Gartner and Segura consider the costs of war – both human and political – by examining the consequences of foreign combat, on domestic politics. The personal costs of war – the military war dead and injured – are the most salient measure of war costs generally and the primary instrument through which war affects domestic politics. The authors posit a general framework for understanding war initiation, war policy and war termination in democratic polities, and the role that citizens and their deaths through conflict play in those policy choices. Employing a variety of empirical methods, they examine multiple wars from the last 100 years, conducting analyses of tens of thousands of individuals across a wide variety of historical and hypothetical conditions, whilst also addressing policy implications. This study will be of interest to students and scholars in American foreign policy, international politics, public opinion, national security, American politics, communication studies, and military history.

‘Gary Segura and Scott Gartner in this landmark work build on decades of careful empirical research to address one of the most important topics in the study of the politics of war, how casualties affect public support for war. Costly Calculations is a monumental accomplishment that will shape the scholarly agenda for years to come.’

Dan Reiter - Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Political Science, Emory University

‘Costly Calculations is a foundational contribution to the study of war and domestic politics. Offering a general theory, Gartner and Segura argue that the perceived value of a war and its most salient cost, combat casualties, affect war support among the public and elites alike. The authors employ a rich, multimethod approach, finding that the effects of wartime deaths on public opinion are experienced differently across space, time, and individuals. Gartner and Segura’s volume is an essential read that should reshape the study of war and public opinion.’

Stephen P. Nicholson - Philip H. Alston Jr. Distinguished Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Georgia