War and Commitment Problems

Question 1

War

Answer 1

Violence among actors to destroy or coerce
opponents

• Civil (within states).
• International (between states).
• Continuation of policy by other means.
• Clausewitz.
• International conflict: incongruence of interests
  between states.
• Militarized conflict: militaries get involved.

Question 2

Fatality Threshold

Answer 2

At least 1,000 battle deaths.

Question 2

The Prisoner’s Dilemma

Answer 2

Both prisoners end up worse off than if both cooperated.

Question 3

Commitment Problems

Answer 3

People have a hard time trusting each other and cooperating, this can lead to war

Question 4

Hand-tying

Answer 4

Creating audience costs so they need to follow through with an action.

Question 5

Sunk costs

Answer 5

Taking on a cost to signal cooperation

Question 6

Installment costs

Answer 6

Taking on a cost to signal cooperation

Question 7

Power Transition Theory

Answer 7

Hegemons rise and fall in predictable ways.
* Hegemons have a “life-cycle.”
* Certain points of the life-cycle are prone to war.
* When declining hegemon is about to be overtaken by rising power.

Question 8

Misperceptions and War

Answer 8

States want to win the wars they fight.

Misperceptions about capabilities cause war.

Question 9

Misperceptions Happen

Answer 9

Complexity of calculating chances of winning.
Bad Information
Private information.

Question 10

Diversionary War

Answer 10

Often “rally” effect following war.
* Leaders facing domestic problems initiate war to
generate public support.
* Based on in-group out-group dynamics.

Question 11

Contiguity

Answer 11

Neighbours more likely to fight.
* One of the strongest predictors of war.

Question 12

Groupthink

Answer 12

Adoption of a shared mind-set within small groups.

Question 12

Territorial Imperative

Answer 12

People will defend there territory instinctively