International Military Commitment: A Conceptual Definition

Abstract : This paper describes the development of a systematic and empirical procedure for keeping account of international activities which raise the likelihood that one nation will come to the defense of another. In particular the concern here is to provide a conceptual framework to help guide the development of an analytical technique for identifying, measuring, and monitoring international commitments, where the use of force is implied. The underlying assumption of this work is that while it is very difficult to predict particular foreign policy decisions, many of the conditions which influence decisions can be observed and monitored. Among the most important conditions which influence foreign policy decisions are the dependencies, obligations, and commitments which exist among nations. This study focuses on the concept and activity of international commitment.