"The question of how effective political tools actually are is among the most hotly debated in contemporary IR theory. There is no unanimity how to even measure the effectiveness and impact different political measures produce. This book comprehensively introduces social science students and scholars to the various fields of effectiveness and impact research in the study of international relations. Understandings of effectiveness and impact of political measures and tools in international relations are as manifold as the methods of tracing causality. This book presents and discusses the most state-of-the-art research methods and techniques, their theoretical underpinnings, and their application in empirical research. Contemporary social science increasingly demands profound expertise not only in the theoretical understanding of causation and cause-and-effect relationships in the international sphere, but also in the use of causal inference research techniques and methods for establishing and testing causal relationships."--Publisher's website.