Rational Theory of International Politics: The Logic of
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Glaser, Charles L., PUBLISHER: Princeton University Press, Within the realist school of ong>internationalong> relations, a prevailing view holds that the anarchic structure of the ong>internationalong> system invariably forces the great powers to seek security at one another's expense, dooming even peaceful nations to an unrelenting struggle for power and dominance. "Rational Theory of ong>Internationalong> Politics" offers a more nuanced alternative to this view, one that provides answers to the most fundamental and pressing questions of ong>internationalong> relations. Why do states sometimes compete and wage war while at other times they cooperate and pursue peace? Does competition reflect pressures generated by the anarchic ong>internationalong> system or rather states' own expansionist goals? Are the United States and China on a collision course to war, or is continued coexistence possible? Is peace in the Middle East even feasible? Charles Glaser puts forward a major new theory of ong>internationalong> politics that identifies three kinds of variables that influence a state's strategy: the state's motives, specifically whether it is motivated by security concerns or "greed"; material variables, which determine its military capabilities; and information variables, most importantly what the state knows about its adversary's motives. "Rational Theory of ong>Internationalong> Politics" demonstrates that variation in motives can be key to the choice of strategy; that the ong>internationalong> environment sometimes favors cooperation over competition; and that information variables can be as important as material variables in determining the strategy a state should choose.