Outcome Commitments in Third Party Intervention: Theory and Application to U.S. Policy in Iraq
Abstract
This paper presents a model of strategic interaction in which a third party intervenes on behalf of a government in its conflict with insurgents. It examines whether it is better for the intervenor to adopt an input-based strategy (i.e., specify the total resources it will spend) or an outcome-based strategy (i.e., specify the goal that it will achieve), and it shows that outcome- based strategies are better for the intervenor than input-based ones if and only if in the absence of intervention the insurgents are stronger than the government. A system of benchmarks that are tied to the efforts of both parties outperforms both input-based and outcome-based strategies. Lessons from the theory are applied to U.S. strategy in Iraq.Download Info
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Paper provided by Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government in its series Working Paper Series with number rwp08-041.Length:
Date of creation: Sep 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:ecl:harjfk:rwp08-041
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Keywords:This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2009-02-07 (All new papers)
- NEP-ARA-2009-02-07 (Arab World)
References
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