Identifying Opportunity for Conflict: Politically Active Dyads

Stephen L. Quackenbush
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Stephen L. Quackenbush: Department of Political Science University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri, USA, quackenbushs@missouri.edu

Conflict Management and Peace Science, 2006, vol. 23, issue 1, 37-51

Abstract: Since states cannot fight without the opportunity to do so, empirical identification of opportunity is important. Unfortunately, previous measures of opportunity—politically relevant dyads, the politically relevant international environment, and regional dyads—are inadequate. I attempt to measure opportunity by developing the concept of a politically active dyad, using contiguity, power status, and alliances as defining characteristics. I then use Braumoeller and Goertz's (2000) methodology for necessary conditions to compare active dyads with previous measures. This test demonstrates that although previous measures are unable to capture opportunity as a necessary condition for international conflict, the concept of politically active dyads does.

Keywords: opportunity; case selection; political relevance; necessary conditions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:compsc:v:23:y:2006:i:1:p:37-51

DOI: 10.1080/07388940500503804

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