Political leaders who engage their nations in international conflict short of wars improve their ability to survive in office and retain political power, says Randolph M. Siverson, professor of political science at UC Davis and co-author of a new research report titled "Political Accountability and International Crisis." The researchers analyzed the effects of conflict on 648 political leaders in 33 countries from post-World War I to 1976. "The study shows that all political leaders increase their tenure when they start international disputes, but nondemocratic leaders make the greatest gains," according to Siverson. "In addition, nondemocratic leaders appear to be relatively immune to the human costs of international disputes, while the survival of democratic leaders is highly sensitive to the hazards of defeat and high toll of human lives." One pattern that all leaders have in common is that their time in office suffers when their state becomes targeted by another nation. The so-called "rally-around-the-flag" effects are not confined to the United States, but are more widespread across time and political systems than previously observed, notes Siverson.