Understanding NATO’s Sustainability: The Limits of Institutionalist Theory

Abstract

Our assumption in this article is that sustainable peace operations require the involvement of organizations and institutions that are themselves sustainable. We begin by presenting a set of propositions regarding the sustainability of international institutions in which the capacity for adaptation and incremental change are centrally important. We then examine these propositions in relation to NATO, paying particular attention to the ways in which the alliance has taken on both new roles and new members. A central concern of the article is the ways in which NATO member states' conceptions of identity and definitions of national interest affect the sustainability of the alliance, and limit the ability of alliance members to generate the longer-term commitment needed for peace support operations.