Threats and Promises: The Pursuit of International Influence

Conventional wisdom dictates that the conditions of international politics require states to pursue "tough" strategies based on threats, ruling out "soft" strategies such as reassurances or appeasement. In Threats and Promises, James W. Davis, Jr., works toward a theory of influence in international politics that recognizes the power of promises and assurances as tools of statecraft.

Davis offers an analytic treatment of promises and assurances, drawing on relevant strands of international ...