From Political Realism (Morgenthau) to Interdependence (Keohane and Nye)

I had to read both 'Power Among Nations' and 'Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition' in college. Here are synopses of both ideas. The first from Morgenthau (realism), and the second an entry from wikipedia on interdependence. I had a theory about US history in college that emanated directly from these proposals. It stated that despite a given historical course, events from multiple disciplines could alter its trajectory. It basically argued that interdependence played an important role in the shaping of historical events. The professor hated the idea, but I still think it has validity. I am wondering if President Obama thinks similarly, on some level.

Morgenthau

Complex interdependence in international relations is the idea put forth by Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye that states and their fortunes are inextricably tied together. The concept of economic interdependence was popularized through the work of Richard Cooper. With the analytical construct of complex interdependence in their critique of political realism, “Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye go a step further and analyze how international politics is transformed by interdependence” (Crane & Amawi 1997: 107-109). The theorists recognized that the various and complex transnational connections and interdependencies between states and societies were increasing, while the use of military force and power balancing are decreasing but remain important. In making use of the concept of interdependence, Keohane and Nye (1997: 122-132) also importantly differentiated between interdependence and dependence in analyzing the role of power in politics and the relations between international actors.

From the analysis, complex interdependence is characterized by three characteristics, involving (1) the use of multiple channels of action between societies in interstate, transgovernmental, and transnational relations, (2) the absence of a hierarchy of issues with changing agendas and linkages between issues prioritized and the objective of (3) bringing about a decline in the use of military force and coercive power in international relations. Respectively, complex interdependence is based on specific characteristics that critique the implicit and explicit assumptions of traditional international politics; ^[1] (i.e., the superiority of the state and a hierarchy of issues with military force and power the most important leverages in international relations, which traditionally defines political realism in political science).

Nye and Keohane thus argue that the decline of military force as a policy tool and the increase in economic and other forms of interdependence should increase the probability of cooperation among states. The work of the theorists surfaced in the 1970s to become a significant challenge to political realist theory in international politics and became foundational to current theories that have been categorized as liberalism, neoliberalism and liberal institutionalism. Traditional critiques of liberalism are often defined alongside critiques of political realism, mainly that they both ignore the social nature of relations between states and the social fabric of international society. With the rise of neoliberal economics, debates, and the need to clarify international relations theory, Keohane (2002: 2-19) has most recently self-described himself as simply an institutionalist, nothing purpose for developing sociological perspectives in contemporary international relations theory. Liberal, neoliberal and neoliberal institutional theories continue to influence international politics and have become closely intertwined with political realism.