Security

FOUNDATIONS OF SECURITY

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE GREATEST THREAT FACING THE U.S.?

  • Potential Threats:

    • China

    • Russia

    • North Korea

    • Iran

    • Domestic politics/domestic threats

WHAT IS SECURITY?

  • Definition of Security:

    • Security is considered the central purpose of the state.

    • Nation-states provide security in exchange for resource extraction.

    • Protection-taxation bargain:

    • Protection from one another.

    • Protection from external threats.

    • The United States spends approximately $700 billion on defense each year.

    • Concerns of security often relate to the protection of a state’s core values.

  • Walter Lippmann's View:

    • A state is secure to the degree that it does not face threats that require sacrificing its core values.

    • Core values can be maintained by:

    • Avoiding war.

    • Achieving victory in war.

HOW MUCH SECURITY?

  • Conceptual Dichotomy of Security:

    • Is security dichotomous? (secure/not secure)

    • Is security continuous? (more secure/less secure)

  • Implications:

    • Different conceptualizations of security have significant implications for international politics.

GUNS VS. BUTTER

  • Understanding Security Cost:

    • Security provision is an effort aimed at maintaining the status quo.

    • Provision of security incurs costs that can affect other expenditures:

    • Costs of security are context-dependent among states.

    • Different examples include the United States, Poland, China, and others.

SECURITY-POWER NEXUS

  • Relationship between Security and Power:

    • Acquisition of power can be a means to foster security.

    • Different Types of Power:

    • Military power can provide deterrence and defense from attack, and help exert influence.

    • Economic power can provide deterrence and foster resources for military acquisition.

    • Diplomatic power is essential for influencing others, obtaining crucial information, and garnering support.

  • Key Distinction:

    • Power and security are not equivalent.

HOW POWER CAN UNDERMINE SECURITY

  • Challenges in International Relations:

    • Intentions are often misunderstood between states.

    • Information is frequently limited.

    • States have incentives to misrepresent their true intentions and capabilities.

    • Difficult to differentiate between:

    • Power of Resistance vs. Power of Aggression.

    • Ambiguity exists regarding defensive and offensive weapons.

SECURITY, POWER, AND THE SECURITY DILEMMA

  • Dynamics:

    • When State A enhances its military power to secure itself, it may inadvertently threaten other states.

    • This perceived threat can lead to an arms increase by other states, further diminishing State A's security.

SOME TOOLS FOR SECURITY

  • Capabilities Include:

    • Military capacity

    • Economic power

    • Diplomatic influence

    • Alliances

    • Intelligence

BROADENING THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF SECURITY

  • Critical Perspectives on Security:

    • The realist paradigm offers a view of insecurity; what if this is instead caused by societal forces?

    • Research by Hudson et al. suggests that the treatment of women influences state security.

WOMEN & SECURITY

  • Core Argument:

    • Gender roles reflect how societies manage differences and manifest power dynamics.

    • Patriarchal systems can legitimize violence against women as a means to uphold existing power structures.

    • Violence against women can correlate with broader societal violence and militarism in resolving conflicts.

  • Implications:

    • Societies exhibiting high domestic violence are likely to extend such conflict resolution methods externally.

WOMEN, SECURITY, AND DEMOCRACY

  • Democracy's Role:

    • Democracy can lead to diminished violence against women.

    • As democracies flourish, there tends to be a shift from patriarchal dominance, allowing women greater participation in governance.

    • Democracies typically behave differently on the international stage, showcasing a phenomenon known as democratic peace.

AMERICANS' PERCEPTIONS OF THREATS (2025)

  • Threat Concerns:

    • Artificial Intelligence

    • Nuclear war

    • Severe pandemics

    • Climate change

    • Asteroid/comet impacts

  • RAND American Life Panel Survey:

    • Harms from AI: 56% (somewhat or very concerned).

    • Nuclear War: 49% (very concerned).

    • Severe Pandemics: 49%.

    • Climate Change: 39%.

HAVE WE BEEN THINKING ABOUT SECURITY TOO NARROWLY?

  • Potential Broader Threats Beyond Foreign States:

    • Terrorism

    • Disease

    • Environmental threats

  • Human Security:

    • Concept suggesting broader definitions of threats to core values beyond state-centric views.

HUMAN SECURITY

  • Definition and Focus:

    • Emphasizes individual life security as the primary goal of state security policy.

    • Human interests take precedence over state interests in defining security.

  • Vulnerabilities:

    • Human security faces risks from:

    • State actions

    • Economic turmoil

    • Natural disasters

    • Non-state actors

    • Diseases

ELEMENTS OF HUMAN SECURITY (UN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 1994)

  • Chronic Threats:

    • Hunger, homelessness, disease, repression.

  • Acute Threats:

    • War, terrorism, economic turmoil, and other sudden risks to individual safety and wellbeing.

ELEMENTS OF HUMAN SECURITY

  • Key Categories:

    • Economic security

    • Food security

    • Health security

    • Environmental security

    • Personal security

    • Community security

    • Political security

  • Reference: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

SECURITY, THE STATE, AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

  • COVID-19 Impact:

    • Killed 1.16 million Americans and hospitalized 6.62 million Americans.

    • Resulted in significant economic disruption, with millions losing jobs and critical industries being affected.

  • Social Disruptions:

    • Prolonged school closures and cancellations of large-scale events, isolating vulnerable populations.

DISEASE AND REALIST VIEWS OF SECURITY

  • Challenges Presented by COVID-19:

    • The pandemic diminished the traditional ability to respond to security threats.

    • Early outbreaks affected at least 26 U.S. Navy vessels, highlighting readiness degradation.

A PANDEMIC AS A DISTINCT SECURITY THREAT

  • Characteristics of Pandemics:

    • Creates informational problems and challenges in international diplomacy without a central negotiating adversary.

    • Requires comprehensive responses that are multifaceted across domains.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF SECURITY

  • Key Considerations:

    • Unilateral vs. multilateral responses

    • Domestic governance implications

    • Cooperation and competition effects

    • Response timelines and efficacy

TAKE-AWAYS

  • Key Insights on Security:

    • Security is a multidimensional concept impacting various aspects of human life.

    • Security challenges often yield cross-cutting effects that transcend simplistic categorizations.

    • Policy responses can lead to unintended consequences.

    • Power, while crucial for fostering security, is itself a complex and multifaceted entity.