The author tests a set of hypotheses about the conditions under which major powers intervene with military support for states that are threatened in a crisis. The hypotheses are derived from a general theoretical approach that integrates a realist framework with recent works that focus on the domestic political determinants of foreign policy. Seven of the eight hypotheses tested are supported by the results of logit analysis on major power interventions in 272 international crises from 1918 to 1988. The broad theoretical implication is that scholars drawing on realist approaches to studying international politics should think rigorously about the role of domestic politics in foreign policy decisions.
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