Bio
Dr. David H. Sacko is Professor and the Political Science Department Deputy Department Head. Since joining USAFA in June 2002, he has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar to the University of Warsaw in 2007 and again in 2022-23, completed post-doctoral educational experiences at Washington University, the University of Michigan, Cornell University, and in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Recent research interests include Russian grand strategy and economic influence, Russian civil-military relations, Russian strategic culture, and the Japan-Russia territorial conflict. Other work assesses the likelihood of peace between states that provide political empowerment for their women, grand strategy and irregular warfare, and the effect of economic growth on state conflict initiation. His book The Unipolar World: An Unbalanced Future (Palgrave Press, 2007) situates unipolarity in contemporary world politics scholarship while other publications include articles in International Studies Quarterly, Comparative Technology Transfer and Technology, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, Contemporary Security Policy, Conflict Management and Development, Journal of Political Science Education. His INSS papers include “Multipolar Rebalance in Europe” October 2014, “Poland Emergent: Poland’s Role in Regional Stability,” May 2011, “Stormy Waters Ahead? Poland’s Transatlantic Relationship,” May 2008, “Polish Security Threats: History in the Making,”November 2005 and “Diagnosing Counter-Balance: Foreign Elite Opinion and The Stability of Hegemonic Regimes,” October 2003. Dr. Sacko has traveled to the post-Soviet sphere extensively conducting research in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
He was named an Outstanding Academy Educator in 2005 and selected by the class of 2009 as the Heiser Professor of Social Science and Humanities. His teaching has also been honored by the American Political Science Association and the Department of Political Science at USAFA. He has taught various courses including US Foreign and National Security Policy, Politics of Eurasia, Geopolitics, International Relations Theory, Comparative Politics, Politics of War, International Security, Introduction to American Government, American Foreign Policy, American Government and National Security Policy, Introduction to Political Science and Methodology, Politics of the Former Soviet Union.
In addition, he has held a commission in the US Navy Reserve Force since 2012 having had assignments in Stuttgart, Gemany, Dam Neck, Virginia, Newport, Rhode Island, Honolulu, Hawaii, San Diego, CA and Suitland, MD as well as having deployed in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel to Kabul, Afghanistan and Doha, Qatar in 2019. He is Chair-emeritus of the International Security Section of the American Political Science Association. He has been a peer reviewer for Journal of Politics, International Studies Quarterly, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Conflict Management and Peace Science, Journal of Peace Research. He is a member of the American Political Science Association (Conflict Processes, International Security, and Teaching sections) International Studies Association (Scientific Studies of International Processes, International Security sections) and the Peace Science Society (International).
Education
Ph.D., Political Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, Major Field: International Relations, Minor Fields: American Politics and Methodology (2003)
M.A., Political Science, Binghamton University, New York, Major Field: World Politics, Minor Field, Methodology (1997)
B.A., Political Science, East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania, Mathematics Concentration.
Professional Experience
Professor, U.S Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado (2009-present)
Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy Reserve
Fulbright Scholar, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland (2007, 2022-23)
Assistant/Associate Professor, U.S. Air Force Academy (2002-2009)
Honors & Awards
Institute for National Security Studies Outstanding U.S. Air Force Academy Researcher (2009)
William H. Heiser Professor of the Year, Class of 2009
Finalist for USAFA’s Senior Class Teaching Award (Awarded to One Faculty Member) (2008)
Fulbright Scholar to Warsaw University’s Institute of International Relations (2007)
Coble Award for Outstanding Research, Political Science (2006)
Outstanding Academy Educator, US Air Force Academy (2005)
Outstanding Upper Division Instructor, Political Science (2004)
Research and Scholarly Interests
World Politics and Security Studies
Russian Security Affairs and Politics of East and Central Europe
Scientific Study of International Processes and Methodology
Publications
“Economic Growth’s Catalyzing Effect on War,” Defence and Peace Economics, October 2022.
“The Regularity of Irregular War: Defining Victory in Endless Wars.” In American Defense Policy, 10th Edition, edited by John Riley. UP: Johns Hopkins, 2021.
“All Quiet on the Eastern Front: Russia and Japan’s Forgotten Territorial Dispute.” Journal of Indo-Pacom Affairs. October 2020.
“The Power of Technology: U.S. Hegemony and the Transfer of Military Technology during the Cold War.” Comparative Technology Transfer and Society. 2008.
“Chinese and American Security Policies in the Post-Cold War World: Unilateral and Multilateral Responses to the Changing International Environment” In The United States, Russia, and China: Confronting Global Terrorism and Security Challenges in the 21st Century, edited by Sharyl Cross, 8-31. New York: Praeger, 2008 (with Su Changhe, Paul J. Bolt and Robin L. Bowman).
“Europe-Russia-U.S.: Whither Are We Drifting?” In The United States, Russia, and China: Confronting Global Terrorism and Security Challenges in the 21st Century, edited by Sharyl Cross, 121-139. New York: Praeger, 2008 (with D Katsy and K Khudoley).
“Global NATO: Bandwagoning in a Unipolar World,” December 2007 Contemporary Security Policy, Volume 28, Issue 3: 597-618 (with Tom Mowle).
The Unipolar Dilemma: An Unbalanced Future, New York: Palgrave Press, February 2007 (withTom Mowle).
“Determinants of Cross-National Trade Policy: Domestic Constraint or Liberal Commerce?” 2006. Conflict Management and Development. Volume 2, Issue 2: 106-116.
“The Ir-relevance of Militarized Interstate Disputes for Trade,” March 2002 International Studies Quarterly 46:11-43 (with Quan Li).
“Money with a Mean Streak? Foreign Economic Penetration and Government Respect for Human Rights in Developing Countries,” June 2001 International Studies Quarterly 45:219-239 (with David Richards and Ronald Gelleny).