ABSTRACT
We provide the core theoretical propositions of balance of relationships (BoR). BoR is conceptualized here as a system within which reciprocally-related states avoid the implications of anarchy/disorder by stabilizing long-term interrelationships through self-restraint. Self-restraint is thus considered as a rational strategy, whereby a state might readily concede or compromise upon determining that the other party’s intentions are benevolent or not malicious, or choose to confront its counterpart when the converse is perceived. When negative intent is observed from the other party, a state may also be moved to restore the jeopardized relationship—either amending or destroying it. The decision to concede or confront is, therefore, not based on a judgment of relative power, but rather on the perceived sustainability of the long-term relationship. BoR functions best in bilateral interactions, where improvisation of ways of self-restraint bypasses multilateral rules to cope with grievances, inconveniences, or sanctions that may be caused in a multilateral setting. ABoR-based system of states amounts to a network of multiple bilateral relationships. Relations and power in IRare reminiscent of the coexistence of the social and the political in the domestic political sphere.
