How Realism Waltzed Off: Liberalism and Decisionmaking in Kenneth Waltz’s Neorealism

Summary

In developing neorealist theory, Kenneth Waltz sought to reconcile the tenets of classical realism with those of liberal democracy. Classical realists called for foreign policy to be forged by elite decisionmakers, unconstrained by legal norms and public opinion. Waltz, by contrast, argued that the international system, rather than individual decisionmakers, shaped international relations.