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Papers by Anders Wivel
Routledge eBooks, Mar 14, 2014
Transatlantic Policy Quarterly
The War in Ukraine signals a return to the sphere of influence politics and great powers’ use of ... more The War in Ukraine signals a return to the sphere of influence politics and great powers’ use of military instruments against their weaker neighbors. The consequences for small states are negative. Although some small states will find new opportunities for hedging and brinkmanship, most small states will see their chances of shaping international agendas reduced as they increasingly focus on defensive aims. To meet these challenges small states must work together to promote their shared interests: 1) A modus vivendi between the great power, which minimizes the risk of great power war as well as the annexation and invasion of smaller states, 2) a rule-based international order; 3) a relaunch the United Nations as the central arena for debates on international society among sovereign states.
International Institutions and Power Politics: Bridging the Divide, Oct 1, 2019
This paper unpacks how states use international institutions to soft balance other states. As the... more This paper unpacks how states use international institutions to soft balance other states. As the institutionalization of the international realm has increased, so has the use of soft balancing as a security strategy. Discussions and analyses of soft balancing often mention the use of institutions as an integral part of soft-balancing strategies, but so far the logics of institutional soft balancing remain relatively unexplored. This book chapter explains why and how states use institutions in their soft balancing strategies.
... Mason and James D. Meernik Controlling the Weapons of War Politics, persuasion, and the prohi... more ... Mason and James D. Meernik Controlling the Weapons of War Politics, persuasion, and the prohibition of inhumanity Brian Rappert Changing Transatlantic Security Relations Do the US, the EU and Russia form a new strategic triangle? Edited by Jan Hallenberg and Håkan ...
International Institutions and Power Politics: Bridging the Divide, Oct 1, 2019
This chapter unpacks the literature on international institutions and power politics, discusses t... more This chapter unpacks the literature on international institutions and power politics, discusses the relationship between international institutions and power politics and introduces a new research agenda for studying how power politics affects and is affected by international institutions.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Oct 8, 2020
With the rapid rise of China and the relative decline of the United States, the topic of power tr... more With the rapid rise of China and the relative decline of the United States, the topic of power transition conflicts is back in popular and scholarly attention. The discipline of International Relations offers much on why violent power transition conflicts occur, yet very few substantive treatments exist on why and how peaceful changes happen in world politics. This Handbook is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject of peaceful change in International Relations. It contains some 41 chapters, all written by scholars from different theoretical and conceptual backgrounds examining the multi-faceted dimensions of this subject. In the first part, key conceptual and definitional clarifications are offered and in the second part, papers address the historical origins of peaceful change as an International Relations subject matter during the Inter-War, Cold War, and Post-Cold War eras. In the third part, each of the IR theoretical traditions and paradigms in particular Realism, liberalism, constructivism and critical perspectives and their distinct views on peaceful change are analyzed. In the fourth part papers tackle the key material, ideational and social sources of change. In the fifth part, the papers explore selected great and middle powers and their foreign policy contributions to peaceful change, realizing that many of these states have violent past or tend not to pursue peaceful policies consistently. In part six, the contributors evaluate the peaceful change that occurred in the world’s key regions. In the final part, the editors address prospective research agenda and trajectories on this important subject matter.
This concluding chapter offers a summary and evaluation of the key ideas contained in the chapter... more This concluding chapter offers a summary and evaluation of the key ideas contained in the chapters of this Handbook. The chapter discusses peaceful change in terms of conceptual clarity; historical evolution of scholarship in the area, especially the interwar, Cold War, and post–Cold War era efforts at analyzing the concepts; and the policy innovations in this realm. This is followed by an evaluation of the key umbrella theories of international relations—realism, liberalism, and constructivism—and how they approach peaceful change. Some important sources and mechanisms of change are analyzed. This is followed by discussion of the policy contributions of selected great and rising powers toward peaceful change. The chapter then offers a summary of contributions and progress that various regions have made in the area of peaceful change. It concludes with some ideas for future research while highlighting the significance of the subject matter for international relations and the world order.
Ethics & International Affairs, 2020
This essay examines the role of institutional soft balancing in bringing forth peaceful change in... more This essay examines the role of institutional soft balancing in bringing forth peaceful change in international relations. Soft balancing is understood as attempts at restraining a threatening power through institutional delegitimization, as opposed to hard balancing, which relies on arms buildup and formal alignments. We argue that soft balancing through international institutions can be an effective means to peaceful change, spanning minimalist goals, which aim at incremental change without the use of military force and war, and maximalist goals, which seek more profound change and transformation in the form of continuous interstate cooperation aimed at a more peaceful and just world order. However, the success of soft-balancing strategies in fostering peaceful change varies widely, even in today's globalized and institutionalized international environment. We explore these variations and identify thre...
Scandinavia has become a symbol of advanced postmodern societies. This chapter identifies the sha... more Scandinavia has become a symbol of advanced postmodern societies. This chapter identifies the shared characteristics of Scandinavian polities, politics and policies and discusses the rebranding of Scandinavia over the past decades.
Politica, 2017
I hvilken grad og hvordan kan dansk europapolitik tolkes som aktivistisk? Dansk europapolitik er ... more I hvilken grad og hvordan kan dansk europapolitik tolkes som aktivistisk? Dansk europapolitik er karakteriseret ved stor kontinuitet med en kombination af pragmatisk interessevaretagelse og forsøg på dagsordensættende indflydelsesmaksimering på udvalgte værdipolitiske områder. Samtidig er europapolitikken overraskende aktivistisk i betydningen en strategisk, selvstændig og dristig politik, der aktivt sigter mod at fremme danske interesser via politiske og diplomatiske kanaler. Med udgangspunkt i en neoklassisk realistisk forklaringsmodel viser artiklen, hvordan dansk europapolitik formes i samspil mellem en liberal global orden med USA som dagsordensættende for Danmarks sikkerhedspolitiske stabilitet, en forhandlet og institutionaliseret europæisk orden, hvor magtpolitikken føres med diplomatiske fremfor militære midler, og en dansk liberal-egalitær europapolitisk kultur, der udgør den prisme, som reflekterer de globale og europæiske incitamenter. Dansk europapolitik formuleres af d...
Contemporary Security Studies, 2008
Small States and Security in Europe, 2021
Routledge eBooks, Mar 14, 2014
Transatlantic Policy Quarterly
The War in Ukraine signals a return to the sphere of influence politics and great powers’ use of ... more The War in Ukraine signals a return to the sphere of influence politics and great powers’ use of military instruments against their weaker neighbors. The consequences for small states are negative. Although some small states will find new opportunities for hedging and brinkmanship, most small states will see their chances of shaping international agendas reduced as they increasingly focus on defensive aims. To meet these challenges small states must work together to promote their shared interests: 1) A modus vivendi between the great power, which minimizes the risk of great power war as well as the annexation and invasion of smaller states, 2) a rule-based international order; 3) a relaunch the United Nations as the central arena for debates on international society among sovereign states.
International Institutions and Power Politics: Bridging the Divide, Oct 1, 2019
This paper unpacks how states use international institutions to soft balance other states. As the... more This paper unpacks how states use international institutions to soft balance other states. As the institutionalization of the international realm has increased, so has the use of soft balancing as a security strategy. Discussions and analyses of soft balancing often mention the use of institutions as an integral part of soft-balancing strategies, but so far the logics of institutional soft balancing remain relatively unexplored. This book chapter explains why and how states use institutions in their soft balancing strategies.
... Mason and James D. Meernik Controlling the Weapons of War Politics, persuasion, and the prohi... more ... Mason and James D. Meernik Controlling the Weapons of War Politics, persuasion, and the prohibition of inhumanity Brian Rappert Changing Transatlantic Security Relations Do the US, the EU and Russia form a new strategic triangle? Edited by Jan Hallenberg and Håkan ...
International Institutions and Power Politics: Bridging the Divide, Oct 1, 2019
This chapter unpacks the literature on international institutions and power politics, discusses t... more This chapter unpacks the literature on international institutions and power politics, discusses the relationship between international institutions and power politics and introduces a new research agenda for studying how power politics affects and is affected by international institutions.
Oxford University Press eBooks, Oct 8, 2020
With the rapid rise of China and the relative decline of the United States, the topic of power tr... more With the rapid rise of China and the relative decline of the United States, the topic of power transition conflicts is back in popular and scholarly attention. The discipline of International Relations offers much on why violent power transition conflicts occur, yet very few substantive treatments exist on why and how peaceful changes happen in world politics. This Handbook is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject of peaceful change in International Relations. It contains some 41 chapters, all written by scholars from different theoretical and conceptual backgrounds examining the multi-faceted dimensions of this subject. In the first part, key conceptual and definitional clarifications are offered and in the second part, papers address the historical origins of peaceful change as an International Relations subject matter during the Inter-War, Cold War, and Post-Cold War eras. In the third part, each of the IR theoretical traditions and paradigms in particular Realism, liberalism, constructivism and critical perspectives and their distinct views on peaceful change are analyzed. In the fourth part papers tackle the key material, ideational and social sources of change. In the fifth part, the papers explore selected great and middle powers and their foreign policy contributions to peaceful change, realizing that many of these states have violent past or tend not to pursue peaceful policies consistently. In part six, the contributors evaluate the peaceful change that occurred in the world’s key regions. In the final part, the editors address prospective research agenda and trajectories on this important subject matter.
This concluding chapter offers a summary and evaluation of the key ideas contained in the chapter... more This concluding chapter offers a summary and evaluation of the key ideas contained in the chapters of this Handbook. The chapter discusses peaceful change in terms of conceptual clarity; historical evolution of scholarship in the area, especially the interwar, Cold War, and post–Cold War era efforts at analyzing the concepts; and the policy innovations in this realm. This is followed by an evaluation of the key umbrella theories of international relations—realism, liberalism, and constructivism—and how they approach peaceful change. Some important sources and mechanisms of change are analyzed. This is followed by discussion of the policy contributions of selected great and rising powers toward peaceful change. The chapter then offers a summary of contributions and progress that various regions have made in the area of peaceful change. It concludes with some ideas for future research while highlighting the significance of the subject matter for international relations and the world order.
Ethics & International Affairs, 2020
This essay examines the role of institutional soft balancing in bringing forth peaceful change in... more This essay examines the role of institutional soft balancing in bringing forth peaceful change in international relations. Soft balancing is understood as attempts at restraining a threatening power through institutional delegitimization, as opposed to hard balancing, which relies on arms buildup and formal alignments. We argue that soft balancing through international institutions can be an effective means to peaceful change, spanning minimalist goals, which aim at incremental change without the use of military force and war, and maximalist goals, which seek more profound change and transformation in the form of continuous interstate cooperation aimed at a more peaceful and just world order. However, the success of soft-balancing strategies in fostering peaceful change varies widely, even in today's globalized and institutionalized international environment. We explore these variations and identify thre...
Scandinavia has become a symbol of advanced postmodern societies. This chapter identifies the sha... more Scandinavia has become a symbol of advanced postmodern societies. This chapter identifies the shared characteristics of Scandinavian polities, politics and policies and discusses the rebranding of Scandinavia over the past decades.
Politica, 2017
I hvilken grad og hvordan kan dansk europapolitik tolkes som aktivistisk? Dansk europapolitik er ... more I hvilken grad og hvordan kan dansk europapolitik tolkes som aktivistisk? Dansk europapolitik er karakteriseret ved stor kontinuitet med en kombination af pragmatisk interessevaretagelse og forsøg på dagsordensættende indflydelsesmaksimering på udvalgte værdipolitiske områder. Samtidig er europapolitikken overraskende aktivistisk i betydningen en strategisk, selvstændig og dristig politik, der aktivt sigter mod at fremme danske interesser via politiske og diplomatiske kanaler. Med udgangspunkt i en neoklassisk realistisk forklaringsmodel viser artiklen, hvordan dansk europapolitik formes i samspil mellem en liberal global orden med USA som dagsordensættende for Danmarks sikkerhedspolitiske stabilitet, en forhandlet og institutionaliseret europæisk orden, hvor magtpolitikken føres med diplomatiske fremfor militære midler, og en dansk liberal-egalitær europapolitisk kultur, der udgør den prisme, som reflekterer de globale og europæiske incitamenter. Dansk europapolitik formuleres af d...
Contemporary Security Studies, 2008
Small States and Security in Europe, 2021
In European policy-making, the Nordic countries are often viewed as a relatively coherent bloc;... more In European policy-making, the Nordic countries are often viewed as a relatively coherent bloc; in international and European affairs the Nordic position has traditionally been conditioned on being different from and better than Europe.
This book offers a coherent, original and systematic comparative analysis of the relationship between the Nordic countries and the European Union over the past two decades. It looks at the historical frame, institutions and policy areas, addressing both traditional EU areas such as agriculture and more nascent areas affecting the domestic and foreign policies of the Nordic countries. In doing so, it examines how the Nordic approach to European policy-making has developed and explains why the Nordic countries are similar in some respects while differing in others when engaging with EU institutions. In highlighting the similarities and differences between the Nordic countries it explores what lessons – positive and negative – may be drawn from this approach for the Nordic countries and other small states.
This book will be of interest to scholars, students and practitioners engaged with the Nordic Countries, EU politics and policy-making, European politics and comparative politics.
Explaining Foreign Policy: International Diplomacy and the Russo-Georgian War, 2012
This book presents a neoclassical realist model for explaining foreign policy-unpacking how and w... more This book presents a neoclassical realist model for explaining foreign policy-unpacking how and why geopolitics, global factors and domestic politics combine in decisions on war and peace. The authors apply the model to the actions of forty countries in relation to the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. Uniquely linking system, interstate (geopolitics), and intrastate (domestic politics) levels of explanation, and benefiting from the WikiLeaks revelations, official documents, and interviews, they offer an important new tool for foreign policy analysis and an original explanation of the war between Russia and Georgia.
The Nordic Countries and the European Union : Still the other European community?, 2015
Hvorfor gik Danmark i krig? Irak og tværgående analyser, 2019
Hvorfor gik Danmark i krig? Kosovo og Afghanistan, 2019
Hvorfor gik Danmark i krig? Uvildig udredning af baggrunden for Danmarks militære engagement i Kosovo, Afghanistan og Irak, 2019
The Routledge Handbook of Scandinavian Politics is a comprehensive overview of Scandinavian polit... more The Routledge Handbook of Scandinavian Politics is a comprehensive overview of Scandinavian politics provided by leading experts in the field and covering the polity, the politics and the policy of Scandinavia. Coherently structured with a multi-level thematic approach, it explains and details Scandinavian politics today through a series of cutting-edge chapters. It will be a key reference point both for advanced-level students developing knowledge about the subject, as well as researchers producing new material in the area and beyond. It brings geographical scope and depth, with comparative chapters contributed by experts across the region. Methodologically and theoretically pluralistic, the handbook is in itself a reflection of the field of political science in Scandinavia and the diversity of the issues covered in the volume.
Contents:
1. Introduction: Scandinavian Politics between Myth and Reality
2. The Modern Scandinavian Welfare State
3. The Egalitarian Paradise?
4. Still the Corporatist Darlings?
5. The Green 'Heavyweights': The Climate Policies of the Nordic Countries
6. Goldilocks' Frankenstein Monster: The Rise, Political Entrenchment and Transformation of the Scandinavian Welfare States
7. Nordic Administrative Traditions
8. Cabinets and Ministerial Turnover in the Scandinavian Countries
9.The Parliaments of the Scandinavian Countries
10. Nordic Voters and Party Systems
11.Public Opinion and Politics in Scandinavia
12.Continuity and Convergence: Populism in Scandinavia
13. Social Capital in the Scandinavian Countries
14.The Role of the Media in Scandinavian Politics
15. Fiscal Policy in the Scandinavian Countries
16. The Fisheries Policy in the Nordic Countries: From Open Access to Rights-based Management Fisheries
17. Making and Re-making the Nordic Model of Education
18. Immigrant Policies of the Scandinavian Countries
19. Scandinavian Models of Diplomacy
20. Scandinavian Defence and Alliance Policies: Different Together
21. Scandinavia and the European Union: Pragmatic Functionalism Reconsidered
22. The United Nations and the Nordic Four: Cautious Sceptics, Committed Believers, Cost-benefit Calculators
23. Scandinavian Development Policies
24. Conclusions: Scandinavian Polities, Politics and Policies Reconsidered
NUPI Policy Brief, 2018
This policy brief examines how the British decision to withdraw from the EU has influenced the po... more This policy brief examines how the British decision to withdraw from the EU has influenced the political debates in and foreign policies of the five Nordic states – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. With the exception of Iceland, all these countries had a stated preference for Britain to remain in the EU – not least due to historical ties and the tendency of Britain and the Nordic countries to have similar approaches to European integration. Three general findings can be highlighted: First, Brexit has featured prominently in political debates in all the Nordic countries since the British referendum, and the causes and consequences of the Brexit vote continue to be discussed with vigour. In all the Nordic countries, Brexit has also stirred debates about their current relationships with the EU, prompting EU critics to demand new privileges or opt-outs. Overall, however, the Nordic governments, supported by a stable majority among their populations, have signalled that they wish to preserve their EU membership or current forms of association models, with the access and benefits these provide. Second, for all the Nordic countries, securing good relations with Britain post-Brexit is a key priority, but they have generally indicated that maintaining good relations with the EU must come first. Finally, the Nordic governments are well aware that Brexit could create a vacuum in EU policy-making, perhaps tipping the balance among internal clusters. Britain has been a highly visible member of the ‘Northern’ grouping in the EU, and its absence is likely to be noticed. As the Nordic countries are about to lose what has at times been a powerful ally in EU decision-making, they may have to forge new coalitions to safeguard their interests.
Syllabus for course on foreign policy in theory and practice ('Udenrigspolitik i teori og praksis... more Syllabus for course on foreign policy in theory and practice ('Udenrigspolitik i teori og praksis'), taught at the University of Copenhagen, Department of Political Science in Autumn 2024. The course was taught in Danish but most of the literature is in English.
Udenrigspolitik i teori og prakis, 2022
Udenrigspolitik i teori og praksis Undervisningsplan 4. september 2022 Formål og indhold Kursets ... more Udenrigspolitik i teori og praksis Undervisningsplan 4. september 2022 Formål og indhold Kursets formål er at give en dybdegående introduktion til udenrigspolitikkens teori og praksis. Kurset begynder med en introduktion til udenrigspolitikkens aktører, processer og institutioner. Vi diskuterer, hvad der karakteriserer udenrigspolitik, og hvordan vi kan forstå og forklare politikken.
The aim of the course is to offer a comprehensive introduction to small state foreign policy to p... more The aim of the course is to offer a comprehensive introduction to small state foreign policy to postgraduate students.
Transatlantic Policy Quarterly, 2023
The War in Ukraine signals a return to the sphere of influence politics and great powers' use of ... more The War in Ukraine signals a return to the sphere of influence politics and great powers' use of military instruments against their weaker neighbors. The consequences for small states are negative. Although some small states will find new opportunities for hedging and brinkmanship, most small states will see their chances of shaping international agendas reduced as they increasingly focus on defensive aims. To meet these challenges small states must work together to promote their shared interests: 1) A modus vivendi between the great power, which minimizes the risk of great power war as well as the annexation and invasion of smaller states, 2) a rule-based international order; 3) a relaunch the United Nations as the central arena for debates on international society among sovereign states.
International Affairs, 2021
Charismatic leadership is an integral yet understudied aspect of foreign policy in liberal democr... more Charismatic leadership is an integral yet understudied aspect of foreign policy in liberal democratic states. Combining insights from recent developments on charismatic leadership in organization and management studies with literature on foreign policy, we construct a novel theoretical framework for understanding how foreign policy leaders exercise charismatic leadership. We argue that charismatic leadership makes sense of who ‘we’ are and where we are going through communicative practices. We specify these practices and discuss why charismatic leadership is important in foreign policy analysis; what it is; and how and why sense-making matters for a charismatic leadership style. We contribute with new empirical knowledge by probing our theoretical propositions in a comparative case-study of the charismatic leadership practices of Donald Trump and Angela Merkel. The case-studies illustrate the importance of charismatic communication for both leaders, while disclosing variations in both the ‘thickness’ of charismatic leadership practices and their compatibility with rational legal authority and liberal democratic values.
Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 2020
The aim of this article is to discuss and assess the effects of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic on sma... more The aim of this article is to discuss and assess the effects of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic on small state diplomacy. We identify the characteristics of successful small state crisis diplomacy and unpack the implications for small state diplomacy in general. Small states crave stability and predictability and seek shelter from international institutions and great powers. International crises are understood as particularly acute for small states because the limited capacity and capabilities of these states leave them with a small margin of time and error and vulnerable to risks and threats. However, small state diplomacy in the spring 2020 corona crisis illustrates the potential of activist small state diplomacy using smart and entrepreneurial policies to forge plurilateralist small and middle power cooperation.
Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, 14(2): 170-188,, 2018
A lack of capabilities is most often taken to imply a lack of influence. The foreign policy of th... more A lack of capabilities is most often taken to imply a lack of influence. The foreign policy of the Seychelles provides a surprising case of successful small state diplomacy that counters this claim. With a population of less than 100,000 and a diplomatic service of 100 staff, Seychelles is recognized as a broker in international organizations and as an agenda setter in ocean governance. This article explores this success in four steps. First, we unpack why the current diplomatic success of Seychelles is a surprise. Second, drawing on literature on small state diplomacy, we identify three sources of small state influence: capability and location, political culture and institutional design, and political strategy. Third, we analyze recent Seychellois diplomacy in light of the factors as well as the limitations of Creole small state diplomacy. We conclude by discussing what other small states may learn from the Seychelles