CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2007
| Author | Jijelava, David |
|---|---|
| Title | Understanding Transatlantic Relations: Realist and Constructivist Approaches |
| Summary | The end of the Cold War resulted in an uncertain world where relations between former allies, the United States and Europe, had to be redefined. Many scholars from different trends of the international relations theory have analyzed the patterns of relations between the two sides of the Atlantic. While realists, especially the neorealist school of international relations emphasize the nature of the world system, constructivists suggest that other independent variables, such as perceptions and constructed identities play major role in shaping transatlantic relations. In this thesis I derive specific hypotheses from the both perspectives and test them on three cases: major foreign policy changes under George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush administrations. I argue in the thesis that major foreign policy shifts with regards to transatlantic relations were determined most importantly by non-systemic changes in the world. This claim undermines realist arguments which are primarily focused on the nature of the world system, and calls for alternative explanations. I suggest that constructivism, particularly the Wendt’s framework, is more suitable in explaining transatlantic relations |
| Supervisor | Meszerics, Tamas |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2007/jijelava_david.pdf |
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