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Robert O. Keohane: the Study of International Relations*

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Robert O. Keohane: the Study of International Relations* Robert O. Keohane: The Study of International Relations* Peter A. Gourevitch, University of California, San Diego n electing Robert Keohane APSA I president, members have made an interesting intellectual statement about the study of international rela- tions. Keohane has been the major theoretical challenger in the past quarter century of a previous Asso- ciation president, Kenneth Waltz, whose work dominated the debates in the field for many years. Keo- hane's writings, his debate with Waltz, his ideas about institutions, cooperation under anarchy, transna- tional relations, complex interdepen- dence, ideas, and domestic politics now stand as fundamental reference points for current discussions in this field.1 Theorizing, methodology, exten- sion, and integration: these nouns make a start of characterizing the Robert O. Keohane contributions Robert Keohane has made to the study of international relations. Methodology —Keohane places concepts, techniques, and ap- Theorizing— Keohane challenges the study of the strategic interac- proaches as the broader discpline. the realist analysis that anarchy tion among states onto the foun- and the security dilemma inevita- dations of economics, game The field of international relations bly lead states into conflict, first theory, and methodological indi- has been quite transformed between with the concept of transnational vidualism and encourages the ap- the early 1960s, when Keohane en- relations, which undermines the plication of positivist techniques tered it, and the late 1990s, when his centrality of the state as the unit of testing and verification. contributions to that field are being of analysis, then with neoliberal recognized. institutionalism, which argues that Extension—Keohane broadens the Keohane's influence is not diach- even if the state is a unitary actor, subject matter of world politics by ronic, but a chronological account of institutions can overcome the ob- promoting the field of interna- his career helps place the develop- stacles to cooperation that arise tional political economy as an is- ment of his ideas in the context of from anarchy. sue area (the formation of eco- the battles he fought at the time nomic policy), as an influence on they occurred. Keohane is perhaps state behavior (the impact of eco- most well known for his insistence Peter A. Gourevitch, professor of po- nomic interests within and be- that institutions shape behavior in litical science at University of California, tween states), and as a type of important ways. This interest in in- San Diego, has published extensively in the reasoning (especially microeco- stitutions is readily apparent in his field of international political economy and nomics). earliest publications, a series of In- comparative politics. His books include Pol- ternational Organization articles on itics in Hard Times: Comparative Re- Integration-Through his theoriz- the General Assembly of UN (1967, sponses to Economic Crises (1986) and 1969a, 1969b, 1969c), which were The Pacific Rim: Challenges to Policy and ing, methodology, and extension, Theory (1989). He was a member of the Keohane helps merge the study of related to the work he did for his APSA Council from 1990 to 1992. In international relations with the Ph.D at Harvard, where he went 1994, he was elected to the American discipline of political science by after graduating summa cum laude Academy of Arts and Sciences. insisting that it can use the same from Shimer College (IL) in 1961. PSOnline www.apsanet.org 623 During the early 1970s, Keohane cific patterns of power and influ- international relations in general. began to develop the field of inter- ence. The definition of country Subsequent editors Peter Katzen- national political economy. This interests, the influences on countries stein and Steven Krasner substan- marked a major break and innova- from actors within them, and the tially broadened its base of contribu- tion, for the field had been domi- way countries interact flows through tors, circulation, and editorial board nated by security studies and a hier- a network of relationships only some members, but that is another story. archy of importance in which of which pass through the formal IO as we know it today took shape economic goals and institutions of the under the leadership of Keohane. influences on policy nation-state. Some of In the 1970s, Keohane published a were less significant Keohane's "com- these networks are number of papers and book chapters than military goals embodied in formal in political economy, dealing with and influences. plex interdepen- institutions at the topics such as inflation, energy, mul- Turning to eco- dence" phase international level, tinational corporations, trade, and nomic policy, Keo- like IMF or IATA, tariffs. Throughout this work, one hane saw that this served as no less but most are not, can see concern with institutions, arena involved the than the foundation being comprised of transnational politics, and domestic interaction of politi- very influential pat- politics. In retrospect, one can iden- cal actors within for a new subfield, terns of norms or tify in work done during Keohane's states in behaviors relationships, which "complex interdependence" phase a that cut across international politi- John Ruggie called number of diverse themes that could states. The unitary cal economy, and a "regimes." Instead of lead in different directions. The con- actor model of in- interactions among cept itself was complex: It served as ternational relations, serious alternative unitary states con- no less than the foundation for a or "realism," that to realist thinking cerned primarily with new subfield, international political dominated the field national security de- economy, and a serious alternative at that time had no in international fined in military to realist thinking in international good way of ac- relations. terms, Keohane and relations. counting for these Nye saw multiple Keohane's work emerged in an influences and rela- issue areas, the intellectual milieu in which several tionships. breakdown of hierachy among issue challenges to realism were surfacing. In place of the unitary actor-real- areas (military no longer dominant), One strand of critique questioned ist model, Keohane, writing with his the declining utility of force, the im- unitary actor assumptions by stress- Harvard colleague Joseph Nye, pro- portance of international regimes ing the importance of domestic poli- posed a model in which nations con- and the fragmentation of authority tics (parties, interest groups and do- ducted "transnational relations." in each state. Instead of interna- mestic political institutions) in Oil firms, coffee growers, airlines, tional "relations," Keohane and Nye shaping state behavior. Another banks—all of these involve firms, saw international "interactions." The strand stressed international society associations, and interest groups that major statement of these themes or networks that cut across state have a massive impact upon the is- was pubished as Power and Interde- boundaries. A third considered the sue area involved. National govern- pendence (1977a). influence of culture and ideas. Com- ments are players in a policy arena, During the 1970s, Keohane plex interdependence and transna- but their control is by no means ex- worked to restructure the institu- tional relations were composite con- clusive or total. Prices and market tions articulating the field of inter- cepts that contained several shares may be shaped by forces of national relations itself. Specifically, elements of these challenges to real- which governments have little con- he became editor of International ism, and which could be taken in trol and each influences what gov- Organization and transformed it. different directions. Keohane, and ernments do. Two Keohane-Nye When Keohane took over, IO was a the field, faced some important publications were especially influen- general-interest journal for students choices about where to go. tial statements of these themes: of international institutions. Its arti- Keohane's choice had very signifi- "Transgovernmental Relations and cles were a mixture of topical re- cant consequences for the field. International Organizations" (1974a) search, description, and opinion. While he has returned to examine and Transnational Relations and Keohane shifted the focus toward ideas and domestic politics in recent World Politics (1972a). social science research articles based years, in the late 1970s Keohane Continuing to question the unitary on sound methodology and capable decided to confront head-on the state, Keohane and Nye developed of verification. He also instituted a core assumption of realism: the way the concept of "complex interdepen- stiff peer-review process with the actors behave in a condition of anar- dence." Countries deal with multiple help of a team of university-based chy. That is, while other challengers issue areas-economics, environment, faculty from several disciplines. Un- of realism sought to devalue the role migration, and culture, to name but der his editorship, IO became the a "system" plays in determining the a few. In each of these areas, there leading journal of international po- behavior of the system's constitu- may be more than one dimension- litical economy, and one of the ma- ents, Keohane wanted to reformu- oil, cars, finance—each with its spe- jor research journals in the field of late scholars' understanding of the 624 PS September 1999 system itself. He set aside the
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