The Politics of Alliance Cohesion: Experimental Evidence on American Attitudes toward Corrective Measures in Security Partnerships

This paper examines American public attitudes toward corrective measures against uncooperative security allies through a preregistered survey experiment on a nationally representative sample of 1,502 American citizens. The findings demonstrate strong public support for corrective measures, particularly coercive strategies such as economic sanctions and military aid reduction, against allies whose policies conflict with the dominant power’s interests. While alliance discord also triggers demands for reduced American contributions to the alliance, public response varies substantially based on the nature of the misalignment and the characteristics of the uncooperative ally. Notably, the ally regime type significantly moderates support for corrective measures, with Americans demonstrating marked reluctance to endorse punitive actions against democratic allies. However, neither the ally’s military capabilities nor the presence of formal treaty arrangements significantly moderates public preferences. These findings contribute to our understanding of alliance management and the domestic foundations of international cooperation while offering insights into the pressures leaders face when addressing alliance noncompliance.