Critical State

June 02, 2020

Critical State looks at the power of protest to lead to lasting change. According to new research by Omar Wasow, the power of protests to set agendas is high, it seems, but its power to persuade is limited.

Critical State

It’s time for the US to rethink Huntington’s philosophy: Part II

May 26, 2020

It would no doubt be a bitter irony for Sam Huntington that his main idea on a "clash of civilizations" has been taken up with such gusto by ISIS: The idea of conflict between a single Islamic civilization and a single Western civilization is a key tenet of ISIS thinking.

Critical State

Life after combat: How relationships in wartime continue to shape society

The World

May 19, 2020

In central Mozambique, people have tended not to emphasize political divisions after the country's long civil war ended in 1992. But these divisions manifest through social and cultural associations. Critical State spoke with Nikkie Wiegink, an assistant professor at Utrecht University, about these dynamics in Mozambique.

Critical State

It’s time for the US to rethink Huntington’s philosophy: Part I

The World

May 12, 2020

Critical State's next two editions of Deep Dive examine recent critiques of famed political scientist Samuel Huntington’s work and the role he continues to play in shaping American security policy. Political scientist Risa Brooks takes aim at Huntington's "The Soldier and the State” for the paradoxes that its recommendations cause for members of the military.

Critical State

Analysis: Who joins rebel armies?

The World

December 26, 2019

Trying to figure out who actually does the fighting in civil wars — and why they join — is an ongoing challenge for conflict scholars.

Critical State

Analysis: Is a US-China nuclear conflict likely?

The World

December 12, 2019

When it comes to the nightmare scenario of two nuclear powers becoming embroiled in an escalatory spiral resulting in mutual, increasingly destructive nuclear strikes, the historical record is bare. But, experts are studying what the likelihood that a conventional war between China and the US could escalate into a nuclear war.