{"product_id":"crucible-of-beliefs-learning-alliances-and-world-wars-paperback-softback-9781501772078","title":"Crucible of Beliefs; Learning, Alliances, and World Wars (Paperback \/ softback) 9781501772078","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eCrucible of Beliefs\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eLearning, Alliances, and World Wars\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eDan Reiter (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781501772078\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 15 February 2025\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e264 pages\u003cbr\u003e23.4 x 15.6 x 1.6 cm, 0.454 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis exceptionally well-written book sets out to explore question in the study of international politics: how do national leaders learn from history?\u003c\/p\u003e (International History Review) \u003cp\u003eOn the basis of its clarity, elegance, and predictive power, Reiter's learning theory is an unqualified success that must be taken seriously and addressed by anyone studying the alliance behavior of small powers.\u003c\/p\u003e (Political Science Quarterly) \u003cp\u003eReiter develops a comprehensive set of hypotheses and variables for the case studies.\u003c\/p\u003e (Millennium) \u003cp\u003eIn all, \u003ci\u003eCrucible of Beliefs\u003c\/i\u003e is a provocative, well-crafted, insightful, and informative work. Reiter is meticulous in developing and testing his theory; he is attentive to potential problems that would inhibit his findings. Furthermore, the prose is crisp and clear, chock full of illustrative anecdotes and examples. An additional strength of the work is its focus on small states-the most numerous members of the inter- national system, yet the least studied\u003c\/p\u003e (American Political Science Review)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow do foreign policymakers learn from history? When do states enter alliances? Why have some small powers chosen to enter alliances whereas others have stayed neutral?\u003c\/b\u003e In \u003ci\u003eCrucible of Beliefs\u003c\/i\u003e, Dan Reiter uses work in social psychology and organization theory to build a formative-events model of learning in international politics. History does inform the decisions of policymakers, he suggests, but it is history of a specific sort, based on firsthand experience in major events such as wars.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTested against balance-of-threat theory, the leading realist explanation of alliance behavior, Reiter's formative-events model of learning emerges as a far better predictor of states' decisions. \u003ci\u003eCrucible of Beliefs \u003c\/i\u003eshows that, contrary to balance-of-threat theory, state leaders ignore the level of international threat and focus instead on avoiding past mistakes and repeating past successes. A serious blow to realism, these findings demonstrate that to understand the dynamics of world politics, it is essential to know how leaders learn from history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntroduction\u003cbr\u003e Learning in International Politics\u003cbr\u003e Realism, Balance of Threat, and Alliances\u003cbr\u003e Cases, Hypotheses, and Variables\u003cbr\u003e Quantitative results\u003cbr\u003e Case Studies\u003cbr\u003e Case Studies\u003cbr\u003e Political Structure and Learning\u003cbr\u003e Conclusion\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cornell University Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52670838702360,"sku":"9781501772078","price":20.86,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/crucible-of-beliefs-learning-alliances-and-world-wars-paperback-softback-9781501772078","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}