Marc Houben holds master's degrees in philosophy and information management and a doctorate in social sciences. He has written about issues in philosophy, public policy, strategy and security and saw action in several crisis management operations as an officer in the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps.

• Part One: Problem definition and framework of analysis1. Introduction and plan of the book1.1 The double political problem of international crisis management1.2 Preconditions versus 'criteria for intervention'1.3 Research questions and methodology1.4 Defining the key terms: ambiguities and conundrums2. Elements of change2.1 The twin processes of normalisation and domestication2.2 Process and principles of self-organisation2.3 On the nature of the crisis3. Three propositions3.1 States are sovereign, only marginally free3.2 The imperative of cooperation3.3 All states are constrainedPart Two: The case studies: a comparative analysis4. Changing the rules:Belgium and the Netherlands4.1 Belgium4.2 The Netherlands4.3 Concluding remarks5. The imperative of consensus: Denmark and Norway5.1 Denmark5.2 Norway5.3 Concluding remarks6. The dominant government: the United Kingdom, France and Spain6.1 The United Kingdom6.2 France6.3 Spain6.4 Concluding remarks7. The dominant parliament: Germany and Italy7.1 Germany7.2 Italy7.3 Concluding remarksPart Three: Comparative analysis and conclusions8. National preconditions and multinational action8.1 Nature and charactersistics of the national decision-making process8.2 Do participation decisions fit a general pattern?8.3 How and why do governments precondition their participation?8.4 What are the consequences for multinational action?9. The relation between government and parliament9.1 Binding the government9.2 Obtaining and sustaining domestic support9.3 Does national decision-making improve if preconditions are formalised?9.4 Parliamentary scrutiny and evaluation9.5 Parliament as a democratic learning mechanismAnnex. The review framework of the Netherlands