Just like any other medium, video games can serve pedagogical purposes.
Sid Meier’s Clash of Civilizations
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Recent Posts
Are Women Leaders Better at Fighting COVID?
This is a guest post from Courtney Burns and Leah Windsor. Burns is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Bucknell University. Windsor is a Research Assistant Professor in...
A Marx Allergy
If you are allergic to, let’s say peanuts, you would always carefully check the packaging of the food you buy: does the factory use them? Can there be traces in the sauce? After an unpleasant...
When Data Closes Doors: Lessons for Sharing Unpopular Findings
Photo courtesy of the Negative Psychologist. When sharing unpopular findings, what obligations (if any) do scholars have when policymakers do not care to hear the message? This is a guest post...
More Recent Posts
“The UN v. Skynet?” An ISA Teaser
As the gods of the International Studies Association have seen fit to place my panel at 8:15 on a Saturday morning, I decided to advertise my talk in the blogosphere in hopes of drumming up some attendees. Below please see the teaser trailer for my working paper this year, which explores the...
Classroom Activity: Issuing Ultimata
This activity comes after students are to have listened to a lecture (slides) introducing the second big puzzle of the course: why states sometimes burn what they want in order to get more of it—that is, why wars occur despite the inefficiency their costly nature implies. Over the course of the...
Russia, Ukraine, and a New Era of International Relations
The U.S. and Russia are not engaged in a new Cold War, but Russia is clearly playing the geopolitical menace du jour. The U.S. and Europe are going to need to up their game to keep Vladimir Putin’s hands off the rest of Ukraine. Beyond this crisis the West needs a new defense posture, as...
Friday Nerd Blogging: Delayed Yet Anticipating Edition
This fan-made combo of the old Benson show with Mad Men was mentioned by Jon Hamm at the Paleyfest panel. Yes, we didn't post a FNB yesterday--I blame the forthcoming ISA. But we are so eager for the last season of Mad Men, despite it meaning that the show will end soon. See you in...
The ISA Survival Guide: Everyone needs some Crack Pie
ISA is coming, like winter for the Starks; it’s always just around the bend. Luckily, I almost have nothing but fond memories of ISA. It was my first conference and will be the one I remain loyal to for as long as I remain able. The key though is to maximize your experience. I know too many...
2014 OAIS Blogging Awards and Reception, Thursday, March 27!
Mark your calendars for one week from tonight! Please join us for the second annual IR blogging awards and reception at ISA next week: Thursday, March 27 from 7:15pm to 8:30pm in Sheraton Ballroom C at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto. The reception and awards are co-sponsored by SAGE...
Are We Russophobes?
Lots of words have been spilled on this Crimea thing, and so it is reasonable to ask whether our opposition to Crimean self-determination might be more about our feelings about Russia than about secession/irredentism. Chris Blattman asked: Bleg: Someone please explain to me why I should accept...
What’s the Status of the Decline of War?
In light of Russia's annexation of Crimea, Josh raised the question this morning about how we are all feeling about the war decline thesis. Also in reaction to Russia's actions, Mlada Bukovansky issued a strong call to end the complacency regarding the acceptance and influence of global liberal...
Thursday Linkage
With Crimea's secession and accession drama still unfolding, we wait with baited breath about whether we will bear witness to yet another war (Kimberly Marten's post on the Monkey Cage is sobering). Sure hard to believe that Steven Pinker is right with Syria blazing, the Central Africa Republic...
Not Just Another Word (for nothing left to lose)
Note: The following is a guest post from Mlada Bukovansky, Professor of Government at Smith College. The word freedom has to come into it, when speaking of the Ukraine crisis. It has become exceptionally difficult to use that term without wincing in the post-Bush era, but still I think it needs to...
Pop Quiz, Hotshot, Elections edition
I have a question for all those folks who study elections: any democracy hold an election within a week or two of being announced?
How ISA is Like a Kansas Family Reunion
As Megan noted, ISA is coming up. I hope to see all of you at the blogging reception on Thursday evening, March 27th. As I’ve been preparing for the conference these last couple of weeks, I’m also preparing to be “blessed” with an unexpected visit from my grandparents in-laws today.[1] One of the...