TAKING ENDURING OUT OF ENDURING RIVALRY - THE RIVALRY APPROACH TO WARAND PEACE

Enduring rivalries form the most conflict-prone dyads in the internati onal system, but they are only the extreme case of rivalry; rivalries can be short-lived as well as enduring. Rivalries are not merely a new topic of research-an extension of the logic behind studying ''dangero us dyads''-nor are they merely a useful research tool and case selecti on device. Part of what has hindered a clear understanding of the wide -ranging ramifications of the rivalry concept comes from the focus on enduring rivalries. We show that much can be gained by taking ''enduri ng'' out of enduring rivalries-resulting in what we term the ''rivalry approach'' to war and peace. There are three general ways in which th e rivalry approach focuses attention on issues normally beyond the hor izon of the traditional international conflict literature, or what mig ht generically be labeled the causes of war approach: changing the uni t of analysis from war to rivalry, adopting a longitudinal and dynamic approach, and putting rivalry context as part of theory rather than m erely as a case selection device. We explore these three aspects of th e rivalry approach, illustrating our points primarily by reference to scholarly work on deterrence, but also drawing on other examples from neorealism, expected utility, liberalism arms races, power transitions , diffusion, and long cycles in order to illustrate the broader applic ability of the framework.