ABSTRACT
The post-Westphalian hypothesis provides a structural explanation for the deviation of states from the Westphalian norm with respect to the content and form of security policy. Just as important, it explains the structural dimension of the willing abnegation of sovereignty by some states, particularly those in Europe, and the jealous protection of state sovereignty in others, particularly those in Eurasia. Moreover, the structural characteristics of the post-Westphalian state explain the process of (de)securitization, the material dissolution or (un)intentional legal blurring of national and system boundaries, and the intensification and broadening of collective action problems across the security spectrum. The national security culture hypothesis captures the role of agency in security governance policies. It captures the purposes and means of national security policies, particularly the preference for relying upon the ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ elements of power. It also captures the reflexive interaction preference that shapes the national affinity for (non-)institutionalized security cooperation and governance, or for bilateral or unilateral action.
