Neorealism or structural realism is a theory of international relations, outlined by Kenneth Waltz in his 1979 book, Theory of

International Politics. Waltz argues in favor of a systemic approach: the international structure acts as a constraint on state behavior, so
that different states behave in a similar rational manner, and outcomes fall within an expected range."

The primary focus of Democracy in America is an analysis of why republican representative democracy has succeeded in the United
States while failing in so many other places. He seeks to apply the functional aspects of democracy in America to what he sees as the
failings of democracy in his native France.
Tocqueville speculates on the future of democracy in the United States, discussing possible threats to democracy and possible dangers
of democracy. These include his belief that democracy has a tendency to degenerate into "soft despotism" as well as the risk of
developing a tyranny of the majority. He observed that the strong role religion played in the United States was due to its separation
from the government, a separation all parties found agreeable. He contrasts this to France where there was what he perceived to be an
unhealthy antagonism between democrats and the religious, which he relates to the connection between church and state.
KW political scientist
- came up with a new perspective on IR - neorealism
- systemic approach: the international structure acts as a constraint on state behavior, so that different states behave in a
similar rational manner, and outcomes fall within an expected range.
- Waltz argues that the world exists in a state of perpetual international anarchy. Waltz distinguishes the anarchy of the
international environment from the order of the domestic one. In the domestic realm, all actors may appeal to, and be
compelled by, a central authority - 'the state' or 'the government' - but in the international realm, no such source of order
exists. The anarchy of international politics its lack of a central enforcer means that states must act in a way that
ensures their security above all, or else risk falling behind. This is a fundamental fact of political life faced by
democracies and dictatorships alike: except in rare cases, they cannot count on the good will of others to help them, so
they must always be ready to fend for themselves.