Use of Force Article Review

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 1625 words ( 5 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1

Page 1 of 5

Force: Examining the Most Relevant Articles

The article "The Four Functions of Force" by Robert Art details exactly that: the main purposes for using force in a given situation. Those purposes are as follows: defense, deterrence, compellence and swagger. While these reasons are indeed distinct, as Art demonstrates, it can be difficult from time to determine the exact purpose that a particular state has selected. In this sense, the main issue revolves around the fact that it can be challenging to determine clearly the motives of a given state at any time. Examining the first use of force, defense, it can be described as mainly using military power to reduce destruction to oneself if attacked, and to help motivate decisions to act early. Art describes deterrence as "the threat of retaliation to prevent something undesirable from happening" (2012). This move for deterrence can be focused at a particular group of people or an industrial infrastructure and its effectiveness is based on the ability to demonstrate that as a force one has the will and power to punish. Both defense and deterrence are designed to protect state or allies in from a physical attack. Both have a focus on dissuading and desiring to not persuade others to take harmful action against one. When it comes to defense and deterrence, their success depends on "a) quantitative balance of forces between state and adversary b) qualitative balance of forces i.e. does the states military technology favour defense or offense" (Art, 2012).

On the other hand, Art describes compellence as the deployment of military power to thwart an adversary from continuing a particular action and to attempt to impact an adversary to engage in a new action (2012). As Art describes, this can be either physical or peaceful. Both deterrence and compliance are distinguished by their active/passive use of force. Finally, swaggering refers to the use of military power for needs not connected to defense, deterrence of compliance, but which is usually a function of increasing the ultimate and overall prestige of a given state (Art, 2012).

On the other hand, in "The Diplomacy of Violence" Schelling maintains that a subtle but important distinction between the ideas of deterrence and compellence: these slight differences are necessary to understand what he views as "the diplomacy of violence." One of the most memorable statements from this article is the following: "The diplomacy of violence is the art of coercion and intimidation" (1966). Schelling firmly believes that because modern weapons technology has dramatically changed the nature of war, making it more punitive than seeking to acquire land or people, it simply isn't accurate to view military strategy in the traditional science (Schelling, 1966). Schelling argues that this is the age of nuclear weapons, and that military power is not so much exercised as it is threatened over people -- thus creating what he believes to be the diplomacy of violence, creating a premium on the mastery of threat methodologies, such as deterrence and compellence (Schelling, 1966). Thus, as Schelling explains, deterrence is the threat intended to prevent an adversary from starting something, whereas compellence is what he views as the threat or push to an adversary to do something -- to engage in some manner. Thus, the overall distinction is founded on the timing and the overall initiative in who is compelled to make the first move, and who's initiative is ultimately being tested (Schelling, 1966). Schelling offers a clear example -- deterrence might be as simple as burning escape bridges behind one.

Likewise, the chapter, "The Shape of Violence Today" illustrates an ultimate decline with international and civil wars despite the fact that criminal violence is growing each day. The World Bank demonstrates that his is a fact that needs to better appreciated by our species as a whole. Violence has declined in the international and civil arena, pointing perhaps to the fact that as the world becomes smarter and better educated, it is also becoming more peaceful.

Stuck Writing Your "Use of Force" Article Review?

View All Our Example Use of Force Article Review

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

The number of wars is decreasing, as are the numbers of people getting killed in battles. This chapter demonstrates that on a global level it is possible that we're becoming more peaceful, though on a street level this is not the case. While some might argue with this, one can't dispute the numbers. For instance, the number of genocide deaths per world population was thousands of times higher decades ago. A range of theories exist for this, one of which is connected to IQ. Testing the IQs of world populations demonstrates that with each decade, teenagers are smarter than the previous decade, thus, creating a gentler, kinder world. Criminal violence is on the rise, most likely because we've been recovering from a global economic crisis and that conditions of instability in finance create breeding grounds for more crime and violence.

On a slightly different note, Bruce Hoffman is able to redefine terrorism in a compelling and meaningful manner which helps people to view it through a new perspective with a more persuasive definition. Hoffman pushes for viewing terrorism as a political concept which is a key attribute that he argues that is necessary for understanding the pillars which shape and impact terrorism, and the motivations and goals of terrorism. "Terrorism, in the most widely accepted contemporary usage of the term, is fundamentally and inherently political. It is also ineluctably about power: the pursuit of power, the acquisition of power, and the use of power to achieve political change. Terrorism is thus violence -- or, equally important, the threat of violence -- used and directed in pursuit of, or in service of, a political aim" (Hoffman, 1998). This is an important point to bear in mind, Hoffman argues, as one can support the idea of a terrorist as someone who tries to further his own views through a system of coercive intimidation (Hoffman, 1998). Another detail that Hoffman offers which is an important distinguishing detail, is that in order for a criminal act to be qualified as a terrorist act, the violence needs to be pushed forth by a particular organizational entity with a structure that has an element of conspiratorial structure and a concrete chain of command that moves beyond a single individual moving on his or her own (Hoffman, 1998). This leads to an incredibly noteworthy point of Hoffman, which is that terrorism is more than anything an "altruistic" individual: "he believes that he is serving a 'good' cause designed to achieve a greater good for a wider constituency -- whether real or imagined -- which the terrorist and his organization purport to represent. The criminal, by comparison, serves no cause at all, just his own personal aggrandizement and material satiation" (Hoffman, 1998). In this manner, Hoffman makes it abundantly clear that a terrorist "without a cause" is not actually a terrorist at all. A terrorist and acts of terrorism are characterized by politically founded aims and motives, violence, far-reaching psychological repercussions with a set chain of command and are often perpetrated by a subnational group or non-state entity (Hoffman, 1998).

On a connected note, Robert Pape details the motivations and methodologies which thrive and exist behind terrorism, ultimately finding that suicide terrorism is rising all over the world, but the most common explanations do not really shed light on the motivations which allow this phenomenon to thrive. Answers like religious fanaticism are insufficient in understanding what motivates so many terrorists and psychological explanations have also frequently been contradicted by increasingly large ranges of socioeconomic backgrounds which does not help in advancing the understanding of suicide terrorists at all (Pape, 2003). Pape's article seeks to aggressively advance the understanding of this dynamic, collecting a strong gathering of suicide terrorist attacks from 1980 to 2001, which all contrast the existing explanations for the reasons which motivate….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


Related Essays

Use of Force by Police

Police use of force There is no single globally accepted definition of use of force by police officers. The National Institute of Justice, which is a subsidiary of the Justice Department concurs with this. This leaves the approximately 18,000 police agencies in America with the leeway to formulate their own policies regarding the use of force. Some agencies may address the issue while some may not. The Justice Department has however provided a use-of-force continuum. This refers to a step-by-step manner in which the police officers can act in order to… Continue Reading...

Improving Public Relations Between the Police Department and the Citizens

numerous public complaints as well as allegations within the last two years that point towards excessive use of force by police officers in the apprehension of suspects within the city, there is need to develop a brief that explores the various measures that could be adopted in seeking to enhance our officers’ relations with the community while at the same time attempting to minimize instances of unnecessary aggression and use of force. In essence, in seeking to effect arrests, officers should utilize force that is not only commensurate with the risk posed, but also objectively reasonable. The relevance of formulating blueprints and implementing strategies meant to… Continue Reading...

Police Organization and Administration

for preventing and ongoing training programs should be conducted regularly. 8. Use of Force Continuum. The use of force continuum has been a highly publicized concept in recent years. Basically, for an officer to use force against a potential threat, the threat presented needs to be justified on reasonable grounds. For example, if a suspect is evading and is known to be armed and dangerous then this could justify the use of lethal force. However, if someone is arguing over a traffic ticket then deadly force is not required. 9. Causes and symptoms of an unmotivated work force. External tangible motivators.… Continue Reading...

Criminal Law Cases Examinations

other young men beside him, and said, “Give me five dollars”: there was no use of force nor was their a display of a weapon. The Defendant answered by standing and releasing four shots from his unlicensed gun, the one that he had been carrying in the waistband of his pants. A bullet made contact with each of the young men and then Goetz fired another shot at Cabey, permanently damaging his spinal cord. Goetz fled the scene, ultimately surrendering himself to the police in New Hampshire a week later. Much of the controversy surrounding the case revolves around whether or not a person… Continue Reading...

Self Defense Laws and Castle Doctrine

use of force. For example, a person who is about to commit a mugging or robbery might think twice if they believe their intended victim could be carrying a deadly weapon that they are fully prepared to wield. Use of force in self-defense is both a Constitutional right and an affirmation of personal liberty. It is true that some people could abuse their rights and liberties by using force when it was unnecessary, and that unnecessary use of force might result in serious injury or death. In fact, in 2014… Continue Reading...

Law Enforcement and Corrections

within the institutions. For instance, statistics indicate that in 2014, more than 40% of these juvenile detainees were subjected to the use of force by institutional guards at least once, and were in need of medical assistance for a significant figure of 450 times (Rose, 2014). In addition, according to a report from the New York Times (2015), the similar culture of violence has infested and spread in the state prison system, where guards beat inmates for sport with the knowledge and understanding that they will be protected by their union and therefore have job safety at the end of the day. There are recommendations made for institutional culture changes that… Continue Reading...

International Law on Overt and Covert Interventions

maintain international peace and security, and preventing violation and aggression. However, the principle of the international law prohibits the use of force against other state actors except where the security council authorizes the use of military force to restore the international peace or where a state uses the force as a self-defence. In the international arena, nation states have been found using the overt and covert method to exercise military interventions against other states. However, a self-defense is one of the major factors that provokes a state to exert the overt and covert interventions against other states. The objective of this essay is to investigate the aspect of international… Continue Reading...

Police Brutality and Behaviorism

because it is rewarded in some way. Police brutality is actually rewarded in two ways. First, police use of force is expected of officers, and linked to concepts of masculinity and power (Weaver, 2014). Officers are socialized on the force to use threats and violence as part of their tactics when confronting the public. A second way police brutality is rewarded is through the criminal justice system itself. Officers are often acquitted of charges against them, making it so that their excessive use of force and violence go unpunished (Nodjimbadem, 2017). Following from this, it would make sense to start punishing bad behavior in cops rather than… Continue Reading...

Police Brutality Essay

Potential Topics: Police Brutality and Race Police Violence and African Americans When Does the Use of Force Become Police Brutality? Police Brutality and the Black Lives Matter Movement Police Brutality and the Blue Lives Matter Movement Alternate Titles: The Use of Violence: Is there a Limit to the Amount of Force Police Officers Should Use on a Suspect? Why Just Comply Is Not the Answer to Police Brutality Are Minorities the Victims of Higher Rates of Police Violence? Police Brutality: Is there a War on Cops or a War by Cops? Outline: I. Introduction - Definition II. Body A. Definition B. Racial Disparity in… Continue Reading...

Imperialism the Industrial Revolution and Management

to the political and territorial expansion of powers by any means, including use of force. Generally the term is used in a derogatory way, to describe what “occurs when a strong nation takes over a weaker nation or region and dominates its economic, political, and cultural life,” (“What is Imperialism?” n.d. ,p. 1). Imperialism and its counterpart, colonialism, were commonly practiced until the twentieth century but still occurs to a degree today. One of the driving forces behind imperialism is the desire to access raw materials and human resources. If an imperial power, like Britain was for centuries, had sufficient wealth and… Continue Reading...

Killing Consensus About Sao Paolo and Violence

use of force is considered equally as legitimate (as well as illegitimate) vs. the cop. There is an internal logic to the order and structure of PCC vs. cop. The system is based on social stratification and classification. There are cleavages based on race and status in the community. This leads to the judgments about how a crime is to be classified. The police organization itself is also highly structured. Chapter 7: "The Powerful?" In this chapter, the author talks about the perplexing resistance to change from almost all stakeholders… Continue Reading...

Human Trafficking Essay

Persons, human trafficking is “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons” through “the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation,” including sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or similar practices servitude or the removal of organs. As shown in Table 1 below, the constituent elements of human trafficking are all for the purposes of some type of… Continue Reading...

Importance of Gender in International Relations

centered on masculinity through emphasis on power, use of force, and eventual war.  During this period, the values and expectations of women have mostly been ignored.  However, significant progress in past century towards the establishment of a legal framework for gender equality, humanitarian issues and civil rights has changed this trend.  Modern international law and politics has focused on protecting the rights of women given that they are usually the most commonly affected people during social and ethnic conflicts.  As international law and politics has become increasingly dominated by the need to safeguard women’s values and expectations,… Continue Reading...

Why Teacher Discipline is Necessary

what resulted in her harm. Moreover, it was not an accidental shove but rather the result of Mr. Swanson’s uncontrolled passions, and any use of force by a teacher towards a student, especially a 7th grader, has to be taken extremely seriously. Whether Mr. Swanson’s actions can be categorized as an accident will be up to the determination of the Dean of Students, once a full review has been conducted. What is known, however, is that Mr. Swanson did shove the child—and that means a mandatory reporting requirement has been triggered. According to the Noble Staff Handbook (2018), the following steps must be taken with regard to Mr. Swanson’s conduct: · Notify Dean… Continue Reading...

Chivalry the Shield and Sir Gawain

use of force became part of the concept of chivalry: “As a code of honour, chivalry had as much investment in knightly autonomy and heroic violence as in any forms of restraint, either internal or external.”[footnoteRef:4] Chivalry created an atmosphere and environment in which one could be compelled in two opposites ends at once: a knight might boast in his chivalry and become full of self through demonstrations of valor and pride; on the other hand, chivalry could impose upon the knight certain constraints that would induce him to behave… Continue Reading...

How Pictures Shape the Story in Syria

for a reaction from the public—either support for intervention or condemnation of the use of force by governments that are not directly involved in the conflict. The paper examines the gassing incident at Khan Shaykhun in Syria to see how photojournalism played a part in shaping the responses of the American president. It also examines how spectacle, soft power, embedded reporting, interventionism and the CNN effect all play a part in shaping the narrative built on the work of photojournalists. The paper also discusses the impact of photojournalism in the Digital Age where the citizen journalists of today are also growing thanks to… Continue Reading...

Ultimate Nutrition Policy Statement

or morals of children (United States Department of Labour, 2016). 2. Employment Chosen at Liberty There shall be no use of forced, bonded, or compulsory labor or any other form of labor, which include use of involuntary penitentiary labor, and enslaved or trafficked individuals. This shall also include transporting, concealing, enrolling, shifting or accepting susceptible persons by way of intimidation, force, strong-arming, kidnapping or fraud for exploitation (Fair Labor Association, 2016). All work at Ultimate Nutrition must be chosen and personal shall be free to quit and terminate their employment after giving reasonable advance notice of at least two weeks. Workforce will not be required to give out any… Continue Reading...

sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Use Of Force" (2014, February 12) Retrieved June 4, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/use-force-182649

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Use Of Force" 12 February 2014. Web.4 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/use-force-182649>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Use Of Force", 12 February 2014, Accessed.4 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/use-force-182649
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example