Todays lecture:

Neoliberalism and Neorealism

Andrea Oelsner a.oelsner@abdn.ac.uk

The development of the discipline of IR Main assumptions of liberal internationalism Main assumptions of classical realism Main assumptions of neorealism Main assumptions of neoliberalism To debate

Discipline of IR: its development

Origins: Thucydides
Realist analysis of Peloponnesian War (431404 B.C.)

Discipline of IR: its development

Liberalism (economic political)
Individual liberty Human progress Rationality Harmony of interests Co-operation Decentralisation of power

1919 1st IR department at University of Aberystwyth, Wales

Idealistic agenda: prevention of war Liberalism

Liberal Internationalism
Wilsons analysis: importance of domestic politics
Democracy national self-determination

Classical Realism
Main problem human nature Systematised realism with definitions and listings (more scientific)
States pursuing interests defined in terms of power International system: anarchic, self-help similar to Thomas Hobbes state of nature

importance of international institutions

Collective security League of Nations

Constitutionalism and rule of law Harmony of interests

Neorealism
Refinement of classical realism
Carrs and Morgenthaus realism not scientific enough

Neorealism
Key text: Theory of International Politics (Kenneth
Waltz, 1979) Deductive model Main concerns

1950/60s scientific revolution in social science

Behaviouralism; Positivism

State survival, Power, Order

Actors: unitary, rational Systemic theory system level analysis

Macro-economic analogy

1970s Pluralism and complex interdependence

Robert Keohane, Joseph Nye

Systemic structure
Ordering principle anarchy / hierarchy Function of units similar / different Distribution of capabilities across units uni-/ bi-/ multipolarity

Neorealism
Main structural feature: ANARCHY
War and conflict inevitable Self-help (co-operation) Security dilemma

Neoliberalism
Liberal Institutionalism (1940s) 1960s and 1970s changes:
Cold War dtente Increased interdependence in the West

Distribution of capabilities across units

Unipolar/bipolar/multipolar Actors international strategy Hierarchy of issues [= high vs low politics] Balance of power Co-operation, unlikely

Pluralism (Keohane & Nye)

Transnational Relations and World Politics (1971)

Complex Interdependence (Keohane & Nye)

Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition (1977)

Response to Waltzs Neo-realism 1980s Neo-liberal Institutionalism

Neoliberalism
States: most important actors, but not only ones; rational; interest maximising Relevance of absolute gains Anarchy: can be mitigated by international regimes and institutions Emphasis on process

Neoliberalism
Institutions: regulate interests among states and shape them; AND promote their own agendas Presence of hegemon: facilitates establishment of regimes Main problem for co-operation: noncompliance and free-riding

Neo-realism

Neo-liberalism
Multiple channels of access btw societies Low salience of force, power also measured in other (economic) terms Non-state actors very important too

To debate:
Main differences between the 2 neos Shared assumptions between the 2 neos Issues left unquestioned by the 2 neos

State = unitary actor Centrality of (military) power

Hierarchy of issues = high/low politics No hierarchy of issues State: most important actor Relative gains competitive internatl Absolute gains co-operative internatl system co-operation = difficult; system co-operation = more rational and competition = rational & inevitable; blikely than competition o-p. States participation in international organisations [IOs] only if they perceive short-term, material gains IOs represent the interests of the powerful, hegemonic states States States participation in IOs bc helps overcome obstacles of interdependence; actors perceive long-term benefits IOs become actors in their own right, with own life, interests, etc. anarchic

International structure

rational actors [thus RATIONALIST THEORIES]

Use of game theory, public choice and rational choice theory