Pursuing Ideology with Statecraft

ABSTRACT

Utilizing a web-based simulation Statecraft, we explore the relative influence of ideology (realism and idealism) on student behavior and learning. By placing students into ideologically cohesive groups, we are able to demonstrate the effect of their ideology on the goals they pursue and identify the constraints imposed on the system by the behavior of groups as well.

KEYWORDS:

• Simulation
• statecraft
• ideology
• diplomacy
• identity
• decision-making

Notes

A note on terminology. We use “idealist” and its variants throughout the article because the ideology survey that we utilize employs that term rather than the more familiar “liberal.” We also use the term “country” and its variants rather than “state,” which is the norm in IR literature, because this is consistent with the Statecraft terminology.

These selections alter the resource production and cost of achieving certain goals. However, they are not limiting to a degree that prevents any country from pursuing any goals. For example, a Pacifist country can purchase military equipment and even win the Most Militarily Powerful country award.

The lag is necessary because our hypothesis posits that the military score of Country A in Turn t-1 is a predictor of the military units acquired by Country B in turn t.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hayden Smith

Hayden Smith is an instructor in the Department of Political Science, Philosophy, and Public Affairs at Washington State University. He teaches courses in international politics, US foreign policy, and political psychology. He earned his PhD from Washington State University in May 2016.

Niall Michelsen

Niall Michelsen is Associate Professor at Western Carolina University. He teaches courses in international security, US foreign policy, and political theory. He has recently published chapters in Routledge Press books on the G/7/8/20. He coauthored, “Yes, But Did they Learn Anything? An Experimental Investigation of Voter Decision Making on Foreign Policy Issues” (PS: Political Science and Politics, 2016). He earned his PhD from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.