Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy: Evaluating a Model of Crisis Activity for the United States

Abstract

What causes a state to become involved in an international crisis? In an attempt to answer that question, the present investigation focuses on the experiences of a leading member of the international system over a sustained period, specifically, the United States in the post-World War II era. Following a review of previous research, internal factors with potential relevance to involvement in crises are identified. External influences on foreign policy, consistent with the tradition of political realism, also are specified. These elements are combined in a model of crisis activity. Using data pertaining both to the United States as a polity and an actor in the international system, propositions derived from the model are tested in the crisis domain. The results are encouraging; crisis activity is explained by a combination of internal and external factors. Significant internal influences, with potential cross-national relevance, include explicit forms of behavior by the public, perceptions of international tension and public approval of the president. At the external level, the gravity and importance of crises underway in the system affect its receptiveness to activity by the United States. The study concludes with some recommendations for further research on the linkage of domestic and foreign conflict, with particular reference to the explanation of crises in world politics.

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