Benjamin, Jacob2026-06-122026-06-122026-06-122026-06-03https://hdl.handle.net/10012/23601This dissertation examines a puzzle: allies and interoperable security partners that fight each other. The dissertation gathers and generates data on this confusing state of affairs and explains the factors that can cause this outcome. The dissertation consists of three papers. The first paper devises a new formula to measure the amount of internal conflict in a particular arrangement. I use this method to measure the amount of conflict in over thirty different security arrangements. The data flag anomalous arrangements, which are those alliances and interoperable security partnerships with several members that fight each other. The second paper is a case study on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The SCO is a salient arrangement because five of the ten SCO members have fought another SCO member in the short span of five years. The third paper broadens the scope of this research to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). While not an interoperable security partnership, ASEAN is a pertinent case study because it has claimed to be a security community; yet some of its members have fought each other in limited wars, and many members have serious contestations with other members on security issues. The findings of this research have both practical and theoretical significance. During the research design phase, I initially did not consider democratic peace theory as relevant to the dissertation’s topic; however, the findings ended up showing strong support for the significance of regime type in international relations. When there is internal conflict in security arrangements, often it is because of divergent regime types (democratic versus authoritarian regimes). Moreover, the fact that there is so much conflict within the SCO – an authoritarian security arrangement – reinforces the notion that authoritarian states are qualitatively more aggressive than democratic ones. That is, beyond waging conflict on their adversaries, authoritarian states are far more likely to wage conflicts on their so-called friends. Finally, since ASEAN has such a variety of regime types, it became clear why the association has struggled to develop deeper security commitments.enInternational RelationsInternational SecurityDoctoral Thesis