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Resolve in International Politics
Why do some leaders and segments of the public display remarkable persistence in confrontations in international politics, while others cut and run? The answer given by policymakers, pundits, and political scientists usually relates to issues of resolve. Yet, though we rely on resolve to explain almost every phenomenon in international politics--from prevailing at the bargaining table to winning on the battlefield--we don't understand what it is, how it works, or where it comes from. Resolve in International Politics draws on a growing body of research in psychology and behavioral economics to explore the foundations of this important idea.
Joshua Kertzer argues that political will is more than just a metaphor or figure of speech: the same traits social scientists and decision-making scholars use to comprehend willpower in our daily lives also shape how we respond to the costs of war and conflict. Combining laboratory and survey experiments with studies of great power military interventions in the postwar era from 1946 to 2003, Kertzer shows how time and risk preferences, honor orientation, and self-control help explain the ways leaders and members of the public define the situations they face and weigh the trade-offs between the costs of fighting and the costs of backing down.
Offering a novel in-depth look at how willpower functions in international relations, Resolve in International Politics has critical implications for understanding political psychology, public opinion about foreign policy, leaders in military interventions, and international security.
Joshua Kertzer argues that political will is more than just a metaphor or figure of speech: the same traits social scientists and decision-making scholars use to comprehend willpower in our daily lives also shape how we respond to the costs of war and conflict. Combining laboratory and survey experiments with studies of great power military interventions in the postwar era from 1946 to 2003, Kertzer shows how time and risk preferences, honor orientation, and self-control help explain the ways leaders and members of the public define the situations they face and weigh the trade-offs between the costs of fighting and the costs of backing down.
Offering a novel in-depth look at how willpower functions in international relations, Resolve in International Politics has critical implications for understanding political psychology, public opinion about foreign policy, leaders in military interventions, and international security.
264 pages, Hardcover
Published August 16, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 2, 2017
A fine example of academic writing at its best, impeccably referenced and scholastically sound, but with a certain lightness of touch despite being largely theoretical. A landmark in the quest to understand the nature of resolve in International Relations, especially when war is an option.
February 6, 2022
Overall, I appreciate the foray into, as the Kertzer’s addresses, an often overused and misunderstood term—resolve. That said, I found his experimentations largely flawed. Although he does address some of shortcomings, there is little value added to the notion of resolve herein, willpower, or perseverance. I also think that by attributing resolve solely to military applications it distorts the idea of staying power. Finally, what to say of a statesman that makes a strategic choice for the betterment of his/her state to cut and run? On a dispositional level, this does not equate to resolve as the author would otherwise indicate.
October 24, 2018
The reason why I cannot give this book a 5 out of 5 is because it is the one thing I have come to abhor the most in political science: It is more "science" than it is "political". It is an admittedly astounding empirical work, which makes a fascinating case regarding the centrality of resolve in - one aspect - of international relations, which could be generalized. However, while doing so this book feels as if it is only a discussion of theories, terms, data, and analysis. It is as a skeleton, without any meat on it to give it a better understandable or easily digestible form. The discussion - although not unreadable - in entirely uncharming and boring - unless of course, you are a fan of such political science studies that do nothing but form hypotheses, conduct tests, and discuss the data and its analysis.
TL;DR : If this book was a piece of literature, a work of fiction, I'd go as far as to say that it lacks any character. But it has some great theories and ideas, with important implications to them, hidden in its bland and "scientific" text.
Late edit: Upon studying this book further I have decided that it is worth 3 stars rather than 4. This is because although this book - arguably - does much in the way of furthering political science by giving it a better definition of resolve to use, it does absolutely nothing in terms of real practice. Much of what the study "uncovers" or "proves" is what would be common sense even to the village headman! As I've said above in this review, there is much in the way of science but nothing in the way of politics in this book.
TL;DR : If this book was a piece of literature, a work of fiction, I'd go as far as to say that it lacks any character. But it has some great theories and ideas, with important implications to them, hidden in its bland and "scientific" text.
Late edit: Upon studying this book further I have decided that it is worth 3 stars rather than 4. This is because although this book - arguably - does much in the way of furthering political science by giving it a better definition of resolve to use, it does absolutely nothing in terms of real practice. Much of what the study "uncovers" or "proves" is what would be common sense even to the village headman! As I've said above in this review, there is much in the way of science but nothing in the way of politics in this book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews