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social science subjects > criminology and criminal justice > criminology > criminological theory > deterrence theory
... > social science subjects > psychology > social psychology > group dynamics > group influence > power (sociology) > power and international relations > deterrence theory
... > social science subjects > criminology and criminal justice > criminology > penology > prisons and correctional facilities > theories of punishment > deterrence theory
... > social science subjects > psychology > social psychology > group dynamics > group influence > power (sociology) > types of power > deterrence theory

Preferred term

deterrence theory  

Definition

  • Deterrence theory in international relations concerns the conditions under which a state i is able to prevent another state j from attacking i by convincing j that it runs the risk that this attack will be answered by a retaliatory strike that will inflict catastrophic damage. The theory has primarily been developed by U.S. strategic thinkers—most notably Bernard Brodie, Albert Wohlstetter, and Thomas Schelling—since the 1940s against the background of the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, which lasted until the end of the 1980s. [Source: Encyclopedia of Power; Deterrence Theory]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/deterrence_theory

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