Neoliberalism and Neorealism Compared

Neoliberalism and Neorealism Compared

1. Nature and Consequences of Anarchy: Neorealists see concerns over physical security as producing far more of the motivations of state action than do neoliberals.

2. Achievement of International Cooperation: Neorealists think that international cooperation is much harder to achieve than do neoliberals.

3. Relative versus Absolute Gains: Neorealists stress the centrality of relative gains for decision-makers in dealing with international cooperation, whereas, neoliberals stress the importance of absolute gains.

4. National Security Issues versus Political Economy: Neorealists tend to deal with national security issues, while neoliberals tend to look at political economy, with the result that each sees rather different prospects for cooperation.

5. Capabilities versus Intentions and Perceptions: Neorealists concentrate on capabilities, rather than intentions, whilst neoliberals look more at intentions and perceptions.

6. International Institutions: Neoliberals see institutions as able to mitigate international anarchy, while neorealists doubt this.