However, although the institutionalist perspective may marginally be the more persuasive, it too has a flaw in the sense that it does not allow for sufficient diversity of interests that may transcend borders and impede international cooperation -- a Jewish supporter of Israel in the U.S. may not support his or her nation's attempt to facilitate economic and political cooperation with Saudi Arabia, and an unemployed American factory worker may support protectionism, even though many Americans may want to buy cheaper cars from Japan, and Japanese manufactures may be eager to meet this demand.
Are you convinced by the argument that states have lost a significant measure of their sovereignty to supranational institutions like the WTO, the UN or the IMF?
The answer to this question is likely dependant upon what state you are a member of -- a nation opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq might state that the United Nations has little power to enforce anything other than American interests, and the failure of the UN to prevent genocide in Rwanda also seems to speak poorly of its ability to act effectively in defiance of state sovereignty. However, economically vulnerable nations that have been pressured to change their state support systems to gain needed loans from the IMF, or pressured to give up state-protected industries by the WTO would respond that these organizations,...
However, different states have different immediate sovereign interests and levels of concern regarding curtailing the types of
pollution that create global warming. Developing nations like China and India have more of an immediate interest in building up their
economy, and will resist interference from nations that created much of the problem in the first
place yet now have the luxury, once their economic infrastructure is in place, of worrying about the future of the planet and making costly modifications to reduce the amount of wastes and emissions into the air. It is not that these developing nations do not care; it is a question of what is a priority given their national needs.
Works Cited
Theories of IR." PowerPoint Lecture. PSC 124. Syracuse University. 10 May 2007. http://faculty.maxwell.syr.edu/hpschmitz/PSC124/PSC124Institutionalism.ppt#347,8,Rationalcooperation
