The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Neoclassical Realism, the State, and Foreign Policy
Abstract
Neoclassical realism is an important new approach to international relations. Focusing on the interaction of the international system and the internal dynamics of states, neoclassical realism seeks to explain the grand strategies of individual states as opposed to recurrent patterns of international outcomes. This book offers the first systematic survey of the neoclassical realist approach. The editors lead a group of senior and emerging scholars in presenting a variety of neoclassical realist approaches to states' grand strategies. They examine the central role of the 'state' and seek to explain why, how, and under what conditions the internal characteristics of states intervene between their leaders' assessments of international threats and opportunities, and the actual diplomatic, military, and foreign economic policies those leaders are likely to pursue.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Turkey's 'EUropean' foreign policy in the Middle East is a testament to how attractive the liberal international world order is in the eyes of Turkish decision makers. 12”
From Turkish Foreign Policy in a Changing World Order (2019) · cites this paper as [12]
Citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–200 of 678
The neoclassical realist research program: Between progressive promise and degenerative dangers
Sears, N. A. (2017) · International Politics Reviews · doi:10.1057/s41312-017-0020-x · Cited by 16
Neoclassical Realism in the North Atlantic: Explaining Behaviors and Outcomes in the Cod Wars
Steinsson, S. (2017) · Foreign Policy Analysis · doi:10.1093/fpa/orw062 · Cited by 16
Kadercan, B. (2012) · International Studies Review · doi:10.1111/j.1468-2486.2012.01135.x · Cited by 17
Sheikh Hasina Government’s India Policy: A Three-level Game?
Chakma, B. (2015) · Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs · doi:10.1177/2347797014565291 · Cited by 21
Considering Rationality of Realist International Relations Theories
Więcławski, J. (2020) · Chinese Political Science Review · doi:10.1007/s41111-020-00144-3 · Cited by 15
Theorizing the Change: A Neoclassical Realist Approach to Turkish Foreign Policy
Şahin, M. C. (2020) · Contemporary Review of the Middle East · doi:10.1177/2347798920940078 · Cited by 15
“…is easy; “state is epitomized by a national security executive, comprised of the head of government and the ministers and officials charged with making foreign security policy” (Taliaferro et al., 2009, p. 25) and hence, the foreign policy elite is a “unified decision-maker” (Lobell, 2009, p. 56).”
BackgroundDomestic Sources of Russia's China Policy
Kaczmarski, M. (2012) · Problems of Post-Communism · doi:10.2753/ppc1075-8216590201 · Cited by 15
Eun, Y.-S. (2011) · Review of International Studies · doi:10.1017/s0260210511000052 · Cited by 15
Is Peaceful Change in World Politics Always Desirable? A Neoclassical Realist Perspective
Taliaferro, J. W., Lobell, S. E., & Ripsman, N. M. (2018) · International Studies Review · doi:10.1093/isr/viy023 · Cited by 15
Elite Change and the Inception, Duration, and Demise of the Turkish–Israeli Alliance
Aydınlı, E., & Erpul, O. (2021) · Foreign Policy Analysis · doi:10.1093/fpa/oraa021 · Cited by 15
When does America drop dictators?
Owen, J. M., & Poznansky, M. (2014) · European Journal of International Relations · doi:10.1177/1354066113508990 · Cited by 15
“Neoclassical realism (Lobell et al., 2009) takes on board domestic factors, but would need some account of why US preferences regarding the regime types of client states vary across time and space.”
BackgroundThe Russo-Georgian war and beyond: towards a European great power concert
Larsen, H. B. L. (2012) · European Security · doi:10.1080/09662839.2012.656595 · Cited by 15
“Neoclassical realism remains a relatively loose research paradigm with varying definitions of the importance of the domestic factors (cf. Lobell et al. 2009) and as such remains open to the choice of theory as long as this can be defended in relation to the research problem that is wished to be…”
Six, P., & Heims, E. (2021) · European Journal of International Relations · doi:10.1177/1354066121997993 · Cited by 14
“This realist argument takes various forms including contrasting structural (Krasner, 1991; Stone, 2011; Waltz, 1979) and neoclassical variants (Lobell et al., 2009; Ripsman et al., 2016), as well as others.”
BackgroundUnderstanding Trump's Trade Policy with China: International Pressures Meet Domestic Politics
Wang, Z. (2019) · Pacific Focus · doi:10.1111/pafo.12148 · Cited by 16
Performance of the South American Defense Council Under Autonomy Pressures
Mijares, V. M. (2018) · Latin American Policy · doi:10.1111/lamp.12146 · Cited by 15
Ascenso y hegemonía: pensando a las potencias emergentes desde América del Sur
Schenoni, L. L. (2012) · Revista Brasileira de Política Internacional · doi:10.1590/s0034-73292012000100003 · Cited by 13
Is there a cyber security dilemma?
Beckerman, C. (2022) · Journal of Cybersecurity · doi:10.1093/cybsec/tyac012 · Cited by 19
Zhang, C. (2017) · Journal of Chinese Political Science · doi:10.1007/s11366-017-9464-0 · Cited by 16
“In fact, the rise of neoclassical realism in IR is also a reflection of rediscovering or reinterpreting the relationship between material and non-material variables in the formation of classical realism [27, 45, 47].”
BackgroundSell unipolarity? The future of an overvalued concept
Legro, J. W. (2011) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511996337.011 · Cited by 13
Neoclassical realism and the study of regional order
Taliaferro, J. W. (2012) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139096836.006 · Cited by 13
Turkish-American strategic partnership: isTurkeystill a faithful ally?
Kara, M. (2022) · Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies · doi:10.1080/14683857.2022.2088081 · Cited by 12
“The NRC sees ‘anarchy as a permissive condition, rather than an independent causal force’ (Lobell et al. 2009, 7).”
BackgroundInfluentialForeign Policy Analysis and Realism
Wivel, A. (2024) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198843061.013.6 · Cited by 13
Yang, S.-Y. (2013) · Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) · Cited by 12
Combining ‘incompatible’ foreign policy explanations: how a realist can borrow from constructivism
Mouritzen, H. (2016) · Journal of International Relations and Development · doi:10.1057/jird.2016.2 · Cited by 12
China–Turkey Relations from the Perspective of Neoclassical Realism
Özşahin, M. C., Donelli, F., & Gasco, R. (2021) · Contemporary Review of the Middle East · doi:10.1177/23477989211062659 · Cited by 12
Power over the Sea: The Relevance of Neoclassical Realism to Euro-Mediterranean Relations
Costalli, S. (2009) · Mediterranean Politics · doi:10.1080/13629390903346814 · Cited by 12
“Politics is a perpetual struggle among self-interested groups under conditions of general scarcity, but scarce commodities need not be material capabilities: they can also be social resources (Lobell et al., 2009).”
InfluentialBlanchard, J. F. (2015) · Journal of Chinese Political Science · doi:10.1007/s11366-014-9324-0 · Cited by 12
The ambiguity of US foreign policy towards Africa
Olsen, G. R. (2017) · Third World Quarterly · doi:10.1080/01436597.2017.1315298 · Cited by 12
Butcher, J. D. (2024) · Australian Journal Of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/10357718.2024.2362143 · Cited by 11
Weber, G. (2024) · The British Journal of Politics and International Relations · doi:10.1177/13691481241303277 · Cited by 11
La política exterior de Santos: estrategia y diplomacia por la paz
Sánchez, F., & Campos, S. (2019) · OASIS · doi:10.18601/16577558.n29.05 · Cited by 11
Pupcenoks, J., Rostoks, T., & Mieriņa, I. (2022) · Nationalities Papers · doi:10.1017/nps.2022.109 · Cited by 11
“These include leader images, strategic culture, state society relations, and domestic institutions (Lobell, Ripsman, and Taliaferro 2009).”
BackgroundRussia in Central Asia: The Dynamics of Great-Power Politics in a Volatile Region
Ziegler, C. E. (2014) · Asian perspective · doi:10.1353/apr.2014.0026 · Cited by 11
New alliances dynamics in the Gulf and their impact on the small GCC states
Rickli, J.-M. (2016) · Third World Thematics A TWQ Journal · doi:10.1080/23802014.2016.1188023 · Cited by 12
Me and the Other in International Relations: An Alternative Pluralist International Relations 101
Lupovici, A. (2012) · International Studies Perspectives · doi:10.1111/j.1528-3585.2012.00473.x · Cited by 11
Neoclassical Realism in Japan’s Space Security
Pekkanen, S. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190050993.013.38 · Cited by 10
The Saudi Arabia–China relationship at a crossroad: A neoclassical realist analysis
Duan, X., & Aldamer, S. (2022) · Asian Politics & Policy · doi:10.1111/aspp.12619 · Cited by 10
Amour, P. O. (2018) · Anemon Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi · doi:10.18506/anemon.384773 · Cited by 11
Neoclassical realism and Italy’s military behaviour, 1946–2010: a combined dyad/nation analysis
Rosa, P., Benati, S., Foradori, P., et al. (2020) · Political Research Exchange · doi:10.1080/2474736x.2020.1770103 · Cited by 10
Turkey’s Foreign Policy to Africa: The Role of Leaders’ Identity in Shaping Policy
Turhan, Y. (2020) · Journal of Asian and African Studies · doi:10.1177/0021909620966773 · Cited by 10
“Focusing on the internal dynamics of the state’s identity and policy, this article seeks to explain Turkey’s Africa policy through borrowing neoclassical realism’s leadership paradigm (Lobell et al., 2009) and applying it from a constructivist point of view.”
BackgroundIdeologies and the Western Question in Turkish Foreign Policy: A Neo-classical Realist Perspective
Ovalı, A. Ş., & Çelikoğlu, İ. Ö. (2019) · All Azimuth A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace · doi:10.20991/allazimuth.514465 · Cited by 9
Agastia, I. G. B. D. (2021) · Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs · doi:10.1177/23477970211039306 · Cited by 9
“However, Neorealism, along with other system-centric International Relations (IR) theories, has been amply criticised for leaving out the internal machinations of the state in analysing foreign policy and state behaviour (Acharya, 2014; Hudson, 2005; Lobell et al., 2009).”
BackgroundExamining the Philippines’ China policy: great powers and domestic politics
Wu, X., & Velasco, J. C. (2022) · Australian Journal Of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/10357718.2022.2085242 · Cited by 9
Mahmud, K. U., & Jabin, N. (2022) · Southeast Asia A Multidisciplinary Journal · doi:10.1108/seamj-02-2022-b1007 · Cited by 8
“…Thomas Christensen, Fareed Zakaria, William Wohlforth, Gideon Rose, and Randall Schweller place a strong emphasis on the formulation of states' foreign policies, which are primarily influenced by the international political environment through domestic politics (Lobell et al., 2009).”
BackgroundGrauer, R. (2015) · World Politics · doi:10.1017/s0043887115000027 · Cited by 9
“…processes must be taken into account to explain patterns of outcomes in international politics and foreign policy. see rose 1998; schweller 2006; Lobell, ripsman, and taliaferro 2009. strength. some adopters, like Chile, may come to look like replicas of their models but, due to idiosyncratic…”
Rethinking weak state behavior: Mongolia’s foreign policy toward China
Reeves, J. (2014) · International Politics · doi:10.1057/ip.2014.6 · Cited by 9
Drawing Out the Leviathan: Kenneth Waltz, Hobbes, and the Neorealist Theory of the State
Polansky, D. (2016) · International Studies Review · doi:10.1093/isr/viv002 · Cited by 9
Céspedes, S. P., & Agostinis, G. (2014) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2458355 · Cited by 9
Defence Policy under the Labour Government: Operational Dynamism and Strategic Inertia
Dyson, T. (2010) · The British Journal of Politics and International Relations · doi:10.1111/j.1467-856x.2010.00430.x · Cited by 8
Ripsman, N. M. (2007) · Democracy and Security · doi:10.1080/17419160701199300 · Cited by 8
Moon, C., & Boo, S.-C. (2016) · Asian Journal of Comparative Politics · doi:10.1177/2057891116682650 · Cited by 8
Türkiye’nin Doğrudan Müdahale Öncesi Dönemde Suriye İç Savaşı’na Yönelik Dış Politikasının Analizi
Kiraz, S. (2020) · Türkiye Ortadoğu Çalışmaları Dergisi · doi:10.26513/tocd.707351 · Cited by 8
Berni, H. M. E. (2020) · Contemporary Review of the Middle East · doi:10.1177/2347798920976290 · Cited by 8
Morality and the national interest: towards a ‘moral realist’ research agenda
Brostrom, J. (2015) · Cambridge Review of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/09557571.2015.1015488 · Cited by 8
Wang, F. Y. (2024) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197757505.001.0001 · Cited by 9
‘Crossing the Rubicon’: Explaining Sweden’s decision to join NATO
Aggestam, L., & Hyde‐Price, A. G. V. (2025) · The British Journal of Politics and International Relations · doi:10.1177/13691481251341683 · Cited by 9
The Growing Power of States in India’s Foreign Policy
Asthana, A., & Jacob, H. (2017) · International Negotiation · doi:10.1163/15718069-22021113 · Cited by 7
Diminishing returns: Russia’s participation in the World Trade Organization
Jordan, P. A. (2017) · Post-Soviet Affairs · doi:10.1080/1060586x.2017.1388473 · Cited by 7
Türk Dış Politikasında Karar Alıcıların Ortadoğu Algısı: 1957-1958 Krizleri
Danış, F. (2018) · Türkiye Ortadoğu Çalışmaları Dergisi · doi:10.26513/tocd.445467 · Cited by 7
Making Geoeconomics an IR Research Program
Kim, D. J. (2020) · International Studies Perspectives · doi:10.1093/isp/ekaa018 · Cited by 7
Desire for power or the power of desire? Mimetic theory and the heart of twentieth-century realism
Troy, J. (2015) · Journal of International Political Theory · doi:10.1177/1755088214555456 · Cited by 7
“So-called neoclassical Realists (Lobell et al., 2009; Rose, 1998) illustrate this point with regard to the globalization of economic growth, producing political confidence and national pride leading, eventually, to a conflicted “rise of the rest” (Zakaria, 2008).4 Desiring what others desire—such…”
InfluentialVieira, V. R. (2013) · Bulletin of Latin American Research · doi:10.1111/blar.12105 · Cited by 7
Raymond Aron, réaliste néoclassique
Battistella, D. (2012) · Études internationales · doi:10.7202/1012811ar · Cited by 7
Smith, K. (2014) · Foreign Policy Analysis · doi:10.1111/fpa.12084 · Cited by 7
British Grand Strategy and the Rise of Germany, 1933–1936
Ripsman, N. M., & Levy, J. S. (2012) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139136808.007 · Cited by 7
The strategist’s dilemma: Global dynamic density and the making of US ‘China policy’
Meijer, H., & Jensen, B. (2017) · European Journal of International Security · doi:10.1017/eis.2017.17 · Cited by 7
Contemporary Realism in Theory and Practice. The Case of the Ukrainian Crisis
Golovics, J. (2017) · Polgári szemle · doi:10.24307/psz.2017.0930 · Cited by 7
Regional Leadership and Contestation: Strategic Reactions to the Rise of the BRICS
Ebert, H., & Flemes, D. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73691-4_1 · Cited by 7
The United States - China Rivalry and the BRI
Blanchard, J. F. (2021) · Vestnik RUDN International Relations · doi:10.22363/2313-0660-2021-21-2-288-303 · Cited by 7
Sari, A. C. (2018) · Asian Journal of Comparative Politics · doi:10.1177/2057891118787930 · Cited by 7
Progress in International Relations
James, P. (2022) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197645024.003.0002 · Cited by 7
Ideology and the Foreign Policy of Barack Obama: A Liberal‐Realist Approach to International Affairs
O’Connor, B., & Cooper, D. (2021) · Presidential Studies Quarterly · doi:10.1111/psq.12730 · Cited by 6
Explaining the evolution of contestation in South Asia
Blarel, N., & Ebert, H. (2014) · International Politics · doi:10.1057/ip.2014.44 · Cited by 6
Constitution Making and International Relations Theories
Lerner, H., & Lupovici, A. (2018) · International Studies Perspectives · doi:10.1093/isp/ekz007 · Cited by 6
Nygren, B. (2012) · International Politics · doi:10.1057/ip.2012.14 · Cited by 6
“1 For neo-classical thinking, see Lobell et al (2009).”
Backgroundde Oliveira, A. C. G. (2021) · Contexto Internacional · doi:10.1590/s0102-8529.2019430100007 · Cited by 6
Lovat, H. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108667302 · Cited by 7
To Balance or Not to Balance: How Denmark Almost Stayed out of NATO, 1948–1949
Olesen, M. R. (2018) · Journal of Cold War Studies · doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00818 · Cited by 5
The Post-Western World Order: Deep Pluralism
Acharya, A., & Buzan, B. G. (2019) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108647670.010 · Cited by 5
NATO–Russia Relations and the Chinese Factor: An Ignored Variable
Kropatcheva, E. (2013) · Politics · doi:10.1111/1467-9256.12019 · Cited by 5
Structural Impediments, Domestic Politics, and Nuclear Diplomacy in Post‐ K im Il‐sung N orth K orea
Woo, J. (2015) · Pacific Focus · doi:10.1111/pafo.12041 · Cited by 5
China’s Geoeconomic Strategy: Toward the Riparian States of the Mekong Region
Sung, H.-C. (2015) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/9781137476227_2 · Cited by 5
Blarel, N., & Sarkar, J. (2018) · Foreign Policy Analysis · doi:10.1093/fpa/ory009 · Cited by 5
Rosa, P., & Cuppuleri, A. (2021) · Italian Political Science Review/Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica · doi:10.1017/ipo.2020.37 · Cited by 5
“32On neoclassical realism, see Rose (1998); Lobell et al. (2009); Ripsman et al. (2016); Toje and Kunz (2012); Schweller (2004); Rosa (2018).”
Destradi, S. (2014) · Asian perspective · doi:10.1353/apr.2014.0025 · Cited by 6
North Korea's Second Nuclear Test: Neoclassical Realism Perspectives*
Nakato, S. (2012) · Pacific Focus · doi:10.1111/j.1976-5118.2012.01074.x · Cited by 5
Miranda, S. G., & Santana, C. O. (2016) · Estudios Internacionales · doi:10.5354/0719-3769.2016.39880 · Cited by 5
Realism and Fear in International Relations
Pashakhanlou, A. H. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41012-8_1 · Cited by 5
US Foreign Policy toward Azerbaijan, 1991-2015
Bashirov, G. (2017) · doi:10.25148/etd.fidc001782 · Cited by 5
Fong, B. C. H. (2026) · The Pacific Review · doi:10.1080/09512748.2026.2672986 · Cited by 4
Hyun, J. (2024) · Cambridge Review of International Affairs · doi:10.1080/09557571.2024.2401612 · Cited by 4
(2022) · Manchester University Press eBooks · doi:10.7765/9781526150844 · Cited by 4
Traub, D., Cohen, R. A., & Kertcher, C. (2024) · Mediterranean Politics · doi:10.1080/13629395.2024.2420478 · Cited by 4
Turkey’s Strategic Expansion in Africa: Multifaceted Engagement in Ethiopia, Libya and Somalia
Salameh, M. T. B. (2025) · Insight on Africa · doi:10.1177/09750878251342765 · Cited by 4
Coordination in a Crisis: Domestic Constraints and EU Efforts to Address the 2008 Financial Crisis
Howell, P. (2013) · Foreign Policy Analysis · doi:10.1111/fpa.12030 · Cited by 4
STEPHEN HARPER'S INDIA POLICY: THE ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF THE INDO-CANADIAN DIASPORA
Singh, A. I. (2010) · DalSpace (Dalhousie University) · Cited by 4
MENG, L. Y., & Karulus, Y. (2019) · MANU Jurnal Pusat Penataran Ilmu dan Bahasa (PPIB) · doi:10.51200/manu.v0i0.1880 · Cited by 4
Bir dış politika analizi olarak neoklasik realizmin incelenmesi
Kiraz, S. (2020) · Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi · doi:10.25287/ohuiibf.703693 · Cited by 4
Neoclassical Realism as a Theory for Correcting Mistakes: What State X Should Do Next Tuesday
Juneau, T. (2023) · International Studies Review · doi:10.1093/isr/viad021 · Cited by 4
Beyond the hermeneutics of suspicion in the critique of humanitarian intervention
Akrivoulis, D. E. (2016) · Review of International Studies · doi:10.1017/s0260210516000383 · Cited by 4
Metadata
- Venue
- Cambridge University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Published
- 2009-01-15
- OpenAlex
- W594028123
- Cited by
- 691
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 42 · 2025: 49 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 88 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 33
- FWCI
- 44.86
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cambridge University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › International Relations and Foreign Policy
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Political Science Research and Education
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › History and International Relations
- Keywords
- neoclassical realism, state theory, grand strategy, foreign policy, international system, military policy, international economic policy, international relations theory
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review