▁altern ation ▁to ▁explain ▁state ▁behavior , ▁thereby ▁allowing ▁for ▁a ▁" more ▁complete ▁struct ural ▁real ist ▁theory ▁that ▁can ▁more ▁accur ately ▁account ▁for ▁both ▁def ensive ▁and ▁off ensive ▁state ▁behavior ". ▁Second ly , ▁these ▁sch ol ars ▁u ph old ▁the ▁argument ▁that ▁M ear she imer ' s ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁significantly ▁cont ributes ▁to ▁foreign ▁policy ▁theory ▁and ▁al liance ▁theory . ▁More ▁specifically , ▁M ear she imer ' s ▁theory ▁goes ▁a ▁step ▁further ▁than ▁struct ural ▁def ensive ▁real ism ▁by ▁successfully ▁the or ising ▁both ▁international ▁politics ▁and ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁ ▁Con tr ary ▁to ▁W alt z ' s ▁re jection ▁of ▁def ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁as ▁a ▁theory ▁capable ▁of ▁explaining ▁foreign ▁policy ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁international ▁politics , ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁includes ▁explan ations ▁of ▁both ▁international ▁out comes ▁per tain ing ▁to ▁the ▁system ic ▁level ▁of ▁analysis ▁and ▁individual ▁state ▁behavior . ▁Additionally , ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁new ▁variables ▁such ▁as ▁ge ography ▁alongside ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁power ▁enh ances ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ' s ▁potential ▁to ▁make ▁specific ▁assumptions ▁about ▁states ' ▁purs uit ▁of ▁ag gress ive ▁actions ▁and ▁resort ▁to ▁bal ancing ▁and ▁bu ck - pass ing . ▁ ▁The oret ical ▁fla ws ▁To ▁begin ▁with , ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁pointed ▁out ▁several ▁logical ▁issues ▁within ▁M ear she imer ' s ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism .