Author: Changwook Ju
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“You Can’t Hack a Piece of Paper”: Jake Braun Talks U.S. Election Security
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The 2016 hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) provided an urgent and long-overdue wake-up call: U.S. balloting systems are not secure. In the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections and the 2020 presidential race, election security and cyber hygiene have never been more controversial—nor more important. The revelation that…
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In Their Own Words: North Korea’s Changing Motives in Nuclear Testing
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North Korea conducted three nuclear tests between 2006 and 2013, but this rate has intensified to three tests in the past two years alone. This threat of unchecked nuclear escalation has led to an all-time low in U.S.–North Korea relations and turned East Asia into a potential flashpoint. North Korea’s…
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Creating Safe Cyberspace: Strategies for Deterring Cyberattacks
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Thousands, perhaps even millions, of successful cyberattacks occur each year across governmental and commercial sectors in the U.S., and attempts at cyber infiltration and hacking recorded by state and local governments often exceed a million cases each day. A growing reliance on the Internet creates a greater level of cyber…
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‘All Countries Have a Stake’: Dr. Kennette Benedict Talks Nuclear Security and Global Responsibility
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People and nations worldwide cannot be assured of their safety as long as nuclear warheads remain ready for launch. How do we address the unspeakable dangers of nuclear war in today’s political climate? Dr. Kennette Benedict speaks about current and future nuclear security considerations in light of global responsibility and…
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Protecting Their Own? The Real Reasons States Build Border Walls
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Why do some nations build walls along their borders? In some cases, such walls are defensive structures aimed at blunting potential military incursions from a hostile neighbor, which was true for the Maginot Line between France and Germany, as well as for the Great Wall of China. However, many of…
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Advancing the Study of Nuclear (Non)proliferation
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Clichés such as “good research reflects reality” notwithstanding, academics often find that they must sacrifice pragmatic concerns in favor of analytical convenience when conducting research. As a result, many studies attempt to mimic real-world situations using normative frameworks and analytical tools. Crafted in response to emerging global nuclear threats, contemporary…
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The Future of US Foreign Policy: An End to Liberal Internationalism?
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Liberal internationalism, despite what the phrase may imply, does not favor the views of Democrats over Republicans. Instead, liberal internationalism features bipartisan values—including freedom, democracy, an open global economy, and respect for human rights. Defined by international engagement, it promotes liberal states’ engagement with other states’ affairs and wider global…
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Why Do Former Rivals Form Non-Aggression Pacts?
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Non-aggression pacts, designed to reduce the possibility of future conflict, are distinctive from other military alliances because they do not necessitate active coordination between signatories. However, what they do have in common with other types of alliances is that they allow for the involvement of third parties. Besides recognizing mutual…
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Intermestic Dynamics of Power Transitions in Dictatorships
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In the face of domestic opposition, a dictator accountable for human rights violations is unlikely to relinquish power due to fears of domestic punishment and international prosecution. What if the domestic opposition has also caused unspeakable civilian casualties? This would present an opportunity for strategic adjustments to a dictator’s decision…
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Nuclear Dynamics and Conflicting Effects of Foreign Policy Initiatives
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The nuclear threat to the United States from Iraq, North Korea, and Syria is of recent vintage. During the last several decades, the U.S. has undertaken negotiations, as well as made preemptive strikes, to thwart these countries’ efforts to possess nuclear weapons with mixed results. Why does the U.S. tolerate…
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What Makes Military Dictators Transition Out of Dictatorships?
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Frequent leadership cycles are common in dictatorships. Historically, military dictators, whose power is derived from the armed forces, have been subject to more subsequent coups and regime changes than their non-military counterparts. Given their short-lived tenure, military dictators always have to gauge their fate based on the premise of losing…