Derecho

Grieco, Joseph. 1988. Anarchy and the Limits of Cooperation: A Realist Critique of the Newest Liberal Institutionalism. International Organization 42 (3):485-507. Grieco claims that liberalism hasattributed to realism a concept of the state that is not present in realist theory. Liberal literature takes as its unit of analysis a rational-egoist state, defined as one seeking to maximize absoluteutility, and hence one that does not consider the effects of cooperation on other states. Realism, in contrast, defines states as “positional, not atomistic” (487). Uncertain as to whether otherstates are friends or foes, realist states worry not only about absolute gains for themselves, but also about relative gains for other states. As Grieco argues “the fundamental goal of states in anyrelationship is to prevent others from achieving advances in their relative capabilities” (498). Therefore, while liberals conclude that rational-egoist states may cooperate to achieve absolute gains,realism cautions that, even if absolute gains are assured, states that are concerned about relative gains may be unwilling to cooperate (499). Critiques: (1) Grieco concedes that relative-gain problemswill differentially affect state’s calculations about whether to cooperate by a variable, k. Although k must always be positive in his estimation, it can be very small. Even if relative-gains concernsare always present, therefore, absolute gains or other considerations may outweigh them, and cooperation may ensue. (2) Bargaining may solve relative gains problems. As long as bargaining procedures areavailable, some relative gains problems may be eliminated before a final decision has to be made. As Keohane asserts, that is exactly the purpose of international regimes; “International regimes byno means substitute for bargaining; on the contrary, they authorize certain types of bargaining for certain purposes” (Keohane, 107). International regimes may therefore diminish the incidence of...