Cooperation Among Democracies (95 Edition)

In exploring the special nature of alliances among democracies, Thomas Risse-Kappen argues that the West European and Canadian allies exerted greater influence on American foreign policy during the Cold War than most analysts assume. In so doing, he challenges traditional alliance theories that emphasize strategic interactions and power-based bargaining processes. For a better understanding of the transatlantic relationship, the author proposes that we instead turn to liberal theories of international affairs. Accordingly, liberal democracies are likely to form the "pacific federations" described by Immanuel Kant or "pluralistic security communities" as Karl W. Deutsch suggested.

Through detailed case studies, Risse-Kappen shows that the Europeans affected security decisions concerning vital U.S. interest during the 1950-1953 Korean war, the 1958-1963 test ban negotiations, and the 1962 Cuban missile crisis--all during a span of time in which the U.S. enjoyed undisputed economic and military supremacy in the alliance. He situates these case studies within a theoretical framework demonstrating that the European influence on decision-making processes in Washington worked through three mechanisms: norms prescribing timely consultations among the allies, use of domestic pressures for leverage in transatlantic interactions, and transnational and transgovernmental coalitions among societal and bureaucratic actors. The book's findings have important repercussions for the post-Cold War era in that they suggest the transatlantic security community is likely to survive the end of the Soviet threat.

In exploring the special nature of alliances among democracies, the author argues that the West European and Canadian allies exerted greater influence on American foreign policy during the Cold War than most analysts assume. This book's findings evaluate the post-Cold War's transatlantic security community and its survival.

PREFACE vii

ABBREVIATIONS ix

ONE Introduction and Overview 3

TWO Power Bargaining or Democratic Community? 12

Structural Realism: Who Pays the Piper (Ultimately) Calls the Tune 14

Traditional Realism: The "Big Influence of Small Allies" 17

Liberalism: Cooperation among Democracies 24

THREE "Outposts of Our National Defense": Consultation Norms and the Moderation of U.S. Policies during the Korean War, 1950-1953 42

Preventing War with China 45

Preventing the Use of Nuclear Weapons 57

Pushing and Pulling the U.S. toward a Cease-Fire 66

Conclusions 75

FOUR "Unworthy and Unreliable" Allies: Violation of Alliance Norms during the 1956 Suez Crisis 83

The Origins of the Interallied Conflict: Diverging Interests and Preferences 84

Allied Perceptions of American Words and Deeds: Duplicity 87

American Perceptions of Allied Behavior: "Unworthy" 91

U.S. Coercion and the Restoration Of the Transatlantic Relationship 96

Conclusions 99

FIVE "A Game of Golf and a Little Talk": Transnational Coalitions and the 1958-1963 Test Ban Negotiations 105

Setting the Agenda: Transnational Coalitions among Scientists and Peace Activists 107

Pushing and Pulling: The British Impact on Eisenhower's Nuclear Testing Policies 112

Keeping the Pressure Up: British Efforts during the Kennedy Administration 126

U.S. Attempts at Bribery: Dealing with French and German Opposition 134

Conclusions 140

SIX A "Strike on Cuba which May Lose Berlin": The Europeans and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis 146

Allied Consultation during the Crisis 148

The British Response: Support for a "Deal" 152

The French and German Reactions: Support 157

Symbol of Allied Community I: Berlin 159

Symbol of Allied Community II: The Jupiter Missiles 162

Conclusions 176

SEVEN Blowing Up New York to Save Berlin? Norms, Transnational Relations, and NATO's Nuclear Decisions 183

The Debate about "Flexible Response" 184

The "Neutron Bomb" Controversy 187

INF, the "Dual-Track" Decision and the Zero Option 188

Conclusions 191

EIGHT Conclusions: The Transatlantic Community and the European Impact on American Foreign Policy 194

Summary of the Findings: Collective Identity, Norms, and the Big Influence of the European Allies 195

Variation in Allied Influence: The British and Germans versus the French 210

Suggestions for Further Research 215

The End of the Cold War and the Future of the Transatlantic Relationship 218

BIBLIOGRAPHY 227

INDEX 243