Category Archives: nuclear

MACHIAVELLI IN THE IVORY TOWER EP 7: All Options on the Table: Leaders, Preventive War, and Nuclear Proliferation – A Conversation with Rachel Whitlark

In the news, Midd Points, nonproliferation, nuclear, war

In this episode of Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower, hosts Sarah and Hanna speak with Rachel Whitlark, associate professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Their conversation focuses on Professor Whitlark’s 2021 book, All Options on the Table: Leaders, Preventive War, and Nuclear Proliferation, and what it reveals about the influence of leaders’ prior beliefs on their counterproliferation strategies once in office.

They begin with a discussion of the origins of this volume, where it fits within broader IR scholarship and the challenges and rewards of using archival material to understand leaders’ beliefs in retrospect. They then explore the relevance of Professor Whitlark’s central findings to other aspects of nuclear decision-making and contemporary nonproliferation challenges such as Iran’s evolving nuclear program.

At the end of their discussion, they reflect on the utility of scholarship to nuclear policymaking and ways to bridge the gap between the academic and practitioner communities. They conclude with some observations about less obvious but important ways scholars can shape policy, including by educating the next generation of decision-makers.

Watch all episodes in the Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower series

Chapters:

01:24 Introduction
01:49 ch 1. All Options on the Table: Leaders and Counterproliferation
05:54 ch 2. The Leader centric model and the first image
10:32 ch 3. Challenges and rewards of archival research
17:45 ch 4. Continuity and change in leaders’ beliefs
22:57 ch 5. Alternative hypotheses
31:50 ch 6. Iran’s nuclear program
35:20 ch 7. Leaders’ beliefs in other areas of nuclear decision-making
39:48 ch 8. Bridging the gap between scholarship and policy

The episode is also available on Spotify:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-07-all-options-on-the-table-leaders/id1607559445?i=1000613158063

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy83ZmUwOTM0OC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/MjBiMzRjZTItMGY3Mi00MTI1LTk1NTktYTc2NjQwYTdhNzZm?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjgivy7pPr-AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/4d8be813-478b-45b0-ad94-dfc2d1ac04b8/episodes/48dc714e-dfdc-43ff-b453-2e26584288bb/machiavelli-in-the-ivory-tower-episode-07-all-options-on-the-table-leaders-preventive-war-and-nuclear-proliferation—a-conversation-with-rachel-whitlark

Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower Ep 6: The Proliferation Implications of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

For Faculty, For Staff, In the news, Midd Points, MIIS News & Events, nonproliferation, nuclear, Russia, Ukraine, war

In this episode of Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower, hosts Sarah and Hanna speak with Nicholas Miller, associate professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College. Their conversation focuses on the proliferation implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine one year on. With Professor Miller, they examine the evolving discourse around proliferation cascades over time and assess whether concerns about the emergence of such a cascade following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been exaggerated. In so doing, they discuss insights Professor Miller has derived from his work relating to the factors that drive or inhibit proliferation, the degree to which some appear to matter more than others, and the relationship between arms control and nonproliferation regimes. Toward the end of their discussion, they touch upon the concept of “nuclear learning” and speculate about the kinds of lessons policymakers globally might draw from the current crisis. At the conclusion of the conversation, Professor Miller offers his view on the interactions between the scholarly and policy communities, what they can gain from interacting with one another, and techniques and approaches to make these interactions more productive.

Discussion topics:

  • Implications of the war in Ukraine for nonproliferation
  • Should we be concerned about further proliferation in the Middle East?
  • Is the discourse around proliferation “cascades” different now than in the past?
  • Factors that slow proliferation
  • The link between arms control and proliferation
  • Could the demise of arms control empower advocates for nuclear weapons?
  • Concerns about Russia enabling nuclear proliferation
  • Lessons learned
  • Recommendations for bridging the gap between scholars and policymakers

The episode is also available on Spotify:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-06-one-year-on-the-proliferation-implications/id1607559445?i=1000600717078

Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower Episode 5: North Korea’s Nuclear Hinge Points

CNS, conflict, For Faculty, For Staff, Midd Points, MIIS News & Events, North Korea, nuclear, podcast, security

In this episode of Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower, hosts Sarah and Hanna speak with Dr. Siegfried Hecker, former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and current Distinguished Professor of Practice at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS). Their conversation centers on Dr. Hecker’s forthcoming book, Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2023). Dr. Hecker offers insights into the DPRK’s dual-track strategy of diplomacy and nuclear development and highlights missed opportunities when Washington might have been able to channel Pyongyang toward the elimination of nuclear weapons and did not. He shares insights gleaned from his many visits to North Korea and reflects on both the future of US policy toward the DPRK and the importance of facilitating engagement between scientists and diplomats.

Topics discussed include:

  • The DPRK’s dual-track strategy of diplomacy and nuclear development
  • Hinge points: missed opportunities in US policy towards the DPRK
  • Reflecting on the most consequential hinge points
  • Reasons for US policy failures
  • In-person engagement with proliferation-averse actors
  • Why a singular focus on DPRK denuclearization has been problematic
  • What next for US policy on the DPRK?
  • What scientific and policy communities can learn from each other

Episode 5 is also available on Spotify