Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci. 2004. 7:149–75 doi: 10.1146/annurev.polisci.7.090803.161821 Copyright c  2004 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved First published online as a Review in Advance on Dec. 12, 2003 ACTORS,NORMS, AND IMPACT: Recent International Cooperation Theory and the Influence of the Agent-Structure Debate Kate O’Neill, 1 J¨ org Balsiger, 1 and Stacy D. VanDeveer 2 1 Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, Division of Society and Environment, University of California at Berkeley, 135 Giannini Hall, Berkeley, California 94720–3312; email: koneill@nature.berkeley.edu; 2 Department of Political Science, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824 Key Words cooperation, agency, nonstate actors, effectiveness ■ Abstract This article reviews three recent developments in international coop- eration theory: the introduction of nonstate actors, the study of norms and ideas, and increased examination of the effectiveness, or impact, of international cooperation. Through the lens of the agent-structure debate, we critique the literature that addresses these themes. We argue, first, for a view of structure that goes beyond material proper- ties; second, that more attention could be paid to what distinguishes agency in actors; and third, that this would provide insights into how reflexivity and learning, as well as preference and identity formation, contribute to structural transformation in the inter- national system through iterated processes of cooperation. We also develop ways of applying the agent-structure debate to empirical as well as metatheoretical questions. The article concludes by discussing directions for further research. INTRODUCTION The publication of Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International Politics in 1979 marked a watershed in North American international relations (IR) theory, and has engendered waves of intellectual endeavor that continue to this day. This re- view focuses on two in particular. First, “neoliberal institutionalism” challenged the more pessimistic realist/neorealist view that cooperation among states was a temporary phenomenon, driven by states’ self-interest. This challenge opened up new fields of study of cooperation as a vital activity, as well as generating more attention to institutions from realist scholars (Jervis 1999). Second, on a metatheoretical level, another group of scholars challenged Waltz’s agent-centric view of world politics. By importing the agent-structure debate, which has existed under different names at least since medieval times, into IR, these scholars chal- lenged others to (at least) reflect on the underlying ontological and epistemological 1094-2939/04/0615-0149$14.00 149 Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci. 2004.7:149-175. Downloaded from arjournals.annualreviews.org by REED COLLEGE LIBRARY on 08/05/10. For personal use only.