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

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.