The Emergence of the GATT - What do realists and neoliberal institutionalists say?

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Definitions
  • Regime
  • The emergence of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
  • Neorealism
  • Neoliberal Institutionalism
• How can Neorealism and Neoliberal Institutionalism explain the Emergence of GATT?
  • Neorealism's approach
    • Theory of Hegemonic Stability
    • The United States of America – the hegemonic power after World War II.
    • Incentives for other states to join the cooperation
  • Neoliberal Institutionalism's approach
    • The Problem of Cheating and Free-riding
      • Exceptions
• Strengths and Weaknesses of the applied theories
  • Neorealism
  • Neoliberal Institutionalism

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The objective of this paper is to investigate how effectively theories of international relations can explain the emergence of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as a successful case of international cooperation. This will be achieved by focusing on two prominent theories: Neorealism and Neoliberal Institutionalism.

• The emergence of GATT as a significant turning point in American trade policy.
• The role of international regimes in overcoming the challenges of international cooperation.
• The explanatory power of Neorealism and Neoliberal Institutionalism in understanding the creation of GATT.
• The strengths and weaknesses of each theoretical approach in explaining the emergence of GATT.
• The importance of hegemonic stability and the role of the United States in the establishment of GATT.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction outlines the significance of GATT as a turning point in American trade policy, shifting from protectionism to free trade. It also introduces the research question: how can theories of international relations explain the emergence of GATT?

The chapter on definitions elaborates on the concept of a regime, defining it as a structure that facilitates cooperation between states by establishing shared principles, norms, and rules. It also discusses the emergence of GATT and its three core principles.

The subsequent chapter examines how Neorealism and Neoliberal Institutionalism can explain the emergence of GATT. Neorealism's approach, particularly the Theory of Hegemonic Stability, emphasizes the role of the United States as a hegemonic power in driving the creation of GATT. Neoliberal Institutionalism focuses on the problem of cheating and free-riding and argues that international regimes can help address these challenges.

Finally, the chapter on strengths and weaknesses analyzes the effectiveness of each theory in explaining the emergence of GATT. It argues that Neorealism, specifically the Theory of Hegemonic Stability, provides a more comprehensive explanation than Neoliberal Institutionalism.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The central keywords and themes of this paper include: GATT, international cooperation, Neorealism, Neoliberal Institutionalism, hegemonic stability, international regimes, trade policy, free trade, protectionism, cheating, free-riding, and the United States of America.