Skip to content

Ask an Academic

  • Home
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us
Empty room for politicians

The Second Wave of Rational Deterrence Theory

September 20, 2019 by AskanAcademic.com

A short answer describing the second wave of rational deterrence theory

Question

What is the Second Wave of Rational Deterrence Theory?

Answer

Rational deterrence theory is the belief that states in possession of nuclear weapons will deter other states from attacking with their own nuclear weapons due to the inevitable aggressive response and the threat of mutually assured destruction.

The second wave of deterrence theory emerged during a shift in international priorities. This took a more scientific approach to deterrence and applied it to game theory in an attempt to decipher whether the risk of mutually assured destruction would be worth it for the possible gains of the attacker. During this wave the theoretical foundations of deterrence were identified and fleshed out, these are – commitment, communication, credibility, capability and resolve. Each one of these needing to be carefully considered before any action should be taken. During this the concept of deterrence by punishment was separated from the concept of deterrence by denial, suggesting that deterrence theory could make use of both threats of force as well as the loss of benefits to strengthen its position.

Traditionally during the Cold War the relationship between the United States and the USSR had been seen as very volatile and resembled much more the concept of deterrence by punishment. However, as the war progressed deterrence was viewed more as being used to preserve the international norm and could therefore be seen as a form of deterrence by denial.

References

Post navigation

Previous Post:

Do you offer a proof-reading service?

Next Post:

Other than sweatshop workers, who benefits the least from globalisation in the fashion industry?

Search Q&As

Categories

  • Art Media and Literature (74)
  • Business and Management (256)
  • Computing and ICT (14)
  • Construction and Engineering (35)
  • Education (90)
  • Environmental Sciences (2)
  • Finance and Economics (91)
  • Health (64)
  • Languages (12)
  • Law (88)
  • Mathematics and Statistics (2)
  • Medical Sciences (19)
  • Politics and International Relations (83)
  • Research Methodology (1)
  • Science (49)
  • Social Sciences (101)

Archives

Who We Are

Askanacademic.com is owned and operated by All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration No: 4964706. VAT Registration No: 842417633. Data Controller No: Z1821391.

Registered office:
Venture House
Cross Street
Arnold
Nottingham
NG5 7PJ

Main Navigation

  • Home
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us

Legals

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Categories

  • Business and Management
  • Law
  • Finance and Economics
  • Health
An an Academic Logo
© 2023 Ask an Academic | WordPress Theme by Superb Themes
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Reject
Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT