Liberal Democracies and Their Faulty Response to Terrorism
Both the American and French governments have responded to terrorist attacks in ways that threaten liberal democratic society.
Constructing a Narrative: Ontological Security in the Scottish Nation (State)
This autoethnographic essay explores how myth-making in the Scottish education curriculum contributes to a rise in Scottish identity of young people.
Racism and the Politics of Fear at the US-Mexico Border
Security discourse that constructs migrants as existential threats to the American national identity reinforces racism, abuse of power, and the politics of fear.
The Importance of Language in Transatlantic Relations: The INF Treaty
Language was crucial both in the making of the INF Treaty in 1987, and in the Treaty’s unmaking in 2019.
Are We Entering an “Asian Century?”: The Possibility of a New International Order
Both Asia’s internal political problems and America’s structural advantages prevent the “Asian Century” from becoming a political reality.
The Protection Paradox: Why Security’s Focus on the State Is Not Enough
Feminist security studies explore the need to reconceptualize security away from its realist origins and towards a more individual-focused discipline.
The Barriers and Weaknesses of Kofi Annan’s Mediation Efforts in Syria
Despite the failure of the former UN Secretary-General’s efforts in Syria, his work acts as a timeless basis for understanding how mediation efforts can fail.
Private Military Companies and Sacrifice: Reshaping State Sovereignty
The use of private military companies by states fundamentally alters a crucial tenant of sovereign power during war with regard to national sacrifice.
Liberal Peace and Its Crisis: The Revival of Authoritarianism
Only a renewed commitment to liberal peace can prevent authoritarian states from enforcing a new paradigm of illiberal peace.
ISIS, Radicalization and the Gendered Online Jihad
Female foreign recruits to ISIS are an important, though often-ignored, part of the organization. All ISIS recruits contribute to state-building in gendered ways.
