Cristian Cantir is an assistant professor of political science at Oakland University in Michigan, USA. Some of his research interests include the domestic determinants of foreign policy behavior, the diplomatic activities of substate governments, role theory, and historical approaches to IR.Juliet Kaarbo is a professor of international relations with a chair in foreign policy at the University of Edinburgh, UK. She is codirector of Edinburgh’s Centre for Security Research. Her research focuses on political psychology, leadership and decision making, group dynamics, foreign policy analysis and theory, parliamentary political systems, and national roles.

• 1. Unpacking Ego in Role Theory: Vertical and Horizontal Role Contestation and Foreign Policy Cristian Cantir and Juliet Kaarbo 2. Role Contestation in the July 1914 Crisis: The British and French Cases Joe D. Hagan 3. Active Independent or Faithful Ally? The Domestic Contestation of National Role Conceptions in Australia after World War II Klaus Brummer and Cameron G. Thies 4. Role Theory and Japanese Security Policy Keiko Hirata 5. Contesting Belgium’s Role in Development Cooperation Marijke Breuning 6. Domestic Sources of Changing Turkish Foreign Policy Towards the MENA During the 2010s: A Role Theoretic Approach Özgür Özdamar 7. Intervention: Domestic Contestation and Britain’s National Role Conceptions Jamie Gaskarth 8. Belief Systems and Foreign Policy Roles: Role Contestation in U.S. Foreign Policy Decisions Stephen G. Walker, Mark Schafer, and John Beieler 9. To Be Or Not To Be A State? Role Contestation in the Debate Over Scottish Independence Ryan Beasley, Juliet Kaarbo, and Hannah Solomon-Strauss 10. Multi-level Role Contestation: The EU in the Libyan Crisis Nicole Koenig 11. Agents in Structures: Insights from Cases of Internal Role Contestation Juliet Kaarbo and Cristian Cantir

'Cantir and Kaarbo assemble in this volume nine thoughtful case studies of national role conflict in advanced democracies, constituting the first major study of role contestation among political elites and between elites and the general public. This is a key contribution to the burgeoning literature applying role theory to the study of foreign policy, and one that offers valuable insights into a deeply controversial political issue: as citizens, what role do we wish for our country to play in the world?' - Paul Kowert, UMass Boston, USA