EAN: 9783954893508

ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE GAINS IN THE AMERICAN DEC...

The question of whether states pursue absolute or relative gains has divided neo-realism and
neo-liberalism for quite some time now. Thus whereas neo-realists contend that states seek
comparative advantages relative to others  neo-liberal scholars argue that they are primarily
interested in absolute individual gains. In applying social-constructivist ideas  however  this
book will demonstrate that such a preference for relative or absolute gains is not naturally
predetermined  but inextricably linked to the continual 're-construction' of states' national
identities and interests. By analyzing the Truman Administration's decision for using nuclear
weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki  this case study will show that American leaders were
much more preoccupied with achieving absolute rather than relative gains. Such absolute
considerations were influenced by the pressures of an anarchic self-help system  specific
domestic imperatives and the personal views of individual policy-makers who believed that only
swift socio-economic recovery and the creation of a more peaceful security environment would
ultimately ensure their country's long-term international position.

Aktuelle Preise zur EAN 9783954893508

Produktinformationen zur 9783954893508