NS3580 Comparative Border Security

This course offers a thorough introduction to the border as a geopolitical construct that materializes in territories of linear configuration the balance of power among nations or regions (both internal and supranational). We will study and compare the elements that make borders a singular geographic space with unique management challenges and institutions, its relation with conflict, security and war. Prerequisites: None.

Lecture Hours

Lab Hours

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this class, the student should be able to:

· Produce an analysis of policies related to border security challenges (including the maritime domain) that include elements of migration, territorial sovereignty, and the tradeoffs of those policies.

· Brief about the policy and political implications of tactical infrastructure at the border (walls, fences, sensors, bridges, etc.).

· Actively compare different border policies at multiple scales and come up with policy recommendations from those comparisons.

· Speak to an audience about the different institutions tasked with managing border security in the United States and some other places in the world.

· Include geopolitical content and methods in the analysis of domestic and international conflict and make policy recommendations based on case studies and concepts.