international relations final part 1

international relations

interaction of the actors in international politics (states, non-state actors)

how did IR emerge

after WWI in the West as a tool to advise policy makers on preventing conflict

International relations between modern nation states was born after ___

1500s

Peace of Westphalia (1648)

Ended 30 years war, established principle of sovereignty, birth of the modern state system

state

a political and legal entity with clearly defined territory, permanent population, central government, monopoly on legitimate use of force, sovereignty

internal sovereignty

complete control and autonomy to govern affairs, economy, legislation and political order

external sovereignty

recognition from other states, mutual recognition

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Post-colonialism

term used to describe conditions shared by nations that were once colonies

neo-imperialism

the use of corporate power and wealth to gain influence in Third World countries, attempts by international organizations to impose change upon rich and powerful nations

decolonization

The collapse of colonial empires. Between 1947 and 1962, practically all former colonies in Asia and Africa gained independence

system level factors

power, balance of power, alliance politics, wars, anarchy, trade agreements, IGOs, diplomacy, summit meetings, bargaining, reciprocity

state (domestic) level factors

nationalism, ethnic conflict, type of govt, democracy, parties/elections, public opinion, military complex, economic sector, foreign policy bureaucracies

individual level factors

character of leader, gender, decision making in crises, psychology of perception, learning, assassinations, citizen participation

Thomas Hobbes and the state of nature

situation with no government, natural state, human beings have unlimited liberties and desires, we are inherently selfish, constant fear of violence

classical realism

the root of international conflict and war is in human nature, humans are inherently self-serving, powerful take advantage of weak

realpolitik

anarchic international politics is governed by objective, universal laws based on national interests defined in terms of power, not moral principles

neorealism (structural realism)

if human beings are always selfish how can peace be explained- focus on system level analysis to understand state behavior (kenneth waltz)

neorealism assumptions

international system is anarchic, self help world, primary concern of state is survival, states are central actors, states are unitary self serving actors, states are rational actors trying to maximize utility

power

ability to influence other's behavior

hard power

capability to coerce (GDP, population, geography, military size, iron/steel production, etc)

soft power

ability to get other states to want what you want without coercion or payment

realists focus on ____ power

hard

security dilemma

actions a state takes to ensure their own security are perceived as threats by other states, which creates more insecurity for the state who took the first action

distribution of power

the structure of the international system, explains state behavior

multipolarity

most stable, peace is best preserved by a relatively equal power distribution because no state has an opportunity to win easily

bipolarity

most stable- cold war

hegemonic stability theory

hegemony provides some order similar to central government in the international system

power transition theory

wars occur when rising powers challenge the most powerful state in the system

balance of power

try to maintain the balance by forming temporary alliances preventing domination

buckpassing

let another state pay cost of dealing with rising threat, freeriding

bandwagoning

join the rising threat to avoid costs of balancing against them

zero sum game

for any one actor succeed, another must fail

deterrence

An effort to preserve the status quo through the threat of force

compellence

an effort to change the status quo through the threat of force

prisoner's dilemma

mutually optimal outcome is individually irrational

liberalism

focus on order and justice as key factors in understanding the international system and behavior of states

Locke and the state of nature

state of nature is prepolitical but not premoral, humans are inherently good

liberalism main assumptions

humans are good by nature, reduction in fear would increase potential for cooperation and progress, individual is primary actor, anarchy does not lead to war automatically

liberalism view of zero sum game

not every issue in IR is one, there are mutual as well as conflicting interests

absolute gains

states seek to maximize through cooperation

how do liberals think we can solve the zero sum (security issues)?

institutions, reciprocity, international law

Kant and perpetual peace

peace and cooperation are possible in an anarchic international system

peace depends on the ____

internal character of governments, representative being most conducive to peace

liberalism and soft power

soft power matters- if a state's own values become widely shared among other states it will influence them

three sources of soft power

political values, foreign policy, culture

Regime Theory

international regimes are central in facilitating international cooperation by increasing info and transparency and constraining state behavior

why is it so hard to leave international institutions?

economic costs, political costs, reputation

complex interdependence theory

theory that stresses the complex ways in which transnational actors become mutually dependent and vulnerable to each other's actions/needs

greater transnationalism leads to ____

greater guarantees of peace and smaller degrees of uncertainty

Neoliberalism

state preferences shape policies, not material capabilities or information/institutions

neoliberalism idea of a unitary state

a unitary state and its interests do not exist, states are rational but neither central nor unitary actors

distribution of interdependence state preference helps us ____

manage anarchy and prevent conflict

if preferences are mutually compatible:

harmony, various states prefer the same outcome for the same reasons, same values/ideals

if preferences are conflicting (zero sum):

conflict, preferences are contradictory. if you get what you prefer, I won't be getting mine

if preferences are complementary:

coordination, various states prefer the same outcomes for different reasons

if preferences are mixed:

bargaining, there is a collective action problem that requires bargaining

Just war

A war which is fought for the right reasons and in a right way

wars for gain

barbaric and evil, we should do everything in our power to prevent them

Wars of Rebellion

part of man's natural right to seek freedom and achieve liberty

social constructivism

all the concepts of state, national interest, nation, anarchy, institutions are socially constructed, individuals create meaning through interaction

constructivism rejects ___

rationalism

rationalism takes the identities and interests of states as given because ___

it only recognizes changes in state's behavior not in states themselves

rationalism takes the identities and interests generated from international anarchy as ___

given

Agent-structure debate

an issue of socialization against autonomy in determining whether an individual acts as a free agent or in a manner dictated by social structure.

ASD Neorealism

nature of the international system shapes state's behavior

ASD neoliberalism

behavior of the actors shapes the nature of the international system

ASD Constructivism

actors and system mutually shape each other

constructivism main assumptions

1. ideas and beliefs matter, meanings are not fixed but can change over time

2. agency and structure are mutually constituted

3. identities constitutes interests and actions

4. social norms determine what is appropriate for a given identitiy

neorealism on anarchy

logic of anarchy is structural and leads to conflict

constructivism on anarchy

no logic to anarchy, IR is more about defining national interests and defending them

neoliberalism on anarchy

logic of anarchy is a process that can lead to cooperation

marxism

economics (mode of production) determines power relations

capitalism through marxism

workers (proletariat) vs. capital (bourgeoisie) class conflict, capitalists exploit workers, market dependence

system dynamics marxism

crises are unavoidable

economic base of society

relations of production and means of production, constant state of evolution

superstructure

law, politics, culture, ideology, education

dependency theory

international division of labor, class distinction, global capitalism, system promotes underdevelopment

world systems theory

proposing that social change in the developing world is inextricably linked to the economic activities of the developed world.

orientalism

discourse that positions the West as culturally superior to the East

liberal feminism

women are equal to men

difference feminism

The feminist view that men and women are fundamentally different, morally and psychologically due to human nature

postmodern feminism

An effort to combine feminist and postmodernist perspectives with the aim of uncovering the hidden influences of gender in IR and showing how arbitrary the construction of gender roles is.

what is foreign policy

the strategies governments use to guide their actions in international arena, actions state leaders have decided to pursue in a given relationship/situation

material interests

physical security, trade, wealth, natural resources, territory

ideational interests

values, norms, ideals, political/economic systems

formal actors of foreign policy

executive branch (primary responsibility) legislative branch (secondary responsibility)

informal actors

government bureaucracies, subnational govt units, economic elites, NGOs, think tanks, media, public intellectuals, public discourse

realist definition of national interest

according to pursuit of power, power the means to gain security and pursue material/ideational interests

liberal definition of national interest

with the goal of establishing ROL and promoting institutions that promote global governance

marxist definition of national interest

reflection of the economic/political elites of a society, strategy to maximize their economic benefit

constructivist definition of national interest

reflection of norms and socially constructed understanding of what is good/appropriate

feminist definition of national interest

shaped by gendered assumptions about what/who matters, often reflective of male patriarchy

how is foreign policy made?

articulation, formulation, implementation, evaluation

Comparative foreign policy making

comparing states to see if they have similar or different types of foreign policies (size/wealth/demography, populations/natural resources/tech, political culture/history)

rational model of decision making

decision makers set goals, evaluate relative importance, calculate costs and benefits and choose highest benefit/lowest cost decision

organizational process model

alternative to rational model, FP decision makers respond based on standard operating procedures, skip labor intensive process of ID goals, rely on standard operating procedures

government bargaining (bureaucratic politics) model

sees FP decisions as flowing from bargaining process among various govt agencies that have divergent interests in outcome, tug of war

domestic determinants of foreign policy

interest groups, public opinion (propaganda)

bounded rationality

human decision making process in which we attempt to satisfice rather than optimize