The politics of arms control treaty ratification in the post-Cold War era

This dissertation examines the politics that surround arms control ratification in the post-Cold War era. Given its position at the nexus between domestic and international politics, arms control ratification is not only an important issue for politicians and policymakers but also for scholars to analyze how domestic politics impacts foreign policymaking in the United States. All four post-Cold War presidents have attempted to negotiate and ratify at least one arms control agreement while in office. However, each president and each treaty faced varying amounts of support and opposition from the numerous institutions and agents within American foreign policymaking. What explains this phenomenon? Previous attempts to develop models for analyzing the ratification process have been limited to single cases or only those that occurred during the Cold War. Through an in depth study of five post-Cold War arms control agreements, this paper attempts to develop an updated and inclusive framework for understanding the political factors that affect the ratification process. This dissertation finds that the outcome of a ratification debate largely depends on the presence of four critical variables and that these political conditions for success have changed since the end of the Cold War.