(originally developed by R Keohane & J Nye, Transnational Relations in World Politics, 1972).

A regime is an interstate agreement regulating a particular area of world affairs, usually monitored or managed by an interstate organisation.

assumptions:

• states are basically nation-states
• world government = n either possible or desirable
• but world economy = more transnational
• states = more interdependent in economic, political and other relations
• therefore states establish regimes to manage interdependence.

a pluralist theory because starts from the plurality of states and sees them exerting complex, variable influence over issues