Substituting policies during US interventions in internal conflicts - A little of this, a little of that

The conditions under which states substitute across a range of foreign poli cy options have remained largely an unexplored area of international relati ons. The ability to substitute policies is evident in the response by the U nited States to instability in other countries. In this article, the author explores the conditions under which the United States changes its interven tion strategies in civil conflicts and the type of interventions that are s ubstituted once the decision to change has been made. He argues that the de cision to change policy is rooted in domestic political risks, while the sp ecific strategy for intervening will be a function of capabilities. Using d ata on U.S. interventions in the post-World War II period, the author demon strates that domestic factors are associated with the likelihood of a chang e from the status quo. The specific policy option chosen, however, appears to be a result of both capabilities, which are rooted in the relationship w ith the target country and the amount of public attention given to the conf lict in the media.