Abstracts Political Science

The Limitations of Neorealism in the Light of the JCPOA

by Jacob Karmann Nyby

This project aims to investigate the limitations of neorealism by applying it to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and utilizing the hypothetico-deductive approach. This means that a hypothesis is created in order to test the theory. To reach the goal the project analyzes the interests of the US, Iran and Israel in relation to the JCPOA. The first part of the project focusses on the examination of the historical background of Iran and its relationship to the US and Israel in order to establish the context of analysis. Secondly, the project establishes the neorealist theoretical framework through Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International Politics. The analysis utilizes the concepts of the theoretical section to provide an examination of the JCPOA and possible explanations of the case through the lens of neorealism. The following discussion considers the explanatory validity of the analysis before reaching the conclusion and answering the hypothesis. The project concludes that Waltz does provide some explanatory power, but faces severe limitations. The fact that the theory insists on strict parsimony and structural explanations hinders a distinct answer. Advisors/Committee Members: Pace, Michelle (advisor).