Deterrence and the Death Penalty

Deterrence and the Death Penalty

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2012-05-26

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 0309254167

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Many studies during the past few decades have sought to determine whether the death penalty has any deterrent effect on homicide rates. Researchers have reached widely varying, even contradictory, conclusions. Some studies have concluded that the threat of capital punishment deters murders, saving large numbers of lives; other studies have concluded that executions actually increase homicides; still others, that executions have no effect on murder rates. Commentary among researchers, advocates, and policymakers on the scientific validity of the findings has sometimes been acrimonious. Against this backdrop, the National Research Council report Deterrence and the Death Penalty assesses whether the available evidence provides a scientific basis for answering questions of if and how the death penalty affects homicide rates. This new report from the Committee on Law and Justice concludes that research to date on the effect of capital punishment on homicide rates is not useful in determining whether the death penalty increases, decreases, or has no effect on these rates. The key question is whether capital punishment is less or more effective as a deterrent than alternative punishments, such as a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Yet none of the research that has been done accounted for the possible effect of noncapital punishments on homicide rates. The report recommends new avenues of research that may provide broader insight into any deterrent effects from both capital and noncapital punishments.


Book Synopsis Deterrence and the Death Penalty by : National Research Council

Download or read book Deterrence and the Death Penalty written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2012-05-26 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many studies during the past few decades have sought to determine whether the death penalty has any deterrent effect on homicide rates. Researchers have reached widely varying, even contradictory, conclusions. Some studies have concluded that the threat of capital punishment deters murders, saving large numbers of lives; other studies have concluded that executions actually increase homicides; still others, that executions have no effect on murder rates. Commentary among researchers, advocates, and policymakers on the scientific validity of the findings has sometimes been acrimonious. Against this backdrop, the National Research Council report Deterrence and the Death Penalty assesses whether the available evidence provides a scientific basis for answering questions of if and how the death penalty affects homicide rates. This new report from the Committee on Law and Justice concludes that research to date on the effect of capital punishment on homicide rates is not useful in determining whether the death penalty increases, decreases, or has no effect on these rates. The key question is whether capital punishment is less or more effective as a deterrent than alternative punishments, such as a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Yet none of the research that has been done accounted for the possible effect of noncapital punishments on homicide rates. The report recommends new avenues of research that may provide broader insight into any deterrent effects from both capital and noncapital punishments.


Deterrence and Crime Prevention

Deterrence and Crime Prevention

Author: David M. Kennedy

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-08-06

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 1135976309

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Deterrence is at the heart of the preventive aspiration of criminal justice. Deterrence, whether through preventive patrol by police officers or stiff prison sentences for violent offenders, is the principal mechanism through which the central feature of criminal justice, the exercise of state authority, works – it is hoped -- to diminish offending and enhance public safety. And however well we think deterrence works, it clearly often does not work nearly as well as we would like – and often at very great cost. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly literatures and real-world experience, Kennedy argues that we should reframe the ways in which we think about and produce deterrence. He argues that many of the ways in which we seek to deter crime in fact facilitate offending; that simple steps such as providing clear information to offenders could transform deterrence; that communities may be far more effective than legal authorities in deterring crime; that apparently minor sanctions can deter more effectively than draconian ones; that groups, rather than individual offenders, should often be the focus of deterrence; that existing legal tools can be used in unusual but greatly more effective ways; that even serious offenders can be reached through deliberate moral engagement; and that authorities, communities, and offenders – no matter how divided – share and can occupy hidden common ground. The result is a sophisticated but ultimately common-sense and profoundly hopeful case that we can and should use new deterrence strategies to address some of our most important crime problems. Drawing on and expanding on the lessons of groundbreaking real-world work like Boston’s Operation Ceasefire – credited with the "Boston Miracle" of the 1990s – "Deterrence and Crime Prevention" is required reading for scholars, law enforcement practitioners, and all with an interest in public safety and the health of communities.


Book Synopsis Deterrence and Crime Prevention by : David M. Kennedy

Download or read book Deterrence and Crime Prevention written by David M. Kennedy and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-08-06 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deterrence is at the heart of the preventive aspiration of criminal justice. Deterrence, whether through preventive patrol by police officers or stiff prison sentences for violent offenders, is the principal mechanism through which the central feature of criminal justice, the exercise of state authority, works – it is hoped -- to diminish offending and enhance public safety. And however well we think deterrence works, it clearly often does not work nearly as well as we would like – and often at very great cost. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly literatures and real-world experience, Kennedy argues that we should reframe the ways in which we think about and produce deterrence. He argues that many of the ways in which we seek to deter crime in fact facilitate offending; that simple steps such as providing clear information to offenders could transform deterrence; that communities may be far more effective than legal authorities in deterring crime; that apparently minor sanctions can deter more effectively than draconian ones; that groups, rather than individual offenders, should often be the focus of deterrence; that existing legal tools can be used in unusual but greatly more effective ways; that even serious offenders can be reached through deliberate moral engagement; and that authorities, communities, and offenders – no matter how divided – share and can occupy hidden common ground. The result is a sophisticated but ultimately common-sense and profoundly hopeful case that we can and should use new deterrence strategies to address some of our most important crime problems. Drawing on and expanding on the lessons of groundbreaking real-world work like Boston’s Operation Ceasefire – credited with the "Boston Miracle" of the 1990s – "Deterrence and Crime Prevention" is required reading for scholars, law enforcement practitioners, and all with an interest in public safety and the health of communities.


Thinking about Deterrence

Thinking about Deterrence

Author: Air Univeristy Press

Publisher: Military Bookshop

Published: 2014-09-01

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 9781782667100

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With many scholars and analysts questioning the relevance of deterrence as a valid strategic concept, this volume moves beyond Cold War nuclear deterrence to show the many ways in which deterrence is applicable to contemporary security. It examines the possibility of applying deterrence theory and practice to space, to cyberspace, and against non-state actors. It also examines the role of nuclear deterrence in the twenty-first century and reaches surprising conclusions.


Book Synopsis Thinking about Deterrence by : Air Univeristy Press

Download or read book Thinking about Deterrence written by Air Univeristy Press and published by Military Bookshop. This book was released on 2014-09-01 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With many scholars and analysts questioning the relevance of deterrence as a valid strategic concept, this volume moves beyond Cold War nuclear deterrence to show the many ways in which deterrence is applicable to contemporary security. It examines the possibility of applying deterrence theory and practice to space, to cyberspace, and against non-state actors. It also examines the role of nuclear deterrence in the twenty-first century and reaches surprising conclusions.


Legitimate Deterrence

Legitimate Deterrence

Author: Ali Akbar Dareini

Publisher:

Published: 2017-09-18

Total Pages: 362

ISBN-13: 9781773701899

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Advance praise for Legitimate Deterrence "Based on the chapters that I have been provided, this book will be an essential resource to all those interested in understanding the issues relating to Iran's nuclear program. Dareini has studied all aspects of the program and the negotiations over it. His treatment is factual and his conclusion that Iran's government wanted a nuclear-weapon capability and not nuclear weapons is consistent with my own understanding." - Frank von Hippel, Professor of Public and International Affairs emeritus, Princeton University "A thoughtful exploration and a fascinating chronicle of Iran's nuclear program and diplomacy; the veteran journalist Ali Akbar Dareini has drawn on many years of his experience to produce a very detailed and documented account of the developments from day one until after the landmark nuclear deal was reached with world powers in 2015. It's an extraordinary achievement." -Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Middle East & Nuclear Policy Specialist at Princeton University and ex-senior nuclear negotiator, author of "Iran and the United States: An Insider's View on Failed Past and the Road to Peace" "No one has more experience reporting from inside Iran on nuclear issues than Ali Dareini, whose book "Legitimate Deterrence" is the fruit of decades of work and careful observation. Marking a unique contribution to the Iran nuclear canon, Mr. Dareini's book explores the roots and purpose of Iran's nuclear ambitions, from a US-supported program under the pro-West Shah, to a source of US and Israeli vilification in the hands of the Islamic Republic. "Legitimate Deterrence" follows Iran's quest for nuclear and scientific know-how, while exploring Iran's nuanced strategic thinking that prompted a showdown with the West, and finally a landmark nuclear deal. As hostile rhetoric once again rises between the US and Iran, Dareini's book provides invaluable insight into the thinking of Iranian decision-makers." -Scott Peterson, author of "Let the Swords Encircle Me: Iran - A Journey Behind the Headlines"


Book Synopsis Legitimate Deterrence by : Ali Akbar Dareini

Download or read book Legitimate Deterrence written by Ali Akbar Dareini and published by . This book was released on 2017-09-18 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Advance praise for Legitimate Deterrence "Based on the chapters that I have been provided, this book will be an essential resource to all those interested in understanding the issues relating to Iran's nuclear program. Dareini has studied all aspects of the program and the negotiations over it. His treatment is factual and his conclusion that Iran's government wanted a nuclear-weapon capability and not nuclear weapons is consistent with my own understanding." - Frank von Hippel, Professor of Public and International Affairs emeritus, Princeton University "A thoughtful exploration and a fascinating chronicle of Iran's nuclear program and diplomacy; the veteran journalist Ali Akbar Dareini has drawn on many years of his experience to produce a very detailed and documented account of the developments from day one until after the landmark nuclear deal was reached with world powers in 2015. It's an extraordinary achievement." -Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Middle East & Nuclear Policy Specialist at Princeton University and ex-senior nuclear negotiator, author of "Iran and the United States: An Insider's View on Failed Past and the Road to Peace" "No one has more experience reporting from inside Iran on nuclear issues than Ali Dareini, whose book "Legitimate Deterrence" is the fruit of decades of work and careful observation. Marking a unique contribution to the Iran nuclear canon, Mr. Dareini's book explores the roots and purpose of Iran's nuclear ambitions, from a US-supported program under the pro-West Shah, to a source of US and Israeli vilification in the hands of the Islamic Republic. "Legitimate Deterrence" follows Iran's quest for nuclear and scientific know-how, while exploring Iran's nuanced strategic thinking that prompted a showdown with the West, and finally a landmark nuclear deal. As hostile rhetoric once again rises between the US and Iran, Dareini's book provides invaluable insight into the thinking of Iranian decision-makers." -Scott Peterson, author of "Let the Swords Encircle Me: Iran - A Journey Behind the Headlines"


Post-Cold War Conflict Deterrence

Post-Cold War Conflict Deterrence

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1997-04-02

Total Pages: 243

ISBN-13: 0309175100

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Deterrence as a strategic concept evolved during the Cold War. During that period, deterrence strategy was aimed mainly at preventing aggression against the United States and its close allies by the hostile Communist power centersâ€"the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its allies, Communist China and North Korea. In particular, the strategy was devised to prevent aggression involving nuclear attack by the USSR or China. Since the end of the Cold War, the risk of war among the major powers has subsided to the lowest point in modern history. Still, the changing nature of the threats to American and allied security interests has stimulated a considerable broadening of the deterrence concept. Post-Cold War Conflict Deterrence examines the meaning of deterrence in this new environment and identifies key elements of a post-Cold War deterrence strategy and the critical issues in devising such a strategy. It further examines the significance of these findings for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Quantitative and qualitative measures to support judgments about the potential success or failure of deterrence are identified. Such measures will bear on the suitability of the naval forces to meet the deterrence objectives. The capabilities of U.S. naval forces that especially bear on the deterrence objectives also are examined. Finally, the book examines the utility of models, games, and simulations as decision aids in improving the naval forces' understanding of situations in which deterrence must be used and in improving the potential success of deterrence actions.


Book Synopsis Post-Cold War Conflict Deterrence by : National Research Council

Download or read book Post-Cold War Conflict Deterrence written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1997-04-02 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deterrence as a strategic concept evolved during the Cold War. During that period, deterrence strategy was aimed mainly at preventing aggression against the United States and its close allies by the hostile Communist power centersâ€"the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its allies, Communist China and North Korea. In particular, the strategy was devised to prevent aggression involving nuclear attack by the USSR or China. Since the end of the Cold War, the risk of war among the major powers has subsided to the lowest point in modern history. Still, the changing nature of the threats to American and allied security interests has stimulated a considerable broadening of the deterrence concept. Post-Cold War Conflict Deterrence examines the meaning of deterrence in this new environment and identifies key elements of a post-Cold War deterrence strategy and the critical issues in devising such a strategy. It further examines the significance of these findings for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Quantitative and qualitative measures to support judgments about the potential success or failure of deterrence are identified. Such measures will bear on the suitability of the naval forces to meet the deterrence objectives. The capabilities of U.S. naval forces that especially bear on the deterrence objectives also are examined. Finally, the book examines the utility of models, games, and simulations as decision aids in improving the naval forces' understanding of situations in which deterrence must be used and in improving the potential success of deterrence actions.


Strategic Thinking, Deterrence and the US Ballistic Missile Defense Project

Strategic Thinking, Deterrence and the US Ballistic Missile Defense Project

Author: Reuben Steff

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-04-01

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 1317049454

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A systematic critical survey of American strategic thinking and the strategic culture in which it is formed. In particular, this book seeks to interrogate the theory and strategy of nuclear deterrence, and its relationship to the concept of missile defence. Drawing widely on the theoretical literature in international relations and strategic studies, it identifies the key groups that have competed over America's nuclear policy post-1945 and examines how the concept of missile defence went through a process of gestation and intellectual contestation, leading to its eventual legitimization in the late 1990s. Steff sheds light on the individuals, groups, institutions and processes that led to the decision by the Bush administration to deploy a national missile defence shield. Additionally, Steff systematically examines the impact deployment had on the calculations of Russia and China. In the process he explains that their reactions under the Bush administration have continued into the Obama era, revealing that a new great power security dilemma has broken out. This, Steff shows, has led to a decline in great power relations as a consequence.


Book Synopsis Strategic Thinking, Deterrence and the US Ballistic Missile Defense Project by : Reuben Steff

Download or read book Strategic Thinking, Deterrence and the US Ballistic Missile Defense Project written by Reuben Steff and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-01 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A systematic critical survey of American strategic thinking and the strategic culture in which it is formed. In particular, this book seeks to interrogate the theory and strategy of nuclear deterrence, and its relationship to the concept of missile defence. Drawing widely on the theoretical literature in international relations and strategic studies, it identifies the key groups that have competed over America's nuclear policy post-1945 and examines how the concept of missile defence went through a process of gestation and intellectual contestation, leading to its eventual legitimization in the late 1990s. Steff sheds light on the individuals, groups, institutions and processes that led to the decision by the Bush administration to deploy a national missile defence shield. Additionally, Steff systematically examines the impact deployment had on the calculations of Russia and China. In the process he explains that their reactions under the Bush administration have continued into the Obama era, revealing that a new great power security dilemma has broken out. This, Steff shows, has led to a decline in great power relations as a consequence.


Tailored Deterrence

Tailored Deterrence

Author: Barry R. Schneider

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 466

ISBN-13: 9780974740386

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Book Synopsis Tailored Deterrence by : Barry R. Schneider

Download or read book Tailored Deterrence written by Barry R. Schneider and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Conventional Deterrence

Conventional Deterrence

Author: John J. Mearsheimer

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 1985-08-21

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1501713256

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Conventional Deterrence is a book about the origins of war. Why do nations faced with the prospect of large-scale conventional war opt for or against an offensive strategy? John J. Mearsheimer examines a number of crises that led to major conventional wars to explain why deterrence failed. He focuses first on Allied and German decision making in the years 1939–1940, analyzing why the Allies did not strike first against Germany after declaring war and, conversely, why the Germans did attack the West. Turning to the Middle East, he examines the differences in Israeli and Egyptian strategic doctrines prior to the start of the major conventional conflicts in that region. Mearsheimer then critically assays the relative strengths and weaknesses of NATO and the Warsaw Pact to determine the prospects for conventional deterrence in any future crisis. He is also concerned with examining such relatively technical issues as the impact of precision-guided munitions (PGM) on conventional deterrence and the debate over maneuver versus attrition warfare.Mearsheimer pays considerable attention to questions of military strategy and tactics. Challenging the claim that conventional detrrence is largely a function of the numerical balance of forces, he also takes issue with the school of thought that ascribes deterrence failures to the dominance of "offensive" weaponry. In addition to examining the military consideration underlying deterrence, he also analyzes the interaction between those military factors and the broader political considerations that move a nation to war.


Book Synopsis Conventional Deterrence by : John J. Mearsheimer

Download or read book Conventional Deterrence written by John J. Mearsheimer and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 1985-08-21 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conventional Deterrence is a book about the origins of war. Why do nations faced with the prospect of large-scale conventional war opt for or against an offensive strategy? John J. Mearsheimer examines a number of crises that led to major conventional wars to explain why deterrence failed. He focuses first on Allied and German decision making in the years 1939–1940, analyzing why the Allies did not strike first against Germany after declaring war and, conversely, why the Germans did attack the West. Turning to the Middle East, he examines the differences in Israeli and Egyptian strategic doctrines prior to the start of the major conventional conflicts in that region. Mearsheimer then critically assays the relative strengths and weaknesses of NATO and the Warsaw Pact to determine the prospects for conventional deterrence in any future crisis. He is also concerned with examining such relatively technical issues as the impact of precision-guided munitions (PGM) on conventional deterrence and the debate over maneuver versus attrition warfare.Mearsheimer pays considerable attention to questions of military strategy and tactics. Challenging the claim that conventional detrrence is largely a function of the numerical balance of forces, he also takes issue with the school of thought that ascribes deterrence failures to the dominance of "offensive" weaponry. In addition to examining the military consideration underlying deterrence, he also analyzes the interaction between those military factors and the broader political considerations that move a nation to war.


Deterrence in American Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice

Deterrence in American Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice

Author: Alexander L. George

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 1974

Total Pages: 684

ISBN-13: 9780231038386

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Book Synopsis Deterrence in American Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice by : Alexander L. George

Download or read book Deterrence in American Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice written by Alexander L. George and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 1974 with total page 684 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Proceedings of a Workshop on Deterring Cyberattacks

Proceedings of a Workshop on Deterring Cyberattacks

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2010-10-30

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 0309160359

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In a world of increasing dependence on information technology, the prevention of cyberattacks on a nation's important computer and communications systems and networks is a problem that looms large. Given the demonstrated limitations of passive cybersecurity defense measures, it is natural to consider the possibility that deterrence might play a useful role in preventing cyberattacks against the United States and its vital interests. At the request of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Research Council undertook a two-phase project aimed to foster a broad, multidisciplinary examination of strategies for deterring cyberattacks on the United States and of the possible utility of these strategies for the U.S. government. The first phase produced a letter report providing basic information needed to understand the nature of the problem and to articulate important questions that can drive research regarding ways of more effectively preventing, discouraging, and inhibiting hostile activity against important U.S. information systems and networks. The second phase of the project entailed selecting appropriate experts to write papers on questions raised in the letter report. A number of experts, identified by the committee, were commissioned to write these papers under contract with the National Academy of Sciences. Commissioned papers were discussed at a public workshop held June 10-11, 2010, in Washington, D.C., and authors revised their papers after the workshop. Although the authors were selected and the papers reviewed and discussed by the committee, the individually authored papers do not reflect consensus views of the committee, and the reader should view these papers as offering points of departure that can stimulate further work on the topics discussed. The papers presented in this volume are published essentially as received from the authors, with some proofreading corrections made as limited time allowed.


Book Synopsis Proceedings of a Workshop on Deterring Cyberattacks by : National Research Council

Download or read book Proceedings of a Workshop on Deterring Cyberattacks written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-10-30 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a world of increasing dependence on information technology, the prevention of cyberattacks on a nation's important computer and communications systems and networks is a problem that looms large. Given the demonstrated limitations of passive cybersecurity defense measures, it is natural to consider the possibility that deterrence might play a useful role in preventing cyberattacks against the United States and its vital interests. At the request of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Research Council undertook a two-phase project aimed to foster a broad, multidisciplinary examination of strategies for deterring cyberattacks on the United States and of the possible utility of these strategies for the U.S. government. The first phase produced a letter report providing basic information needed to understand the nature of the problem and to articulate important questions that can drive research regarding ways of more effectively preventing, discouraging, and inhibiting hostile activity against important U.S. information systems and networks. The second phase of the project entailed selecting appropriate experts to write papers on questions raised in the letter report. A number of experts, identified by the committee, were commissioned to write these papers under contract with the National Academy of Sciences. Commissioned papers were discussed at a public workshop held June 10-11, 2010, in Washington, D.C., and authors revised their papers after the workshop. Although the authors were selected and the papers reviewed and discussed by the committee, the individually authored papers do not reflect consensus views of the committee, and the reader should view these papers as offering points of departure that can stimulate further work on the topics discussed. The papers presented in this volume are published essentially as received from the authors, with some proofreading corrections made as limited time allowed.