Sophistication &amp; Foreign-Policy Preferences: The Iranian Hostage Crisis

2011

Acta Polit

This study examines the formation and continuity of public support for military interventions as a function of political information levels and intervention stages using a panel experiment. The results demonstrate that politically informed individuals express less support for a military intervention at the beginning of that intervention compared to uninformed ones. However, as the intervention proceeds and casualties are incurred, the support of politically uninformed people decreases at a higher rate than does the support of the politically informed. As such, politically informed individuals demonstrate more stable levels of support across intervention stages. In addition, success or failure of an intervention at a certain stage interacts with the level of political information. Most notably, a decrease in support is significantly more pronounced among politically uninformed individuals compared to informed ones under deteriorating intervention conditions. Nevertheless, as the duration of the intervention gets longer, the level of support drops even with improving prospects while the impact of political information disappears. I also find that policy-specific information has a greater effect on public support for military interventions compared to general political information.

Section: Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the effects of political information and intervention stages on public support for military interventions: A panel experiment

2011

Acta Polit

“…Althaus (1998) shows that fully informed opinion on foreign policy issues tends to be relatively more dovish than less informed opinion. More specifically, Jaros et al (1982) argue that the most critical aspect about a lack of political information "is not that it leads directly to a preference for aggressive policies, but rather that it leads to a desire for simple, readily understood solutions" (p. 152). In CC terms, we therefore anticipate a higher decision threshold for an aggressive policy among politically informed individuals compared to politically uninformed ones since political information leads to a more systematic decision making process and an increased awareness and consideration of multiple military and non-military policy options.…”

Section: Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Political information and emotions in ethnic conflict interventions

International Journal of Conflict Management

Villalobos

Geva

2011

Purpose -This study aims to explore the effects of political information and anger on the public's cognitive processing and foreign policy preferences concerning third-party interventions in ethnic conflict. Design/methodology/approach -The study employs an experimental design, wherein the authors manipulate policy-specific information by generating ad hoc political information related to ethnic conflict. The statistical methods of analysis are logistic regression and analysis of covariance. Findings -The results demonstrate that both political information and anger have a significant impact on an individual's cognitive processing and policy preferences regarding ethnic conflict interventions. Specifically, political information increases one's proclivity to choose non-military policy options, whereas anger instigates support for aggressive policies. Both factors result in faster decision making with lower amounts of information accessed. However, the interaction of political information and anger is not significant. The study also finds that policy-specific information -rather than general political information -influences the public's policy preferences. Originality/value -This study confronts and advances the debate over whether political information is significant in influencing the public's foreign policy preferences and, if so, whether such an effect is the product of general or domain-specific information. It also addresses an under-studied topic -the emotive repercussions of ethnic conflicts among potential third-party interveners. In addition, it tackles the argument over whether political information immunizes people against (or sensitizes them to) the effects of anger on their cognitive processing and foreign policy preferences. The study also introduces a novel approach for examining political information through an experimental manipulation of policy-specific information.

“…36 For instance, Jaros et al argue that the most critical aspect about being politically uninformed ''is not that it leads directly to a preference for aggressive policies, but rather that it leads to a desire for simple, readily understood solutions.'' 37 As such, the perceived utility of engaging in a military intervention to deal with an international crisis is likely to be high for politically uninformed people partly because such policy option represents a clear-cut foreign policy solution. By comparison, given that political information increases awareness of multiple policy options beyond military solutions, politically informed individuals are likely to be more capable of weighing the costs and benefits of the military option against those of other options.…”

Section: Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public Support for Military Interventions across Levels of Political Information and Stages of Intervention: The Case of the Iraq War

2011

Armed Forces & Society

This study examines the effect of political information levels and intervention stages on the formation and continuity of public support for military interventions by analyzing survey data pertaining to the 2003 military intervention in Iraq. The results show that before and immediately after the launch of the intervention, politically uninformed individuals expressed higher support for the war compared to politically informed ones. However, as the intervention proceeded and casualties were incurred, higher rates of decrease in support were observed among the politically uninformed. Politically informed individuals, on the other hand, demonstrated more stable levels of support throughout the course of the intervention.