The Dynamics of Coercion: American Foreign Policy and the Limits of Military Might

This book examines how the United States uses limited military force and other means to influence adversaries and potential adversaries. It reviews when limited force can and cannot work and examines a range of current challenges, including those of guerrilla groups or minor powers armed with nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. It also looks at the complications arising from domestic politics and the difficulties of using force in an alliance.

Daniel Byman is a policy analyst with the RAND Corporation and the Research Director of RAND's Center for Middle East Public Policy. Before coming to RAND, he worked as a political analyst for the U.S. government. Dr. Byman is the author of several books on international relations Matthew Waxman is an attorney and policy consultant in Washington, D.C. He has worked as a consultant on issues of American foreign and defense policy and international law at the RAND Corporation, and served as law clerk to Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Joel M. Flaum