ABSTRACT
This chapter first provides an outline of what might be regarded as the 'essence of constructivism'. It then shows that constructivism is perhaps closer to being a substantive theory than its critics suggest. The chapter also analysis that NATO endures because, with the exception of the 'dark decade' of the 2000s, the Alliance has maintained a stable corporate and collective identity based on shared values. NATO's strength lies in its three-pronged identity - as a defence alliance, a forum for cooperation and dialogue and as a crisis management institution. All Cold War Strategic Concepts clearly defines NATO as a defence alliance with the role of defending its members in the face of the evident danger posed by the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. A neo-realist would point to that structure as consisting primarily of material factors and so, the Soviet Union's collapse requires some rebalancing of power.
