Dispute inflation

Much work has examined the phenomenon of dispute escalation, whereby concrete measures state actors take edge them closer to war. Less attention been devoted ways in which actors’ perceptions what is at stake a can also change, with important consequences for likelihood conflict. This paper examines inflation – wherein contest over an object or issue assumes ever greater stakes and significance its protagonists identifies three different mechanisms that generate increasing non-material stakes. The upshot theoretically even minor grow into major conflict due swelling stakes, especially when spirals. To illustrate these dynamics work, this looks recent developments between People’s Republic China Japan Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.