UAB Soriano IntSec Topic 6 Course 2023 24

10/13/2023
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J.P. Soriano. International Security. 2020-2021. UAB
UAB - INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

(Course 2023/2024)
Topic 6.
Liberalism(s) in
International
Security Studies
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Sources:
• Baylis, John (2008). “The Concept of Security in International Relations”. In: Brauch H.G. et al. (eds)
Globalization and Environmental Challenges. Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security
and Peace, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. pp. 495-502.
• Miller, Benjamin (2001). “The concept of security: Should it be Redefined?”. The Journal of Strategic
Studies, 24(2), pp. 13-42.
• Keohane, Robert O. (2020). “Understanding Multilateral Institutions in Easy and Hard Times”. Annual
Review of Political Science, 23, 1-18.
• Schlag, Gabi, Julian Junk, and Christopher Daase (eds.) (2016). Transformations of Security Studies:
Dialogues, Diversity and Discipline. Routledge.
• Smith, Edward (2015). "The traditional routes to security: Realism and Liberalism." In: International
Security Studies: Theory and Practice. Routledge, pp. 12-30.
Also, you can check the following works:
• Copeland, Dale C. (2014). Economic interdependence and war. Princeton University Press.
• Doyle, Michael Doyle (1986), “Liberalism and World Politics”, American Political Science Review, 80 (December),
pp.1151-69;
• Gowa, Joanne (1995). "Democratic states and international disputes." International Organization 49 (3): 511-522.
• Ikenberry, G. John (2020). A world safe for democracy: Liberal internationalism and the crises of global order. Yale
University Press.
• Keohane, Robert O., and Lisa L. Martin (1995). "The promise of institutionalist theory." International security 20(1): 39-
51.
• Maoz, Zeev, and Bruce Russett (1993). "Structural and normative causes of peace between democracies." American
Political Science Review, 87(3): 624-38.
• Robert O. Keohane; Joseph S Nye (1977). Power and interdependence: world politics in transition. Author: Publisher:
Boston: Little, Brown.
• Rosecrance, Richard (1986). The Rise of the Trading State: Commerce and Conquest in the Modern World, New York:
Basic Books.
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The Liberal tradition in Security Studies

Three dominant perspectives
on the question of how states can best address the threats to
their security from a liberal perspective.
Liberal peace Economic Liberal

theory liberalism institutionalism
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The Liberal tradition in Security Studies (1)

Three dominant perspectives
Liberal peace theory. The spread of democratic
political systems around the world as the most
effective mechanism of preventing inter-state
conflict.
Economic liberalism. Economic interdependence

reduces the possibilities of war given its negative
consequences on trade and economic development.
Liberal (or neoliberal) institutionalism. International

institutions can promote inter-state cooperation and
counterbalance the pressures of structural anarchy.
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• An optimistic view of human nature. Basically good, positive, that may
foster peaceful collaboration and coexistence between states.
• The transformation or the international order is possible and desirable.

Collective learning to avoid war is possible.
• Liberals share the positions that, if left unchecked, world politics would
Immanuel Kant often degenerate into cycles of inter-state conflict.
(1724 1804)
• Rich historical intellectual tradition: Immanuel Kant, Adam Smith, John
Locke.
• Kantian tradition “[A]rgues that it is possible to ‘transcend’ violent

conflict and move on to a more peaceful existence.” (Baylis, p. 495).
• "Perpetual Peace" (1795): through a federation of free states, based

on republicanism (democracy), constitutionalism, law, civil liberties and
1795
judicial methods of settling disputes.
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• Multiple liberal approaches: Liberals propose

different paths for reducing the possibilities of inter-
state conflict.
• Liberalisms: competing/alternative/complementary
variations but some common elements relevant for
its approach to international peace and security
1. Some elements shared with Realism.

• Anarchy in the international system is a very important element to
understand international relations.
• The state as the primary referent object of analysis. Although there is
space for other actors
• States act in a rational way (“cost-benefit approach”, “utility maximizers”).
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2. Optimistic perspective of human nature.

• Possibility of change and progress within international security and world politics
as a whole.
3. Individuals.
• Important role in world politics (they have agency)
• Cooperative behavior: based on human nature and/or rationality.
• The wellbeing of individuals as a fundamental pillar of a just international order.
• Protection of individual freedoms by limiting and checking political power
4. States are not unitary actors.
• Liberalism opens “the black box of the state”. (Smith, p. 14).
• Sub-state level characteristics and actors are relevant: type of government and
political system, domestic groups, governmental and non-governmental actors.
5. Inter-state military conflict:
• The primary, but not the only, source of insecurity within the international system
(Smith, p. 22).
• Inter-state conflict can be mitigated by mechanisms such as: reform of national
political systems, promotion of free- and fair-trade relations, multilateral collective
security and international law.
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Democratic/liberal peace theory/hypothesis (1)

Key proposition: States with constitutional republican
systems of government are less likely to engage in inter-state
conflict.
• “Liberal democracies do not go to war with other liberal
democracies.” (Smith, p. 20).
• “Democracies rarely wage war on one another.” (Miller,
32).
However, democracies are not “doves”: democratic states
“facing illiberal states, who are likely to produce offensive
capabilities, will have to respond by building military
capabilities.” (Miller, 32).
• Relevant historical thinker: German philosopher Immanuel
Kant, Perpetual Peace.
• Some contemporary liberal peace theorists are Michael
Doyle, Bruce Russet, Joanne Gowa, among others.
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Democratic/liberal peace theory/hypothesis (2)

Characteristics of democratic republican governments :
• “Likely to be more pacific in the international system

than those with and absolute monarchy or an
autocratic system of government.” (Smith, p. 20).
• In republics, popular representation is guaranteed

through constitutional law
• Leaders are accountable to, and constrained by, a

conflict-averse electorate (civilian populations are the
most affected by military conflict) (Smith, p. 20).
• Liberal democracies adhere more to universal human

rights, are much tolerant to minorities and take care of
basic human needs. (Miller, 21).
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Democratic/liberal peace
theory/hypothesis (3)
Implications for international security:
• “the occurrence of inter-state conflict is

best mitigated by the spread of liberal
democracy wherever and whenever
possible.” (Smith, p. 21).
• Therefore, the road to security and peace

is to expand and strength democracy in all
the world. Enlarge the “community of
democracies”.
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Economic liberalism, economic

interdependence and war (1)
Key argument: Economic globalization and interdependence constrain the

options of states to act unilaterally.
Key propositions:
• Consequences: “Increasing transnational economic connections at all
levels reduce the likelihood of inter-state conflict given the adverse
economic consequences for all parties in such a scenario” (Smith, p. 21).
• Incentives: “Economic prosperity increases the stakes in peace and
decreases the motivation for war.” (Miller, 21).
• Economic power: “States will prefer to trade than to invade.” “Trading
states are not interested in building invading armies” (Miller, 32).
Some contemporary authors: Dale Copeland, Richard Rosencrance, Joseph
Nye, Robert Keohane.
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Economic liberalism, economic interdependence

and war (2)
Economic liberalism key recommendation: promotion of
economic integration and interdependence
• “Free and open markets increase interdependence

through growing trade, globalization of production and
investment, and the free movement of people, goods,
money and services.” (Miller, 33).
• Rational behavior. This “is a recipe for avoiding

violence because the costs of the use of force rise
while its benefits decline.” (Miller, 33).
• This is helpful “for creating common interests and for

enhancing cooperation” in diplomacy and security.
(Miller, 33).
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Liberal institutionalism (1)

The dominant approach of Liberal theory within contemporary IR
theory.
Most liberal institutionalist scholars share the idea of an anarchic
international system
But they do not share the deterministic perspective of Neorealism: that “the
international system is forever destined to be consumed by international
conflict.” (Smith, p. 21).
On international cooperation:
• It is difficult because of uncertainty in an anarchic international
system, cheating on agreements and commitments is always possible.
• But continued state cooperation under anarchy is also possible and
can be “an effective mechanism for overcoming the pressures on state
behavior that rise from misperceptions.” (Smith, p. 21).
Relevant contemporary authors: Lisa Martin, Robert Keohane, Andrew

Moravcsik, Beth A. Simmons, among others.
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Key propositions regarding the role of

international institutions:
• Institutions can assist states to avoid the negative
impact of self-help behavior increasing communication
and transparency through multilateral agreements and
regimes (Smith, p. 21).
• Can be effective mechanisms “for overcoming the

pressures on state behavior that arise from
misperceptions and confusion regarding the behavior
of other state entities.” (Smith, p. 21).
• “[W]ill increase the incentives of states to cooperate

with each other and will thus produce more benign
state intentions.” (Miller, 32)
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Institutions, cooperation and international security:
“although international institutions are unlikely to eradicate war,
they can help to achieve greater cooperation between states.” (Baylis,
p. 499)
Role of institutions in security cooperation:
• Provide information:
• early warning systems to avoid misperceptions on military
capabilities.
• mitigate mutual fears about being attacked.
• promote arms control treaties and transparency.,
• Karl Deutsch (1957) defined such a relation as a “security

community”. A community “in which there is real assurance that
the members of that community will not fight each other
physically, but will settle their disputes in some other way.”
• (See K. Deutsch, et al., Political Community and the North Atlantic Area: 1998, Ed.
International Organization in the Light of Historical Experience, Princeton, by Emanuel
Princeton University Press, 1957, p. 5). Adler, and Michael
Barnett.
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European integration as a “security community” (1)
• Contrary to the realist claim, through security

communities it is possible to modify/mitigate
the “context of anarchy” generated by the
international system of states.
• Europe as a security community

• Objective: create an “island of peace and
prosperity”; a community of states in which no
single party inside the community prepares
itself for a military confrontation with other
member of the community.
• How?
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European integration as a “security community” (2)

• The emergence of a supranational process of integration.
• Creation of institutions that promote cooperation: “the shadow of the
future” is extended (trust and confidence towards the future)
(theories of international cooperation: Robert Axelrod, Robert
Keohane, among others).
• Integration as a learning process that takes place over a long period of
extensive and sustained contact between societies.
• A sense of community –a “we-feeling”- among the populations of the
territories of the community, sharing a common set of values.
Example:
• Perceptions of security-insecurity have been transformed
between French and German societies
1870-1871
• Behavior not expected by realist theories in International 1914-1918
Relations 1939-1945
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Continued relevance
of liberal approaches
to international
security
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1. Institutions 'matter’: “in the sense of exercising an autonomous causal effect

irreducible to the material capabilities of individual states. Owing precisely to
the fact that power is often exercised through institutions, policy outcomes
would radically differ if these institutions were absent.” (Schlang et al., p. 20)
2. Multilateralism: “This conception leads to a focus on international

cooperation rather than competition, and to multilateralism rather than
unilateralism in managing global security challenges.” See: John G. Ruggie (ed.)
Multilateralism Matters: The Theory and Praxis of an Institutional Form (1993). (cited in Miller,
21).
3. “Common security”: “means that there are global threats to all of humanity
which cannot be addressed by individual nation-states.” (Miller, 21).
4. “Multilateral security governance”: Key role of regional international

organizations in confronting threats to regional and global security.
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UAB - INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

The Liberal tradition in Security Studies

Liberal peace Economic Liberal

The Liberal tradition in Security Studies (1)

Economic liberalism. Economic interdependence

Liberal (or neoliberal) institutionalism. International

The Liberal tradition in Security Studies (2)

• The transformation or the international order is possible and desirable.

• Kantian tradition “[A]rgues that it is possible to ‘transcend’ violent

• "Perpetual Peace" (1795): through a federation of free states, based

The Liberal tradition in Security Studies (3)

• Multiple liberal approaches: Liberals propose

1. Some elements shared with Realism.

2. Optimistic perspective of human nature.

Democratic/liberal peace theory/hypothesis (1)

Democratic/liberal peace theory/hypothesis (2)

• “Likely to be more pacific in the international system

• In republics, popular representation is guaranteed

• Leaders are accountable to, and constrained by, a

• Liberal democracies adhere more to universal human

Implications for international security:

• “the occurrence of inter-state conflict is

• Therefore, the road to security and peace

Economic liberalism, economic

Key argument: Economic globalization and interdependence constrain the

Economic liberalism, economic interdependence

• “Free and open markets increase interdependence

• Rational behavior. This “is a recipe for avoiding

• This is helpful “for creating common interests and for

Liberal institutionalism (1)

Relevant contemporary authors: Lisa Martin, Robert Keohane, Andrew

Liberal institutionalism (2)

Key propositions regarding the role of

• Can be effective mechanisms “for overcoming the

• “[W]ill increase the incentives of states to cooperate

Liberal institutionalism (3)

• Karl Deutsch (1957) defined such a relation as a “security

European integration as a “security community” (1)

• Contrary to the realist claim, through security

• Europe as a security community

J.P. Soriano. International Security. 2023-2024. UAB

European integration as a “security community” (2)

J.P. Soriano. International Security. 2023-2024. UAB

1. Institutions 'matter’: “in the sense of exercising an autonomous causal effect

2. Multilateralism: “This conception leads to a focus on international

4. “Multilateral security governance”: Key role of regional international

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