Political Science UGC NET CUET Professor

UGC NET DECEMBER 2026 EXAM Topic – Neorealism vs. Neoliberalism 🔹 Background & Context ▪️ The debate between Neorealism and Neoliberalism gained prominence during the 1970s and 1980s, when scholars were rethinking International Relations after the decline of American hegemony in the post-Vietnam War era. ▪️ Kenneth Waltz’s book Theory of International Politics (1979) laid the foundation of Neorealism, while Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye’s Power and Interdependence (1977) shaped Neoliberalism. UGC NET JRF To Get PDF/Hardcopy notes click here👇 wa.me/+919982735777?text=I_need_Complete_notes_with_DishaDarshan ▪️ This clash is also called the Neo-Neo Debate because both share some assumptions (anarchy, rational states) but differ in outcomes. 🔹 Neorealism (Structural Realism) ▪️ Founder: Kenneth Waltz (1979). ▪️ Key Work: Theory of International Politics – considered the “Bible of Neorealism”. ▪️ Believes that the structure (distribution of power), not human nature, drives state behavior. ▪️ Introduced the idea of polarity – Unipolarity, Bipolarity, Multipolarity – to explain stability. ▪️ During the Cold War, Neorealists argued that the Bipolar system (USA vs. USSR) was stable due to balance of power. ▪️ John Mearsheimer (2001, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics) advanced Offensive Realism, arguing that states seek to maximize power. ▪️ Stephen Walt contributed with the idea of Balance of Threat Theory (1987). ▪️ Key Concept: Security Dilemma – a state’s attempt to increase security makes others insecure. 🔹 Neoliberalism (Neoliberal Institutionalism) ▪️ Founders: Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye. ▪️ Key Work: Power and Interdependence (1977) introduced Complex Interdependence. ▪️ Robert Keohane’s After Hegemony (1984) argued that institutions matter even in anarchy. ▪️ Focuses on absolute gains – states can benefit mutually without worrying only about relative advantages. ▪️ Example: European Union, WTO, IMF, and Paris Climate Agreement show how institutions facilitate cooperation. ▪️ Fact: According to World Bank data (2022), global trade as % of world GDP was over 60%, showing rising interdependence. ▪️ Thinkers like Oran Young and Stephen Krasner contributed to regime theory, emphasizing rules and norms. 🔹 Core Differences ▪️ Neorealism emphasizes relative gains, citing examples like the Cold War arms race where the USA and USSR feared the other’s advantage. ▪️ Neoliberalism stresses absolute gains, as seen in WTO trade agreements, where all member states gain from cooperation. ▪️ Neorealists view institutions as epiphenomenal (mere reflections of state power). ▪️ Neoliberals argue institutions have independent causal power, evident in the way UN peacekeeping missions constrain state behavior. ▪️ Data Point: Between 1945–2000, more than 60 major international institutions were established, supporting the Neoliberal view of institutional relevance. 🔹 Conclusion ▪️ Neorealism provides a framework for understanding conflict, competition, and power struggle, especially relevant during the Cold War. ▪️ Neoliberalism explains the rise of cooperation, globalization, and institutions, relevant in the post-Cold War and 21st century context. UGC NET JRF To Get PDF/Hardcopy notes click here👇 wa.me/+919982735777?text=I_need_Complete_notes_with_DishaDarshan