Associate Professor Roseanne McManus and Ph.D. alum Chase Bloch have published an article in Foreign Affairs based on their research together. Their survey research shows that foreign governments’ denials of responsibility for hostile actions reduce certainty about responsibility and support for retaliation among the public in the targeted state, even when the denial is contradicted by evidence. This helps to explain the prevalence of denials and non-attribution in the foreign policy sphere. The effectiveness of denials provides opportunities for de-escalation but can also inhibit the ability of the US government to deter hostile actions.
Read the article here: The Power of Denial: Why States Lie About What They’ve Done
