Political Research Seminar (395-0-20)

Topic

Secrecy in International Relations

Instructors

Isabella Bellezza
2001 Sheridan Road, 3215
Office Hours: By appointment only

Meeting Info

2001 Sheridan GPC 1125: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

This course introduces students to the hidden side of international politics. How do states acquire and protect national security secrets? What kinds of activities do governments undertake in secret in pursuit of the national interest, from covert action to back-channel diplomacy? How is secret information strategically used to influence allies and adversaries, manage escalation, and mobilize public opinion? Why is cooperating in secret and sharing secrets so hard, and under what conditions do states manage to do it anyway? Why do even the most powerful intelligence systems sometimes fail to anticipate strategic surprises? Are secrecy and democracy inherently incompatible, and how do states attempt to manage the tensions between them? Does state secrecy have a future in an era of commercial satellites, open-source intelligence actors, and digital transparency? We will investigate these questions, and more, from a range theoretical perspectives. Students will also write an orginal research paper that draws on declassifcied primary materials. The class meets twice per week. The first session will be devoted to a lecture and discussion of assigned readings. The second session will advance progress on the research paper.

Evaluation Method

Students are evaluated through short reading assessments and scaffolded assignments designed to build toward a final research paper and presentation.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression