THE POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY OF THE NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION REGIME

The purpose of this article is to develop a theory, rooted in social p sychology, that explains the nuclear nonproliferation regime. I posit that the regime evolved to serve the interests of a group of establish ed liberal democracies that self-consciously identify their security i nterests collectively on the basis of shared core values and a history of cooperation. The United States acts as principal guardian of the r egime. This role stems from its role as the principal defender of libe ral democracy during the Cold War. The self-identification of the libe ral group of states biases their perception of and reaction to threats to the regime in their own favor. I support this claim by comparing r esponses to violations and perceived violations of the regime by membe rs and nonmembers of the group. Findings indicate a strong bias in fav or of the liberal group.