Date of Award
Spring 4-25-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
July 2026
College Granting Degree
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Timothy Steigenga
Abstract
Realism and then neorealism were the dominant paradigms in international relations theory from the 1940s through the 1990s. These theories treat states as largely rational actors responding to the security dilemma through self-help in an international environment characterized by anarchy. Thus, policies such as Ronald Reagan’s Operation Cyclone supporting the Mujahideen in Afghanistan to fight against the Soviet occupation have been explained through the lens of realism. Since the end of the Cold War, constructivist theorists have questioned both the assumptions and the predictions of realism. This thesis evaluates Reagan’s policy in Afghanistan, comparing the constructivist and realist approaches, and argues that constructivism provides a better explanation for policy than realism. Furthermore, the insights arising from the constructivist approach are useful for informing policy and potentially reducing the long-term blowback effects, like the eventual formation of Al Qaeda and the attacks of 9/11.
Recommended Citation
Kaplan, Madison, "INTERNATIONAL THEORIES EXPLAINING PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN’S FOREIGN POLICY IN AFGHANISTAN AND ITS FUTURE IMPLICATIONS" (2025). Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses. 38.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_honors/38