Austin Carson
@carsonaust
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Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Chicago. Author of *Secrets in Global Governance* and *Secret Wars*. Dad & NBA / Pistons enthusiast
Chicago, IL
Joined September 2012
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How racial tropes shape the way foreign policy bureaucracies interpret the world.
Text analysis of thousands of declassified intelligence assessments across four US presidents.
Really proud of this one! Now out *open access* in
@IntOrgJournal
New in
@IntOrgJournal
with
@carsonaust
and
@Maya_VanNuys
:
Applying text analysis methods to almost 5,000 President's Daily Briefs (1961-1977), we find that states viewed as "racialized Others" are described more frequently using implicit racial tropes.
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We often hear: "Job market these days means grad students have to publish while in grad school." OK sure. But how?
Some tips/ideas/advice …others should chime in! (THREAD)
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Today marks Day 1 of grad seminar on “Qualitative Methods,” co-taught with
@pstanpolitics
here
@UChicagoPoliSci
Look forward to discussing fascinating work, incl a slew of cool articles in top journals in last 3-4 years
Link to syllabus if interested:
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How to publish a first academic book? The “diss to book” transition can be daunting. I’ve collected some of my experience w the process inspired by
@pstanpolitics
's post. (FYI this targets first-time authors in polisci/social sciences) THREAD
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Causal Identification Anxiety Disorder (CIAD): an increasingly common -- and sometimes paralyzing -- condition afflicting PhD students in the dissertation development phase
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BAD IDEA. Have blood pressure taken at doctor’s office on day that fate of the republic hangs in balance.
“Let me take that again. That was really high”
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Thrilled that my book Secret Wars: Covert Conflict in International Politics (
@PrincetonUPress
) was given Honorable Mention for Best Book for 2018/2019 by APSA Conflict Processes section
Congrats to the other two recognized books!
#APSA2020
Congrats to
@APSAtweets
Conflict Processes Best Book Award winners!
Lisa Hultman, Jacob Kathman, and Megan Shannon, Peacekeeping in the Midst of War
Honorable mentions:
@carsonaust
, Secret Wars and
@nils_weidmann
and Espen Rod, Internet and Political Protest in Autocracies.
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Secret Wars: Covert Conflict in International Politics will officially be in print with
@PrincetonUPress
in September. Just in time for fall classes! And
@APSAtweets
! (Also a handy paper weight or door stop.)
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Totally blown away to have Secret Wars singled out among so many excellent books in 2018 on IR. And look at the list of past winners?! What a group to be a part of.
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Teaching a grad seminar "Qualitative Methods
and Research Design" with the brilliant
@pstanpolitics
. Fun!
There has been a bunch of great qualitative work published in the last 5 years. We feature some of it in this syllabus, for those interested:
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Stunned and insanely excited to win this award for *Secrets in Global Governance*!
Even better that I'll get to celebrate with a fantastic coauthor
@AllieCarnegie
Many thanks to the ASPA Int'l Collaboration award committee for their time, effort, and recognition
Congratulations to
@AllieCarnegie
and
@carsonaust
! Winners of the International Collaboration Section’s Best Book Award for “Secrets in Global Governance”.
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*Secret Wars* is officially available in paperback. My publisher
@PrincetonUPress
will send a free copy to the first five PhD students who DM me. Hit me up!
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Totally floored to have received this award (Ran around the house yelling when I got the email, as
@AKSarahB
can attest). Many thanks to award committee and to my fab collaborator
@AllieCarnegie
!
Congrats to
@AllieCarnegie
&
@carsonaust
for winning the 2018 Robert O'Keohane best article award for "The Spotlight's Harsh Glare: Rethinking Publicity and International Order." Available ungated from
@CUP_PoliSci
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Secrets secrets secrets. Who doesn’t like to read about secrets? A thread previewing my new book Secret Wars, out next month from
@PrincetonUPress
1/n
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My book *Secret Wars* is officially out in paperback from
@PrincetonUPress
. Read about the dirty deeds done on the backstage during war since the 1930s ...and the conspiracy of silence about it that often follows. Don't forget your tinfoil hat!
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“[T]he United States faces an increasingly complex and uncertain world.”
Serious question: would we ever see an intelligence strategy document start with the opposite claims? “[T]he US faces an increasingly simple and certain world.”
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In
@ForeignAffairs
, I argue two things about escalation and the war in Ukraine:
1. Most escalation-related restraint thus far is easy to miss
2. The West's go-slow incrementalism has strategic value
Disagree or agree, I hope it offers food for thought on a vital issue
“In limited wars, patience is a virtue. A go-slow approach has allowed NATO countries to provide a level of military support to Ukraine that was unthinkable at the war’s start.”
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Northern lights in Wisconsin. Harrison Hills segment of the Ice Age Trail, last weekend
Taken ~2:30am, setting up to camp after a wild night hike. Light from fire in foreground. Twitterless Karl Javier with the long exposure photo
(inspired by
@KSchultz3580
@pstanpolitics
)
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Maybe the most fascinating thing I've done with archival docs? Comparing exact same doc declassified under different auspices, with different redactions.
Why? Can generate "revealed redactions," where text redacted in one is visible in the other. I can't stop reading these...
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Really excited to head to DC for this event on Monday
@MortaraCenter
. Truly honored to be receiving the Lepgold Book Prize for *Secret Wars*. And bonus! A chance to see some of the many amazing folks at Georgetown
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It’s real! Amazon be shipping.
NEW
Secret Wars by
@UChicago
professor
@carsonaust
is the first book to systematically analyze how powerful states covertly participate in foreign wars, showing a recurring pattern of behavior from World War I to U.S.-occupied Iraq.
Read chapter 1 online
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Cruz and Graham on Hannity in last few minutes: each worked himself into a lather about darkened rooms and blocked election observers. “I stand with Trump” rhetoric. Not good
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A great honor to have my research recognized at
#ISA2018
! Huge thanks to the award committee, ISSS section, and
@IntOrgJournal
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Second only to climate change and perhaps asteroid diversion, the greatest challenge facing humankind: creating a simple, unified process for submitting letters of recommendation across colleges/universities.
The status quo is the dumbest form of anarchy.
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After months of isolation,
#APSA2020
was energizing. Was great to see folks and learn about new scholarship. In that spirit:
*Secrets in Global Governance* is out from
@CUPAcademic
, coauthored with the wonderful
@AllieCarnegie
. Some quick highlights:
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Hair, meet splitting
I never called the strike against Iran “BACK,” as people are incorrectly reporting, I just stopped it from going forward at this time!
24K
13K
79K
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Another new book is out on U.S. covert action and IR! Lindsey O'Rourke's *Covert Regime Change* analyzes the multiple factors that can make covert regime change attractive, and the effectiveness of such campaigns. Congrats -- absolutely a must-read:
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**Job job job**
IR peeps: Chicago is hiring multiple lines at both jr and snr levels for folks that can contribute to grad methods training. Am on the committee and eager to see a great pool of IR candidates. Ads will post soon. Apply -- and spread the word! (feel free to DM me)
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Had the same thought: Trump embraces focus on the phone call because it lacks smoking gun quid pro quo. But the real danger is the as-yet-unknown additional material in the whistleblower complaint
I'm not yet convinced that a call about cash-for-Biden was the full content of the whistle-blower complaint. It might be, but Trump's willing focus on the call might also be a diversion. So many diversions.
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To those in IR interested in this maps stuff:
ISA 2022 will feature a panel on maps, history, and IR with some cool maps-as-data projects.
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Congrats x1000 to Paul!!
But the real winners here are all of his colleagues, including me.
@ProfPaulPoast
is an unbelievably generous and thoughtful department member. We are extremely lucky to have him here. And now with tenure!!
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Summer 2018
@IntOrgJournal
issue officially out! Allison Carnegie and I are lucky to be part of such a great lineup:
@jkertzer
@ryan_brutger
@sarahsunnbush
@laurenrprather
@dhnexon
@profmusgrave
Fernando Nunez Tyler Pratt ...oh and that Jim Fearon guy
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IR folk. Two things I know you love: secrets and
@ProfPaulPoast
. How about a magical event with both?
Join me and
@AllieCarnegie
for a chat about our new book *Secrets in Global Governance* on Nov 9 (12pm CT / 1pm ET). Poast will moderate
Register
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Had the exact same thought. Well said
The international students fracas that ended today with an apparent surrender by the administration is a microcosm of how hard it is to exist in this moment, and how hard it will be to recall it
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ICYMI: new review article on secrecy research in IR by
@AllieCarnegie
Why check it out?
--integrates work across security, IPE, etc
--insights re: measurement issues that are often ignored
--new research paths for secrecy work (tons of promise here)
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Fascinating report on Russia's use of mercenaries to intervene in foreign wars. The Wagner Group in Ukraine, Syria, and elsewhere. From State INR's Nathaniel Reynolds
@CarnegieEndow
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Good idea: finish your first book!
Bad idea: have a bunch of super smart people dissect it in public. Come watch the gory results Thurs at 1:45pm
#ISA2019
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Massive discounts on books from
@PrincetonUPress
"Book Lover Sale"
*Secret Wars* is $8.75 if using the sale code LOVE75
Many other titles to check out:
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So excited for my colleague
@AdomGetachew
's new book. Fascinating new narrative about decolonization and anticolonial intellectuals' visions for international order that emerged. Amazing archival work. Needs to be read by IR scholars! Drops in January.
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Longer version:
I am now a tenured faculty member in the department of political science at University of Chicago. The world has officially gone off the rails
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IR folks: doing research that uses text-as-data techniques w/ archival documents or other historical primary materials? Am co-organizing a panel proposal for APSA 2021 with (
@Don_Casler
). We are looking for 1-2 paper presenters to round out a panel. DM/email us if interested!
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Dear letter writers of the world,
When copy/pasting passages your job market candidate provided into your letter, pls make sure the font matches the rest of your letter. Abrupt font changes are a dead giveaway and, more importantly, ugly.
Signed,
Search committees of the world
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India appears to have read its Schelling. Key features of airstrike appear to show measured escalation that crossed one salient threshold but not others. Indicates attempt to impose clear, public response while maintaining escalation control
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Two Austins professing
@UChicago
about politics with same birthday (today!). And we just figured it out.
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Hey IR ppl, text-as-data types, archive nerds @
#APSA2019
Check out a panel on diplomacy, archival docs, and text as data. Papers analyzing daily conflict reports in Korean War; Chinese diplo interactions, US FRUS docs; President's Daily Briefs. Thurs, 4pm, Omni's Cabinet Room
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Last thought:
Grad students, don't be afraid to work on risky or new topics. I was literally embarrassed to describe my dissertation topic early on, imagining reactions of "Sure, you bringing your tinfoil hat with you to the archives?"
A long and winding road indeed.
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"Carson makes a convincing case, although he somewhat overdoes the theory."
Overdoes the theory...?
[furrowed eyebrows transitions to... beaming smile of pride]
Why, thank you!
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IR folks: you should apply for MPSA 2020 this year. Especially if you don’t normally go. Why? Because it’s gonna be awesome. THREAD
(Pls retweet!) 1/
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My modal comment as a referee: improve pages 1-12. This is where you establish whether and how your research is important. Framing is just as important as research design (if not more)
My modal comment as a referee: Delete pages 1-12 & get on with telling us what your research is about already. (I.e., people you're citing already have their own papers. Include them only if they help you make your point. If you just want to be nice, send flowers.)
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2. Dissect published work in your preferred journals. Take five roughly similar articles from the past 5 years. Analyze their structure at the paragraph and section level. There is often an unwritten – but quite powerful – template most articles follow. Figure it out, imitate it
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Book cover on banner, that is quite rad
The
@CUP_PoliSci
booth is open for business! Stop by between 9-5 today, tomorrow, and Saturday during
#APSA2021
for 30% off all of our titles (and free shipping)!
We’re especially excited to be featuring our 2021 APSA Prize winners! Congrats to all 🎉
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The "U-2s discovered Soviet missiles" narrative misleads, and was designed to do so. Imagery intel was given the credit by Kennedy Admin to protect human sources within Cuba who first discovered mysterious Soviet missile-related shipments
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What a disaster of a job market. I feel for all those applicants
Having gone through these applications, I can (sadly) confirm what I already suspected. There were ~200 that should have been highly competitive for interviews. There were probably a couple dozen who'd never held TT appointments and already would meet the bar for tenure.
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Secrets? War? A local book store? It rhymes -- and should be good fun.
Join me for a book discussion of Secret Wars
@PrincetonUPress
. MC'd by John Mearsheimer. Karaoke with John to follow (kidding!).
Tues, Jan 29th, 6pm at
@SeminaryCoop
in Hyde Park
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On idea selection:
1. Don’t overvalue reactions from famous advisors. These folks can be out of touch w/ cutting edge style, methods, and substantive debates. They often have idiosyncratic tastes about what is good/not good work. Best to triangulate w/ input from junior faculty
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As always, we must ask "Whose interests are advanced through this leak? Why are we seeing these?"
Interesting description of where these documents came from. Let the guessing games begin!
The Iran cable leak in
@nytimes
:
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Chicago-area folks: join me and John Mearsheimer on January 29th for a conversation about my book *Secret Wars: Covert Conflict in International Politics*. Hosted by
@SeminaryCoop
in Hyde Park. Details, RSVP here!
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@ColinKahl
I found this line from WSJ article even more revealing: "Saudi Arabia said it was going to invite U.N. experts to investigate and would wait for the results before deciding how to respond."
That is a tell. KSA only does this if it wants things to cool down first.
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Super stoked to read this. Released 12/15. Congrats
@segoddard
!!
"great powers come to understand a contender's intentions not only through objective capabilities or costly signals but by observing how a rising power justifies its behavior to its audience"
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Less obvious but hard to overstate: the hundreds in the high school and college debate community. They collectively shaped how I think about politics and how I communicate. It is where I discovered my love of research and mentorship. I often wonder: where would I be without it?
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$64,000 question is: what underlies Trumps concern about proportionality?
Was it the illegality of disproportionate retaliation? Or the human suffering? The reputational implications? Or the escalatory spiral it was likely to kick off? My money is on
#4
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Revolting ...and a reminder that "national security" can be an excuse for redacting/withholding material that is simply embarrassing
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ICYMI: H-Diplo/ISSF Roundtable on Secret Wars is now out! Contributors:
@jessicalpweeks
, Schuessler, Reiter,
@segoddard
**Here’s a handy recap of ideas for future research that came out of the reviews and response**
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By now we all know what “post-paradigm” IR looks like: out with “-isms” talk; in with middle-range theorizing, empirical rigor, and eclectic theorizing. But what might come next?
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New article in the current issue of Security Studies, co-authored with
@matthewjconklin
🧵with the highlights below, link to full article here
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Hark! A TT job has been spotted!
🚨 We're hiring this fall at
@UBCPoliSci
for tenure-track assistant profs in political theory and IR. 🚨 Pls share and RT!
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Are Trump’s reckless words subtly eroding the international order? Can bashing trade partners foster broader climate of pessimism about rule violations? And with what impact on liberal order? New article w
@AllieCarnegie
in
@The_JOP
is out! THREAD 1/x
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No pilot to parade before cameras matters a lot. Incidents that become spectacles are far more likely to escalate in attempts to save face. Spot on analysis by
@NGrossman81
Iran shot down a US Global Hawk (RQ-4)--the biggest, priciest surveillance drone.
If it were a spy plane, with pilot captured or killed, it'd be an international incident. But avoiding those is why we built spy drones.
What consequences for destroying a robot? Uncharted territory
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ICYMI: why states refuse to confirm *and* outright deny responsibility for cyber attacks. Part of a spate of interesting new work on the unique PR dynamics in cyber
@Joseph_M_Brown
@tanishafazal
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Great analysis of covert action, detection, collusion in a review of *Secret Wars* by
@SamWinterLevy
in
@lawfareblog
. So grateful for such a careful reading and excellent summary. Great ideas for future research too!
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IR folks: doing research on race and foreign policy? Am co-organizing a panel proposal for APSA 2021 with
@Maya_VanNuys
. Looking for 1-2 paper presenters. Defining race/foreign policy intersection broadly and will build an inclusive, junior-focused panel. DM/email if interested!
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ICYMI: secrets in IOs and the dilemmas they pose
"With a compelling theory backed by comprehensive evidence, this book overturns the conventional view of how international organizations function."
—Christina L. Davis, Harvard
@AllieCarnegie
&
@carsonaust
's SECRETS IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE is out now.
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My amazing wife dropping knowledge on how Bloomberg’s billions affect the Democratic primary and other $ in politics issues. Check it out!
Show's up! Bloomberg covering Bloomberg, Mayor Mike's memes, questions about campaign finance, and shenanigans at the National Archives, w/
@grynbaum
,
@kathykiely
,
@TaylorLorenz
,
@AKSarahB
, and
@mattspast
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Many of these tips/ideas are not mine! This came out of a lunch chat with
@UChicagoPoliSci
grad students. Includes great insights from
@RochelleTerman
@BobbyGulotty
& Chiara Cordelli (END)
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NATO exploring new tactics?
New on the Shelves: ‘Secret Wars : Covert Conflict in International Politics' by
@carsonaust
.
@PrincetonUPress
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Virtual platform catastrophe aside, a huge bonus for virtual APSA is walking 9 steps to my kitchen to eat a decent lunch between events
I do *not* miss desperately rushing to find material fit for human consumption at some random cafe by a conference hotel
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A new Biden Administration will return to using international organizations as a foreign policy tool
Join us TODAY (12pm CT / 1pm ET) to learn about one tactic for doing so: sharing intelligence and other sensitive info
@AllieCarnegie
&
@ProfPaulPoast
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ICYMI: Should senior intelligence leaders avoid taking public stances contradicting White House claims? Can they avoid it if Congress requires public statements?
I debate it with
@JoshRovner1
in
@lawfareblog
. An issue of growing import as impeachment inquiry progresses
Should intelligence officials publicly dissent from policy?
@carsonaust
and I debate the question at
@lawfareblog
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Well played, sir!
<opens gradebook>
<goes to "Krasnican>
<enters "A+">
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"Washington can no longer take space for granted as an uncontested domain during war.”
Too often we equate loss of US total dominance (of a region; of a domain of military competition) with loss of US deterrence. One can deter even if power is contested
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Had a great time answering questions about origins of my book, Trump’s impact on secrecy and limited war, new areas of research in IR, and tips for graduate student success.
On the latter: "take time to foster your own creativity."
Full interview
@E_IR
:
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Covert operations visible to the target: not an oxymoron if your goal is deterrence, reassurance, or some other message
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**NARA archive reopening**
Reopening starts in June. Initially limited to "a small number of researchers ... who have significant onsite research experience at the pilot locations."
See update from May 24 here:
(Thanks for the tip,
@Adam_Saxton
!)
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3. Work especially hard on abstract and intro. Reviewers are lazy and busy. Rightly or not, they form quick judgments about article manuscripts, esp from authors and projects they have never heard of. Early opinions likely shaped by whether it “feels like” a publishable article
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Do you do work at the intersection of American Political Development & IR? Or what could be considered APD/IR? I'm building a panel proposal for ISA 2020 (Hawaii) on the theme. Need a paper or or two to complete the panel. If interested, DM me a short summary of project. Thanks!
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3. Submit it, don’t sit on it! There is value in learning the process even if rejected. Grad students too often imagine they aren’t ready. Give it a shot!
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Ecstatic to see a joint review of Secret Wars in
@ForeignAffairs
along with
@RoryCormac
's great book. An honor to have
@LawDavF
engage my work
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A debate vs. the Prince of Darkness himself (i.e. Mearsheimer) on campus May 21 (Tuesday). Should be fun!
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Microfoundations of domestic reactions to secrecy, deception, hypocrisy: all are great areas for future research.
Interesting new JCR article on this theme from
@smaxey265
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Secrecy analyzed with a cultural and/or gender lens is almost unheard of in IR. Until now! Helen Kinsella has what looks like a fascinating new article on sex, women, COIN, and secrecy in the new
@InternatlTheory
(hello syllabus you have a new friend)
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Fascinating story on Swiss backchannel helping defuse US-Iran crisis after Soleimani
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