Collective security organizations

Question 1

What are collective security organizations?

Answer 1

Broad institutions that promote peace and security among its members

Question 2

Why do collective security organizations form?

Answer 2

• Created by many states that share a broad interest in preventing war and aggression, regardless of perpetrator and victim
• Goal: to make sure that changes to the status quo are resolved peacefully
• Deter and punish war and aggression

Question 3

What are the effects of collective security organizations on bargaining?

Answer 3

• Organizes a collective response to aggression (decreases likelihood of victory for the aggressor)
• Increases costs of war for the aggressor
• Helps resolve commitment problems
• • Prevents preventive war by punishing future bargaining revisions and protecting states that may grow weaker
• • Prevents preemptive wars by punishing first strikes

Question 4

What are the strengths of collective security organizations?

Answer 4

• Creates a public good of international peace (non-rivalrous and non-excludable)

Question 5

What are the weaknesses of collective security organizations?

Answer 5

• Collective action problem (free riders)
• Often difficult to come to a consensus when it comes to deciding which state is wrong in a dispute