Introduction

The networked international politics (NIP) theory covers multiple levels of analysis and suggests quite a few hypotheses. In this chapter, I test key aspects of the theory and evaluate its main propositions, focusing on the central propositions concerning network formation, network evolution, and the structural consequences of these processes.

I provide only a general discussion of the empirical strategy in the body of the chapter. My main focus is on the discussion and interpretations of the results. The chapter’s appendix contains a detailed discussion of methodology, measurement, and other technical matters concerning these analyses.