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Waltz argues that broad patterns of state behavior can be understood as a consequence of states pursuing incentives provided by the anarchic structure of the international system. He argues that state pursue their security above other goals, which limits the potential for cooperation and creates
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It is arguably the most influential book in international relations, causing a fundamental discursive transformation and bringing the concept of anarchy to the forefront. It is the most assigned book in
International Relations graduate training at U.S. universities.
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approaches to international politics, arguing that they fail to account for similar behaviors across states (Ch. 4). According to Waltz, system-level processes of socialization and competition lead states to behave in similar ways (p. 76).
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international relations literature, and Robert Jervis wrote in 1998 that the book was "the most important book in the field in the past decade." The book caused a resurgence of realism in the field of international relations.
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Wohlforth, William C.; Little, Richard; Kaufman, Stuart J.; Kang, David; Jones, Charles A.; Hui, Victoria Tin-Bor; Eckstein, Arthur; Deudney, Daniel; Brenner, William L. (2016-07-24).
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describes it as among the three most influential realist works of international relations of the 20th century, Charles Glaser characterized it as the "defining work" in the
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security competition. One of the major findings of the book is that states tend to balance against power, which leads to the persistent formation of
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System
Effects: Complexity in Political and Social Life
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Research Encyclopedia of International Studies
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194:. Taking into account the influence of
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47:adding citations to reliable sources
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99:August 2014
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