Russell Leng
James Jermain Professor Emeritus of Political Economy and International Law
Email: leng@middlebury.edu
Phone: work802.443.5310
Office Hours: NOT TEACHING FALL 2012
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Russell Leng taught full-time at Middlebury for 40 years, before retiring in 2007.He continues to teach an advanced seminar each spring term at Middlebury, and during the January term at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.Professor Leng completed his Ph.D. at American University, and his B.A. at Middlebury.He did post-graduate work at the University of Michigan, where he became involved in career-long research associated with the Correlates of War project.
Leng’s research on the Behavioral Correlates of War includes two books, Bargaining and Learning in Recurring Crises: The Soviet-American, Egyptian-Israeli, and Indo-Pakistani Rivalries, U. of Michigan Press, 2000, and Interstate Crisis Behavior, 1816-1980: Realism vs. Reciprocity, Cambridge University Press, 1993 as well as many articles in professional journals.He continues to do research on international conflict behavior, with a current focus on the use of negotiation in militarized disputes.
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
PSCI 0405 - Causes of War
War remains humankind’s most virulent and deadly social disease. In this seminar we will examine what we know about war's causes, and what might be done about its prevention. We will view the problem of war from several perspectives, including the perceptions and beliefs of national leaders, the attributes of states, the relationships and interactions of rival states, the international political environment, and terrorist networks. We will examine the writings of participants and theorists, as well as contemporary social science research. Each student will complete a case study of the origins of a specific international or civil war, or prepare the research design for an empirical study. (PSCI 0311 or by waiver; open to INTL and PSCI majors, others by approval) 3 hrs. sem. (International Relations and Foreign Policy)/
Spring 2010, Spring 2012
PSCI 0412 - Diplomacy
Diplomacy
The practice of diplomacy and the techniques of bargaining, negotiation, and mediation are studied through theoretical works, diplomatic handbooks, memoirs, and studies of historical and contemporary cases. The seminar begins with an examination of a case of classical diplomacy at the Congress of Vienna. It then moves to consider more contemporary examples of negotiation and mediation in interstate crises, peace settlements, and cooperative efforts at problem solving. Each student will complete a case study of a diplomatic event of his or her choice. (PSCI 0109 or 0201 or PSCI 0311 or waiver) 3 hrs. sem. (International Relations and Foreign Policy)/
Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2013
PSCI 0500 - Independent Project
Independent Projects
A program of independent work designed to meet the individual needs of advanced students. (Approval required)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013
PSCI 0700 - Honors Thesis
Honors Thesis
(Approval required)
Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013
IPOL 8674 - Sem:Terrorism in SouthEastAsia
Various parts of South-East Asia have been plagued by terrorist violence in recent decades. South-East Asia refers to the region eastward from Burma/Myanmar till the Philippines. This course studies the phenomenon of terrorism in countries of the region such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Some of the groups that this course examines include – Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf, Moro Islamic Liberation Front – their objectives, characteristics, composition, ideologies, tactics and fund-raising. Apart from these cases, the course also examines thematic issues such as the prospect of WMD terrorism and proliferation of WMD materials, maritime terrorism and piracy, and U.S. policy on counter-terrorism in South-East Asia. We also discuss connections between groups in South-East Asia and regional and global terrorist groups elsewhere, such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban. In order to have a comprehensive picture of non-state security threats in the region, the course also examines the various insurgent movements in Myanmar. Finally, given the close security dynamics between Australia and South-East Asia, this course also looks at terrorism-related issues in Australia.
Spring 2010 - MIIS
IPOL 8697 - Seminar on Causes of War
Recent Publications
Bargaining and Learning in Recurring Crises: The Soviet-American, Egyptian-Israeli, and Indo-Pakistani Rivalries, Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press 2000.
"Cumulation in Q.I.P.: 25 Years After Ojai," Conflict Management and Peace Science, 17 (Fall, 1999): 133-147
"Reducing Intergang Violence: Norms from the Interstate System," Peace and Change, 24 (October, 1999): 476-504l
Research Interests
International Politics
Interstate Crisis Behavior
Diplomacy
Causes of War