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Ideas do not float freely: transnational coalitions, domestic structures, and the end of the cold war

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  • Risse-Kappen, Thomas

Abstract

Realist or liberal explanations for the end of the cold war cannot account for the specific content of the change in Soviet foreign policy or for Western responses to it. These theories need to be complemented by approaches that emphasize the interaction between international and domestic factors and that take seriously the proposition that ideas intervene between structural conditions and actors' interests. Some of the strategic prescriptions that informed the reconceptualization of Soviet security interests originated in the Western liberal internationalist community, which formed transnational networks with “new thinkers” in the former Soviet Union. These new ideas became causally consequential for the turnaround in Soviet foreign policy and also had an impact on American and German reactions to it. Even though transnational networks were active in Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States, their success varied. Domestic structures like the nature of political institutions, state-society relations, and political culture determine the ability of transnational networks first, to gain access to a country's political system and second, to build “winning coalitions.” These differences in domestic structures can largely explain the variation in impact of the strategic prescriptions among the three countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Risse-Kappen, Thomas, 1994. "Ideas do not float freely: transnational coalitions, domestic structures, and the end of the cold war," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 48(2), pages 185-214, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:intorg:v:48:y:1994:i:02:p:185-214_02
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    Cited by:

    1. Olivia Gippner, 2016. "The 2 °C target: a European norm enters the international stage—following the process to adoption in China," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 49-65, February.
    2. Felix Heiduk, 2020. "From Pariah Image to Partner and Back Again: The EU’s Complicated Relationship with Myanmar," Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, , vol. 7(3), pages 349-369, December.
    3. repec:bla:jcmkts:v:48:y:2010:i::p:1351-1365 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Marcus Holmes & Costas Panagopoulos, 2014. "The social brain paradigm and social norm puzzles," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 26(3), pages 384-404, July.
    5. Katja Biedenkopf, 2012. "Emissions Trading - A Transatlantic Journey for an Idea?," KFG Working Papers p0045, Free University Berlin.
    6. Vassilis Monastiriotis & Andreas Antoniades, 2009. "Reform that! Greece’s failing reform technology: beyond ‘vested interests’ and ‘political exchange’," GreeSE – Hellenic Observatory Papers on Greece and Southeast Europe 28, Hellenic Observatory, LSE.
    7. Diarmuid Torney, 2015. "Bilateral Climate Cooperation: The EU’s Relations with China and India," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(1), pages 105-122, February.
    8. Diarmuid Torney, 2012. "Assessing EU Leadership on Climate Change - The Limits of Diffusion in EU Relations with China and India," KFG Working Papers p0046, Free University Berlin.
    9. Anthony Evans, 2009. "Constitutional moments in Eastern Europe and subjectivist political economy," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 118-138, June.
    10. Arie Krampf, 2013. "The Life Cycles of Competing Policy Norms - Localizing European and Developmental Central Banking Ideas," KFG Working Papers p0049, Free University Berlin.
    11. Virginia Haufler, 2009. "The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme: An Innovation in Global Governance and Conflict Prevention," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 89(4), pages 403-416, March.
    12. Christian Elliott & Steven Bernstein & Matthew Hoffmann, 2022. "Credibility dilemmas under the Paris agreement: explaining fossil fuel subsidy reform references in INDCs," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 735-759, December.
    13. Shweta Singh, 2017. "Re-thinking the ‘Normative’ in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325: Perspectives from Sri Lanka," Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, , vol. 4(2), pages 219-238, August.
    14. Dakhane Noureddine & Zerrouga Ismail, 2017. "The Role of Civil Society in Foreign Policy, a Study in the Liberal Democracy-Practical Policies," Noble International Journal of Social Sciences Research, Noble Academic Publsiher, vol. 2(1), pages 1-9, January.
    15. Guy Ben-Porat & Shlomo Mizrahi, 2005. "Political culture, alternative politics and foreign policy: The case of Israel," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 38(2), pages 177-194, September.

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