Research

My research focuses on alliance politics, strategic partnerships, and the changing organization of international security, with particular interest in how states cooperate, divide security responsibilities, and sustain strategic relationships.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Fidelis A. David, Baah, N. K., & Hameed, M. 2026. “The Double-Edged Order: How Globalization Shapes Militarization Across Political Regimes in a Multiplex World.” The International Spectator.

Fidelis A. David. 2026. “Enemies at the Gates: Threat Activation and Support for Strongman Rule in Hungary and the European Union.” European Politics and Society.

Fidelis A. David. 2025. “Beyond Burden-Sharing: Signaling and Variation in NATO Defence Spending.” Contemporary Security Policy, 1–28.

Fidelis A. David, & Baah, N. K. 2025. “Rethinking the Guns vs. Butter Tradeoff: A Non-Linear and Regime-Conditioned Approach in Military and Health Spending.” Defence and Peace Economics, 1–24.

Current Research

Alliance Contributions and the Division of Labor

I study how allies divide security responsibilities and contribute to collective defense in different ways. This research examines how variation across resources, military capabilities, and operational participation can reveal different forms of alliance commitment and specialization.

Strategic Partnerships and Security Cooperation

I examine why some security partnerships deepen more than others, especially when cooperation develops outside formal alliances. This work considers how strategic alignment and sustained forms of military cooperation shape the strength of these relationships.

Power and Security in a Changing International System

I study how shifts in power, interdependence, and political institutions shape state security strategies and patterns of cooperation in an increasingly multiplex international system.