Tripwires, Public Opinion, & War

“Tripwire” forces are deployed overseas to bolster the credibility of America’s threats and promises. New research shows this key feature of U.S. foreign policy is misguided. Professors Paul Musgrave of University of Massachusetts Amherst and Steven Ward of University of Cambridge explain the logic of tripwires as a deterrent and showcase public opinion surveys that undermine that logic.

Show Notes

• Paul Musgrave bio
• Steven Ward bio
• Paul Musgrave and Steven Ward, “The Tripwire Effect: Experimental Evidence Regarding U.S. Public Opinion,” Foreign Policy Analysis 19, no. 4 (October 2023).
• Paul Musgrave and Steven War, “Testing Tripwire Theories Using Survey Experiments,” working paper, American Political Science Association, 2021.
• Doug Bandow, Tripwire: Korea and U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World(Washington DC: Cato Institute, 1996).

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