ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the concept of interdependence, which Rosecrance and his colleagues define as "the direct and positive linkage of the interests of states such that when the position of one state changes, the position of others is affected, and in the same direction." After reviewing the conflicting literature, the authors apply this definition to six industrial countries for the period 1890-1975. Rosecrance and his coauthors find a significant degree of interdependence before World War I, followed by a marked decline during the interwar period. Although interdependence did increase after 1945, the record has been mixed since 1959. This cyclical history casts doubt on the contention that the post-World War II period has seen linear increases in interdependence.
