 |
Veto Powers and Political Distance in the Western Alliance
| |
| | Unformatted Document Text:
Veto Powers and Political Distance in the Western Alliance
Joshua William Busby
Abstract: In 2002 and 2003 in the run-up to the war in Iraq, the U.S. and Europe experienced the most jarring deterioration in the transatlantic partnership since the Suez crisis of 1956. When attempting to diagnose the causes for the recent spate of ill will, the temptation is to look to the current inhabitants of elective office. For those who followed disputes over landmines, climate change, the International Criminal Court and other issues, it is clear problems go beyond George W. Bush, Jacques Chirac, and Gerhard Schroeder. The first section of the paper, through illustrative counter-factuals (What if Al Gore won the election? What if Europe had been bombed on September 11
th
?), examines the extent to which present difficulties are a product of contingent
developments. The second section examines the deeper reasons for the divide. A number of authors have identified deeper sources by looking to differences in underlying material conditions and cultural values. However, these explanations typically are far too deterministic. Neither the end of the Cold War nor material differences in military capabilities determine a country’s choice of foreign policy approaches. Similarly, while values differences between the U.S. and Europe may be real, these should not obscure the commonalities of culture and interest that remain strong, particularly in light of vast differences between the democratic West and the authoritarian rest of the world. Section three makes the case that materialist and cultural arguments miss or minimize the the ways in which political distance itself may be the main cause of difficulties in the post-Cold War era. Political distance between governing elites is ultimately derived from differences in “domestic” decision-making processes shape which interests and values exercise influence in political life. These internal institutions establish constraints on European and American decision-makers in international fora that may exacerbate differences between the two. The paper concludes by emphasizing that recent difficulties are as much a product of choice as they are driven by structural constraints.
2
|
| |
| |
|
|
Veto Powers and Political Distance in the Western Alliance
Joshua William Busby
Abstract: In 2002 and 2003 in the run-up to the war in Iraq, the U.S. and Europe experienced the
most jarring deterioration in the transatlantic partnership since the Suez crisis of 1956. When
attempting to diagnose the causes for the recent spate of ill will, the temptation is to look to the
current inhabitants of elective office. For those who followed disputes over landmines, climate
change, the International Criminal Court and other issues, it is clear problems go beyond George W.
Bush, Jacques Chirac, and Gerhard Schroeder. The first section of the paper, through illustrative
counter-factuals (What if Al Gore won the election? What if Europe had been bombed on
September 11
th
?), examines the extent to which present difficulties are a product of contingent
developments. The second section examines the deeper reasons for the divide. A number of authors
have identified deeper sources by looking to differences in underlying material conditions and
cultural values. However, these explanations typically are far too deterministic. Neither the end of
the Cold War nor material differences in military capabilities determine a country’s choice of foreign
policy approaches. Similarly, while values differences between the U.S. and Europe may be real,
these should not obscure the commonalities of culture and interest that remain strong, particularly in
light of vast differences between the democratic West and the authoritarian rest of the world.
Section three makes the case that materialist and cultural arguments miss or minimize the the ways
in which political distance itself may be the main cause of difficulties in the post-Cold War era.
Political distance between governing elites is ultimately derived from differences in “domestic”
decision-making processes shape which interests and values exercise influence in political life. These
internal institutions establish constraints on European and American decision-makers in
international fora that may exacerbate differences between the two. The paper concludes by
emphasizing that recent difficulties are as much a product of choice as they are driven by structural
constraints.
2
|
|
 Convention | | Need a solution for abstract management? All Academic can help! Contact us today to find out how our system can help your annual meeting. | | Submission - Custom fields, multiple submission types, tracks, audio visual, multiple upload formats, automatic conversion to pdf. | | Review - Peer Review, Bulk reviewer assignment, bulk emails, ranking, z-score statistics, and multiple worksheets! | | Reports - Many standard and custom reports generated while you wait. Print programs with participant indexes, event grids, and more! | | Scheduling - Flexible and convenient grid scheduling within rooms and buildings. Conflict checking and advanced filtering. | | Communication - Bulk email tools to help your administrators send reminders and responses. Use form letters, a message center, and much more! | | Management - Search tools, duplicate people management, editing tools, submission transfers, many tools to manage a variety of conference management headaches! | | Click here for more information. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
