COSTS AND DEMANDS - INTERNATIONAL SOURCES OF DISPUTE CHALLENGES AND RECIPROCATION

This research develops the concept of an international system cost as a necessary complement to the domestic cost component generated by Bue no de Mesquita and Lalman in War and Reason, published in 1992. The ad dition of such a cost to the decision calculus of leaders can persuade them to favor the status quo over the imposition of a likely attainab le demand. Evidence is found supporting the significant constraining p ower of the international status quo as it relates to the dispute pron eness of the system. Furthermore, the perception held by the internati onal community about states committing initial acts of aggression vari es from its perception of those who have been the targets of such aggr ession. This situational reality acts to confer dissimilar action cost s on the imposition of demands relative to counterdemands.