Bridging the Theory-Practice Divide in International Relations

There is a widening divide between the data, tools, and knowledge that international relations scholars produce and what policy practitioners find relevant for their work. In this first-of-its-kind conversation, leading academics and practitioners reflect on the nature and size of the theory-practice divide. They find the gap varies by issue area and over time. The essays in this volume use data gathered by the Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) Project over a fifteen-year period. As a whole, the volume analyzes the structural factors that affect the academy’s ability to influence policy across issue areas and the professional incentives that affect scholars’ willingness to attempt to do so. Individual chapters explore these questions in the areas of trade, finance, human rights, development, environment, nuclear weapons and strategy, interstate war, and intrastate conflict. Each substantive chapter is followed by a response from a policy practitioner, providing their perspective on the gap and the possibility for academic work to have an impact. Bridging the Theory-Practice Divide in International Relations provides concrete answers and guidance about how and when scholarship can be policy relevant.

Table of Contents:
1. Explaining the Theory-Practice Divide in International Relations: Uncertainty and Access Daniel Maliniak, Susan Peterson, Ryan Powers, and Michael J. Tierney 2. Rights and Wrongs: Human Rights at the Intersection of the International Relations Academy and Practice Amanda Murdie 3. Closing the Influence Gap: How to Get Better Alignment of Scholars and Practitioners on Human Rights Sarah E. Mendelson 4. The Study and Practice of Global Environmental Politics: Policy Influence through Participation Jessica F. Green and Thomas Hale 5. The Limits of Scholarly Influence on Global Environmental Policy Marc A. Levy 6. Mind the Gap? Links between Policy and Academic Research of Foreign Aid Christina J. Schneider 7. Making Academic Research on Foreign Aid More Policy Relevant Steven Radelet 8. Trade Policy and Trade Policy Research Edward D. Mansfield and Jon C. W. Pevehouse 9. Making International Relations Research on Trade More Relevant to Policy Officials Robert B. Zoellick 10. Is International Relations Relevant for International Money and Finance? Thomas B. Pepinsky and David A. Steinberg 11. Is International Relations Relevant for International Monetary and Financial Policy? Reflections of an Economist Dimitri G. Demekas 12. Lost in Translation: Academics, Policymakers, and Research about Interstate Conflict Sarah Kreps and Jessica Weeks 13. Reflections from an Erstwhile Policymaker Peter D. Feaver 14. The Weakest Link? Scholarship and Policy on Intrastate Conflict Michael G. Findley and Joseph K. Young 15. On the Challenge of Assessing Scholarly Influence on Intrastate Conflict Policy Scott Edwards 16. The Bumpy Road to a “Science” of Nuclear Strategy Paul C. Avey and Michael C. Desch 17. Academia’s Influence on National Security Policy: What Works and What Doesn’t? John R. Harvey 18. Supply- and Demand-Side Explanations for the Theory-Practice Divide Daniel Maliniak, Susan Peterson, Ryan Powers, and Michael J. Tierney References Contributors Index