PolisInWar

Objectives and research hypothesis

The main objective of PolisInWar is to reexamine the conditions under which states use military force in the contemporary era, beginning with an analysis of the French case. It aims to resolve the puzzle that the French state presents in this area. Indeed, post-Cold War Western societies have often been described as “post-military ” (Shaw, 1991), and there has been talk of a decline in “hard politics,” during which states appeared less structured by war (Mann, 1997). However, during the same period, France has distinguished itself by a particularly strong reliance on its armed forces in the context of operations aimed at ensuring its security, both internationally and domestically (Serfati, 2017; Chapleau, Marill, 2018; Goya, 2022). To the point that this reliance on military operations could be described as a “French passion” (Serfati, 2017).

In line with the views of K. Orren and S. Skowronek (2011) or D. King and P. Le Gales (2017) on the “policy state,” we believe that this use of force is not merely a function of the characteristics of the military institutions available to these states, but also depends on the states’ ability to develop public policies and policy tools consistent with this use.

From this perspective, our first hypothesis is that one of the main challenges Western states have faced in the use of military force in recent years is the issue of its financing. To this end, we draw on recent findings by economists (Stiglitz, Bilmes, 2008; Droff, Malizard, 2018, 2020) who highlight the challenge that the cost of military interventions abroad poses for countries such as the United States, France, or Great Britain. We also draw on more general observations regarding the effects of budgetary constraints on the defense policies of a number of Western states (Irondelle, 2011; Larrieu, 2017; Hoeffler, Joana, Mérand, 2021; Faure, 2021).

Our second hypothesis is that the budgeting of state military operations—that is, the ways in which they are included in the state budget—may offer a unique vantage point from which to examine the challenges posed by the financing of military force and the mechanisms by which it is funded. From this perspective, we draw on the research agenda defined by fiscal policy analysis and the political sociology of public finance (Wildawski, 1974; Lalumière, 1974; Bezes, Siné, 2011; Siné, 2006).

Our third hypothesis is that this budgeting process leads to a redefinition of the conditions under which political authorities may resort to military force, as well as of the power dynamics that can exist among the various actors—political and administrative, civilian and military—involved. PolisInWar is dedicated to assessing these changes.

These three hypotheses will be tested empirically by comparing the financing methods used for three types of military operations conducted by the French government: external operations, internal operations—based on the case of Operation “Sentinelle” to combat terrorism—and “cyber operations” carried out by the General Staff of the Armed Forces since 2017.

To achieve this, the PolisInWar project brings together, in a unique way, a multidisciplinary team of political scientists and economists, and employs both quantitative and qualitative methodologies (see below).

The PolisInWar project is part of the research area “institutions and organizations, legal frameworks, norms, governance, international relations,” shedding light on the conditions under which contemporary states may resort to military force—a question to which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has given tragic relevance. PolisInWar is the first political science research project dedicated to the budgetary financing of military operations. In addition to providing firsthand knowledge of this phenomenon, the expected results are twofold. First, by employing a public policy analysis approach, it will contribute to the debate—which has been significant in French and international political science in recent years—on France’s military interventions (Chafer et al., 2020; Goya, 2022; Henke, 2020; Smith, 2017). But it will also be a much-needed contribution to the discussions among public policy specialists and political sociologists regarding the reconfiguration of the state in the contemporary era (King, Legalès, 2011, 2017; Birnbaum, 2011, 2018; Pouvoirs, 2021).

Website: Polisinwar