ABSTRACT
The relationship between theory and policymaking is not a subject either theoreticians or policymakers are eager to establish or nourish. Both sides realize there is a connection between the two, but they remain skeptical that closer links would benefit either. Theory builders in the social sciences are reluctant to make the necessary compromises and concessions involved in translating their neat theories into policy recommendations; policymakers view most theory as too vague and unspecific. The proliferation of nuclear weapons is a good subject for social science theorizing, and such theorizing is especially opportune now. Nuclear weapons may be acquired as a hedge against external threat or for reasons of national prestige. They may also be built as a result of pressures by domestic coalitions among scientists, bureaucrats, and the military. The destructiveness of these weapons and the short flight-time of their delivery vehicles raise questions about civilian command and control, especially in acute crisis situations.
