University of California Riverside — Department of Political Science
POSC 020 – World Politics
Professor Jeremy Busacca October 20, 2023
For this essay, you are being asked to address the main arguments in How Civil Wars Start. In your essays, you will need to weigh the import of those arguments, the evidence presented, and the author’s conclusions. Please answer ONE of the following prompts as thoroughly and completely as possible. Your essays will be due Wednesday, November 1 2023 on Canvas by the end of the day. Make sure your essay meets these formatting requirements:
• 12-point Helvetica, Times, or Times New Roman Font
• Double-spacing and normally spaced margins with no extra spaces
• A proper and consistent form of citation listing author, page number, and source (and if needed a works-cited page, references, or bibliography page).
• A separate cover page and a paper of no less than five written pages minus the cover page
1. Causes of Civil War — According to Barbara Walter, what causes civil wars? Additionally, what factors seem to shape when and how civil wars commence? Examine and discuss at least two examples of civil war from the book in your essay. Given these factors, what issues do not seem to shape how and why civil wars start? Why do some factors seem to matter more than others in shaping when and how a civil war emerges?
2. Contemporary Case Study — Examine one of the following cases and provide some background from the International Crisis Group (crisisgroup.org), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (carnegieendowment.org), and the Council on Foreign Relations (www.cfr.org) on the origins and background to this conflict. Now reflect on the main factors leading to this conflict and contrast them with those raised by Dr. Walter in the book. Do the factors that she discusses seem to have a bearing on this particular civil war? Why or why not? If there are different factors, why do these seem to matter more in this case of civil war as opposed to others?
o Sudan
o Yemen
o Myanmar (2021-present)
o South Sudan
o Syria
o Ethiopia
3. On the Brink — If the United States has been moving closer to the possibility of a civil war, what other countries are on that slippery slope? Identify the factors in at least two countries that are leading those countries towards civil war. What makes those countries similar to or different from the United States? Amongst these three countries, which is the most likely to fall into civil war and why? In your essay, make sure to be explicit in your analysis and how it applies to these countries.
4. Preventing Civil War — Review and discuss the ways that Dr. Walter states that civil wars can be prevented and mitigated. Where are these preventive measures and mitigative actions most likely to succeed? Why? Provide at least two examples and reference cases such as South Africa in your answer. If civil wars are inevitable, what can be done to limit the damage? Do civil wars require more domestic intervention or international attention in order to prevent them from occurring? Why?
