Realism and Complex Interdependence
In this classic work, Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye offer a neoliberal critique of the realist worldview. They assert that in the post-World War ll era countries have become more and more intertwined economically. The explosive growth in the size and number of transnational corporations has blurred state boundaries. Rendering traditional realist assumptions about the centrality of the state questionable. Realists contend that the state is the dominant actor in world politics and that military force and violence are the primary means by which states achieve their goals. Keohane and Nye propose an alternative ideal type complex interdependence that emphasizes cooperation rather than conflict. While the authors caution that violence and conflict have not disappeared, they point to the growing importance of non-security-related issues such as international monetary relations and global environmental concerns. To them the day-to-day affairs of states have more to do with promoting cooperative economic interactions than with military and security matters.