Politics of verification
The most significant political aspect of verification is the role it plays in reinforcing or undermining public confidence in arms control agreements. Proponents of arms control are fond of pointing out that cheating on agreements is virtually impossible because US satellite cameras can read Soviet license plates or the headlines in Pravda. Opponents of arms control are even more resourceful in their ability to make long lists of Soviet violations of existing treaties and terrifying scenarios of violations of future ones. Both positions are exaggerated, but since virtually all of the relevant information is secret, the public has few facts on which to judge independently the success of the verification process. For this reason, the issue of verification can be used to manipulate public and world opinion on arms control questions. So far, the Reagan administration has not had to define its position on verification very carefully, since its quarrels with arms control have focused on the alleged inequities of past agreements and on the issue of Soviet compliance, something quite different from verification. 17 references.
- Research Organization:
- Hampshire College, Amherst, MA
- OSTI ID:
- 5092397
- Journal Information:
- World Policy J.; (United States), Vol. 2:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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POLICY AND ECONOMY
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
ARMS CONTROL
POLITICAL ASPECTS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
TESTING
VALIDATION
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
WEAPONS
290600* - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy
450300 - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Nuclear Explosion Detection