Political Geography 4712, terms and concepts for week 16

O’Loughlin “The political geography of CONFLICT”

Preponderance of civil war (compared to interstate war) in number and devastation

2 developments and 1 corollary

Role of 6 factors in causing civil war (ethnicity, poverty, natural resources, physical geography/terrain, democracy, religion/Islam)

Trend lines for conflict in OECD and nonOECD countries

Geographic concentrations of conflict 1946-2001

US military spending trends (compared to other countries)

The Jacksonian tradition in US foreign policy

Kagan’s “Hobbesian and Kantian” model for the US and Europe

“Risk-transfer war”

Discussion questions (written responses will not be collected)

Is the US an “empire”? If yes, by design, invitation, accident or largesse?

Do O’Loughlin’s criticisms of US action go too far?