This article focuses on the possible relevance of unrealistic models for empirical political science. The author rejects both the covering law program, according to which there is no place for unrealistic assumptions, as well as the Friedman-instrumentalist position, which argues that the...

While there is a vast literature both on international bargaining and on how international agreements can be enforced, very little work has been done on how bargaining and enforcement interact. An important exception is Fearon (1998), who models international cooperation as a two-stage process,...