Podcast · Tech & Science

The International Security Podcast

by International Security · English · Tech & Science

Leading scholars provide insight on urgent policy debates. Jeff Friedman of Dartmouth College interviews contributors to the premiere peer-reviewed journal of security studies. They offer sophisticated, authoritative analyses of contemporary, theoretical, and historical security issues from the role

New episodes: Now and then
Typical length: 40 min
Latest: 16 Jul 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

16 Jul 2026 · 27 min

11 - The Ideology Trap: China and the Limits of Cold War Analogies

What role do ideological differences play in great power relations? Many frame current U.S.-China ideological competition as analogous to the Cold War. But Eun A Jo and Jessica Chen Weiss argue that there was no single Cold War, and that contemporary China differs in important ways from the Soviet Union. They discuss how ideologies vary on two dimensions: universal vs. particularist content, and expansive vs limited scope of promotion.

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Earlier episodes 27 most recent

S2 · E10 · 29 Apr 2026 · 40 min
10 – Why Populists Love Dead Soldiers and Hate Live Officers
Right-wing populist leaders love soldiers (especially fallen ones) and the trappings of military life. But their love affair with the military rarely endures. Ron Krebs discusses how romanticizing and mythologizing the military solves a political problem for populists: how to mobilize people power without actually granting power to the people.
S2 · E9 · 2 Feb 2026 · 40 min
9 – The Rules-Based International Order
How did the rules-based international order come to be, and is it worth preserving? Liberal internationalists, who want to preserve that order, make claims about how the rules-based order emerged and about the role played by key institutions. Marc Trachtenberg argues that historical evidence does not support these claims. He also suggests that there are viable alternatives to the liberal international order—alternatives based on certain traditional ideas about how foreign policy should be conducted.
S2 · E8 · 10 Oct 2025 · 36 min
8 – Airpower and the Sino-American Contest for Military Primacy in Asia
Nicholas Anderson and Daryl Press argue that the current U.S. approach for operating airpower to defend Taiwan risks catastrophic defeat. They have created a new, unclassified, and transparent model that explores multiple scenarios in a Taiwan conflict. They find that in such a conflict, the United States would likely lose hundreds of aircraft to Chinese strikes on airfields. They also suggest that the U.S. Air Force’s proposed solution to this possibility, the Agile Combat Employment doctrine, would likely fail while raising the risk of escalation. Instead, Anderson and Press’s model…
S2 · E7 · 24 Jun 2025 · 31 min
7 – The Realist Debate over How to Respond to China
Will China make a bid for regional hegemony in East Asia, and can it succeed? In the modern era, only the United States has achieved regional hegemony—all other attempts have met catastrophic failure. China should not pursue hegemony, and the United States should adopt a measured approach to China’s rise, facilitating balancing behavior by the United States’ Asian partners while working with China to create a more stable regional order.
S2 · E6 · 31 Mar 2025 · 38 min
6 – Putin’s Preventive War
Episode Summary: Why did Vladimir Putin decide to invade Ukraine in 2022? Barry Posen argues that Putin’s decision is consistent with the logic of preventive war. Increasing U.S. and NATO military cooperation with Ukraine likely convinced Putin that he did not have much time to forestall Ukraine’s NATO membership, which would shift the balance of power against Russia.
S2 · E5 · 19 Feb 2025 · 39 min
5 – Competing Visions of Restraint
At least since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, some scholars and policymakers have called for retrenching the United States’ global military presence. Miranda Priebe and John Schuessler discuss realist, conservative, and progressive visions of restraint. They draw out the underlying beliefs that draw each group to a grand strategy of restraint and highlight the divisions between and within these groups.
S2 · E4 · 12 Nov 2024 · 24 min
4 – Do Autocrats Need a Foreign Enemy?
Conventional thinking suggests that autocrats need foreign enemies to bolster their regimes’ popularity at home. Russia’s Vladimir Putin is often thought to reap domestic legitimacy from belligerence. But as Adam Lenton and Henry Hale discuss, Putin wins as much popular support when he presents himself as prudent and cooperative rather than as hostile and aggressive. This suggests that Russia’s full-scale 2022 invasion of Ukraine was not driven by domestic political necessity. Indeed, autocrats may try to have it both ways, trying to covertly stoke hostilities while overtly appearing to be…
S2 · E3 · 10 Oct 2024 · 28 min
3 – Fatalism and War
Dominic Tierney discusses his recent article, “The Iron Dice: Fatalism and War.” National leaders often exhibit fatalism, or the belief that events are guided by forces beyond their control. Fatalism can help leaders avoid responsibility for costly outcomes and protect their self-image. Drawing on case studies from World War I and II, Tierney shows how fatalism can be an important cause of war, especially when combined with a perceived window of opportunity. Fatalism is more likely in regard to bad outcomes, when war is seen as imminent, and in nondemocratic regimes.
S2 · E2 · 18 Jun 2024 · 24 min
2 - Clerics, Monarchs, and the Ethnoreligious Cleansing of Western Europe
Şener Aktürk discusses his recent article, “Not So Innocent: Clerics, Monarchs, and the Ethnoreligious Cleansing of Western Europe.” Ethnic cleansing is often seen as a specifically modern phenomenon. But as Akturk explains, the medieval Catholic Church facilitated the ethnoreligious cleansing of Muslim and Jewish communities across Western Europe. Akturk describes the geopolitical conditions that made this possible and his findings’ implications for twentieth- and twenty-first-century ethnic cleansing in places like Cambodia, Iraq, the Soviet Union, and Syria.
S2 · E1 · 20 Mar 2024 · 21 min
1 - A ‘Nuclear Umbrella’ for Ukraine?
In this episode, Matthew Evangelista discusses his recent International Security article, “A ‘Nuclear Umbrella’ for Ukraine? Precedents and Possibilities for Postwar European Security.” How can Ukraine and Europe deter further Russian aggression after the Russo-Ukrainian war ends? The conventional wisdom holds that Ukraine should join NATO to shelter under the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Evangelista challenges this assertion, arguing that nuclear deterrence was never tested during the Cold War. He proposes an alternative way to reestablish European security: a non-offensive, confidence-building…
S1 · E17 · 22 Jun 2021 · 33 min
17-The Little-Known History of Radiological Weapons
In this episode, we examine the rise and demise of radiological weapons programs in the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1940s and 1950s. In particular, we discuss how this underexplored history informs the pursuit of radiological weapons by state actors today. What are radiological weapons and how are they different from nuclear weapons? What factors led to the rise and decline of radiological weapons programs in the United States and the Soviet Union? Are radiological weapons a thing of the past, or do they remain an attractive option for countries today? Listen to find out!
S1 · E16 · 22 Jun 2021 · 37 min
16-Concealing and Revealing Clandestine Military Capabilities
In this episode, we explore when and why states reveal their clandestine military capabilities. Specifically, we discuss the role of the private sector in helping to develop and conceal such capabilities. Under what conditions do states benefit from revealing their clandestine military capabilities? What role does the defense industry play in helping to maintain states’ military secrets? Compared to the Cold War period, is it becoming more or less difficult to safeguard military secrets? Listen to find out!
S1 · E15 · 6 May 2021 · 35 min
15-Technology, Diplomacy, and the North Korean Nuclear Crisis
In this episode, we explore the politics of technology and the North Korean nuclear crisis. In particular, we focus on how lessons from the 1994 Agreed Framework between the United States and North Korea can be applied to nonproliferation diplomacy today. Why did the 1994 Agreed Framework fail, and what impact did this failure have on U.S.-North Korea relations? What have we learned from these challenges in proliferation crisis diplomacy? Can lessons from the Agreed Framework be applied to U.S.-Iran relations? Listen to find out!
S1 · E14 · 16 Mar 2021 · 37 min
14-Iraq, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and the Cheater’s Dilemma
In this episode, we discuss the lead-up to the Iraq War and how states respond to international pressure regarding weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs. In particular, we explore the dilemma faced by Iraq from 1991 to 2003 concerning how much to disclose about its past WMD capabilities. What does it mean to have a “cheater’s dilemma”? How does new evidence of this dilemma challenge the conventional wisdom on Iraq’s behavior at the time? Can we apply the concept of a cheater’s dilemma to contemporary cases of WMD proliferation or other instances state misconduct? Listen to find out!
S1 · E13 · 10 Dec 2020 · 42 min
13-What Allies Want: A Look at East Asia
In this episode, we explore the politics of alliance relationship management and reputational concerns during international crises. In particular, we focus on the United States, Taiwan, and other partnerships in East Asia. What does it mean to have a reputation for being a “good ally”? Do states always want their partners to be “loyal”? What types of statements and behaviors reassure nervous allies? Where is America’s reputation most on the line in East Asia? Listen to find out!
S1 · E12 · 9 Oct 2020 · 42 min
12-Liberal Values, Material Interests, and the Inconsistencies of U.S. Democracy Promotion
In this episode, we explore the tension between liberal values and material interests in U.S. foreign policy, as well as examine the inconsistencies of Western-led democracy promotion. Does the United States truly prioritize democracy promotion in its foreign policy? How does the United States’ definition of democracy influence its democracy promotion efforts abroad? Does the West’s failure to intervene in the current protests in Belarus represent a departure from Wilsonian ideals? Listen to this episode to find out!
S1 · E11 · 20 Aug 2020 · 44 min
11-Rethinking the Norms and Practices of U.S. Civil-Military Relations
In this episode, we address the current state of civil-military relations in the United States, explore the paradoxes of having an “apolitical” military as envisioned by Samuel Huntington, and contemplate the future of civil-military relations. Are civil-military relations really in crisis in the United States today? If existing norms are not working, what should the norms and practices of civil-military relations be? What role should retired military officers play in government and public life? How can both civilian and military leaders better prepare for their joint work? Listen to find out!
S1 · E10 · 24 Jul 2020 · 44 min
10-Great Power Politics in the Middle East and Arab-Israeli Conflict—Détente to 2020
In this episode, we examine the history of great power politics in the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli conflict, with a focus on the period of détente between Washington and Moscow during the Cold War. We then assess major power relations in the region today and possible future trends. Why did great power détente fail in the Middle East, and what impact did this failure have on the Arab-Israeli conflict and Israeli-Palestinian peace process? Can lessons from the Cold War period of détente be applied to contemporary politics? What is the current state of great power politics in the region,…
S1 · E9 · 18 Jun 2020 · 41 min
09-U.S. Electoral Constraints, Military Strategy, and the Iraq War
In this episode, we examine the U.S. electoral calendar’s impact on military strategy during the Iraq War. How did U.S. electoral considerations impact military decisions at the presidential level, such as the 2007 surge and the 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq? In what ways did these considerations interact with local conditions on the ground and Iraqi domestic politics? Will the current U.S. electoral cycle influence foreign policy decision-making regarding Iraq and the Middle East more broadly? Listen to find out!
S1 · E8 · 15 Apr 2020 · 44 min
08-Chinese Views on Nuclear Escalation
In this episode, we examine Chinese views on the likelihood of nuclear escalation in the event of a crisis or armed conflict with the United States. How do Chinese and American views on nuclear use differ? Under what circumstances could nuclear escalation arise? How can both countries avoid inadvertent escalation? Listen to find out!
S1 · E7 · 8 Apr 2020 · 42 min
07-The Post-Conflict Politics of Migration and Refugee Return
In this episode, we examine how refugee return can upset post-conflict stability and lead to renewed conflict at home. While our conversation touches upon numerous cases of conflict-induced migration, our analysis zeroes in on post-conflict Burundi. How do post-conflict societies respond to refugee return? Under what conditions do tensions between those who stayed and those who left become violent? What can local and international actors do to mitigate the risks of renewed conflict once refugees come home? Listen to find out!
S1 · E6 · 1 Apr 2020 · 44 min
06-Deterring Wartime Atrocities and the Yugoslav Tribunal
In this episode, we examine how and when international criminal tribunals deter wartime atrocities. Our discussion analyzes the past, present, and future of international criminal tribunals, with specific reference to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and NATO intervention in the Balkans. Was the international criminal tribunal able to deter wartime atrocities in the former Yugoslavia? How did NATO’s intervention change the calculus of all parties on the ground? What are the implications of the Yugoslav experience for the future of the International Criminal Court…
S1 · E5 · 13 Feb 2020 · 40 min
05-Domestic Politics, Nuclear Choices, and the Iran Deal
In this episode, we examine when and how domestic politics can influence a state’s nuclear choices and, in particular, when a country’s leaders choose to expand nuclear decision-making to those outside of their inner circle. Our policy discussion focuses on the impact of Iranian and American domestic politics on the past, present, and future of the Iran nuclear deal. Who are the main factions and decision makers driving the two countries’ respective policies? What is the current state of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)? Given looming elections in both countries, what does the…
S1 · E4 · 15 Jan 2020 · 50 min
04-How to Enlarge NATO
In this episode, we discuss the interesting history and legacy of the debate inside the Clinton Administration on how to enlarge NATO. Twenty-five years ago, supporters of a relatively swift conferral of full NATO membership to a narrow range of countries outmaneuvered proponents of a slower, phased conferral of limited membership to a wide range of states. What was at stake in this debate and why did “swift conferral” win the day? What were the main drivers, and who were the key decision-makers? How can the history of NATO enlargement help explain transatlantic politics, conflict in…
S1 · E3 · 20 Dec 2019 · 42 min
03-Debating ‘The End of War’
International Security author, Michael Mousseau, presents a provocative argument: A powerful liberal global hierarchy is slowly, but systematically, moving the world toward perpetual peace. The conversation is joined by Graham Allison for a spirited debate about the liberal foundations of war and peace. Is the “end of war” possible? What would such a world look like? What does this mean for increasing tension between the United States and a rising China? Listen to find out!
S1 · E2 · 14 Nov 2019 · 47 min
02-Chinese Coercion in the South China Sea
Chinese behavior in the South China Sea is carefully balanced between the need to establish resolve and the economic cost of coercion. When does Beijing use military force in its maritime disputes? What other types of non-military coercion does China employ in the South China Sea? How has the United States responded to Chinese maritime policy, and how are American policies viewed by its partners in the region? Listen to find out!
S1 · E1 · 25 Oct 2019 · 44 min
01-Weaponized Interdependence
States are increasingly able to weaponize their centralized positions within global informational and economic networks for strategic purposes. Contrary to traditional arguments that globalization and economic interdependence will lead to increasing international cooperation, this episode discusses how states can leverage global networks to engage in coercion. The episode discusses broader trends as they relate to global sanctions, the relationship between foreign policy and private sector interests, and American economic coercion vis-à-vis Iran, China, and Russia.

About The International Security Podcast

The International Security Podcast is a English tech & science podcast from International Security. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: International Security
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Now and then
Typical length: 40 min
Latest episode: 16 Jul 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1484996253
Rights: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

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