Publications

Articles

1. Lin, Alex Yu-Ting and Ralston, R. (2026). “The elusive consensus: diverging US views on competition against China,” The Washington Quarterly.

2. Blagden, D., Krebs, R.R., and Ralston, R. (2026). “Dangerous Deference: What the British Public Think about Civil-Military Relations,” Political Quarterly.

3. Blagden, D., Krebs, R.R., and Ralston, R. (2025). “What Do We Owe Soldiers? Evidence from the UK Armed Forces Covenant.” European Journal of International Security.

4. Krebs, R. R., Ralston, R., Balzacq, T., Blagden, D. and Shenhav, S. (2025). “Do Soldiers Get a Say? Soldiers' Views and Public Support for Military Operations in Four Democracies.” Perspectives on Politics.

5. Krebs, R. R. and Ralston, R. (2024). “The National Security State and the Uses of Militarism.” Constitutional Political Economy.

6. Krebs, R. R., Ralston, R., Balzacq, T., Blagden, D., Shenhav, S., and Steinbrecher, M. (2024). “Citizenship Traditions and Cultures of Military Service: Patriotism and Paychecks in Five Democracies.” Armed Forces & Society.

7. Ralston, R. (2023). "American Decline and Anti-Asian American Sentiment" Politics, Groups, and Identities. 

8. Ralston, R. (2022). "Make Us Great Again: The Causes of Declinism in Great Powers" Security Studies.

9. Spindel, J. & Ralston, Robert.  (2022).  "Public Attitudes toward Diversity, Promotion, and Leadership in the US Military" Armed Forces & Society. 

10. Krebs, R.R., Ralston, R., Rapport, A. (2021). “Why They Fight: How Perceived Motivations for Military Service Shape Support for the Use of Force" International Studies Quarterly.

    1. • 1. • Featured in the Academic Times

            • Dataverse replication files

11. Krebs, R. R., Ralston, R., and Rapport, A. (2021). "No Right to Be Wrong: What Americans Think about Civil-Military Relations" Perspectives on Politics.

    1. • 1. • Dataverse replication files

12. Motta, M., Ralston, R., and Spindel, J. (2020).  “A Call to Arms? The opinion dynamics and policy implications of climate change concern in the US military." Environmental Communication. 

•  Featured in the Star Tribune and the Center for Climate and Security

13. Ralston, R., Motta, M, Spindel, J. (2020). "When OK is NOT OK: Public Concern About White Nationalism in the U.S. Military." Armed Forces & Society. 

14. Krebs, R. R. & Ralston, R. (2020). "Patriotism or Paychecks: Who Believes What About Why Soldiers Serve." Armed Forces & Society. 

• Featured in the Military Times

• Data and replication files

15. Spindel, J. & Ralston, R. (2020). "Taking Social Cohesion to Task: Perceptions of Transgender Military Inclusion and Concepts of Cohesion." Journal of Global Security Studies, 5(1): 80-96. 

16. Ralston, R. & Krebs, R. R. (2018). Democracy in the Crucible of Conflict. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford University Press.

17. Manion, M., Ralston, R., Matthews, T., Allen, I. (2017). Budget Analysis as a Tool to Monitor Economic and Social Rights. Journal of Human Rights Practice, 9(1), 146-158.

Essays in Edited Volumes

1. Krebs, R. R. and Ralston, R. (2026). “Polarization, Politicization, and the Future of Democratic Civil-Military Relations” in Bend but do not Break: Shaping the Future of the All-Volunteer Force. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2. Krebs, R. R. and Ralston, R. (2025). “Communal Minorities and Casualty Sensitivity: Evidence from Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States.” In Sarah Kreps and Douglas Kriner, eds., Checking the Costs of War. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.