Overview

Does nationalism lead to interstate war? This book challenges the existing presumption about the link between nationalism and war and systematically investigates how popular nationalism affects a country's decision to launch military aggression. In doing so, the book makes a provocative and novel claim that popular nationalism has not only a conflict-inducing effect but also a restraining effect and identifies the conditions under which popular nationalism causes war. Specifically, the book claims that popular nationalism leads to war only when leaders who confront it are very confident about their chance of achieving complete victory in conflict or they are politically vulnerable. If these two conditions are not met, popular nationalism has a restraining effect, making leaders seek the status quo and avoid the use of force. The book first shows the restraining effect of popular nationalism focusing on China through a survey experiment and an in-depth case study on the territorial dispute between China and Japan in the East China Sea. It then offers a comprehensive historical and contemporary analysis of when popular nationalism's restraining effect turns into a conflict-inducing one through case studies on the War of 1812 and the Falklands War. The book provides important insights into whether popular nationalism could put great powers like the United States and China on a collision course and offers broad policy implications for how we can prevent war driven by popular nationalism.

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9780197684573

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Reviews

This fascinating book reconsiders the widely held view that nationalism is always a force for war. Ko argues persuasively that popular nationalism can sometimes be a counterintuitive source of peace, making leaders hesitant to initiate wars unless they are sure they can deliver total victory. This multimethod book is a must-read for scholars interested in questions including how public opinion affects patterns of international conflict and the prospects for war in East Asia. * Jessica Weeks, University of Wisconsin, Madison * Popular nationalism has a reputation for provoking wars. Jiyoung Ko's Popular Nationalism and War upends this conventional wisdom and makes a compelling case that popular nationalism can also restrain leaders from using force. She explains that leaders proceed cautiously when they cannot envision a quick and complete victory over significant adversaries, fearing that a loss would trigger backlash from their nationalist public. Popular Nationalism and War presents rich and compelling empirical analyses to complement Ko's nuanced theory, which blends psychology with domestic politics to explain international conflict. This book is an essential contribution to the ongoing debate on whether and when popular nationalism causes military aggression. * Kathleen E. Powers, Author of Nationalisms in International Politics * While scholars have often assumed that nationalistic sentiments among citizens shape mass foreign policy preferences and ultimately lead to military aggression, Jiyoung Ko interrogates this relationship and suggests that popular nationalism can-and often does-have a restraining effect. This groundbreaking new book identifies the conditions under which popular nationalism may lead to interstate war-namely when political elites believe that a complete victory is likely and when they are politically vulnerable at home. * Harris Mylonas, Author of The Politics of Nation-Building *

"""This fascinating book reconsiders the widely held view that nationalism is always a force for war. Ko argues persuasively that popular nationalism can sometimes be a counterintuitive source of peace, making leaders hesitant to initiate wars unless they are sure they can deliver total victory. This multimethod book is a must-read for scholars interested in questions including how public opinion affects patterns of international conflict and the prospects for war in East Asia."" -- Jessica Weeks, University of Wisconsin, Madison ""Popular nationalism has a reputation for provoking wars. Jiyoung Ko's Popular Nationalism and War upends this conventional wisdom and makes a compelling case that popular nationalism can also restrain leaders from using force. She explains that leaders proceed cautiously when they cannot envision a quick and complete victory over significant adversaries, fearing that a loss would trigger backlash from their nationalist public. Popular Nationalism and War presents rich and compelling empirical analyses to complement Ko's nuanced theory, which blends psychology with domestic politics to explain international conflict. This book is an essential contribution to the ongoing debate on whether and when popular nationalism causes military aggression."" -- Kathleen E. Powers, Author of Nationalisms in International Politics ""While scholars have often assumed that nationalistic sentiments among citizens shape mass foreign policy preferences and ultimately lead to military aggression, Jiyoung Ko interrogates this relationship and suggests that popular nationalism can-and often does-have a restraining effect. This groundbreaking new book identifies the conditions under which popular nationalism may lead to interstate war-namely when political elites believe that a complete victory is likely and when they are politically vulnerable at home."" -- Harris Mylonas, Author of The Politics of Nation-Building"

Author Information

Jiyoung Ko, PhD is Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Korea University. Her research focuses on how nationalism affects state interactions in international relations. Her articles analyzing the relationship between nationalism and immigration policy, foreign direct investment, and foreign policy preferences have been published in various leading journals in political science. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the Notre Dame International Security Center and taught at Bates College before joining Korea University. She is an organizer of the Pacific International Politics Conference Online Speaker Series. Ko received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University, and a B.A. and a M.A. in Political Science from Korea University.

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