Brian Lai Copyright (c) 2010 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai Recent documents in Brian Lai en-us Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:04:26 PDT 3600 Reducing the Effects of Moral Hazard: Institutional Designs Within International Alliances http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/30 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/30 Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:00:50 PST What explains the level of commitment within an international military alliance? Specifically, when do alliances choose to adopt active military support for offensive uses of force versus lower levels of commitment? Drawing on the rational design of international institutions literature, this paper argues that the choice of commitment is a conscious effort to address two competing problems. The first is the potential for entrapment. Allies worry that commitments may lead other member states to act in a risky fashion, creating unnecessary conflict. The other problem is the need to demonstrate commitment in order to maximize the bargaining power of the member states. The former problem leads allies to choose lower levels of commitment like defense pacts in order to signal to alliance members what types of behaviors are acceptable. Conversely, the latter problem encourages states to make broader obligations about when they will use force. Empirically, concern for moral hazard should be more likely when there are power disparities amongst members within an alliance. Greater levels of threat facing alliance members should lead states to favor maximizing their commitments. These two arguments are tested empirically on all alliances from 1816-1992 with results supporting both conjectures. Brian Lai Cooperation Reputation and Reliability: Upholding Commitments for the Future http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/29 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/29 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:58:27 PST Brian Lai Cooperation Reducing the Effects of Moral Hazard: Institutional Designs Within International Alliances http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/28 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/28 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:56:00 PST Brian Lai Cooperation Examining the Escalation of Terrorist Violence to Civil War http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/27 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/27 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:39:22 PST Brian Lai Internal Conflict Testing Theories of Democratic Development, 1950-1992 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/26 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/26 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:02:43 PST Brian Lai Democratization Military Mobilization and International Crises http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/25 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/25 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:01:42 PST Brian Lai International Crises The Effects and Causes of Secret Mobilization http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/24 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/24 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:00:52 PST Brian Lai International Crises Empirically Modeling International Crises with a Heteroskedastic Probit Model http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/23 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/23 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:00:11 PST Brian Lai International Crises Liberalism, Realism, and United Nations Voting: An Empirical Test of Contending Theories http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/22 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/22 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:58:42 PST Brian Lai Cooperation The Conflict Behavior of Authoritarian States http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/21 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/21 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:57:25 PST Brian Lai Domestic Politics and Conflict Rally ‘Round the Union Jack? Public Opinion and the Use of Force in the United Kingdom, 1948-1994 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/20 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/20 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:56:38 PST Brian Lai Effects of Conflict The Initiation of Disputes by Authoritarian States, 1950-1992 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/19 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/19 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:55:29 PST Brian Lai Domestic Politics and Conflict Examining the Number of Incidents of Terrorism Within States, 1968-1977 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/18 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/18 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:54:08 PST Brian Lai Internal Conflict Winning Votes: Examining How States Vote with the US in the UN, 1950-1992 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/17 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/17 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:26:35 PST Brian Lai Cooperation Empirically Modeling Strategic Behavior with a Unified Model of Crisis Outcome and Duration http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/16 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/16 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:25:28 PST Brian Lai International Crises Rally Around the Tri-Color: Examining the Effect of War and Uses of Force on the Popularity of French Presidents http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/15 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/15 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:24:30 PST Brian Lai Effects of Conflict How Long Do States Receive Aid? Examining the Duration of US Foreign Aid Allocations, 1948-2000 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/14 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/14 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:23:43 PST Brian Lai Cooperation Securing Tenure: Authoritarian Institutions, International Conflict, and Leadership/Regime Survival http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/13 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/13 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:22:58 PST Brian Lai Domestic Politics and Conflict The Impact of Regime Type on the Relationship between Conscription and Conflict http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/12 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/12 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:22:02 PST Brian Lai Domestic Politics and Conflict Rally Around the UN: Public Opinion and Peacekeeping in Canada http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/11 http://works.bepress.com/brian_lai/11 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:21:03 PST Brian Lai Cooperation