On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Daveed discuss one of the enduring concepts of international politics: credibility. Rob lays out the basics of deterrence theory, prompting Daveed to explain why he thinks reputation is important. Daveed contends that Obama’s unenforced Syrian “red line” will have a tremendous effect on America’s credibility and reputation. They examine whether a reputation for resolve matters with reference to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, and consider the academic-policymaker divide, especially with respect to how we can measure the effectiveness of reputation-building measures. Plus: Debating the value of bluffing as part of the foreign policy toolkit.