ation in the future. Neoliberal institutionalism recognizes that the kinds of relationships that are developed in the geopolitical sphere are mediated not only by the actions of states, but also by the actions of nongovernmental and other institutions with enormous normative power. The United Nations, for example, along with the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are all institutions that have exerted enormous influence over social and human development, economic development, and relations between nation-states. Further, organizations of this type seek to eliminate the prisoner's dilemma that is so commonly found when a realist lens is applied to international relations. They do so by creating opportunities for win-win engagement.
A fourth strength of neoliberal institutionalism is that it provides a framework for understanding international regimes containing rules, norms, principles, and decisionmaking procedures. It offers a unique opportunity to recognize that the diffusion of power whic
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