Debates about U.S. grand strategy pivot on microfoundations: if military spending promotes “overstretch,” if countries balance against concentrations of power, if alliances entangle Washington in unnecessary wars, then the expansive U.S. strategy of “deep engagement” may be too costly and risky.

My review essay for H-Diplo/International Security Studies Forum focuses on the entanglement question. [PDF] I review Michael Beckley’s excellent article in International Security, entitled, “The Myth of Entangling Alliances”: critiquing the argument and pointing to future areas of research for this important debate.