The Republic of Korea and Japan are two most important security allies of the United States in East Asia, yet they lack substantial defense cooperation between each other. This thesis looks at the current condition of ...

Since normalization in 1965, bilateral relations between Japan and South Korea have been perennially mired in historical acrimony. However, in December 2015, the South Korean and Japanese Foreign Ministries consummated ...

Why do states sometimes betray their allies and “flip” to a rival state? Great powers compete not only directly, but also for the allegiances of other states. As evidenced by Italy’s betrayal of its Germanic allies during ...

Most militant groups do not act in isolation. They exist in a vast web of partnerships which help them to mobilize resources, learn, and survive. But partnerships can also be costly in terms of time, risk, and autonomy. ...

The Islamic State (IS) is an increasing threat to the Middle East. Their repressive nature and twisted view of the Muslim religion have made them culturally and geopolitically dangerous. As of early 2017, some of the most ...

There is a wide degree of variation in how countries behave with respect to international dispute settlement. This includes the time they wait before initiating a dispute, as well as their actions with the dispute settlement ...

Ethno-sectarian diversity is often cited as a strong indicator, if not a cause, for higher likelihood of civil war. Ethno-sectarian dominance is even more so. Iraq is a case not only of ethno-sectarian diversity. It is a ...

Why has the Abe administration maintained its defense spending at 1 percent of its GDP despite the deteriorating regional security environment, conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s willingness to play an active role ...

Over the past twenty-five years, the United States has moved from optimism to considerable pessimism about its role to do well in the world. Indeed, President George H.W. Bush’s “New World Order” stands unquestionably in ...