Determinants of National Defense

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

The capabilities with which a state prepares and executes military strategy influence a host of international and domestic factors of concern to international relations scholars. This panel sheds light on our understanding of the conduct of international conflict by examining the factors that shape states' defense strategies and capabilities. What explains the variety of state military portfolios across time and across states? Using a variety of methods and examining different historical periods, this panel investigates the mechanisms by which domestic and international factors influence a state's defense policy and outlines its implications for both academics and policymakers. By developing insight about alliances, the international threat environment, domestic organizational preferences, and the private sector, the papers in this panel contribute to an understanding of how states make decisions about national defense strategy and force posture in a way that significantly impacts the continuation of politics with other means.

Sub Unit

• DIVISION 19: International Security

Chair

• Jennifer L. Erickson Boston College

Discussants

• Jennifer Spindel University of Oklahoma

• Benjamin O. Fordham SUNY, Binghamton

Individual Presentations

• Division of Defense Labor: Alliance Trust and Defense Portfolio Specialization - J Andres Gannon, University of California, San Diego

• Revolutions in Reassurance: The Effect of Military Tech on Alliance Assurances - Brian Blankenship, University of Miami; Erik Lin-Greenberg, Columbia University

• Transformative Choices: State Reactions to Emerging Military Technologies - Eleni Georgia Ekmektsioglou, American University

• Defending Forward: The Determinants of Interpretation - Nina A. Kollars, Naval War College