James D. Morrow, “The Strategic Setting of Choices: Signaling, Commitment, and Negotiation in International Politics,” in Lake and Powell, Strategic Choice, pp. 77-114.
Summary by Taylor
Main Point: Both strategic settings and preferences determine actors’ choices, and the choices of many actors determine outcomes. Since the choices of other actors affect the final result, an actor cannot simply chose a course that will lead to its desired outcome. From this, three different strategic problems (among others) arise: signaling, commitment, and bargaining. Understanding domestic politics is necessary to understanding strategic choice.
