Dr Joseph MacKay is a Research Fellow in the Department of International Relations, Australian National University. He holds a doctorate in political science from the University of Toronto, and is a former postdoc at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University. His current work concerns the role of legitimacy in shaping the history of inter-imperial relations. His doctoral research concerns individual learning processes under conditions of complexity, focusing on historical counterinsurgency campaigns. His work, alone and with co-authors, has appeared or is forthcoming in International Studies Quarterly, the Review of International Studies, International Theory, International Studies Review, the Journal of International Relations & Development, Terrorism and Political Violence, International Peacekeeping, International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, International Politics, Social Science History, and Central Asian Survey.