DAVID R. DREYER

Email: dreyerda@msu.edu
Fields: International Relations, Comparative Politics
Dissertation: The Dynamics of International Rivalry: An Issue Conflict Approach
Expected Dissertation Defense: Summer 2008
Committee: Michael P. Colaresi (Chair), Charles W. Ostrom, Jr., Brian D. Silver, Mohammed Ayoob (James Madison College)

David R. Dreyer’s research and teaching interests focus on international relations, international conflict and rivalry, issue conflict, foreign policy, and comparative politics. He plans to complete his dissertation in the summer of 2008. Prior to beginning his graduate studies at MSU, David earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at John Carroll University in 2003.

His dissertation assesses how various issue conflicts affect the dynamics of international rivalry. In order to examine the multidimensional nature of issue conflict among rival states, David has collected original data on the presence or absence of spatial, positional, identity, ideological, and dissent issue conflict among strategic rivals. His study examines the effects of issue conflict accumulation and issue conflict variation on levels of hostility among international rivals. He finds that both the number of issues under contention and the types of issues under contention have significant effects on the likelihood of international conflict.

In the future, David plans to expand on his examination of issue conflict in the international system. He plans to evaluate status quo and revisionist policy orientations from an issue conflict approach. David then plans to examine the interactive relationship between policy orientations and power distributions on the likelihood of international conflict. Another study will examine issue conflict resolution to determine whether or not revisionism tends to result in the successful alteration and resolution of an issue dispute in one’s favor.

David’s teaching experience includes introductory classes in political science and comparative politics; he is currently teaching introduction to international relations. He has also led discussion sections for introductory classes in political science and research methodology under Charles Ostrom. Besides these classes, he has teaching interests in international political conflict, foreign policy, history of world politics, comparative political institutions, and American politics.