(Neo)liberal institutionalism

Role of international orgs in liberal institutionalism

• Chief external mechanism needed to constrain ambitions of sovereign states

Domestic analogy

• Insight into international politics can be gained my reflecting on the structures of domestic politics

Hobbe and Locke’s social contract theory applied to international politics

• Domestic politics: only the construction of a sovereign power can safeguard citizens from the stateof nature

• International politics: international rule of law works in this way

  • Wilson — turns jungle → zoo

  • Tried with League of Nations

Neoliberal instutitionalism

• Increasing cooperation and integration thought about in terms of self-interest

Role of institutions in neoliberal institutionalism

• Mediators to facilitate cooperation amongst states (liberal: there to safeguard the states/citizens)

‘New’ instutitionalism

• Instutitions ≠ only bodies

  • Also: sets of norms, rules and standard operating procedures

    • These are internalised by those who work for them

States and gains

• States are always willing to cooperate if there’s a possibility of any gains (i.e. absolute gains)

  • WHO, IMF and 🇪🇺 support this by giving states a platform to cooperate and make gains

Neorealist view on neoliberal institutionalism

• Cooperation is difficult

• Also prone to breaking down as states focus on relative gains