Potter & Baum Flashcards
Who are the key actors that influence how the public learns about foreign policy?
Political elites and the media. Elites provide information (or whistleblow), and the media amplify those voices.
What domestic conditions must exist for the public to learn about foreign policy?
1) A higher number of effective political parties (ENPP)
2) Greater access to (free) media
Why is ENPP important for audience costs to exist?
More parties increase elite competition, make whistleblowing more likely, and provide more ideologically proximate alternatives for voters—thus enhancing the public’s ability and incentive to punish foreign policy failures.
What role does media access play in generating audience costs?
Without access to media, whistleblowing has little impact. Media access allows the public to hear opposition voices, making leaders more accountable and threats more credible.
How do ENPP and media access interact to affect audience costs?
High ENPP alone isn’t enough. Only when paired with media access does whistleblowing reach the public and create a strong info environment, reducing foreign policy bluffing.
What are Potter and Baum’s key hypotheses?
H1: More parties → less reciprocation by target states
H2: More media access → less reciprocation
H3: ENPP only matters when media access is high
H4/H5: These conditions also reduce violent reciprocation and increase success of compellent threats
What makes whistleblowing effective in democracies?
Opposition parties have electoral incentives to expose government failures. More parties = more likely someone will whistleblow.
How does party system affect the quality of political information?
Multiparty systems → greater ideological diversity → more varied media coverage → better-informed public.
Why might audience costs fail to arise in some democracies?
The public often lacks attention or information about foreign policy. Without media access and elite signals, there’s no pressure on leaders.
How do domestic institutions shape international credibility?
More parties + media access → stronger audience costs → less bluffing → more credible threats → less reciprocation by adversaries.
