Book Review: Norrin M Ripsman, Jeffrey W Taliaferro and Steven E Lobell, Neoclassical Realist Theory of International Politics
| Author | Vikas Kumar Chauhan |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929917713462 |
| Date | 01 November 2017 |
| Published date | 01 November 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsInternational Relations |
Book Reviews 623
effectiveness, it examines the extent to which
UN targeted sanctions succeed in coercing,
constraining and signalling. For these three
purposes, the volume finds (fairly low) success
rates of, respectively, 10%, 27% and 27%.
Second, the book introduces two impressive
Targeted Sanctions Consortium databases – one
quantitative and qualitative – that cover all UN
sanctions episodes since 1991. The quantitative
database includes an impressive amount (296)
of variables. This volume will, therefore, inspire
a large number of sanctions studies that explore
and critically engage with the rich empirical
material included in these databases. However,
one important challenge looms for scholars
wishing to use the quantitative database for
causal analyses, because the cases – sanction
episodes – are not independent. Sanction epi-
sodes that are part of the same sanction regime
share important characteristics and this con-
stantly needs to be taken into account.
Andreas Boogaerts
(KU Leuven/Research Foundation Flanders)
© The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/1478929917717440
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Neoclassical Realist Theory of International
Politics by Norrin M Ripsman, Jeffrey W
Taliaferro and Steven E Lobell. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2016. 196pp., £19.99
(p/b), ISBN 9780199899258
The neorealist research programme is good at
explaining international outcomes but has not
until now had a coherent theory of foreign
policy. The Neoclassical Realist Theory of
International Politics is an attempt to fill the
lacuna and ‘develop a comprehensive neoclas-
sical realist research program’ well within the
realist framework.
At the outset, the book presents four major
problems associated with neorealism: ‘percep-
tion and misperception, the clarity of systemic
signals, problems of rationality, and the need
to mobilise state resources’. To fix these chal-
lenges and, more importantly, to develop a
Type III neoclassical realist theory that ‘pur-
ports to explain phenomen[a] ranging from
short-term crisis decision-making by individ-
ual states up to and including broader patterns
of international outcomes and structural
changes’ – unlike structural realism – the book
considers both the international and domestic
variables as equally important.
Neoclassical realism considers the interna-
tional system as largely ‘state-centric’ and
structural modifiers – that is, other elements that
are systemic in nature but not part of the struc-
ture – as an independent variable. According to
the authors, the strategic environment can be
either permissive or restrictive, which signifi-
cantly shapes states’ behaviour.
Stephen Walt has criticised neoclassical real-
ism for taking intervening variables on an ad hoc
basis. In response, the authors have developed
four sets of intervening variables, namely,
‘leader images, strategic culture, state-society
relations, and domestic institutions’. Neoclassical
realism conceives of the state as a Foreign Policy
Executive consisting of ministers, bureaucrats
and others who are tasked with making the for-
eign and security policy of a state.
Neoclassical realists believe that mere pre-
scription is not enough because ‘social science
theories are not merely retrospective … they
are also prospective … they seek to make pre-
dictions for future events’. This can be achieved
through rigorous empirical research. Therefore,
to retain its predictive power, the book adopts
soft positivism as a research methodology. The
authors also show how neoclassical realist the-
ory is distinct from other theories like structural
realism, liberalism and constructivism.
The overall emphasis of the authors is to
develop a realist theory of international politics
that can explain cases in a better way. However,
although the book succeeds in presenting a
coherent realist theory, unlike Waltz, it has
sacrificed the parsimony that was considered a
crucial variable in neorealism. In contrast to
that cherished virtue, the authors believe that
‘if adding slightly more complexity yields con-
siderably more explanatory power, then doing
so would be preferable’. The book will pave
the way for researchers to conduct empirical
research and test their findings against the
foundations set out in the volume.
Vikas Kumar Chauhan
(Jawaharlal Nehru University)
© The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/1478929917713462
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