Modeling Interdependence and Analyzing Conflict

Abstract

Conflict, one of the oldest concerns in international relations theory, and interdepen dence, one of the most recent concerns, are the interlocking problems that endanger world politics and economy. This article designs and constructs a mathematical model that causally explains how and why transactional interdependence between nations actualizes conflict. In addition to the two above concepts, the model deals with power and conflict resolution. Furthermore, in the framework provided by the model, various definitions, implications, and situations concerning interdependence, which make the concept elusive and confuse the controversy surrounding it, are rigorously postulated and compared. Validation follows the specification of the model in the context of North-South relations. While this article deals mainly with the simplest case, a two-actor, transaction, several directions for generalizing the model are suggested.