The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, commonly referred to as NATO, is the sole remnant of the Cold War. The military alliance aims to “safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.” For those who find the existence of the alliance necessary, NATO is a community with common interests and values . On the other hand, it may also be seen as a pact maintained by the presence of a common perceived threat. However, regardless of criticisms and appraisals, the preservation or downfall of the alliance over the course of the next five to ten years will have immense impacts on the security of Europe of it’s member states. This essay will explore predictions of the future of NATO from the perspectives of neorealism …show more content…
Neoliberals do not see this as an unavoidable obstacle. They find that with the emergence of institutions, states are offered incentive to cooperate. This is due to either the consequences of disobeying the arrangements of the institutions; or the economic, military, safety benefits cooperation. The neorealist approach to international institutions differs greatly from that of the neoliberal approach. Though such institutions provide benefits, they also carry with them an air of distrust. States will question whether the benefits received are equal whilst also being weary of other actors not abiding the rules. In this sense, realists view states as “defensive positionalists”, each avoiding the diminishing of their individual capacities. Thus, this continuous competition will lessen the importance of state cooperation. The difference between the two approaches to international institutions is based upon the different conceptions of a states primary interest. Security is the main priority of a state, according to neorealism. Security is ensured when a states capability is higher than that of other states; Walz highlights this by stating that, “for each state its power in relation to other states is ultimately the key to its