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Sizing Up the Adversary

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Listed:
  • Michael C. Horowitz
  • Philip Potter
  • Todd S. Sechser
  • Allan Stam

Abstract

Leaders negotiate, not states. Yet the extensive body of work on coercive diplomacy in international relations pays little attention to variation among leaders. In contrast, we argue that individual-level attributes directly influence leaders’ beliefs about their own military capabilities and, by extension, their selection of disputes. Specifically, leaders with combat experience and careers in national militaries are relatively better judges of their own military power. As a consequence, targets tend to take their threats more seriously. In contrast, leaders who have military careers but lack combat experience tend to be less selective in their demands and correspondingly less successful when they make threats. Similar patterns hold for those with rebel experience. Drawing on new data on leader attributes, we find strong evidence that these leader-level attributes influence both dispute and compellent threat reciprocation. This leader-level approach provides a new explanation for why some countries initiate disputes against determined adversaries who are likely to escalate rather than back down.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael C. Horowitz & Philip Potter & Todd S. Sechser & Allan Stam, 2018. "Sizing Up the Adversary," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 62(10), pages 2180-2204, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:jocore:v:62:y:2018:i:10:p:2180-2204
    DOI: 10.1177/0022002718788605
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Michael C. Horowitz & Matthew Fuhrmann, 2018. "Studying Leaders and Military Conflict," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 62(10), pages 2072-2086, November.
    2. Carolyn Chisadza, 2020. "Leaders and Tenures in Sub‐Saharan Africa," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 88(3), pages 323-340, September.
    3. Keren Yarhi-Milo & Joshua D. Kertzer & Jonathan Renshon, 2018. "Tying Hands, Sinking Costs, and Leader Attributes," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 62(10), pages 2150-2179, November.
    4. Suparna Chaudhry & Sabrina Karim & Matt K Scroggs, 2021. "How leaders’ experiences and rebellion shape military recruitment during civil war," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 58(5), pages 915-929, September.
    5. Elizabeth N. Saunders, 2018. "Leaders, Advisers, and the Political Origins of Elite Support for War," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 62(10), pages 2118-2149, November.

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