Approaches to Security – a global public good?

1. Approaches to Security –a global public good? Jens Stærdahl, Associate Professor, ENSPAC

2. Agenda • What is security about • Neo-realism, the dominant approach • 8 alternative approaches • Characterising Sandler’s “Global Collective Action”. • Discussion

3. Concepts and Theories about Security • Theme: Security • Dominant understanding: Security of states • Empirical reference: Issues related to security • Dominant reference: State security and International relations • Empirical milestones: • End of the cold war • Globalisation • 9/11 2001 • Dominating interpretation: Change from bi-polarity to uni-polarity. Some conditions have changed but the main feature is still states pursuing security interests under conditions of anarchy.

4. What is security? • “Implies freedom form threats to core values” • Traditional focus on military capabilities of own state to face the threats of others • Some debates: • focus individual, national or international? • Include political, economic, societal, environmental as well as military aspects? • Global security treats require a global answer? • What makes an issue a security issue?

5. (Neo-)realist interpretation • Anarchic international system • State sovereignty -> development of offensive military capabilities -> states potential dangerous to each other • Uncertainty -> lack of trust of other states -> states always on their guard • Sovereignty -> survival as driving force

6. Neo-realism about co-operation • Security dilemma: “a structural notion in which the self-help attempts of state to look after their security needs, tend regardless of intention to lead to rising insecurity for others as each interprets its own measures as defensive and the measures of others as potentially threatening” (Herz 1950: 157 in BS pp. 303) • Cooperation is possible, but limited due to • Fear that other states might cheat • The importance of relative gains

7. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views Reference: Baylis, John (2005) International and global security in the post-cold era in Baylis and Smith (eds.) The globalization of world politics Realism and neo-realism has for many years been, and still is, the dominant conceptualisation of international security. These 8 approaches can be conceptualised as corrections to the neo-realist approach. Eight approaches towards international security

8. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views The tendency to compete is not a inevitable logic consequence of the assumptions in neo-realism. Self-help does not necessarily lead to competition. States might instead prefer cooperation to reduce uncertainty States often prefer cooperation instead of pursuing relative gains, in order to avoid sparking of a new round of competition The emphasis on cheating in neo-realist thinking is overdone Relevant example: Arms reductions agreements during cold war A scholar: Charles Glaser Contingent Realism

9. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views There is a tendency for ‘mature’ states to recognize that there are good security reasons for taking the interests of other states into account when making own policies, and that excessively self-referenced security polices are ultimately self-defeating Example: Security community in the Nordic countries; The cooperation of the European states within the EU A scholar: Barry Buzan Mature Anarchy

10. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views Neo-realists are wrong when they claim that institutions are not very important in prevention of war. “Institutions can provide information, reduce transaction costs, make commitments more credible, establish focal points for coordination and in general facilitate the operation of reciprocity” (Keohane and Martin 1995: 42 pp. 308 in B&S) Example: The EU, Nato, WEU and OSCE A scholar: Robert Keohane Liberal Institutionalism

11. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views Liberal democracies make a bigger difference in international politics than realist writers accept: in cases of conflict liberal states normally choose not to fight or threaten each other. Democratic states of peace-prone due to: democratic presentation an ideological commitment to human rights transnational interdependence Example: Western European policy to promote democracy and Eastern Europe after the cold war. Scholars: Michal Doyle and Bruce Russett Democratic Peace Theory

12. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views State behaviour is not simply the product of structure. Ideas are also important Under collective security states must agree on certain norms and rules: Renounce on the use of military force to change status quo Broaden their concept of national interest to include the interest of the international community as a whole Overcome the fear that dominate world politics and learn to thrust each other Example: League of Nations; UN security council (?) Scholars: Charles and Clifford Kupchan Ideas of Collective Security

13. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views Fundamental structures of international relations are social rather than strictly material – the way we think about international relations matters Social structures made up of knowledge, material resources and practices. E.g. the security dilemma is a social structure composed of inter-subjective understandings – Anarchy is what states make of it Example: The way Gorbachev ended the cold war A scholar: Alexander Wendt Social Constructivist theory

14. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views The states have been given too much prominence in security Critical theory and emancipation:Attention should be focused on the individual, as states are sometimes part of the problem. Security can best be assured through human emancipation (Robert Cox, Booth Jones) ‘Feminist’ approaches:‘Nowhere is the state more gendered in the sense of how power is dispersed than in the security apparatus’. Bringing in gender will bring new issues and perspectives on the security agenda (Cynthia Enloe) Post-modernist views:‘Realism’, a discourse of power and rule, is one central problem of international insecurity. Change to a ‘software’ of cooperative norms will change international relations (Jim George) Critical security studies

15. Contingent Realism Mature Anarchy Liberal Institutionalism Democratic Peace Theory Ideas of Collective Security Social Constructivist theory Critical security studies Globalist views Globalisation has reached a point were a global society is emerging at the same time making territorial conflicts obsolete and producing new risks related to the environment, poverty, WMD and terrorism. Fragmentation of nation-states giving rise to new forms of insecurity caused by nationalistic, ethnic and religious rivalries. A new politics of global responsibility is needed. Example: Civil wars in Bosnia, Somalia etc. and humanitarian interventions A Scholar: Mary Kaldor Globalist views

16. A - draft – characterisation of the public good approach to security • Security is both an issue for states, communities and individuals • Security ought to be provided to the level were absolute welfare is maximised. • States are the main providers of security. States act as rational unitary actors pursuing absolute wealth. • Security is an undersupplied public good due to the asymmetries between costs and benefits for each individual agent – “who should bell the cat” Critics: Too much focus on absolute wealth, no understanding of the importance of survival of states as driving force, the competition between states, and the security dilemma. Pros: A new framing of the need for international peace and prosperity Does it fit any of the boxes above? Basic premises close to liberal institutionalism. Sandler’s perceptions of through which mechanisms international treaties influence state behaviour is unclear to me.

17. Discussion questions • Do you agree with the characterisation of the public goods approach to security? • Are the game-theoretic assumptions in the approach productive for useful analysis: * rational actors pursuing interests * interest is absolute wealth * pay-off structure of different actions is known

18. How states know what they want? Information requirements Assumptions Theoretical Scholl Decisive factor Process Result Neo-realists The states relative power Assessment of policy Alternatives in relation to relative power based on existing knowledge policy Neo-liberalists The states absolute wealth Assessment of policy Alternatives in relation to absolute wealth based on existing knowledge policy Declining New institutionalism Rising (Meyer, DiMaggio & Powell) (Supplement to the rationalist theories) Copying from successful states policy The states identity Clarification of the character of the situation and available policy alternatives. Choice of the most appropriate alternative (March & Olsen) policy Constructivists The dominant norms of the state Assessment of policies in relation to norms on the basis of dominant understanding of cause-effect relations policy International organisations and regimes

19. Georgia