Table of Contents

1. Understanding the design of security commitments; 2. A typology of third-party commitments; 3. Time consistency and entrapment; 4. Evidence of moral hazard in military alliances; 5. A theory of commitment design; 6. Testing the implications for alliance design; 7. Deterrent commitments in East Asia; 8. Constructing security in today's world.

Promotional Information

Constructing International Security identifies effective third-party strategies for balancing deterrence and restraint in security relationships.

About the Author

Brett V. Benson is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Asian Studies at Vanderbilt University. His research concentrates on alliances, deterrence, nuclear disarmament and international arms sales. He also studies Chinese politics and East Asia relations. His articles have been published in the Journal of Politics, the Journal of Peace Research, Security Studies and the Journal of East Asian Studies.

Reviews

'In making alliance commitments to friendly but threatened states, how do states balance the need to credibly deter a potential aggressor while at the same time avoiding the moral hazard of encouraging risky behavior by the ally? When will a state opt for an ambiguous alliance commitment, and how does this strategic ambiguity affect the behaviors of the ally and the threatening state? Benson answers these questions by developing and testing a new theory of alliances and probabilistic commitment. Constructing International Security's substantive importance, theoretical rigor, and empirical sophistication make it required reading for all conflict theorists.' Jack S. Levy, Rutgers University

'Moral hazard in military alliances has been neglected by scholars for the most part. Benson's book is the definitive study to date of the problem of moral hazard in alliances. It is a major contribution that should be read by anyone interested in alliances and those more generally engaged with international security.' James Morrow, University of Michigan

'In Constructing International Security, Brett V. Benson summons strong evidence and convincing logic to uncover important relationships between the content of alliance agreements and incentives for war. This research substantially advances our understanding of the effect of moral hazard on alliance behavior and its links to military conflict. Scholars and policy makers alike will find important insights throughout the pages of this book.' Kristopher W. Ramsay, Princeton University