What Do We Know about War?

This invaluable text assesses the current research and theory on the causes of both war and peace. In a completely new set of chapters, leading international relations scholars explore the role of territorial disputes, power, alliances, arms races, rivalry, and nuclear weapons in bringing about war; the outcomes and consequences of war; and the factors that promote peace, including democracy, norms, capitalist economies, and stable borders. The third edition includes a new section on emerging trends in research on cyber war, the environment and climate change, leaders, war financing, and trends in interstate conflict. Reviewing fifty years of scientific research, the contributors provide an accessible and up-to-date overview of current knowledge and an agenda for future research.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction Sara McLaughlin Mitchell and John A. Vasquez PART I: FACTORS THAT BRING ABOUT WAR 1 Territory and Contentious Issues Paul R. Hensel and Hein Goemans 2 Dyadic Power Distributions and War Daniel S. Morey and Kelly M. Kadera 3 Deterrence Theory and Alliance Politics Michael R. Kenwick and Roseanne W. McManus 4 Arms Races Susan G. Sample 5 Rivalries and Crisis Bargaining Seden Akcinaroglu and Elizabeth Radziszewski 6 Nuclear Weapons Matthew Fuhrmann 7 Outcomes and Consequences of War Stephen L. Quackenbush PART II: FACTORS THAT PROMOTE PEACE 8 The Liberal Peace Michael Mousseau 9 The Territorial Peace: Current and Future Research Douglas M. Gibler and Steven V. Miller 10 The Peace Puzzle: Understanding Transitions to Peace Andrew P. Owsiak, Paul F. Diehl, and Gary Goertz 11 Conflict Management of Territorial and Maritime Disputes Emilia Justyna Powell and Krista E. Wiegand PART III: EMERGING TRENDS IN INTERSTATE WAR RESEARCH 12 Cyber War Brandon Valeriano, Ryan C. Maness, and Benjamin Jensen 13 The Environment and Conflict: Water Wars Sara McLaughlin Mitchell and Yufan Yang 14 Leaders and War Scott Wolford 15 War Financing and Foreign Debt Rosella Cappella Zielinski and Paul Poast 16 Trends in Interstate Conflict Bear F. Braumoeller PART IV: CONCLUSION 17 Some Brief Observations on the Contemporary Study of War William R. Thompson 18 War and the Orient Express Andrew P. Owsiak and Douglas B. Atkinson 19 What Do We Know about War? Sara McLaughlin Mitchell and John A. Vasquez References Name Index Subject Index About the Contributors

About the Author :
Sara McLaughlin Mitchell is the F. Wendell Miller Professor of Political Science at the University of Iowa. She is the author of five books and more than fifty journal articles and book chapters. Her areas of expertise include international conflict, political methodology, and gender issues in academia. Professor Mitchell is cofounder of the Journeys in World Politics workshop, a mentoring workshop for junior IR women. She received the ISA Quincy Wright Distinguished Scholar Award (2015), a distinguished alumni award from Iowa State University, and she served as president of the Peace Science Society. John A. Vasquez is the Thomas B. Mackie Scholar in International Relations at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His books include The War Puzzle, The Power of Power Politics, The Steps to War (with Paul Senese), Contagion and War: Lessons from the First World War, and What Do We Know About War? (first and second editions). He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the APSA Conflict Processes Section, and he has served as president of the Peace Science Society and the International Studies Association.

Review :
Solving the puzzle of war has dominated the attention of scholars and policy makers alike for decades. The new edition of What Do We Know about War? gauges the knowledge ascertained about the causes of war and the conditions of peace by the scientific community since the publication of the first edition, more than twenty years ago. In addition, it provides insights into new areas of research and concludes with reflections on what we have learned. This book is an essential read for academics, policy makers, and students interested in questions of war and peace. This new volume features an expanded cast of experts who have written entirely original chapters, often about new topics not covered in previous editions in the series. The volume even boasts a new co-editor, Sara McLaughlin Mitchell. She and John Vasquez have done something rather difficult: they have taken an excellent collection and made it even better! What Do We Know About War? is as important for advanced-undergraduate and graduate courses as it is for scholars conducting their own research on war. The third edition of What Do We Know About War? continues in the tradition of previous editions. It is an extremely valuable resource for both students and scholars of international conflict. Each chapter provides an excellent overview of our knowledge and a roadmap of where we should go in the future. It is required reading for both students seeking knowledge and scholars embarking on their own research in international conflict.