Nuclear regime complex and state relations in nuclear ordering

Abstract

There is a growing number of institutional structures in the nuclear field—at present, there are 35 various agreements with over 200 participants in them. This paper explores how growing regime complexity in the nuclear order links to the changing relations among states. How does the growing nuclear regime complex influence the relations? In this paper, I use a comprehensive dataset of agreements in the nuclear regime complex. By using social network analysis, I study the changing relations among states. The analysis leads to three results. Firstly, the regime has grown in terms of both participating states and agreements, and this growth is not driven by a small number of agreements with a large number of participants. Secondly, the interactions among states are becoming more common and frequent, also outside the main treaties. This has a potential to create efficiencies, but also creates opportunities for forum shopping and contestation. Thirdly, the regime complexity has led to a segmentation of both states and treaties, where some agreements and some states become more central with higher relevance for the regime as such. Such findings have consequences for debates about the vitality of the nuclear regime complex.