Description
This paper aims to provide a different insight into international relations and alliances in particular by reversing the 'flow' of analysis. Much has been written on the American influence on the Northern Ireland Troubles and how the Special relationship may have played a role in altering Britain's policy options. However, very little work has been done on how the Troubles affected the relationship between the two states beyond sporadic description. in other words, we have accepted the assumption that the influenced only traveled one way.
By altering the direction of travel and incorporating elements of the foreign policy apparatus beyond the President and the Prime Minister it will be possible to assess the extent to which the relationship was inflected by the 'problem', rather than just how the 'problem' was influenced by the relationship. In doing so this paper will provide an example of how we can create more holistic understandings of alliance politics.
