The paper needs to be a complete research paper and needs to link theory to cases and use one of the following methodologies: case study, comparative method, quantitative method, or game theory. The paper needs to assess a theory, unless a process tracing case study is used, and then it must propose a theory. The paper needs to be 5,000 words (20 pages). It must follow the APSA citation format, which is standard for our discipline.
The Research Paper should be double-spaced, including page numbers, and a works cited section. All citations need to be noted in the text and the paper must use the APSA citation format.
The full capstone guidance and project outline as well as two case study capstone examples are attached.
Capstone Topic
Title: Strategic Blindness: Failure of Western Interventionist Policies from the Cold War to the Global War on Terror.
Research Purpose
This research investigates the recurring failure of Western interventions, despite overwhelming material capabilities. It aims to identify the systemic features of international relations that inhibit the construction of locally legitimate post-intervention regimes, and to develop a generalizable framework for understanding intervention outcomes.
Hypothesis
Interventions that rely on externally imposed political orders are more likely to fail due to a lack of local legitimacy.
Rationale
This topic addresses why Western interventions repeatedly fail to achieve sustainable political outcomes despite superior military and economic power. I will be comparing Cold War interventions (Vietnam, Angola, Afghanistan (1979–89), Chile) with GWOT cases (Iraq, Afghanistan (2001–21), Libya).
Research Question
What political, cultural, or economic factors have undermined Western interventionist policies during the Cold War and the GWOT, and what structural features of international relations perpetuate these failures?
Potential Theoretical Framework
- Realism (e.g., balance of power, security interests)
- Constructivism (e.g., legitimacy, norms, identity)
- Principal-Agent Theory (delegation problems in local governance)
- State-building Literature (e.g., Fukuyama, Paris, Ignatieff)
- Legitimacy Theory (Weberian, and contemporary applications in IR)
Research Method
Comparative Case Study Analysis using Mill’s method of similarity/difference and using structured, focused comparison across three Cold War and three GWOT-era interventions
- Cold War: Vietnam, Afghanistan (1979–89), Chile
- GWOT: Iraq (2003–2011), Afghanistan (2001–2021), Libya
Potential Sources
- Stephen Krasner’s “Organized Hypocrisy”
- David Edelstein’s “Occupational Hazards”
- James Fearon & David Laitin’s work on civil wars and intervention
- Roland Paris on liberal peacebuilding
- Stathis Kalyvas on local dynamics in civil war
- Martha Finnemore on norms of intervention
- Francis Fukuyama and Michael Ignatieff on state-building and liberal imperialism