Networked international politics
| Published date | 01 May 2016 |
| Author | Han Dorussen,Oliver Westerwinter,Erik A Gartzke |
| Date | 01 May 2016 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022343316637896 |
| Subject Matter | Introduction |
Introduction
Networked international politics: Complex
interdependence and the diffusion of
conflict and peace
Han Dorussen
Department of Government, University of Essex
Erik A Gartzke
Department of Political Science, University of California, San Diego
Oliver Westerwinter
Department of Political Science, University of St Gallen
Abstract
Network theory and methods are becoming increasingly used to study the causes and consequences of conflict.
Network analysis allows researchers to develop a better understanding of the causal dynamics and structural geometry
of the complex web of interdependencies at work in the onset, incidence, and diffusion of conflict and peace. This
issue features new theoretical and empirical research demonstrating how properly accounting for networked inter-
dependencies has profound implications for our understanding of the processes thought to be responsible for the
conflict behavior of state and non-state actors. The contributors examine the variation in networks of states and
transnational actors to explain outcomes related to international conflict and peace. They highlight how networked
interdependencies affect conflict and cooperation in a broad range of areas at the center of international relations
scholarship. It is helpful to distinguish between three uses of networks, namely: (1) as theoretical tools, (2) as
measurement tools, and (3) as inferential tools. The introduction discusses each of these uses and shows how the
contributions rely on one or several of them. Next, Monte Carlo simulations are used to illustrate one of the strengths
of network analysis, namely that it helps researchers avoid biased inferences when the data generating process
underlying the observed data contains extradyadic interdependencies.
Keywords
conflict and cooperation, conflict diffusion, interdependencies, Monte Carlo simulations, network analysis
At least since the mid-1990s, dyadic data have become
increasingly common in large-N quantitative studies
(Russett & Oneal, 2001). In many ways, the research
program has been impressive, opening new research
agendas, creating new data, and generating innovative
theories. In particular, it has been successful in directing
research toward international relations, that is, the inter-
action between specific states, rather than state behavior
more generally. However, research designs specifying the
dyad as the unit of analysis are characterized by a basic
logical tension. On the one hand, the use of dyads
reflects reality in that international politics is interactive,
requiring the assessment of relationships in order to pro-
vide meaningful in sights about behavior. On the other
hand, the same interdependencies that call for dyadic
research designs also extendbeyondpairsofstates,
questioning the adequacy of focusing exclusively on
dyads.
Since the need to consider more complex combina-
tions of relationships is acknowledged in theory, it is not
Corresponding author:
hdorus@essex.ac.uk.
Journal of Peace Research
2016, Vol. 53(3) 283–291
ªThe Author(s) 2016
Reprints and permission:
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DOI: 10.1177/0022343316637896
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