State Image and Audience Costs in the Crisis Bargaining Situations

• In Event: Poster Session: Conflict Processes I

Abstract

The goal of this research is to reveal the causal effect of state image on generating audience costs. Earlier studies, in general, investigated the effect of state-level factors such as regime type on the level of audience costs. Instead, this research focuses on the pre-existing cognitive shortcut held by domestic audiences. The main argument is that, given that the crisis bargaining situation is relational, the opponent state’s image in public perception plays a pivotal role in determining the degree of audience costs. To examine the effect of state image, the current research conducts an online survey experiment, which provides the same scenario described in the classic audience cost experiments as well as a dispositional test. The treatments, however, vary in terms of different state images randomly given to respondents; either a “Friend” image or “Enemy” image. The findings contribute to understanding how the American public expects other countries to behave in the relationship with the U.S. and how the two different state images can affect American foreign policy decision making.

Author

• Cana Kim, Louisiana State University