Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of international regime theory, with a view to developing ideas and proposals concerning the formation of a new international cooperative security regime for outer space. While international regime theory may be considered to concern itself with certain fundamental normative commitments, above all the value of international cooperation for general welfare, as discussed in more detail below, the concept of regime is very much a status quo heuristic device.
The theory as developed to date therefore does not provide much inspiration for critical and normative interrogations of the international. Notable exceptions of critical investigations of regimes include Keeley (1990)'s exploration of disciplinary power entailed in regimes' operation, which drew on the social theory and history of Michel Foucault, or Gale (1998)'s concept of international regimes as vehicles of hegemony, inspired by Antonio Gramsci.
Agnew (2005) is a rare case of using the concept of regime for a critical examination of the international. The theory does provide, on the other hand, a wealth of insights into the formation and (to a somewhat lesser extent) effective operation of international regimes, of which this chapter seeks to provide a concise overview.
Regarding structure, the second section includes