Modelling Friendship between Elite Political Actors: Interpreting the Relationships of Schmidt and Giscard d’Estaing, Kohl and Mitterrand, Thatcher and Reagan, and Bush and Major

This thesis investigates the possibility that friendship is not only possible between elite actors, but that it also plays an explanatory role in their actions (and thus politics more generally). Part I of the thesis develops a model for the identification of friendship between elite actors. This model suggests that political friendship can be seen to exist between elite actors when five key components are seen to be present: (1) affect (2) a grand project (3) altruistic reciprocity (4) moral obligations, and (5) equality. Moreover, not only does the model confirm the presence of friendship, it also shows how friendship can have a role in explaining the actions of elite actors. Part II of the thesis, in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the model, examines, and confirms, the presence of friendship in four recent relationships in contemporary history: Helmut Schmidt and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (1974-1982); Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand (1982-1995); Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), and George H. W. Bush and John Major (1990-1993). It is proposed at the end of the thesis that the model developed here can be extended to look at other cases in politics and international relations.