Diplomacy, security, and the “Art of Coercion”

In his new book “The Art of Coercion,” Watson political scientist Reid Pauly provides a seemingly straightforward definition of coercion: “The practice of convincing a target by the use of threats, to bend to your will.”

However, the simplicity of the definition belies the difficulty of doing it effectively – especially in the world of international security and relations. As Pauly explains to Dan Richards on this episode of “Trending Globally”:

“The history of coercive bargaining, coercive diplomacy is really a litany of mostly failures.”  

This is a problem not only for countries seeking to coerce others, whether it’s through tariffs, sanctions, or threats of military action. It’s also a problem because when coercion fails, countries usually find themselves one step closer to war. 

Why do so many attempts at coercive diplomacy fail, and why do some succeed? The answer may surprise you. 

Learn more about and purchase “The Art of Coercion”

Read Pauly’s July article in MIT’s International Security