Alliance Politics

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Abstract
An alliance is a formal agreement, open or secret, between two or more nations to collaborate on national security issues. This article first addresses theories of alliance formation, including those that focus on balance of power, the size principle, and attributes of alliance members. It next turns to the internal and external factors that are associated with alliance performance. The third section examines some international consequences of alliances, including the balance of power, war, and international integration. The effects of alliances on national politics are also considered briefly. Although many of the alliances created during the Cold War have disappeared—NATO is thus far a notable exception—alliances are likely to persist as a major instrument of statecraft as long as the international system includes independent political units.

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