Conflict and Cooperation in the Global Commons

More than ever, international security and economic prosperity depend upon safe access to the shared domains that make up the global commons: maritime, air, space, and cyberspace. Together these domains serve as essential conduits through which international commerce, communication, and governance prosper. However, the global commons are congested, contested, and competitive. In the January 2012 defense strategic guidance, the United States confirmed its commitment “to continue to lead global efforts with capable allies and partners to assure access to and use of the global commons, both by strengthening international norms of responsible behavior and by maintaining relevant and interoperable military capabilities.”

In the face of persistent threats, some hybrid in nature, and their consequences, Conflict and Cooperation in the Global Commons provides a forum where contributors identify ways to strengthen and maintain responsible use of the global commons. The result is a comprehensive approach that will enhance, align, and unify commercial industry, civil agency, and military perspectives and actions.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Contested Superiority in the Commons
Thomas G. Mahnken

Introduction: A Comprehensive Approach
Scott Jasper and Scott Moreland

Part I. Security Dynamics
1. Problems in Collective Action
Sandra R. Leavitt
2. The Character of Conflict
Ian K. Adam
3. Strategies of Deterrence
Schuyler Foerster

Part II. Conflict Methods
4. The Maritime Commons and Military Power
Sam J. Tangredi
5. Coercive Aerospace Campaigns
Mark A. Stokes and Ian Easton
6. Aggression in Cyberspace
Kevin G. Coleman

Part III. Cooperative Opportunities
7. Building Collaborative Capacity for Maritime Security
Susan Page Hocevar
8. Assuring Joint Operational Access
Paul S. Giarra
9. Shaping the Outer Space and Cyberspace Environments
Marc J. Berkowitz

Part IV. Interface Mechanisms
10. Maritime Security Consortiums
Gordan E. Van Hook
11. Cyber Security Social Contract
Larry Clinton

Part V. Behavioral Norms
12. Setting Norms for Activities in Space
Michael Krepon
13. Establishing Rules for Cyber Security
Eneken Tikk

Conclusion: Avoiding Conflict and Facilitating Cooperation
Scott Jasper and Scott Moreland

Selected Bibliography

About the Contributors

Index

Reviews

"Provides a thorough introduction to the global commons as a topic of import."—Military Review

"This book will definitely fill our knowledge gaps about shared international domains that are absolutely essential to our security and prosperity."—ACUNS

"America’s ability to project power underwrites global peace and prosperity. Yet US power projection and freedom of action are threatened—at sea, in the air, in outer space, and in cyberspace. This volume provides a treasure trove of insights about how to protect the global commons well into the future."—Patrick M. Cronin, senior advisor and senior director of the Asia program, Center for a New American Security

"The emergence of new powers, spread of computer networks, increasing international access to space, and ease of transmitting ideas raise questions about a global order whose preservation points toward relative stability and progress and whose fracturing leads in the opposite direction. Scott Jasper’s Conflict and Cooperation in the Global Commons has been published with perfect timing. It discusses these and related questions with elegance and a thoughtfulness that looks to future security and demands attention from those who want to understand how it is likely to unfold."—Seth Cropsy, senior fellow, Hudson Institute

Contributors

Ian K. AdamMarc J. BerkowitzLarry ClintonKevin G. ColemanIan EastonSchuyler FoersterPaul S. GiarraSusan Page HocevarScott JasperMichael KreponSandra R. LeavittThomas G. MahnkenScott MorelandMark A. StokesSam J. TangrediEneken TikkGordan E. Van Hook

Supplemental Materials

Awards

About the Author

Scott Jasper is a retired Navy captain and lecturer at the US Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Civil-Military Relations and was formerly Associate Dean for the School of International Graduate Studies there. He has edited two previous books, Transforming Defense Capabilities and Securing Freedom in the Global Commons.