1
THE ROLE OF TERRITORIAL SALIENCE ACROSS TIME AND
SPACE: DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN CHALLENGER AND TARGET IN
TERRITORIAL DISPUTES
NAZLI AVDAN
nazli.## email not listed ##
JOSH RUBENSTEIN
## email not listed ##
Abstract:
A critical debate in international relations theory centers on the relationship
between territorial salience and interstate conflict. Although previous studies of territory
find a positive relationship between contiguity and the probability of conflict, they do not
fully spell out the causal mechanisms behind this relationship. Previous studies are
limited in that they assume that territorial salience is equivalent or reducible to an
aggregate value of assets. We argue that salience must be reconceptualized in a way that
captures its subjective component. We further argue that a reconceptualization of border
salience as a relative rather than an absolute concept better captures the territorial
dispute process. We extend previous work on border salience and draw out two
important implications. First, distinguishing the salience scores of contiguous states
enables us to make a directional argument and differentiate between challenger and
target. Second, a redefinition of salience as a time-dependent measure makes possible an
across time study of how shifts in salience are related to dispute propensity.
Key Words:
Contiguity
Interstate Conflict
Territoriality
Borders
Salience