International Interventionism 1970-1989: A Count Data Approach

Due to progress in statistical methods and improved data processing
capabilities, count data modelling has become increasingly popular
in the social sciences. In empirical international relations and
international conflict research, however, the use of event count
models has been largely restricted to the application of the simple
Poisson approach so far. This article outlines the methodological
weaknesses of the model and presents some improvements which are
applied to the problem of international interventionism. The
cross-sectional data set used covers the behaviour of states during
the period from 1970 to 1989, and thus avoids some theoretical
problems of the standard long-term dyadic approach. The main result
of the analysis is the empirical irrelevance of idealist
conceptions claiming pacifying effects of democratization or
fostering of economic prosperity.