U.S. Military Intervention in the Post-Cold War Era: A Case Study Analysis of Presidential Decision Making

Authors

Dennis N. Ricci, University of Connecticut - StorrsFollow

Date of Completion

4-29-2014

Embargo Period

4-26-2014

Keywords

International Relations, Political Science, Military Intervention, Decision Making

Major Advisor

Stephen Dyson

Co-Major Advisor

J. Garry Clifford

Associate Advisor

Jeremy Pressman

Associate Advisor

Mark Boyer

Field of Study

Political science

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Open Access

Open Access

Abstract

U.S. MILITARY INTERVENTION IN THE POST-COLD WAR ERA:

A CASE-STUDY ANALYSIS OF PRESIDENTIAL DECISION MAKING

Dennis N. Ricci

Doctoral Dissertation

Department of Political Science

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT

ABSTRACT

The primary focus of this study is to explain presidential decision making, specifically whether to intervene militarily or not in a given circumstance in the Post-Cold War era. First, we define military intervention as the deployment of troops and weaponry in active military engagement (not peacekeeping). The cases in which we are interested involve the actual or intended use of force (“boots on the ground”), in other words, not drone attacks or missile strikes. Thus, we substantially reduce the number of potential cases by excluding several limited uses of force against Iraq, Sudan, and Afghanistan in the 1990s. Given the absence of a countervailing force or major power to serve as deterrent, such as the Soviet enemy in the Cold War period, there are potentially two types of military interventions: (1) humanitarian intervention designed to stop potential genocide and other atrocities and (2) the pre-emptive reaction to terrorism or other threats, such as under the Bush Doctrine. Therefore, we need to understand the logic of unipolarity and how the hegemonic power can be drawn into actions, especially in the absence of a great power rival.

The theoretical puzzle we seek to solve comprises the competing explanations for why a presidential administration will decide to intervene in one situation and not in another. This is the normative question on which we focus from the outset in order to solve the theoretical puzzle. Since both the situations and decision makers vary across cases, we need to know precisely what is driving the outcome. Therefore, our theoretical perspective and goal-driven research objective are focused on standardized, generalized questions: Why intervene? Why use force or not? Under what conditions or circumstances are intervention decisions made?

Do outcomes depend primarily on presidents making decisions as the all-important dynamic versus other variables and different measurements as to what drives the “go” or “no-go” decisions? Our examination of the phenomena of interest will lead us to a generalized theory as well as a typology of military intervention in the post-Cold War era.

KEY WORDS: International Relations, United States Foreign Policy, Presidential Decision Making, Military Intervention.

Recommended Citation

Ricci, Dennis N., "U.S. Military Intervention in the Post-Cold War Era: A Case Study Analysis of Presidential Decision Making" (2014). Doctoral Dissertations. 364.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/dissertations/364