Alliansen USA-Japan : En kvalitativ fallstudie om alliansen mellan USA och Japan utifrån realism och liberalism

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the contemporary alliance between the United States and Japan with a particular focus on the security cooperation. In order to achieve the aim of the thesis, theories within the academic discipline of international relations have been applied: realism and liberalism. The thesis is a qualitative case study that aims to achieve its purpose by answering three questions: How can the alliance between the U.S. and Japan be explained based on realism, especially with regard to balance of power?; How can the alliance between the U.S. and Japan be explained based on liberalism, especially with regard to interdependence? and; What are the similarities and differences between the theories’ views of the security cooperation? The result shows that the alliance between the U.S. and Japan from a realistic viewpoint can be explained as a means for both countries to ultimately ensure their own survival, whereas the alliance from a liberal point of view can be explained as a way to promote more than solely their own security, such as peace and prosperity in the international community. This is also where the major difference between the theories’ views of the security cooperation can be found.