Reid B.C. Pauly

Strategic Secrecy

In an article in International Security, a co-author and I investigate the puzzles of why states sometimes cover up the transgressions of adversaries, and why strategic deniability is of more use to some states than to others.

In an article in International Studies Quarterly, I examine the constructive ambiguity of the nonproliferation regime. Violators are more likely to come into compliance if they can deny they were ever out of compliance. The deniable nature of dual-use technology sometimes helps enforcers. This research is informed by archival evidence drawn from the IAEA.