Security Policy Similarity and Sanction Treat and Imposition

Abstract

Prior studies have explained how dyad-level factors affect a sender state’s sanction threat and imposition decision. However, although security is one of states’ important goals, prior studies have little explained how security issues at the dyad level affect the likelihood of sanction threat and imposition. Thus, this study analyzes how two states’ security policy similarity based on their alliance portfolios affects sanction threat and imposition. This study suggests a testable hypothesis that an increase in two states’ security policy similarity increases the likelihood of sanction threat by increasing the likelihood of an interest conflict. However, two states’ security policy similarity does not affect the likelihood of sanction imposition due to high expected costs of sanction imposition and more complete information situations. Empirical results in this study support this argument.