Michael Allen
Since 2012, I have been an assistant professor of Political Science at Boise State University. My primary research area is on asymmetric interaction in international relations, whether it is between states or non-states in contexts of war, civil conflict, terrorism, US foreign policy, and international political economy. I teach courses on international relations, comparative foreign policy, US foreign policy, civil war, terrorism, research and quantitative methodology, and game theory.
Biography
Since 2012, I have been an assistant professor of Political Science at Boise State University. My primary research focus area is on asymmetric interaction in international relations, whether it is between states or non-states in contexts of war, civil conflict, terrorism, US foreign policy, and international political economy. I teach courses on international relations, comparative foreign policy, US foreign policy, civil war, terrorism, research and quantitative methodology, and game theory.Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
-
Asymmetric relations, conflict and cooperation
Interstate conflict
Troop deployments
Comparative and US foreign policy
Personal Interests
-
Science Fiction and Fantasy (written and television/film)
Strategic interaction
Card Games (CCGs/TCGs/Poker)
Video Games
Board Games
Books
Articles
The Localized and Spatial Effects of US Troop Deployments on Host-State Defense
Published: Feb 02, 2016 by Foreign Policy Analysis
Authors: Michael A. Allen, Julie VanDusky-Allen, and Michael E. Allen
We analyze how the deployment of US troops affects host-state defense spending. We test this relationship, from 1951 to 2003, by examining how the deployment of US military forces impacts defense spending in different types of states, including US allies, NATO members, non-allies of the United States, and all states.
Blog Consumption and International Relations
Published: Jan 26, 2016 by Journal of Political Science Education
Authors: Michael A. Allen
International relations professors have sought to incorporate current events into their curriculum through various mechanisms. This article tests to see if having students regularly read professional political science blogs increases student achievement. These results indicate that, in addition to other factors, there are pedagogical reasons to encourage (rather than prohibit) political science scholars from blogging.
Deadly Triangles: The Implications of Regional Competition on Demands in Asymmet
Published: Aug 13, 2015 by Foreign Policy Analysis
Authors: Michael A. Allen, Sam Bell, and K. Chad Clay
Asymmetric war continues to be a puzzling occurrence for international relations scholars across multiple theoretical approaches. We posit that weak states with rivals and neighboring rivals are conditioned in their likelihood of resist the demands of powerful states. Utilizing spatial modeling techniques for the Correlates of War data, we determine that characteristics of rivals and neighboring rivals do decrease the likelihood that demands by powerful states are resisted by weak states.
The Partisan Fallout from Arizona’s Immigration Battle: Lessons from California
Published: Jun 03, 2015 by Politics, Groups, and Identities
Authors: Jonathan Krasno, Gregory Robinson, Josh Zingher, and Michael Allen
We explore the potential political impact of Arizona’s controversial immigration statute, SB 1070, by examining a similar event: the 1994 passage of Proposition 187 in California. Our results show sizable movement toward the Democratic candidate in Arizona — if Latinos and non-Latinos there react to SB 1070 as Californians reacted to Prop. 187.
Tightening the Belt: Austerity and Alliance Formation
Published: Dec 01, 2013 by International Studies Quarterly
Authors: Michael A. Allen and Mathew DiGiuseppe
In this paper, we focus on the primary mechanism by which leaders have relaxed this constraint: sovereign borrowing. Using previous models of alliance formation as a guide, our empirical evidence indicates that states that have a hard time borrowing are more likely to form an alliance than those states with affordable access to credit markets.
Putting our best boots forward: US military deployments and host-country crime
Published: Jul 01, 2013 by Conflict Management and Peace Science
Authors: Michael A. Allen and Michael E. Flynn
Using cross-national crime statistics from the United Nations and data on US troop deployments, we examine whether US military deployments are associated with higher levels of criminal activity across a large subset of crimes. In aggregate, the mere presence of troops does not increase the criminal activity in a state; however, there is a conditional effect between the host-state and the US; the presence of foreign deployed troops is associated with higher levels of property-related crimes.
From Melos to Baghdad: Explaining Resistance to Militarized Challenges from More
Published: Dec 01, 2011 by International Studies Quarterly
Authors: Michael A. Allen and Benjamin O. Fordham
This paper tests several explanations for this phenomenon. Empirical analyses of MID and ICB data point to the importance of both rationalist claims about threat credibility and alternative arguments about state preferences.