Puzzle: It is puzzling that Iran would
continueto pursue a nuclear weapons program in the face
of credible threats from the United States and
other international actors.
Puzzle: It is puzzling that Iran would
continue
to pursue a nuclear weapons program in the face
of credible threats from the United States and
other international
actors.
Question: In light of
rational deterrence theory
and the empirical evidence of the wars
in
Afghanistan and Iraq, why does Iran
continue
to pursue a nuclear weapons program in the
face of a
credible series of threats from the
United States and other
international actors?
(Reuters)
Part I: Iran’s Nuclear Program: Is Iran developing a nuclear weapons program? If so, can content analysis and the
Sherman Kent scale tell us how quickly?
Part II: The International Deterrent: Does the international community pose a sufficient deterrent to Iran? Is Iran aware
of the threats it faces?
Part III: Rational Choice: Can rational deterrence theory be used to explain Iran’s actions?
Part IV: Prospect Theory: Does prospect theory provide an explanation of why Iran’s actions deviate from those
predicted by rational choice theory?
Paper written by
Eric Moberg, Jake Cohen, Jesse Spevack, and Andrew Block
for Raymond Tanter's
Political Science 498