1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910338057403321

Autore

Klinger Janeen M

Titolo

Social science and national security policy : deterrence, coercion, and modernization theories / / by Janeen M. Klinger

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Palgrave Macmillan, , 2019

ISBN

3-030-11251-9

Edizione

[1st ed. 2019.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (259 pages)

Disciplina

300.72

355.03

Soggetti

Politics and war

Political theory

World politics

United States—Politics and government

International relations

Social sciences—Philosophy

Military and Defence Studies

Political Theory

Political History

US Politics

Foreign Policy

Social Theory

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di contenuto

1. Evolution of a Partnership: Social Science and National Security Policy -- 2. The Nature Sciences and Public Policy: Insights from the History and the Philosophy of Science -- 3. The Science of Strategy: Deterrence and Coercion Theory -- 4. A Scientific Approach to Development: Modernization Theory -- 5. Theory Meets Practice: The Case of the Vietnam War.

Sommario/riassunto

This book examines how deterrence, coercion and modernization theory has informed U.S. policy, addressing why former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara’s famous description of the Vietnam War as



the “social scientist’s war” is so accurate. By tracing the evolution of ties between social scientists and the government beginning in World War I and continuing through the Second World War and the early Cold War, the narrative highlights the role of institutions like the RAND Corporation, the Social Science Research Council and MIT’s Center for International Studies that facilitate these ties while providing a home for the development of theory. The author compares and contrasts the ideas of Bernard Brodie, Herman Kahn, Albert Wohlstetter, Thomas Schelling, Gabriel Almond, Lucian Pye and Walt Rostow, among others, and offers a cautionary tale concerning the difficulties and problems encountered when applying social science theory to national security policy. Janeen M. Klinger is Emeritus Professor in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College, USA. She previously taught at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the University of Mary Washington.