Dissertation
Alliance and Cultural Affinity
Revise and Resubmit
Do Birds of a Feather Deter Better? Cultural Affinity and Alliance Deterrence, Saera Lee & Addison Huygens & Sara McLaughlin Mitchell
This study examines the impact of cultural affinity on deterrence of defensive alliances and we find as cultural affinity among defense alliance increases, potential challengers are less likely to initiate disputes. Presented on a poster session at the 2022 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting. (Submitted at International Interactions)
Working Papers
1. Saera Lee, When Allies Leave an Alliance
This research oriented from dissertation chapter examines the impact of cultural similarity on ally’s tendency to leave an alliance and I find that as dyadic cultural affinity of allies within an alliance is high, an ally is less likely to leave an alliance.
2. Saera Lee, Why Do Alliance Terminate?
Focused on the duration of an alliance, this research finds that alliance with high average cultural affinity is less likely to be terminated.
3. Saera Lee, Rise of Pacta Sunt Servanda, Systemic Norm of Alliance Termination
This project from dissertation argues that the norm of pacta sunt servanda (pacts made in good faith are binding) is established at a systemic level by alliances with high cultural affinity, leading to a decrease in alliance termination over time since 1950. The research finds that the average cultural affinity within alliances increases over time and this trend coincides with an increasing proportion of democratic states.
4. Kelly M. Kadera & Saera Lee, Cultural Affinity and Alliance Formation
In this project, we focus on systemic conditions on alliance formation and how systemic norm of pacta sunt servanda creates bad reputations for those states which have violated the terms of obligations and makes them less attractive to other states. States calculate the costs of investment before they form an alliance, therefore members of alliances those are formed are more likely to comply with pacta sunt servanda.
5 Saera Lee, Clash of Culture? Analyzing Huntington Using Network Analysis This paper examines the applicability of Huntington’s class civilization using cultural affinity latent variable and network analysis.
6. Saera Lee, Does interaction make North Korea happier? This paper examines the effects of the third Korean Summit on North Korea’s perception of South Korea and the United States and finds that the Summit made North Korea to mention more on South Korea and the US, but in negative context.
Research Interests
International Relations
International Conflict and Cooperation, International Alliances, Interstate Rivalries, Security Studies
Political Methodology
Introductory Statistics, Regression, Times Series Analysis, Network Analysis, Mathematical Models, Text Analysis, Spatial Analysis, Duration analysis
Alliance and Cultural Affinity
- Committee: Sara McLaughlin Mitchell (Chair), Kelly M. Kadera, Brian Lai, Elizabeth Menninga, and Stephen Saideman
Revise and Resubmit
Do Birds of a Feather Deter Better? Cultural Affinity and Alliance Deterrence, Saera Lee & Addison Huygens & Sara McLaughlin Mitchell
This study examines the impact of cultural affinity on deterrence of defensive alliances and we find as cultural affinity among defense alliance increases, potential challengers are less likely to initiate disputes. Presented on a poster session at the 2022 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting. (Submitted at International Interactions)
Working Papers
1. Saera Lee, When Allies Leave an Alliance
This research oriented from dissertation chapter examines the impact of cultural similarity on ally’s tendency to leave an alliance and I find that as dyadic cultural affinity of allies within an alliance is high, an ally is less likely to leave an alliance.
2. Saera Lee, Why Do Alliance Terminate?
Focused on the duration of an alliance, this research finds that alliance with high average cultural affinity is less likely to be terminated.
3. Saera Lee, Rise of Pacta Sunt Servanda, Systemic Norm of Alliance Termination
This project from dissertation argues that the norm of pacta sunt servanda (pacts made in good faith are binding) is established at a systemic level by alliances with high cultural affinity, leading to a decrease in alliance termination over time since 1950. The research finds that the average cultural affinity within alliances increases over time and this trend coincides with an increasing proportion of democratic states.
4. Kelly M. Kadera & Saera Lee, Cultural Affinity and Alliance Formation
In this project, we focus on systemic conditions on alliance formation and how systemic norm of pacta sunt servanda creates bad reputations for those states which have violated the terms of obligations and makes them less attractive to other states. States calculate the costs of investment before they form an alliance, therefore members of alliances those are formed are more likely to comply with pacta sunt servanda.
5 Saera Lee, Clash of Culture? Analyzing Huntington Using Network Analysis This paper examines the applicability of Huntington’s class civilization using cultural affinity latent variable and network analysis.
6. Saera Lee, Does interaction make North Korea happier? This paper examines the effects of the third Korean Summit on North Korea’s perception of South Korea and the United States and finds that the Summit made North Korea to mention more on South Korea and the US, but in negative context.
Research Interests
International Relations
International Conflict and Cooperation, International Alliances, Interstate Rivalries, Security Studies
Political Methodology
Introductory Statistics, Regression, Times Series Analysis, Network Analysis, Mathematical Models, Text Analysis, Spatial Analysis, Duration analysis
