Benefiting from Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in the Spatial Analyses of Foreign Policy Decisions in a European Context

This paper investigates the link between public opinion and decisions for the use of force in CSDP missions in a comparative fashion. Fuzzy Set QCA can potentially be very useful for comparative approaches to FPA since it allows for multivariate understandings in medium-n studies. The paper analyzes the output of European foreign policy by investigating 10 military or police CSDP operations starting between 2005 to 2010. Each decision in favor is understood as the output of 25/27 national foreign policies. Our goal is to better understand whether public opinion has a role in these 262 foreign policy decisions. The independent variable shall be public opinion/approval of CSDP as an EU common policy (i.e. based on Eurobarometer question 20.4). Countries are grouped into quintiles (0; 0.2; 0.4; 0.6; 0.8; 1) based on the average percentage during the time period relevant for the respective decision on a CSDP mission.