Historical Analogies and Public Support for Foreign Policy Action

Christopher Blair, Paul Lendway, Joshua A. Schwartz, Department of Politics, Princeton University, Department of Political Science, Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, Carnegie Mellon University

Journal of Conflict Resolution

Published online on December 05, 2025

Abstract

Journal of Conflict Resolution, Volume 70, Issue 7-8, Page 1245-1273, August-September 2026.
Politicians frequently use historical analogies to justify their preferred foreign policies. However, despite their prevalence, it remains unclear whether, how, and why they shape public opinion. We conduct the most comprehensive experimental test to date ...