Cooperation between states

This chapter looks at why and how cooperation develops between states, both bilaterally and in broader constellations. It discusses the security dilemma and the concepts of common and cooperative security. Realists argue that the overriding interest of each state “is to maximize its share of world power, which means gaining power at the expense of other states”. Perceptions also play a role in how states interact. Republican Party strategist Lee Atwater allegedly said that “perception is reality”. A sense of threat may be heightened by a relative increase in power by one side or another. The imbalance of power or sense of threat may be more real than imagined. The security dilemma is particularly acute when a status quo or declining power feels challenged by a rising one. An alternative to the security dilemma is a balance of power, defined as the absence of a preponderant military power in the international system.