Academics

Top scholars challenge conventional national security wisdom

In an effort to offer novel solutions to some of the most pressing global security challenges facing U.S. policy makers, the most recent issue of the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs features articles from scholars known for their willingness to defy conventional approaches. “Essays from Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett, P.J. Crowley, Anne-Marie Slaughter and other distinguished scholars challenge the standard policy talking points and propose unorthodox solutions to the security threats facing the world today and in the future,” said Amy Gaudion, executive editor and Penn State Law professor.

The issue is based on a year-long lecture series and comprised of essays advocating a new approach to engaging Iran, exploring the intersection of national security policy and the growing cyber sphere, and examining the increasing use of private-public partnerships to accomplish foreign policy objectives. Matthew Peetz ’13, the journal’s editor-in-chief, said the ideas discussed in the issue “have the power to change the usual paradigms and practices of our national security leaders.” He cited as an example Crowley’s article, “The Rise and the Decline of Secrecy in the Age of Global and Social Media,” which argues that in the face of Twitter and other social media, governments need to communicate more transparently and effectively to ensure their policies and actions are viewed as credible and legitimate.

“It has been tremendously exciting to work with leading thinkers and scholars who are considering how the U.S. and the world will move forward in the face of a radically changing national security landscape,” Peetz said. He added that the journal’s annual symposium, "The U.S./Iranian Relationship and the Future International Order," will be held Feb. 15.

The Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs is an interdisciplinary, open access journal, jointly published online by Penn State Law and Penn State’s School of International Affairs.

Journal Articles

"The Balance of Power, Public Goods and the Lost Art of Grand Strategy: American Policy Toward the Persian Gulf and Rising Asia in the 21st Century" by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett

"The Rise of Transparency and the Decline of Secrecy in the Age of Global and Social Media" by P.J. Crowley

"The Growing Dark Side of Cyberspace ( . . . and What To Do About It)" by Ronald Deibert

"International Order after the Financial Crisis" by Harold James

"Remarks, The Big Picture: Beyond Hot Spots & Crises in Our Interconnected World" by Anne-Marie Slaughter

"Remarks on Counterstrike" by Eric Schmitt

"The Full Story of United States v. Smith, America’s Most Important Piracy Case"
by Joel H. Samuels

"International Activity and Domestic Law" by Adam I. Muchmore

An unmanned military aircraft. Credit: Stock PhotoAll Rights Reserved.

Last Updated March 8, 2021

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