CHAPTER SIX: The World of the 1990s
Study
Conflict in the world between 1989 and 2001 is characterized by the proliferation of international institutions, the rise of asymmetric threats, and the spread of democracy. The 1990s, according to liberals, provides extensive examples of the role of international institutions in collective security, legitimizing intervention into the affairs of other states. The cause of terrorism, for liberals, can be traced back to the failures of diplomacy, particularly in the Middle East; in addition, liberals believe that the unilateral actions of the United States have served only to exacerbate the problem. The best way to handle the growing threat of terrorism, they believe, is to act under the legitimacy of international institutions such as the UN and NATO. Realists, who focus on the distribution of power, see the 1990s as characterized by a unipolar world that is increasingly subject to asymmetric threats from smaller powers. For them, this is merely the latest chapter in the age-old cycle between empire and equilibrium, although realist scholars disagree about whether moves away or toward equilibrium are more dangerous. Finally, the identity perspective is inclined to focus on the ideologies of the involved actors, examining the role of radical Islam, the victory of democracy over communism, and the growing consensus on human rights and multilateralism to explain global integration and terrorism.
Study Questions
- How did collective security under the UN succeed during the 1990s? How did it fail?
- What are the differences between the power balancing realists and the power transition neoconservatives? What policy prescriptions would each make for the United States?
- How is democracy the "end of history," according to Francis Fukuyama?
- Which factors contributed to the failure of the Oslo Accords?