American Political Science Review · 2009 · 120 citations · 93 references
Social SciencesInternational RelationsPolitical ScienceInternational SecuritySecurity StudiesStrategic StudiesNuclear DisarmamentNuclear GovernanceNuclear NonproliferationNuclear ProliferationNuclear StrategyNuclear Weapons PolicyNuclear Suppliers GroupNuclear Weapons ProliferationProliferation IncentivesSupply-side Platforms
States provide sensitive nuclear assistance to nonnuclear weapon states, contributing to nuclear proliferation, and this article introduces a new supply‑side approach to studying this spread. The study analyzes the determinants of sensitive nuclear assistance using a new data set on nuclear transfers, focusing on the supply side of proliferation. The authors use a new data set on sensitive nuclear transfers and a simple logic of differential proliferation effects to generate hypotheses about when states provide such assistance. The study finds that strategic characteristics of potential suppliers are the primary determinants of sensitive nuclear assistance, while economic motivations are not supported by the data.
Why do states provide sensitive nuclear assistance to nonnuclear weapon states, contributing to the international spread of nuclear weapons? Using a new data set on sensitive nuclear transfers, this article analyzes the determinants of sensitive nuclear assistance. I first describe a simple logic of the differential effects of nuclear proliferation, which I use to generate hypotheses about the conditions under which states provide sensitive nuclear assistance. I then show that the strategic characteristics of the potential nuclear suppliers are the most important determinants of sensitive nuclear assistance. Explanations that emphasize the importance of economic motivations do not find support in the data. This article presents a new approach to the study of the spread of nuclear weapons, focusing on the supply side of nuclear proliferation.
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