Neoclassical Realism and Theories of Foreign Policy (Review)

World Politics, Vol. 51, No. 1 (Oct., 1998), pp. 144-172
FOR two decades international relations theory has been dominated by the debate between neorealists and their various critics.1 Much of the skirmishing has occurred over questions about the nature of the international system and its effect on patterns of international out comes such as war and peace. Thus scholars have disputed whether a multipolar system generates more conflict than a bipolar one, or whether international institutions can increase the incidence of inter
national cooperation. Because neorealism tries to explain the outcomes of state interactions, it is a
theory of international politics; it includes some general assumptions about the motivations of individual states but does not purport to explain their behavior in great detail or in all cases.