Filippo Costa Buranelli Foreign Policy Analysis IR 411

MSc International Relations Theory Essay 1

Is neoclassical realism more suitable for foreign policy analysis
than other realist approaches?
(Summer 2010 Examination, Question 1)
Within foreign policy analysis as !ell as !ithin international relations theory the realist tra"ition
see#s to $e the #ost entrenche" an" "e%elope" either "ue to its historical pre&e#inence or to its
intellectual appeal or to $oth factors' Insi"e this tra"ition three #a(or stran"s
1
are i"entifia$le)
classical realis# neorealis# an" neoclassical realis# each of the# !ith its o!n features
characteristics an" assu#ptions'
*o!e%er since +theory is al!ays for so#e$o"y an" for so#e purpose, -Co. 1/012 it #ay $e
argue" that not all the three stran"s afore#entione" are necessarily an" co#pletely suita$le for a
$etter un"erstan"ing of foreign policy analysis3 in this essay in"ee" I #a4e a case for the $etter
%ia$ility an" e.planatory po!er of neoclassical realis# in assessing the $eha%iour of states !ithin
the international syste# co#pare" to the other t!o realist schools'
The argu#ent is structure" as follo!s) firstly I $riefly present an" s4etch the three realist
stran"s eluci"ating their #ost i#portant features an" assu#ptions especially as far as foreign policy
analisys "iscourse is concerne"3 secon"ly I assess the contri$ution of neoclassical realis# #ore
specifically e%aluating its positi%e analytical tools an" its inno%ati%e set of %aria$les5 co#$ination in
e.plaining foreign policy3 finally I su##ari6e !hat sai" in the t!o pre%ious section an" try in"icate
potential "e%elop#ents of neoclassical realis# theory'
Realism and realisms
The first stran" un"er e.a#ination is classical realis#' It is !orth re#in"ing that in this paragraph
(ust a $rief "escription is offere" since "etails an" #ore analytical concerns !ill $e a""resse" in the
ne.t paragraph !hene%er re7uire"'
1 In this sentence I prefer to use the !or" +stran", instea" of +theory, since accor"ing to #any classical
realis# is #ore a philosophical tra"ition rather than a theory properly sai"' When neorealis# an"
neoclassical realis# are $e "ealt singularly the !or" +theory, !ill $e use"'
Classical realis# as #any argue #ay not $e concei%e" as a theory i'e' as a set of hypotheses
assu#ptions an" intellectual proce"ures ai#e" to fin"ing causal correlations a#ong "ifferent
%aria$les'

It is rather a philosophical tra"ition !hich "ates $ac4 to Thucy"i"es Machia%elli *o$$es
an" other para#ount figures in history !ho in one !ay or another "efine" the three #a(or
assu#ptions of this tra"ition) hu#an nature is ten"entiously $a" i#perfect an" sinful the group
has pri#acy o%er the in"i%i"ual politics is a #atter of po!er in an uncertain an" hostile !orl" an"
international politics is the conse7uential struggle a#ong self&intereste" groups to gain po!er in
or"er to satisfy the interests of the group itself'
Being a philosophical an" intellectual position rather than a +coherent research progra##e,
-8o$ell et al' 9::/2 classical realis#5s approach to foreign policy analysis is %ague an" loose) it
e#phasi6es the role of national po!er the character of states an" their relationship !ith the
"o#estic en%iron#ent o%erloo4ing any syste#ic factors or sources of e.planations3 re"uctionist
e.planations i'e' e.planations that are in the characteristics of the units of analysis are often use"
an" nor#ati%e an" #oral precepts on states#anship an" lea"ership are not rare -Morgenthau
1/402'
The secon" stran" of realis# is +neorealis#, or +structural realis#, a theory "e%elope" in
the Col" War conte.t $y ;enneth Walt6
9
' This theory reflecte" the general i"eas in aca"e#ia "uring
those years !hich !ere ste##ing fro# the $eha%iouralist re%olution) assu#ing anarchy as the
per#issi%e cause of uncertainty an" conflict it sho!s in fact a strong econo#ic logic as it relies
hea%ily on the theory of the fir# an" the #ar4et3 a pre"ilection for concision an" a$straction rather
than for a "iscursi%e an" e#pirical analysis3 an e#phasis on a rationalist ontology thin4ing of the
!orl" as split in structure po!erful an" coerci%e an" agents -Walt6 1/</2' =ue to the #entione"
econo#ic logic states are seen as functionally un"ifferentiate" actors "ifferent (ust in relation to
their #aterial capa$ilities'
Therefore their internal features are $rac4ete" thus $eco#ing $lac4 $o.es' In a !orl"
influence" $y such syste#ic pressures foreign policy analysis $eco#es the art of $est a"apting to
syste#ic i#perati%es an" hints through a process of perceptions5 assess#ents an" cost&$enefit
calculations -Walt6 1/</) 1102) the result of this si#ple interaction a#ong the in"epen"ent %aria$le
-syste#5s structure2 an" the "epen"ent one -states5 $eha%iour2 can $e either an autono#y&see4ing
attitu"e -"efensi%e realis#2 or an influencing&see4ing one -offensi%e realis#2 -Bau#ann et al' 9::12
in a 7uasi&perennial $alance&of&po!er real#'
9 It is #y intention to 4eep the "iscussion on a general le%el) therefore here I !ill not "istinguish in "etail
$et!een "efensi%e an" offensi%e realis#'
Finally neoclassical realis# is a relati%ely recent theory !hich co#es fro# the !or4s of
Wohlforth -1//>2 Rose -1//02 ?a4aria -1//02 Sch!eller -9::12 an" other #a(or international
scholars' As the na#e suggests it co#$ines the #ain features of the t!o pre%ious stran"s i'e' the
%alue of the "o#estic real# an" of the unit&le%el of classical realis# an" the urging constraints an"
pressures of the syste#ic architecture !ith a focus on the #aterial po!er of states !hich are the
cornerstone of the !hole neorealist theory'
I#portantly they assu#e the !hole #o"el of neorealis# to $e true $ut (ust at the
con"ition of applying a set of inter%ening %aria$les $et!een the in"epen"ent -syste#ic constraints2
an" the "epen"ent -state action2' This synthesis is !ell "escri$e" $y Wohlforth in that +@neoclassical
realistsA see4 to recapture the groun"ing in the gritty "etails of foreign policy that #ar4e" classical
realis# !hile also $enefiting fro# the rigorous theori6ing that typifie" neorealis#, -Wohlforth
9::0) >B2'
In the follo!ing section then neoclassical realis# !ill $e e.a#ine" in "etail an" its
inherent theoretical specificities in $etter e.plaining foreign policy !ill $e carrie" out'
Neoclassical realism and foreign policy
To un"erstan" !hy neoclassical realis# is a $etter theory of foreign policy in co#parison !ith
neorealis# an" classical realis# it is essential to grasp !hat +foreign policy, is' Foreign policy here
#eans the array of the actions ta4en an" strategies pursue" $y a gi%en state to!ar"s other e.ternal
states or actors in the syste# !hich tightly or loosely are relate" to it3 conse7uently foreign policy
analysis #eans the in7uiry on the #oti%es !hich lea" a state to ta4e a certain action the "ecision&
#a4ing process of ho! to "efine that action the #etho"s a"opte" $y a state to carry out that action
an" the effects !hich that action has or ha"' These "efinitions pro%i"e an useful fra#e!or4 in !hich
the contri$ution of neoclassical realis# #ay $e assesse"'
First of all inclu"ing in the #o"el the "o#estic real# as an inter%ening %aria$le neoclassical
realis# pro%i"es a #ore co#prehensi%e fra#e!or4 of foreign policy analysis a%oi"ing at the sa#e
ti#e the ulti#ate sin of re"uctionis#' As a #atter of fact theories an" approaches li4e classical
realis# an" Innenpoliti4 cannot account for "ifferent $eha%iour of ali4e units an" re%ersely cannot
e.plain !hy "ifferent actors $eha%e si#ilarly since they focus only on the "o#estic real# an"
specifically in the case of classical realis# on the sole notion of po!er) for neoclassical realis# this
#eans that in the long run syste#ic constraints !ill ine%ita$ly shape actors5 $eha%iour since +the
#ost po!erful generali6a$le characteristic of a state in international relations is its relati%e position
in the international syste#, -?a4aria 1//0) 4092' *o!e%er neorealis# realis# #ay suffer fro# the
sa#e criticis#) it cannot e.plain in fact !hy states in the sa#e structural position act "ifferently
>
'
This %ariation in $eha%iour neoclassical realists argue can $e un"erstoo" only if the
inter%ening role of "o#estic factors is in play) other!ise ho! it co#es that certain states for
e.a#ple are status&7uo see4ers an" others are re%isionistsC *o! can !e e.plain !hy states sel"o#
act rationallyC *o! is it possi$le to account for the role of perceptionsC Why states "o not al!ays
act accor"ing to their syste#ic co##it#ents an" capa$ilities -;rasner 1//>a) 912C In the light of this
argu#ent neoclassical realis# #ight $ee seen as a %ia$le an" #ore useful %ia #e"ia a#ong pure
structural approaches an" constructi%is# -Rose 1//02'
This #ay $e seen as the first contri$ution of neoclassical realis# to a $etter un"erstan"ing
of foreign policy) since $y "efinition foreign policy operates $oth at the "o#estic le%el -input2 an" at
the e.ternal one -output2 -Putna# 1/002 the intro"uction of the "o#estic inter%ening %aria$le in
the !i"er structural argu#ent #a4es neoclassical realis# #ore co#plete #ore accurate at at the
sa#e ti#e #ore co#prehensi%e'
A secon" #oti%ation for neoclassical realis#5s suita$ility for foreign policy analysis #ay $e
the fact that it $etter helps to un"erstan" the concept of +po!er, so !i"ely -a$2use" $y the for#er
realist approaches' In fact if follo!ing the "efinition pro%i"e" a$o%e foreign policy analysis
concerns $oth the "o#estic le%el an" the e.ternal one it conse7uently follo!s that +po!er, cannot
$e (ust an un"erspecifie" ter# apt to e#$race the !hole "i#ension of politics as classical realis#
suggests nor (ust the synony# of +#aterial capa$ilities, as argue" $y neorealists since #aterial
capa$ilities are nothing if not #o$ili6e" an" translate" into the state apparatus
4
) po!er then #ust
$e so#ething #ore #ultifacete" #ulti"i#ensional !hich can $e %ia$le an" #a"e %ia$le on #ore
than one single le%el of analysis'
Thus the "istinction $et!een national po!er an" state po!er -?a4aria 1//02 pro%es to $e
useful an" e.tre#ely "uctile for a $etter foreign policy analysis) #eaning the for#er the neorealist
#aterial capa$ilities -i'e' roughly the position of the state in the syste#2 an" #eaning the latter the
a$ility of a state to e.ploit an" +concretise, its natural #ilitary econo#ic an" e%en societal
resources through a process of internal e.traction an" internal #o$ili6ation -Mastan"uno 8a4e an"
> It #ust $e sai" in fairness that Walt6 hi#self consi"ere" neorealis# as a theory of international politics
rather than of foreign policy'
4 This lac4 of focus on the operationali6ation of po!er #ay $e e.plaine" $y neorealis#5s failure to pro%i"e a
"istinction $et!een +state, an" +nation&state, -Mastan"uno 8a4e I4en$erry 1/0/2'
I4en$erry 1/0/2
B
the neoclassical #o"el "epicts a #ore co#plete portrayal of the state in the
international real# $eing it not a functionally in"istinct $lac4 $o. any #ore $ut $eing a #ore
co#ple. #ulti&layere" entity $etter rese#$ling !hat is !itnesse" in the real !orl"'
This in su# #ay $e consi"ere" the secon" #oti%e !hy a neoclassical realist approach can
$e seen as $etter than a classical or a neorealist one) splitting in a sophisticate" !ay the concept of
po!er +$y ta4ing into account $oth the "o#estic an" international constraints on the state
an" $y articulating $oth the "o#estic an" international choices a%aila$le to the state !e are
a$le to pro%i"e a #ore co#prehensi%e integrate" approach to the analysis of state
$eha%iour, -Mastan"uno 8a4e an" I4en$erry 1/0/) 4<12'
A thir" feature of neoclassical realis# !hich ren"ers it #ore suita$le co#pare" to structural
realis# is that states +are gi%en a face, i'e' the role of states#anship e.ecuti%es an" "ecision&
#a4ing elites is reaffir#e"' Within neorealis# states are consi"ere" as unitary actors $illiar" $alls
of "ifferent si6e -"ue to their "ifferent capa$ilities2 i#personal units of a #o"el' In neoclassical
realis# on the contrary the role of states#en is i#portant necessary an" functional to the #o"el
itself since the inter%ening %aria$le of "o#estic sets can +inter%ene, (ust if state e.ecuti%es an"
those concerne" !ith foreign policy affairs !ho are +flesh an" $loo" officials, -Rose 1//02 are a$le
to i#ple#ent strategic calculations to spar4 #o$ili6ation to rightly assess po!er perceptions an" to
$uil" up social support
1
' In this !ay neoclassical realis# can sol%e the conun"ru# face" $y $oth
classical realis# an" neorealis#) it can that is account for changes in a state5s foreign policy +o%er
ti#e or across "ifferent states facing si#ilar e.ternal constraints, -8a$ell et al' 9::/2'
Finally it #ay $e argue" that another #ain contri$ution of neoclassical realis# in enhancing
foreign policy analysis is !hat I call +the reha$ilitation of the #i""le "i#ension, i'e' a reno%ate"
concern !ith #i""le po!ers an" the #i""le ter# "iscar"e" $y $oth classical an" neorealis#' As far
as #i""le po!ers are concerne" the argu#ent is the follo!ing) since great po!ers en(oy a great
portion of the #aterial po!er !ithin the syste# i'e' a greater free"o# in the syste# they ten" to
$e #ore concerne" !ith their "o#estic constraints3 con%ersely s#all po!ers are #ore oriente"
to!ar"s their "o#estic "i#ension as !ell since they cannot affor" to pose a threat to great an"
#i""le po!ers' Thus #i""le po!ers are the only concerne" $oth !ith "o#estic an" international
constraints an" !ith ho! to $alance the# since +contrary to the s#all po!ers they are sufDciently
po!erful to inEuence e%ents in the international syste#, -Alons 9::<2' If this is the case it is
B So#e authors ha%e use" the concept of +national political po!er, as !ell -Christensen 1//12
1 Although neoclassical realists a"opt the conception of state of the Fer#an tra"ition -*int6e %on Ran4e
We$er2 i'e' the separation of the state itself fro# society they +%ie! policy responses as a pro"uct of
state&society coor"ination an" at ti#e struggle, -8o$ell et al' 9::/) 9<2'
straightfor!ar" that a neoclassical theory of foreign policy $etter accounts for an e.planation of
#i""le po!ers5 foreign policy'
Concerning the chronological "i#ension neoclassical realis# perfor#s $etter than its
counterparts since $eing focuse" on specific realities an" actors in a gi%en ti#e can pro%i"e a
"efine" analysis of the short an" the #e"iu# ter# !here a state5s $eha%iour #ay "iffer fro# that
shape" in the long run $y the neorealist international structure' This no nee" to say fits perfectly
!ith the !i"ely ac4no!le"ge" to4en that the #ost foreign policy analysis #ay aspire to is a 4in" of
#i""le&range theori6ing'
Conclusion
In this essay it has $een atte#pte" to pro%e to a certain e.tent the $etter %ia$ility of neoclassical
realis# in e.plaining foreign policy since it e#$e"s $oth the syste#ic an" the "o#estic le%el of
analysis' Walt6 hi#self clai#e" that the international syste# !ithout the au.iliary support of the
"o#estic one !as o$scure an" cryptic to un"erstan" -Walt6 1/B/2' To 7uote Wi%el neoclassical
realis# !ell accounts for +e.plaining !hy state G #a"e a certain #o%e last Tues"ay, -Wi%el 9::B)
>BB2'
*o!e%er neoclassical realis# still faces the challenge of further theoretical sophistication
an" of $etter "efining an" operationali6ing its inter%ening %aria$les perhaps inclu"ing references to
"ecision&#a4ing processes' It runs the ris4 also not to $e fully applica$le since +the application of
the approach to any gi%en country re7uires a great "eal of 4no!le"ge a$out the nation in
7uestionH-Christensen 1//1) 9402'
To conclu"e it is straightfor!ar" that neoclassical realis# is #ore po!erful in e.plaining
specific situations rather than #a4ing long&ter# pre"ictions) it !ill $e analyst5s choice then
!hether to $e he"gehog or fo. -Berlin 1//92'
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