The Lords of War simulation is best described by neoliberal theory. Neoliberalism best describes this game because it supports the ideology that everything humans do is in their own self-interest. The theory also believes that people cooperate with each other only out of fear; the actions of people playing Lords of War validate this theory. To succeed, neoliberals need cooperation, mediating institutions, as well as the fear of being abandoned. Neoliberals do not believe that human beings are good by nature, but argue that they have the ability to unite for the greater good, for their own personal benefit. By definition neoliberalism is “a reinterpretation of liberalism that assumes that even in an anarchic international system, states will cooperate because of their ongoing interactions with each other and because it is in their interests to do so; institutions provide the structure for cooperative interactions.” (Mingst, 2011) The theory (neoliberalism) is based on the prisoner's dilemma, the initiation and use of institutions, and the common interest of each self to gain power and/or advance without harming oneself. “Institutions are essential; they facilitate cooperation based on common interests, thus maximizing benefits for all parties. Institutions provide a guaranteed framework of interactions; they suggest that there will be an expectation of future encounters. They facilitate cooperation based on common interest, thus maximizing the gain for all parties.” (Mingst, 2011) This theory supports the idea that if one cooperates with the other both will benefit, but once the trust established between the cooperating countries is lost, one should do whatever is within one's economic needs. middle of paper......do anything, because your partner would also start to desert. They were induced to cooperate by the prisoner's dilemma, collective security, and democratic peace theories, as demonstrated by the final results of the game where everyone's amounts were quite similar if not equal to each other. Instead of fighting to be more powerful, the counties banded together to be equal. Works Cited1. Mingst, Kansas (2011). Essential elements of international relations. (5th ed., p. 78). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.2. Mingst, Kansas (2011). Essential elements of international relations. (5th ed., p. 78). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.3. Mingst, Kansas (2011). Essential elements of international relations. (5th ed., p. 79). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.4. Mingst, Kansas (2011). Essential elements of international relations. (5th ed., p. 81). New York, New York: W. W. Norton & Company.