{"product_id":"system-effects-9780691005300","title":"System Effects","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBased on more than three decades of observation, this title concludes that the very foundations of many social science theories - especially those in political science - are faulty. It observes that we live in a world where things are interconnected, where unintended consequences of our actions are unavoidable and unpredictable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCo-Winner of the 1998 Best Book Award, Political Psychology Section of the American Political Science Association Winner of the 1998 Lionel Trilling Award, Columbia University Honorable Mention for the 1997 Award for Best Professional\/Scholarly Book in Government and Political Science, Association of American Publishers One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1998 \"Drawing on a diverse body of scholarly research and a wealth of illuminating examples, Jervis shows that 'system effects' are an important and often overlooked part of social and political life... His insights will capture the imagination of those who puzzle over other social problems as well... Viewed as a whole, System Effects offers a sobering and valuable moral.\"--Steven M. Walt, The Atlantic Monthly \"There are few doubts that System Effects is an important and timely book, one that should be studied closely not only by Foreign Offices, but by all people faced with the task of making decisions while uncertain about the consequences of alternative actions--and such people make a very large readership indeed.\"--Zygmunt Bauman, The Times Literary Supplement\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments   One Introduction   Definitions and Illustrations   WE CAN NEVER DO MERELY ONE THING   Emergent Properties   Interconnections   KINDS OF INTERCONNECTIONS   Games against Nature Are Not Games against Nature   Two System Effects   Indirect and Delayed Effects   Relations Are Often Not Bilaterally   Determined   Interactions, Not Additivity   FIRST INTERACTIONS: RESULTS CANNOT BE PREDICTED FROM THE SEPARATE ACTIONS   SECOND INTERACTIONS: STRATEGIES DEPEND ON THE STRATEGIES OF OTHERS   THIRD INTERACTIONS: BEHAVIOR CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT   Products of Interaction as the Unit of Analysis   Circular Effects   Outcomes Do Not Follow from Intentions   A QUALIFICATION   Regulation   Implications for Testing and Method   POWER   CAUSES AND EFFECTS   TESTING PROPOSITIONS   YARDSTICKS AND INDICATORS   Three Systemic Theories of International Politics   What Are the Variables?   STABILITY   Both Dependent and Independent Variables Systemic   System as the Dependent Variable   System as the Independent Variable   Waltz   WALTZ'S CONCEPT OF STRUCTURE   WHAT WALTZ'S THEORY CAN EXPLAIN   Structural versus Behavioral Polarity   BIPOLARITY AND STABILITY: IGNORING THE PERIPHERIES AND OVERREACTING TO THEM   STRUCTURE AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS   Four Feedback   Types of Feedback   DEBATES ABOUT FEEDBACKS   Balance of Power   AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW--IS IT SYSTEMIC?   ANTICIPATION OF THE OPERATION OF BALANCE OF POWER   Negative Feedback That Resembles Balance of Power   Other Forms of Negative Feedback   SELF-LIMITING SUCCESS   INFORMATION, INFERENCES, AND PSYCHOLOGY   Positive Feedback   PROCESSES AND AREAS OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK   Information and Expectations   Tipping   Consensus Effects   Competition   Power   POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND PATH   DEPENDENCE--THE BIG IMPACT OF SMALL ADVANTAGES   OTHER AREAS OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK   DOMINO DYNAMICS   Reputation   General Validity of the Domino Theory   Conditions under Which Domino Effects Are   Likely   SPIRALS AS POSITIVE FEEDBACK   Balance of Power, Dominoes, and Spirals: Feedback and Force   Five Relations, Alternatives, and Bargaining   Triangular Relations   THE PIVOT   Seeking and Maintaining the Pivot:   Divide and Influence   Alternatives and Bargaining Leverage   PUSHES AND PULLS   The Influence of Structure   Structure Does Not Determine--Room for Judgments   Six Alignments and Consistency   How and Why Systems Become Consistent   Causes of Consistency   THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FRIEND   Who Is the Main Enemy?   Balance as a Psychological Dynamic   Conditions and Limits   AVOIDING UNDESIRED BALANCE   SEEKING IMBALANCE: TRYING TO BE FRIENDS WITH TWO ADVERSARIES   Differences in Strategies Producing   Imbalance   CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH BALANCE IS LIKELY   Necessity for Choice   PRE-WORLD WAR I DIPLOMACY: THE FORMATION OF A BALANCED SYSTEM   THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENTENTES   Seven Acting in a System   Information, Beliefs, and Action   EFFECTS DEPEND ON IMPRESSIONS   Lack of Awareness of System Effects   Acting in a System   CONSTRAINING   Anticipating System Effects   THE LIJPHART EFFECT   THE DOMINO THEORY PARADOX   DOING THINGS \"IN TWOS\"   QUASI-HOMEOSTASIS   Seeking the Desired Level of Risk   The Sequel to a Great Victory Is Often a   Great Defeat   Indirect Approaches   MOVING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION   Doing More Than One Thing   Index","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51037262807383,"sku":"9780691005300","price":42.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780691005300.jpg?v=1750935044","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/system-effects-9780691005300","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}