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On The Brink: The Impact Of Nuclear Weapons On Conflict Behavior Between States, Georgia Wood

CMC Senior Theses

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of nuclear weapons on conflict behavior between states. Using the Soviet Union and China engaging in conflict with the United States from 1950 to 1965 as case studies, this paper provides support for the theory that nuclear weapons do impact conflict behavior. It was found that newer nuclear states will rely on bold brinkmanship strategies while older nuclear states will rely on deterrence. Non-nuclear states will use avoidance and deterrence when engaging in conflict with a nuclear power.

Keywords: nuclear weapons, deterrence, brinkmanship, conflict, conflict behavior

Deterring Nuclear Attacks On Japan: An Examination Of The U.S.-Japan Relationship And Nuclear Modernization, Alyssa M. Minamide

CMC Senior Theses

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal in covering security commitments with its foreign allies, particularly Japan. The U.S. has promised to defend allies all over the world with nuclear forces, and consequently has been forced into a delicate and precarious position. President Barack Obama wants to reach nuclear zero, which would make the world safe from nuclear destruction in the future; yet he also wants to provide security for allied nations in the present, using the
very weapons he has marked for destruction. And he is facing an aging Cold War-era nuclear arsenal that needs …

A Philosophical Analysis Of California Determinate Sentencing, Three Strikes, And Realignment, Madeline Stein

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between philosophy and policy in the context of three California policies, Determinate Sentencing, Three Strikes, and Realignment. The philosophy portion includes theories of retribution, deterrence, and rehabilitation, focusing on the tensions and conflicts within them.