Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

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 Sovereignty*: Conversation with Stephen D. Krasner, Graham H. Stuart Professor of International Relations, Stanford University; March 31, 2003, by Harry Kreisler

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest is Stephen Krasner, who is the Graham H. Stuart Professor of International Relations and Senior Fellow at the Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. His publications include Defending the National Interest; Structural Conflict: The Third World against Global Liberalism, and Sovereignty: Organized Hypocrisy.

  1. Background ... growing up in New York City ... education ... history major ... Peace Corps in Nigeria ... Harvard PhD ... dissertation on coffee trade
  2. Studying International Relations ... skills ... passion for the subject ... navigating between problem, theory, and data ... usefulness of history
  3. Sovereignty ... hypocrisy/decoupling ... four forms of sovereignty ... the case of the European Union ... Hong Kong ... working around sovereignty ... doing this through coercion ... voluntarily ... asymmetrical bargaining
  4. Beyond Sovereignty ... explaining its salience ... search for new organizational forms ... case of the Congo: excuse not to act ... multinational - national hybrids ... nationalism ... sovereignty with an asterisk
  5. Idealism in International Politics ... Europe as the exception rather than the rule ... idealism needs strong domestic institutions and accountability ... limits of international law ... utilitarian thinking vs. absolutism
  6. Theory and Practice ... imperfect information in government ... constraints on decision-makers' time ... how new institutions come about ... advice to students ... prudence

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