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Power and Interdependence
Suitable for undergraduate courses in International Relations. This landmark text, an original work by two of the most renowned scholars in the field, continues to offer a rich theoretical approach to understanding contemporary world politics and valid general prescriptions for policy. Power and Interdependence was written to construct a way of looking at the world of politics that helps us understand the relationships between economics and politics, and patterns of institutionalized international cooperation, while retaining key realist insights about the roles that power and interests play in world politics. The new Third Edition has been thoroughly updated to include analyses of the effects of new technologies and growing globalism on power and interdependence in today's world. *New - Chapter 9 Power, Interdependence, and the Information Age presents the reader with important new information about the effects of new technologies on world politics and power and interdependence. *New - Chapter 10 Power, Interdependence & Globalism presents the reader with important new information about the effects of globalism on world politics and power and interdependence.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
Robert O. Keohane
28 books45 followers
Robert O. Keohane
(b. 1941) is an American scholar of international relations, best known for his work on neoliberal institutionalism. His numerous books include After Hegemony (1984) and Power and Governance in a Partially Globalized World (2002). Currently a professor at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, Keohane has received numerous awards for his scholarship. Among these, he was honored with the Centennial Medal of the Harvard Graduate School in 2012. Keohane received his bachelor's degree in 1961 from Shimer College, a Great Books school where he now sits on the Board of Trustees. He received his graduate education at Harvard, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1966. (from Shimer College Wiki)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 10, 2012
In all fairness, this was not a horrible book. Rather, my review is based on how much I "enjoyed" it, which was not very much.
From the perspective of a student of Political Science or International Relations, this book was useful in understanding the theory of complex interdependence, which serves as the opposite of the traditional Realist framework. After defining complex interdependence and outlining the main characteristics, the authors then apply their theory to four different examples. In the first half, the authors address ocean issues and international monetary issues. In the second half, they address the US-Canada relationship and the US-Australia relationship.
Since this book was published back in 1977, there have been two additional chapters tacked on in recent editions. Chapter nine looks at the information age and chapter ten examines globalism.
Overall, while I found this book about as interesting as most textbooks (in other words, I would not be picking this up as a pleasure read), it was well written and researched. The points were clear and thoroughly formulated.
From the perspective of a student of Political Science or International Relations, this book was useful in understanding the theory of complex interdependence, which serves as the opposite of the traditional Realist framework. After defining complex interdependence and outlining the main characteristics, the authors then apply their theory to four different examples. In the first half, the authors address ocean issues and international monetary issues. In the second half, they address the US-Canada relationship and the US-Australia relationship.
Since this book was published back in 1977, there have been two additional chapters tacked on in recent editions. Chapter nine looks at the information age and chapter ten examines globalism.
Overall, while I found this book about as interesting as most textbooks (in other words, I would not be picking this up as a pleasure read), it was well written and researched. The points were clear and thoroughly formulated.
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August 28, 2012Keohane and Nye set up what becomes the dominant school of thought in the neoliberal camp of IR thinking: neoliberal institutionalism.
May 18, 2019
I'm not an expert in the field, so this may be expected, but I found it hard to follow the arguments at times. I think that's sort of a positive and negative of their approach. It produces something that's very honest and very interesting but also something that it's hard to draw firm conclusions about. This work really opened up some new ways of thinking, since then the ideas seem to have struggled to find their footing amid the complicated interplay between states, actors, citizens, and thinkers.
December 19, 2023
Plauzibilă si aplicabila teoria, dar stufoasa și plina de detalii tehnice cartea
March 21, 2017
Nice book
February 12, 2022
Keohane and Nye's 'Power and interdependence' continues to be a useful resource for all students of international relations. The fact that the book is nearing 45 years since the original publication date, yet the general theoretical grounds of the book hold quite well, is incredible. The prescience of predictions made within the book with respect to control of credible information, even as the authors address this on an international rather than domestic level, is equally profound.
While I don't agree with everything Keohane and Nye argue, interdependence is an 'ideal state' so perhaps my critiques have more to do with distance from the ideal than the ideal model itself. My other criticisms are ideas that reductions in hard power have no corresponding drop in soft power; I disagree and I'd argue they are more related than the authors give them credit for.
I recommend this book for all students of IR.
While I don't agree with everything Keohane and Nye argue, interdependence is an 'ideal state' so perhaps my critiques have more to do with distance from the ideal than the ideal model itself. My other criticisms are ideas that reductions in hard power have no corresponding drop in soft power; I disagree and I'd argue they are more related than the authors give them credit for.
I recommend this book for all students of IR.
January 16, 2016
Keohane demuestra por qué en las relaciones internacionales es el fundador del institucionalismo neoliberal. Desde una crítica impone la interdependencia compleja dejando de lado el realismo y desencadena las metas de los estados, analiza los modelos económicos (impuestos y no impuestos) pero su crítica más compleja es al capitalismo moderno que ha permitido el desarrollo donde le conviene al una super estructura hegemónica. La cooperación internacional no es la resolución a la interdependencia luego de caracterizar a ésta en distintos escenarios alejada del determinismo económico.
April 25, 2015
This is a core text for International Relations. It dates from the 70's but has been updated with a couple of new chapters. It is a core liberal institutionalism text--the idea that the system of states is characterized by complex interdependence and that institutions are the key to peace. If you want to understand the foreign policy of the Clinton administration, you will find it here. Ditto the ideology of "Davos-man".
June 12, 2014
My impression: Swung for the fences and hit a ground-rule double. Their questions are, "What are the major features of world politics when interdependence, particularly economic interdependence, is extensive? And How and why do international regimes exist?
April 17, 2009
The best book in International Relations.
March 24, 2010
Very good book on international relations. It's a must read for those who are interested in IR.
November 1, 2014
Keohane and Nye have the gift of writing about very interesting subjects in a highly boring fashion. That alone deserves 3 stars.
April 14, 2017
In this book we see how, moreover in this book we can see what is happening right now and thanks to the interdependence theory we can give a different understanding.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews