World Interdependence

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that the concept of interdependence was borne out of the emerging Cold War liberal tradition from the 1960s to 1980s. The writer maintains that although the answer that the world is becoming increasingly independent seems evident, both empirical and theoretical groundwork on the concept is contestable. The writer discusses that liberal thinking can be tracked back as far as John Locke in the 17th century, but it is not until recently in the 20th century that liberalism has emerged as a rivalling paradigm to traditionalist or realist theory and has stirred such great debate. The writer concludes with the belief that the changing relations of this time are best analysed, explained and interpreted with a changing variety of tools.

From the Paper:

"Keohane and Nye's concept of interdependence was in this sense less radical, because they incorporated many traditional aspects that would steal the thunder out of the realist critique levelled against Burton. Within their analysis they maintained a highly state-centric focus and also incorporated traditional concepts of power. While complex interdependence was certainly an ideal function, for the theoretical groundwork they ascribed interdependence as less omnipresent than Burton did. The significance of interdependence was restricted to international regimes, which were argues to can make a difference through enabling deepened levels of cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Although being more cautious than Burton, they did endorse a win-win logic rather than the zero-sum mechanism and thereby picked up on earlier ideas of harmony of interest. Their main stipulations, however, was that this was not an inevitable logic for international relations as a whole - it was rather applicable to certain transnational relations and not to others. Power remained a key emphasis and indeed an analytical tool in the array of theories."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Burton, J., World Society (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1972).
• Doyle, M., Liberalism in World Politics, American Political Science Review, 80, 4 (1986)
• Hutchings, K., Liberalism Revised, Lecture given at the LSE, 20th February 2007, http://webct.lse.ac.uk/SCRIPT/2006_IR200/scripts/serve_home.
• Keohane, R. and Nye, J., Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition, 2nd edn. (Boston: Little Brown, 1989).
• Northedge, F. S., Transnationalism: An American Illusion, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 5 (1976).

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