Regime theory

Regime theory is a theory within international relations derived from the liberal tradition that argues that international institutions or regimes affect the behavior of states or other international actors. It assumes that cooperation is possible in the anarchic system of states, as regimes are, by definition, instances of international cooperation.

Stephen D. Krasner was a key figure in establishing Regime theory as a prominent topic of study in IR, in part through the 1983 edited collection International Regimes. Robert Keohane's 1984 book After Hegemony has been described as regime theory's "fullest expression."