Consequently, Bush’s recent trip to South Asia might even lead us to speculate that his administration is re-ordering its strategic goals, placing less emphasis on combating terrorism and more emphasis on countervailing Chinese power. It is too early to tell whether the India nuclear deal augurs such a fundamental shift in the priorities of US foreign policy—but it’s a possibility worth considering.

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A number of scholars have addressed nuclear proliferation and the NPT in the context of international relations theory. For an overview of the subject, see “Nuclear Proliferation and Counter-Proliferation: Policy Issues and Debates,” Mershon International Studies Review 38:2 (Oct. 1994), pp. 209-234. For a theoretical perspective differing substantially from to the one presented here, see Roger K. Smith, “Explaining the Non-Proliferation Regime: Anomalies for Contemporary International Relations Theory,” International Organization 41:2 (Spring 1987), pp. 253-281.