Cooperation among Democracies: The European Influence on U.S. Foreign Policy(Princeton Studies in International History and Politics)

In exploring the special nature of alliances among democracies, this book argues that the West European and Canadian allies exerted greater influence on American foreign policy during the Cold War than most analysts assume. In doing so, it 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 suggested by Karl W. Deutsch. Through case studies, the author shows that the Europeans affected security decisions concerning vital US interest during the 1950-1953 Korean War, the 1958-1964 test ban negotiations, and the 1952 Cuban missile crisis - all during a span of time in which the US enjoyed undisputed economic and military supremacy in the alliance. The case studies are situated within a theoretical framework that demonstrates that the European influence on decision-making processes in Washington worked through three mechanisms: norm

Table of Contents:
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

About the Author :
Thomas Risse-Kappen is Professor of International Relations at the University of Konstanz, Germany, and International Relations Chair at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. He is the editor of Bringing Transnational Relations Back In.

Review :
A serious contribution... The author demonstrates that the analysis of norms points to an improved understanding of international relations... Excellent documentation. Choice A sophisticated study of the Western alliance that emphasizes European influence on US decision-making...[T]his book will be useful to historians as well as to political scientists interested in alliance and international relations theory... A book that is outstanding in a crowded field. The careful research and thoughtful argument in Cooperation among Democracies make it one of the very best studies of the Western alliance. -- Frank Costigliola The International History Review