The Burden-Sharing Dilemma: Coercive Diplomacy in US Alliance Politics

The Burden-Sharing Dilemma explores how the US pressures allies to take on more defense responsibilities, considering resource conservation and influence preservation. It identifies factors affecting the severity of the dilemma and how patrons can manage it through assurances, threats, and discretion.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 210 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

The Burden-Sharing Dilemma delves into the intricate dynamics surrounding the United States' ability and willingness to exert pressure on its allies to assume greater responsibility for their defense. While the United States has achieved varying degrees of success in encouraging allied burden-sharing, it has selectively chosen to do so in certain instances while declining to do so in others. This variance in approach is attributed to the United States' dual priorities of conserving its own resources and preserving its influence in its alliances.

Brian D. Blankenship, in his insightful analysis, argues that this variation in burden-sharing pressure is driven by three key factors: the latent military power of allies, the shared external threat environment, and the resource constraints imposed by the patron nation. Through comprehensive case studies of US alliances formed during the Cold War, Blankenship demonstrates how a patron can navigate the burden-sharing dilemma by employing a combination of assurances of protection and threats of abandonment, as well as exercising discretion in its burden-sharing tactics.

One of the significant findings of The Burden-Sharing Dilemma is that burden-sharing is not always a desirable outcome, as assumed by many. Patrons, in particular, may be reluctant to seek burden-sharing arrangements, and attempts to pass defense costs to allies can often be successful. This challenges the notion that burden-sharing is inherently challenging to achieve and highlights the importance of understanding the motivations and preferences of patron nations in the realm of alliance management.

At a time when skepticism of alliance benefits persists and global power shifts threaten long-standing pacts, The Burden-Sharing Dilemma serves as a timely reminder and reevaluation of the value of burden-sharing and alliances. It sheds light on the complex dynamics that shape these relationships and provides valuable insights into the strategies and tactics employed by nations to navigate the challenges posed by the burden-sharing dilemma. By reconceptualizing the importance of burden-sharing, The Burden-Sharing Dilemma contributes to a broader understanding of international relations and the complex interplay of power and influence in the global arena.

Weight: 907g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501772474