To be honest, I have absolutely no interest in cars. I have no interest in driving or buying or researching anything that has to do with the auto industry. Yet, I was very fascinated the entire time I worked on the simulation for class. I was in the AIAM group, the Association of International Auto Manufacturers.
What was interesting to me was the fact that it was a little hard to pinpoint exactly what theory of international relations we were using during the simulation. Our group advocated removing domestic content requirements for cars. This suggests a free market society, which is obviously liberal. Yet, there were strong ideas of constructivism also. Auto manufacturers like Ford, GM, etc. are seen as inherently American because they began in America. But they also have a very large international presence. What is their identity? What is the identity of these foreign auto manufacturers – are they truly foreign if they have such a large presence in America? Finally, realism also played a role, in the idea of a monopoly on the American car industry and the need to regulate the industry to ensure American success.
Perhaps there is not one theory that can be pinpointed onto your case? I think what makes the US culture and politics unique is out identity is so diverse that it is so hard to take a one sided approach. Our world has become so intertwined that our identities are ever-shifting and changing. We are no longer just America. Rather, (for example) we are America with a European influence. I think that is why one cannot claim a certain approach is "realist" or "liberalist."
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