Compound dilemmas

"For most of the period between World War II and the fall of the Soviet empire, there was remarkable consensus in the United States for support of its policies toward the Soviet Union. This consensus supported enormous defense expenditures and a developing system of alliances that spanned the globe and marked a vast expansion of America's overseas obligations.".

"Compound Dilemmas addresses the question of how such widespread domestic support for a very expensive and continual arms race developed. While current models of the arms race often fail to explain the persistence of American support or the pattern of the U.S. response to Soviet actions, such as the American arms buildup, Michael D. McGinnis and John T. Williams use social choice theory to offer a new understanding.

In addition, their use of game theory and statistical analysis offers fresh insights into how these methods can be employed to understand foreign policy questions in general." "Compound Dilemmas will appeal to political scientists interested in methodology, international relations, and American aspects of the political system. It will also be informative to readers seeking insight about the Cold War and its arms race."--BOOK JACKET.