Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SUPPMIL (The SUPPMIL project investigates the drivers of individual politicians and political parties’ support for United Nations and NATO military operations abroad.)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-02-01 al 2024-01-31
As the war in Ukraine is still unfolding, scholars, the media and the public debate the opportunity to intervene, what Russia could do next, and how to reduce the negative impacts of the war. Amongst these issues, particular interest is devoted to how different politicians and citizens approach the crisis and also to international norm violations during war, such as the use of mercenaries or chemical weapons.
So, what are the factors that explain politicians and the public support for military operations abroad? Under what conditions are citizens and leaders more willing to approve the use of force? The broad goal of the SUPPMIL project was to tackle these crucial research questions.
Overall, the main goal of the SUPPMIL project was to produce a series of academic articles and a book about these topics, together with the aim of diffusing knowledge about the relevance and role of various factors that explain support for war, with an emphasis on norm violations during conflicts. The project was interrupted ahead of schedule to allow the researcher to take a position as Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen.
Despite this, the project accomplished important results. As envisaged in the project timetable, in the first months the data management plan, the informed consent form, and all the necessary documents were drafter. Moreover, in coordination with Professor Vincenzo Bove (University of Warwick) and Professor Deborah Avant (University of Denver), a plan for the development of the project was agreed on.
In the following months (4-10, WP2), the researcher built the theoretical framework, collected data through two survey experiments in the United States and through various archives (e.g. the parliamentary debates of the US Congress), conducted a few interviews with humanitarian action practitioners and politicians, and started writing the first two articles envisaged by the project. In the last months (10-13, WP3), the researcher completed the first two papers and a detailed book project, and planned two additional surveys that will be conducted in Summer 2023 in various Western European countries and in Turkey.
Throughout the entire period, the SUPPMIL project achieved important milestones beyond academic research. First, the project was presented in prestigious academic conferences, such as the International Studies Association Conference (Nashville, Spring 2022), the 4 Corners Conflict Conference (Colorado Springs, Spring 2022), the Italian Political Science Association Conference (Rome, Summer 2022), and the Peace Science Society Conference (Denver, Fall 2022). Moreover, articles related to SUPPMIL were presented in dedicated workshops and seminars, such as the Korbel School Research Seminar (Denver, Winter 2022) and the University of Milan Research Seminar (Milan, Winter 2022). In addition, SUPPMIL was discussed with the public, politicians and activists in events such as the NAFSA Conference (Denver, Spring 2022) where also the MSCA various opportunities, benefits and future developments were sponsored. Moreover, at University of Denver, the researcher could undertook training for teaching, quantitative methods, research communication and outreach, and personal branding, amongst others.
Overall, the academic, networking, and training activities that were conducted in the first year of the project, along with the prestige of having won a MSCA Global Fellowship, tremendously boosted the career of the researcher and allowed him to secure a tenure-track position at University of Groningen.
So, what are the factors that explain politicians and the public support for military operations abroad? Under what conditions are citizens and leaders more willing to approve the use of force? The broad goal of the SUPPMIL project was to tackle these crucial research questions.
Overall, the main goal of the SUPPMIL project was to produce a series of academic articles and a book about these topics, together with the aim of diffusing knowledge about the relevance and role of various factors that explain support for war, with an emphasis on norm violations during conflicts. The project was interrupted ahead of schedule to allow the researcher to take a position as Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen.
Despite this, the project accomplished important results. As envisaged in the project timetable, in the first months the data management plan, the informed consent form, and all the necessary documents were drafter. Moreover, in coordination with Professor Vincenzo Bove (University of Warwick) and Professor Deborah Avant (University of Denver), a plan for the development of the project was agreed on.
In the following months (4-10, WP2), the researcher built the theoretical framework, collected data through two survey experiments in the United States and through various archives (e.g. the parliamentary debates of the US Congress), conducted a few interviews with humanitarian action practitioners and politicians, and started writing the first two articles envisaged by the project. In the last months (10-13, WP3), the researcher completed the first two papers and a detailed book project, and planned two additional surveys that will be conducted in Summer 2023 in various Western European countries and in Turkey.
Throughout the entire period, the SUPPMIL project achieved important milestones beyond academic research. First, the project was presented in prestigious academic conferences, such as the International Studies Association Conference (Nashville, Spring 2022), the 4 Corners Conflict Conference (Colorado Springs, Spring 2022), the Italian Political Science Association Conference (Rome, Summer 2022), and the Peace Science Society Conference (Denver, Fall 2022). Moreover, articles related to SUPPMIL were presented in dedicated workshops and seminars, such as the Korbel School Research Seminar (Denver, Winter 2022) and the University of Milan Research Seminar (Milan, Winter 2022). In addition, SUPPMIL was discussed with the public, politicians and activists in events such as the NAFSA Conference (Denver, Spring 2022) where also the MSCA various opportunities, benefits and future developments were sponsored. Moreover, at University of Denver, the researcher could undertook training for teaching, quantitative methods, research communication and outreach, and personal branding, amongst others.
Overall, the academic, networking, and training activities that were conducted in the first year of the project, along with the prestige of having won a MSCA Global Fellowship, tremendously boosted the career of the researcher and allowed him to secure a tenure-track position at University of Groningen.
Despite the early end of the fellowship, many project objectives have been reached. The researcher conducted two surveys in the US that led to two academic articles that are currently submitted to prestigious Journals:
• Norms and public approval of the use of force: A conjoint experiment on norm robustness in comparative perspective
• War in Lithuania: Experimental realistic evidence on the impact of norm violations on audience costs
Moreover, together with a team of scholars from University of Siena, the SUPPMIL funding supported an additional series of experiments that will be conducted soon in 7 Western European countries and Turkey. These surveys will lead to at least two additional academic papers, and to complete the book project linked to SUPPMIL. The goal is to send the book out to a prestigious university press in Spring 2024.
Finally, thanks to the SUPPMIL funding, the reseracher completed training activities at the University of Denver, such as teaching quantitative methods, research on humanitarian action, and public engagement
WP1: All formal procedure and documents linked to the start of the project were successfully completed.
WP2: In the first ten months, the researcher:
• Collected all textual references from the US Congress and other Western parliaments on politicians’ attitudes toward military missions abroad
• Conducted extended research on various multilateral military operations in the last twenty years.
• Collected all textual references from the UN and NATO collective councils.
In addition, other goals were reached, as the reseracher:
• Conducted two survey experiments (with Dynata) among two samples of 1.000 US citizens to investigate their positions on military operations and international norm violations
• Started a large collaborative project about the topic of SUPPMIL with scholars from various universities (e.g. Duke University, University of Siena), that will lead to additional research linked to SUPPMIL.
• Participated in the NAFSA conference and other public outreach events to disseminate the goals and results of SUPPMIL and in general of the MSCA.
WP3: In the next three months, the researcher:
• Drafted the theoretical framework for all research linked to SUPPMIL.
• Completed all quantitative analysis and testing
• Wrote and submitted two academic article
• Drafted a complete book proposal
• Completed various training sessions in the topics highlighted above
• Engaged, conducted interviews, and built network with practitioners and activists who work on humanitarian action
• Norms and public approval of the use of force: A conjoint experiment on norm robustness in comparative perspective
• War in Lithuania: Experimental realistic evidence on the impact of norm violations on audience costs
Moreover, together with a team of scholars from University of Siena, the SUPPMIL funding supported an additional series of experiments that will be conducted soon in 7 Western European countries and Turkey. These surveys will lead to at least two additional academic papers, and to complete the book project linked to SUPPMIL. The goal is to send the book out to a prestigious university press in Spring 2024.
Finally, thanks to the SUPPMIL funding, the reseracher completed training activities at the University of Denver, such as teaching quantitative methods, research on humanitarian action, and public engagement
WP1: All formal procedure and documents linked to the start of the project were successfully completed.
WP2: In the first ten months, the researcher:
• Collected all textual references from the US Congress and other Western parliaments on politicians’ attitudes toward military missions abroad
• Conducted extended research on various multilateral military operations in the last twenty years.
• Collected all textual references from the UN and NATO collective councils.
In addition, other goals were reached, as the reseracher:
• Conducted two survey experiments (with Dynata) among two samples of 1.000 US citizens to investigate their positions on military operations and international norm violations
• Started a large collaborative project about the topic of SUPPMIL with scholars from various universities (e.g. Duke University, University of Siena), that will lead to additional research linked to SUPPMIL.
• Participated in the NAFSA conference and other public outreach events to disseminate the goals and results of SUPPMIL and in general of the MSCA.
WP3: In the next three months, the researcher:
• Drafted the theoretical framework for all research linked to SUPPMIL.
• Completed all quantitative analysis and testing
• Wrote and submitted two academic article
• Drafted a complete book proposal
• Completed various training sessions in the topics highlighted above
• Engaged, conducted interviews, and built network with practitioners and activists who work on humanitarian action
The MSCA Global Fellowship has proven extremely beneficial for the career of the researcher, who has accepted a tenure-track position at University of Groningen in one of the biggest International Relations Department in Europe.
Although the shortened duration of the fellowship reduced the number of activities initially envisaged, the project did not solely enhance the researcher’s career, but also delivered an impact on the academic state of the art, with two articles that will be likely published in prestigious academic journals. These articles advance our theoretical and empirical knowledge of public and political support for war, and the discourses underlying it, as well as the mechanisms underlying different attitudes toward these sensitive political phenomena. As testified by the conferences and the workshops where SUPPMIL was presented, these findings have been widely disseminated across the academic community and beyond.
Although the shortened duration of the fellowship reduced the number of activities initially envisaged, the project did not solely enhance the researcher’s career, but also delivered an impact on the academic state of the art, with two articles that will be likely published in prestigious academic journals. These articles advance our theoretical and empirical knowledge of public and political support for war, and the discourses underlying it, as well as the mechanisms underlying different attitudes toward these sensitive political phenomena. As testified by the conferences and the workshops where SUPPMIL was presented, these findings have been widely disseminated across the academic community and beyond.