The U.S. portfolio of treaties and agreements can offer insights into the distribution and depth of U.S. international commitments, including military commitments, relationships, capabilities, and vulnerabilities in a given area. To overcome shortcomings in existing datasets and indexes to these treaties and agreements, the author developed a comprehensive database that will enhance researchers' ability to study the full portfolio of agreements.

U.S. Security-Related Agreements in Force Since 1955

Introducing a New Database

Jennifer Kavanagh

ResearchPublished Dec 17, 2014

Cover: U.S. Security-Related Agreements in Force Since 1955
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Includes Treaty Database

Treaties and agreements are powerful foreign policy tools that the United States uses to build and solidify relationships with partners and to influence the behavior of other states. As a result, the overall U.S. portfolio of treaties and agreements can offer insight into the distribution and depth of U.S. commitments internationally, including its military commitment, relationships, capabilities, and vulnerabilities in a given area. While there are many sources of information on security-related treaties and agreements, there is currently no comprehensive record of current or historical security-related treaties signed by the United States that can be used for empirical analysis. To address the shortcomings in existing datasets and indexes to contribute to the study of U.S. security treaties and agreements, the author has developed a tool — displayed in an Excel spreadsheet — that provides a new, more comprehensive treaty database that will enhance the ability of researchers to study the full portfolio of U.S. security agreements.

Key Takeaways

Understanding the Numbers and Types of Treaties Signed by the United States Would Be Valuable.

  • Understanding the numbers and types of treaties signed by the United States could offer insight into the most common treaty partners and the types of issues and substantive areas where treaties and agreements are the most valuable.
  • Such an understanding would also reveal areas that are typically not addressed by treaties and agreements.
  • It would also give insight into U.S. foreign policy priorities, commitments, and relationships and how these have changed over time.

Existing Data Sources Have Gaps in Their Coverage.

  • No comprehensive record exists of current or historical security-related treaties signed by the United States that can be used for empirical analysis.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 2014
  • Pages: 84
  • Document Number: RR-736-AF

Citation

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Kavanagh, Jennifer, U.S. Security-Related Agreements in Force Since 1955: Introducing a New Database. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2014. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR736.html.
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This research was co-commissioned by the Office of the Air Force Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Air Force Quadrennial Defense Review Directorate. The work was conducted within the Strategy and Doctrine Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE.

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