My research focuses on the interaction between powerful and weak actors in international relations, with emphasis on asymmetric conflict, US foreign policy, and international political economy. This page contains links to my research, online appendices, replication data, and other related materials. For a complete list of publications and ongoing manuscripts, see my curriculum vitae or my Google Scholar page.
Books
- Allen, Michael A. 2025. The Gamer’s Guide to International Relations. Rowman & Littlefield.
- Allen, Michael A., Michael Flynn, Carla Martinez Machain, and Andrew Stravers. 2023. Beyond the Wire: US Military Deployments and Host Country Public Opinion. Oxford University Press, Bridging the Gap Series.
- Allen, Michael A. and Justin S. Vaughn (Eds.). 2016. Poli Sci Fi: An Introduction to Political Science through Science Fiction. Routledge.
The Effects of US Foreign Policy
- Allen, Michael A., Michael Flynn, Carla Martinez Machain, and Grzegorz Smułek. 2025. “At the edge of war: Frontline ally support for the United States military.” International Interactions 51(2): 194–223.
- Allen, Michael A., Michael Flynn, and Carla Martinez Machain. 2024. “Competing for Consent: How U.S. Deployments Are Shaping Major Power Competition in Europe.” In Isaac Kardon and Andrew Yeo (Eds.), Great Power Competition and Overseas Bases: Chinese, Russian, and American Force Posture in the 21st Century. Brookings Institution Press, 171–194.
- Allen, Michael A., Thomas Campbell, Nicolas Hernandez, and Valeryn Shepherd. 2023. “US Military Deployments and the Risk of Coup d’État.” Foreign Policy Analysis 19(1): orac027.
- Allen, Michael A., Michael Flynn, and Carla Martinez Machain. 2022. “U.S. Global Military Deployments, 1950–2020.” Conflict Management and Peace Science 39(3): 351–370.
- Allen, Michael A., Michael Flynn, Carla Martinez Machain, and Andrew Stravers. 2020. “Outside the wire: U.S. troop deployments and public opinion in host states.” American Political Science Review 114(2): 326–341.
- Allen, Michael A., Michael Flynn, and Julie VanDusky-Allen. 2017. “Regions of Hierarchy and Security: US Troop Deployments, Spatial Relations, and Defense Burdens.” International Interactions 43(3): 397–423.
- Allen, Michael A., Michael Flynn, and Julie VanDusky-Allen. 2016. “The Localized and Spatial Effects of US Troop Deployments on Host-State Defense Spending.” Foreign Policy Analysis 12(4): 674–694.
- Allen, Michael A. and Michael Flynn. 2013. “Putting our Best Boots Forward: US Military Deployments and their Effect on Host-Country Crime.” Conflict Management and Peace Science 30(3): 263–285.
Asymmetric Conflict
- Allen, Michael A., Sam Bell, and K. Chad Clay. 2018. “Deadly Triangles: The Implications of Regional Competition on Demands in Asymmetric Dyads.” Foreign Policy Analysis 14(2): 169–190. We examine the conditions in which third-party rivalry may constrain or embolden weak actors when bargaining with powerful states.
- Allen, Michael A. and Benjamin Fordham. 2011. “From Melos to Baghdad: Explaining Resistance to Militarized Challenges from More Powerful States.” International Studies Quarterly 55(4): 1025–1045. We argue that there are consistent predictors of when weak states will resist the demands of strong states despite the obvious asymmetry.
International Political Economy
- Allen, Michael A. 2018. “The Influence of Regional Power Distribution on Interdependence.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 62(5): 1072–1099. Examines how regions of parity and disparity shape global liberalization trends.
- Allen, Michael A. and Matthew DiGiuseppe. 2013. “Tightening the Belt: Austerity and Alliance Formation.” International Studies Quarterly 57(4): 647–659. Examines how credit acts as a source of power and how states that lose access to credit seek to enhance their security through alliance formation.
Teaching and Pedagogy
- Allen, Michael A. 2016. “Blog Consumption and International Relations.” Journal of Political Science Education 12(2): 169–185. Examines how incorporating blogs and current events into the classroom affects student engagement with international relations.
Last updated: 10/12/2026