Description
Book SynopsisAn in-depth account of why countries'' treacherous foreign policies often have harmless origins, how this predicament shapes international politics, and what to do about it.The increasing unpredictability of state behavior in recent world politics is a surprising development. The uncertainty that results intensifies conflict and stymies trust. In Volatile States in International Politics, Eleonora Mattiacci offers the first account of this issue that investigates which states have been volatile and why. Leveraging statistical techniques and archival data in a probing analysis of rivals and allies since the end of World War II, she rejects attempts at dismissing volatility as reflecting mercurial leaders or intractable issues. Instead, Mattiacci explains that a state acts in a volatile manner when its clashing domestic interests leverage power to achieve their goals on the international arena. In demonstrating states'' potential for volatile behaviors, she asks us to reconsider how much
Trade ReviewScholars of international politics have tended to focus on the mean of foreign policies rather than the variance. In this innovative and important book, Mattiacci brings theoretical clarity and methodological firepower to the study of volatility in international politics, showing how changes in power and domestic competition combine to produce inconsistent shifts in foreign policy. A must-read for anyone interested in the turbulent era we live in. * Joshua D. Kertzer, Professor of Government, Harvard University *
Some states settle into consistent patterns of conflict and cooperation. Others shift between those behaviors in unpredictable ways. By carefully measuring and rigorously explaining this variation, Eleonora Mattiacci's book provides fundamental insights about the sources of stability, change, and uncertainty in international politics. * Jeffrey A. Friedman, Associate Professor of Government, Dartmouth College, and author of War and Chance: Assessing Uncertainty in International Politics *
Eleonora Mattiacci's book seeks to understand why interstate relationships are at times more volatile, exhibiting high levels of conflict and cooperation. She shows that increases in relative power and domestic political polarization jointly create volatility in relationships between rival or allied states. Her careful analyses of volatility in 36 interstate rivalries and France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated military command reveal important insights about conflict dynamics and pathways that maintain peace. * Sara B. Mitchell, F. Wendell Miller Professor, University of Iowa *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Contents List of Figures Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Theory: When Does Volatility Increase? Chapter 3: Measuring Volatility Chapter 4: Volatility and Rivals Chapter 5: Volatility and Allies Chapter 6: Conclusions Chapter 7: Appendix Notes Bibliography Index
