Assessing the impact of the right to collective self-defense on Japan's security environment

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03334
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: International relations
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Kurizaki Shuhei 早稲田大学, 政治経済学術院, 准教授 (70708099)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 集団的自衛権 / 日米同盟 / 抑止 / 同盟の信頼性 / 安全保障のジレンマ / 防衛義務 / 同盟条約 / 国際紛争

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project assessed the impact of Japan's changing defense policy on its security environment. Specifically, I combined theoretical and empirical approaches to investigate the role played by the right of collective self-defense (CSD). Theoretically, several game-theoretic models are developed and analyzed to explore ramifications of this policy change. The equilibrium analysis shows that allowing for the CSD alone does not improve the reliability of alliance commitment or enhance the effectiveness of extended deterrence; but it ameliorates the security dilemma as long as Japan commits to a hardliner bargaining position. Empirically, I assessed the relative impact of the defense obligations in alliance (and the lack thereof). The analysis of the past 2 centuries shows that symmetric defense obligation restrains an alliance partner from initiating a militarized dispute and enhances general deterrence, but it does not affect the risk of entrapment or being targeted in a dispute.

Free Research Field

Political Science, International Relations