War Puzzle Revisited, Ch 5-7, Appendix I

Sept 15

Session 4

Territoriality

Read: Vasquez, War Puzzle Revisited, Ch 4, 10

Read: Vasquez, John A. and Brandon Valeriano.  2009.  “Territory as a Source of Conflict and a Road to Peace” in Sage Handbook on Conflict Resolution edited by Jacob Bercovitch, Victor Kremenyuk, and I. William Zartman, pgs. 193-209. (Online) 

Sept 22

Session 5

Alliances and Arms Races

Read:

• Gibler – Alliances (Online) 
• Sample - Arms Races
• Vasquez Chapter 11

Sept 29

Rivalry: Diehl and Goertz Method

Read: Diehl and Goertz Pages 1-162, Skim Rest of Book

Oct 6

Rivalry: Thompson Method

Read: Colaresi, Rasler, Thompson: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Oct 13

Peace Science Meeting, No Class

Research Plans Due by Email!

Oct 20

Session 8

Causes of Rivalry/Hardliners versus Accommodationists

• Valeriano, Brandon.  “Becoming Rivals: The Process of Rivalry Development” (Online)
• Valeriano, Brandon and Victor Marin.  "Casual Pathways to Interstate War"
• Vasquez, Chapter 6

Norms and Concerts

Read:

• Wallensteen, P. (1984). "Universalism vs. Particularism: On the Limits of Major Power Order." Journal of Peace Research 21(3): 243-57.  (Online) 
• Finnemore and Sikkink.  (1998)  International Norm Dynamics and Political Change.  International Organization (Online) 
• Rosecrance, Richard. (1992). “A New Concert of Powers” Spring, Foreign Affairs  (Online) 
• Valeriano and Leskiw. “Concerts of Action: IGOs and Peace” (Online) 

Oct 27

Session 9

Classification Systems

Read:

• Vasquez, John A. and Brandon Valeriano. 2010.  “Classification of Interstate War” Journal of Politics, (Online)
• Valeriano, Brandon and John A. Vasquez. 2010. “Identifying and Classifying Complex Interstate Wars.” International Studies Quarterly, (Online) 
• Whatever we did not cover from the prior week

Nov 3

Session 10

Summarizing the Steps to War

Read: Vasquez, War Puzzle Revisited, Ch 9, review 10 and11, Appendix II

Nov 10

Session 11

Nonviolence as a Step out of War

Read:

Read: Vasquez, War Puzzle Revisited, Ch 8

·         Chenoweth and Stephen, Parts I and III, Only Chapter 6-7 from Part II

• Mueller, John (2009). “War Has Almost Ceased to Exist: An Assessment.” Political Science Quarterly.  124(2): 297-321 (Online) 

Nov 17

Session 12

Democracy, Conflict, and the Settlement of Borders

Read: Gibler book, all (Online)

Nov 23

No Class, Thanksgiving

Dec 1

Session 13

War and Biology: First Image Revisited

Read: Rosen book, all