#threat perception

States and state policymakers expend quite a bit of energy and resources thinking through the signals they send to other states. States also develop creative ways to reveal or disguise their intentions, be it to conquer land, develop a rapprochement with an enemy, or instill confidence in a nervous neighbor. On the receiving end, much energy is spent by policymakers, and ink spilt by analysts, attempting to understand whether states genuinely mean what they say and are representing their intentions in good faith.