M3D1: Feral Cities and U.S Security Policy

38581M3D1: Feral Cities and U.S Security Policy

Richard Norton’s concept of the “feral city” has many obvious implications for international security. In this activity we discuss the challenges a failed metropolis would present for U.S. policymakers and the armed forces.

When you have completed this activity, you will be able to:

Discuss the concept of a feral city, and the special demands of operations inside a megacity (CO#2) and analyze the challenges of global urbanization for American security policy (CO#5).

Please respond to the following:

Norton observes that inside a feral city, the “state’s writ does not run” and that political authorities would be massively ignorant of conditions inside such a city. What, in your mind would be the greatest risks to national security presented by the emergence of a true feral city? What are the most obvious problems policymakers would need to address in containing these effects and restoring order to a feral city? Explain your answer with cited sources or other references.

Week 3 Reading:

Module Notes: Urbanization, Warfare and U.S. Power
Adamson, W.G. (2015) Megacities and the U.S. ArmyPreview the document [PDF, File Size 241 KB] Parameters (Spring 2015)
Khanna, P. (2010). Beyond city limits: The age of nations is over (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Foreign Policy, (181). 120.
Norton, R. J. (2003). FERAL CITIES (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Naval War College Review, 56(4), 97