Complex Interdependence: The way Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye describe international relations, with a fun application of international relations theory and a comparison to the Washington Consensus (English version)

One of the main concepts for understanding how international relations are structured in the 21st century is the concept of so-called complex interdependence. To grasp this, it is necessary to understand the "liberal order" that currently guides international relations in the West, defined through the Washington Consensus in 1980. Developed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the United States Treasury, the Washington Consensus's main goals include controlling inflation, redirecting state expenditures, privatizing companies, and increasing  economic openness. In this way, it established a liberal international order in the West, encouraging states to engage with those that also adopted the recommendations of the Washington Consensus, it menas, they adopted the liberal order. Complex interdependence in international political economy and international relations is a concept presented by Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye in the 1970s, which aims to explain the nature of how international relations occur. To understand this clearly, let's imagine the following situation: 

Many years ago, there was a continent called Idealia. This continent was known for its kings, who used to fight among themselves and in the realm of ideas, seeking to find the correct vision that explained the relationship between them. This continent was composed of three main kingdoms: Realia, Neorealia, and Complexia.

The story tells about the construction of Complexia and how it became one of the greatest kingdoms on the continent. a long time ago, the kings of Complexia, Robert and Joseph, great strategists and masters of negotiation, discovered a rich and fertile region within the borders of the continent Idealia. There, they founded Complexia. The rulers of this kingdom had an extraordinary charisma and strategic minds, and because of that, the kingdom became known, not only for its relations with other kingdoms, but also with smaller villages and counties in the region. As a result, they had access to everything produced around them, and Complexia transformed into a great kingdom. This kingdom was in conflict with Neorealia, as they disagreed with the governance style of its Lord, Lord Waltz, who prioritized matters of war over the wide variety of issues offered by the kingdom. In that region, there were villages called Specialle, known for their high specialization in various functions, where each one specialized in a particular area for which it became known. Because of that, they interacted with each other to gain access to the greatest possible amount of resources, maintaining high cooperation among them.

Over the years, Complexia amassed great wealth in resources, becoming the richiest kingdom on the continent. Peace was prevalent across the continent, as the other lords knew that if they rebelled and instigated conflict, they would suffer far more from the consequences, once they were more vulnerable than Complexia. Moreover, if this happened, they would not be able to respond to the conflict at low costs. The relationships established between the kingdom of Complexia and those around it created a certain interdependence among them, so that all kingdoms and villages would suffer from the consequences if these relationships were severed. This ensured the kingdom's security against the occurrence of war. No kingdom would want to suffer the losses. To maximize gains, an efficient cooperation was necessary, with a balance between the control os resources and the control over the actions of the others, defined by negotiations, which, according to Keohane and Nye, were great forms of power. Additionally, there were the so-called "Interaction Organization," or I.O., which were the sages' huts, aimed at maintaining good relations within the kingdom of Complexia. They acted as mediators of conflicts, seeking to resolve them, and also took care of the divisions of specialties among the villages. To always keep the peace in the kingdom, they intervened when necessary.

Through this illustrative story, it becomes easier to understand that the theory of Complex Interdependence has the characteristics of the Liberalist Theory of International Relations. This liberalist theory asserts that international relations are not guided solely by military power, war power, and security issues. These factors are indeed important. However, international relations are also governed by a variety of transnational factors that affect actors among themselves. Complex interdependence says that states and other actors, such as International Organizations (I.O.), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and private companies, are connected by social, economic, and political networks that extend beyond national borders. This theory sees an agenda of multiple issues, not just focusing on military strength, but also on cooperation strategies between states and other actors, aiming for good relations and mutual dependence among them. 

The fact that countries, predominantly in the West, have adopted the measures of the Washington Consensus and opened their borders to international engagement and others, has led states to adopt the principles of the theory of Complex Interdependence, increasing cooperation and relations among themselves. Due to the Washington Consensus, today, international relations in the West are defined much more by the theory of Complex Interdependence than by other theories such as Realist or Neorealist theory. Consequently, the predominant international order in relations in the 21st century is the liberal order.

By Ana Júlia Teodoro Fernandes