Journal Article - Quarterly Journal: International Security

The Myth of Entangling Alliances: Reassessing the Security Risks of U.S. Defense Pacts

| Spring 2015

Summary

Voted Honorable Mention for the American Political Science Association's 2016 Outstanding Article Award in International History and Politics

How often do alliance commitments draw the United States into military conflicts that it might otherwise avoid? An analysis of U.S. conflicts over the past several decades reveals that the number is significantly smaller than many observers assume.

Downloads

For more information on this publication: Please contact International Security
For Academic Citation: Beckley, Michael. “The Myth of Entangling Alliances: Reassessing the Security Risks of U.S. Defense Pacts.” Quarterly Journal: International Security, vol. 39. no. 4. (Spring 2015):
7-48
.

The Author

Recommended
In the Spotlight
RSS
While offsets are imperfect, they may be necessary to reach ambitious short-term environmental goals.
More on Energy
Danielle F. Jung and Dara Kay Cohen argue that lynching emerges when neither the state nor its challengers have a monopoly over legitimate authority.
More on International Security
Western models partly inspired the creation of Special Operation Command and Military Police and the development of private military companies.
More from Russia Matters
Most Viewed

Tags