William Myers

September 19, 2011

Meirscheimer vs Milner
Professor Tenney

Meirscheimer vs Milner

John Mearscheimer is a firm believer in the statement that political institutions do not
work. He takes a realistic view of political institutions. Realists believe that political institutions
continuously fail to prevent wars. This can be seen in organizations such as the United Nations
where members like the United States participate in wars that the other members of the
organization do not approve. Realists also believe that fear is a powerful force. Some members of
organizations may be unwilling to go against others because of a nations perceived power or
fear of retaliation. In current events, in Pakistans attempt to join the United Nations, fear plays a
major role. The United States can not stop Pakistan from getting approval from the General
Assembly, but the United States sits on the United Nations Security Council. Even if Pakistans
request goes through the General Assembly, they will still have to face the United States to gain
admission into the United Nations. The power the United States possess could be used to
intimidate other nations, making political institutions such as the United Nations useless.
Helen Milner wrote about cooperation and its advantages and disadvantages. Strengths of
cooperation is that political institutions and political scientists internationally are coming up with
a definition for cooperation. Cooperation between nations requires goals. These goals are mutual
in nature, thus requiring cooperation between nations to achieve them. With the goals already set,

now rules can be set so that all can see who is not cooperating. With common goals, the nations
who are cooperating with each other can not be in competition or conflict with one another. Also,
unilateral behavior can not be allowed in cooperation. Definitions of cooperation allow acts such
as unilateral behavior, competition, and conflict to be classified. Norms and expectations also
play a large part in cooperation. Another tenet that Milner presses is balanced exchange. For an
exchange to be balanced it must be reciprocal. It would not be fair for one nation to reap most of
the benefits of cooperation while the other hardly gains. Also, the number of actors in
cooperation is important. A downfall to having a large number of cooperators is that it can result
in defection. Although defection can happen this way, Milner believes that more partners leads to
more relative gains.

Meirscheimer, J. J. (1994-1995). The false promise of international institutions.International

Security, 19(3), 32. Retrieved from http://citlearn.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/pid-27076-dtcontent-rid-168027_1/courses/PSCI433.01.201150/Mearsheimer.pdf

Review: International Theories of Cooperation among Nations: Strengths and Weaknesses

Author(s): Helen Milner
Source: World Politics, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Apr., 1992), pp. 466-496
Published by: Cambridge University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2010546