Who Fights for Reputation - (Princeton Studies in International History and Politics) by Keren Yarhi-Milo (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

How psychology explains why a leader is willing to use military force to protect or salvage reputation

In Who Fights for Reputation, Keren Yarhi-Milo provides an original framework, based on insights from psychology, to explain why some political leaders are more willing to use military force to defend their reputation than others. Rather than focusing on a leader's background, beliefs, bargaining skills, or biases, Yarhi-Milo draws a systematic link between a trait called self-monitoring and foreign policy behavior. She examines self-monitoring among national leaders and advisers and shows that while high self-monitors modify their behavior strategically to cultivate image-enhancing status, low self-monitors are less likely to change their behavior in response to reputation concerns.

Exploring self-monitoring through case studies of foreign policy crises during the terms of U.S. presidents Carter, Reagan, and Clinton, Yarhi-Milo disproves the notion that hawks are always more likely than doves to fight for reputation. Instead, Yarhi-Milo demonstrates that a decision maker's propensity for impression management is directly associated with the use of force to restore a reputation for resolve on the international stage.

Who Fights for Reputation offers a brand-new understanding of the pivotal influence that psychological factors have on political leadership, military engagement, and the protection of public prestige.

From the Back Cover

"Yarhi-Milo addresses an important theoretical question, proposes a novel and powerful psychological explanation, and systematically tests it with statistical analysis, experiments, and case studies. The multimethod research design is a model for scholars to emulate, and the detailed case studies alone are worth the price of the book. Who Fights for Reputation has enormous implications for policy, and is a major contribution to international relations and political psychology." --Jack S. Levy, Rutgers University

"Who Fights for Reputation argues that internal disposition, or self-monitoring, explains why some leaders place a high priority on establishing and defending a reputation for resolve when it comes to using military force. With superb and comprehensive analysis, this book does a masterful job of explaining why this theory of self-monitoring is relevant to foreign policy decisions."--Richard K. Herrmann, Ohio State University

Review Quotes

"Winner of the Best Book Award, Foreign Policy Section of the American Political Science Association"

"Winner of the FPA Distinguished Scholar Award, Foreign Policy Analysis Section of the International Studies Association"

About the Author

Keren Yarhi-Milo is professor of political science and international affairs at Columbia University. She is the author of Knowing the Adversary: Leaders, Intelligence, and Assessment of Intentions in International Relations (Princeton).