Gov 132: Introduction to International Politics

What is Politics?

It’s the who gets what, when, and how

(of distributing power and resources in society, involving conflict and cooperation among individuals and groups)

What is Political Science?

How and why actors develop certain interests

How actors build, wield, and contest power to advance those interests

How institutions structure their interactions

study of interests, power, and institutions

What is international politics?

Commitments, enforcement of said commitments, distributions of benefits and burdens, and struggles for power and influence beyond one state’s borders

The study of the interactions between states and non-state actors on the global stage, including conflict, cooperation, trade, and diplomacy all of which are exacerbated by multiple kinds of shocks, uncertainties, and distrust

the ideas, interests, and institutions that frame the interactions of states and non-states and shape international outcomes

global governance

process and action by which states make decisions, manage and enforce them

International System

entire network or assembly of states that span the world’s peoples and geographic territories

to be a state it needs:

a permanent population

a defined territory

government

capacity to enter into relations with other states

(must be recognized by other states)

nations have:

a large population that shares the same culture, history, traditions, and language

(people and community)

states have:

institutions, laws, and authority of a defined territory and people

nation-state

independent political entity representative of its respective nations

internal sovereignty

authority by a sovereign over a people and territory

states with internal sovereignty have:

clearly defined people and territory

authority over the law and order of that territory

monopoly and control over the use of force to uphold laws and defend its people

states with external sovereignty are:

free from the external interference of other authorities or powers

independent in determining its own interests

equal to other states, with the same rights and duties

sovereignty

the legitimate authrotiy and control internally and independence and autonomy externally

imperalism

extending power and domination of a state through:

1. direct territorial acquisitions (colonaialism)

2. Indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas

Colonialism

a type of imperialism: it’s a direct formal control

Concert of Europe (1815):

System that institutionalized a balance of power

Germany’s unification in 1871 would lead to a disruption of the balance of power

Deterrence

Policy aiming to maintain peace by persuading each other that they would receive significant retaliation if they attacked first

Mutually assured destruction (MAD)

Logic that a nuclear attack would result in an immediate counterattack, destroying both nuclear states

Non-Aligned Movement in 1960s:

Their goal was to avoid being trapped in the US-Soviet conflicts and promote their sovereignty and autonomy; wanted to focus on internal stability before going into international conflicts

19th century balance of power

a system where competitor states possessed roughly equivalent material power capabilities

Stability-instability paradox

stability between superpowers but instability brought to smaller countries

international relations

study of interests, power, and institutions beyond one state’s borders

globalization

the spread of technology, products, information, services, and people across national borders, establishing a more interconnected and interdependent global system

17th century

European countries established slave trade

15th century

Portugal started overseas exapansion

France, England, Spain, and the Netherlands followed

Prior to 1881

Only 10% of Africa was directly controlled by Europe

By 1914

90% of Africa was under European control with only Eithopia and Liberia free

During the 18th and 19th centuries

a growing resistence to the authrotiy of soveregins started to emerge: French Revolution aganist monarchs, european colonies in the Americas

wars restarted in european continent

WW1

1914-1918

Inter-war period

International Relations emerges as a discipline

League of Nations (1920)

WW2

1939-1945

Period of 1945-1990

The decline and disintegration of empires

Europe focused on reconstruction

US and Soviet Union emerged as remaining superpowers (advanced material capabilities with global influence and dominance — began a superpower compeititon with nuclear weapons race)

Theory

organized assumptions that help us make sense of complexity

represents and aims to explain social reality

we use theories to foucs our attention

we use theories to share the same language

19th century Europe

relative period of peace after centuries of wars

Congress of Vienna (1814)

revolutions in 1848

Congress system again in 1871

Attention to cooperation

republics dont go to war

legal agreements can prevent war

liberal idealism

human nature is good, international cooperation advances mutual welfare, and progress and moderinzation is possible

Classical Realsim

Human nature: drive toward conflict

States: no need to open up

International insitutions constrain power if theyre legitmiate

Method: historical

Neo-Realism

need for a frugal approach

war happens because states want to maximixe their security

states will seek to balance power

states as “billard balls” — rational, unitary actors

Anarchy

no global government

internal balancing (neo-realism)

domestic investment

external balancing (neo-realism)

alliances

Best security strategy (realism)

expand power (offensive realists)

avoid expansion (defensive realists)

build common expectations (english school)

most stable power distribution (realism)

unipolariy (offensive realism)

equilibrium of capabiltiies, maybe mutlipolarity (defensive realsim)

unipolarity but with legitmacy (hegemon) — (hegenomy school)

Realism main assumptions

human nature is inheriently egoistic

states are the primary actors in the international system

states are unitary actors

states are rational actors

states will be principally concerned with the pursuit and defense of national security

main theoretical propositions of realism

states will care deeply about realtive gains

international politcs is a zero-sum game

states can never be sure of other states’ intentions

mistrusts creates a security dilemma

states will seek to either build a blaance of power or seek to maximize thier power so that they are the most powerful state

realism strenghts

graps the compettive nature of intenational politcs

recongnizes importance of power and self-help that limit cooperation

highlights relevance of the systems structure that compels states to pursure their own interests and security

realism weaknesses

narrow focus on national security

neglects the more cooperative nature of international poltics

overlooks how international and domestic actors can affect state behavior

bypasses the role that international organizations, norms, rules, and laws can play into shaping state behavior

offensive realism

expand power to acheive security

unipolarity is the msot stable

Defensive realism

avoid expansion to achieve security

equilibrium of capabiltities, maybe multipolarity is the most stable

Hegemony School

unipolarity but with legitmacy — not a unipole, but a hegemon

English School

build common expectations to achieve security

Realtive gains

a situation where states prioritize their gains compared to other nations, rather than focusing on their overall benefit (absolute gains)

Classical Liberalism

the individual is the basic unit of analysis, not the state

humans compete, but they dont fight all the time

no permenant state of war

cooperatio is more common than conflict

indivudals create groups, inlcuding the state

institutions manage competition

Democratic Peace Theory

Citizens dont want to assume costs of wars

republics share common decsion making procedures and values

republics interact more with each other

captalist peace theory

states dont want to affect markets

publics dont want to affect their wallets

developed societies compete over market shares, not war wins

neo liberalism

individuals as units of analysis

need to “open up” the state

actors are rational

liberal internationalism

institutions, norms, and values help cooperation

legitmiate hegemony is more stable

liberal insitutionalism or functionalism

insitutions reduce costs: they help achieve shared goals, monitor, and promote accountability

state are rational and will use instiutions to solve problems

liberal inter-governmentalism

multiple channels of interactions among states

interdependence

main assumptions in liberalism

human nature is inherently good and presupposed to seek cooperation

indivudals and states are the main actors in the international system, so the state isnt the only imporant actor

states are concenred with national security, but security is not their only interest

the internal poltical regime of a state matters in explaining state behavior

main theoretical propositions of liberalism

International poltics is a non zero sum game; its in the states self interest to cooperate with others

states are concerened with absolute gains for themselves and those they cooperate with

while conflict may not be eradicated, war is by no means inveitables

states can achieve national security through international orgnizations

peace is achieveable through the spread of democracy, free trade, and international organizations

liberalism strengths

grasps cooperative nature of international poltics

recongnizes importance of both national and international organizations in shaping state behavior

highlights interdependence that developes between states

liberalism weaknesses

struggles to explain the conflictual nature of international poltics, including when cooperative efforts fail

tends to bypass the link between power, order, and security

overlooks how illiberal states rise to influence and shape international poltics

neo-realism and neo-liberalism compromise

the international system is anarchial

actors in international poltics are rational

neo-realism and neo-liberalism debate

can arachy be mitigated

which actors should we focus on

constructivism

the world is an interactive process with social meanings

beleifs and identiies play a fundematal role in constucting social reality

actors have agency to make their own choices

actors make their decisions based on their experiences, histroy, and the meaning they attribute to things

constictivists were also interested in explaining change in international poltics

Logic of consquences

there is a rational consquence to every action

logic of appropriatness

awareness of what is consiered appropriate behavior

main assumptions in constuctivism

the international system is anarchic, but the international system is also a social realm

anarchy doesnt dictate state behavior

actors are social entites

identies —> interests —> actions

states interests are not pre determined but fluid and socially constructured

statndards of appropriate behavior shape the actions and interactions of actors

main theortetical propsitions of constructivism

material factors along cannot explain change in international poltics

merial and ideational factors combine to influence different outcomes

actors do not just act, but rather interact in international politics

agency is a key point to study IR

different meanings of the world will lead to different behaviors in international poltics

constuctivsm strenghts

accounts for international poltics as a social realm

highlights social and agency oriented perspectives

emphasizes the role that norms and idetites have in shaping state behavior

constuctiveism weaknesses

struggles to account for when states ignore norms

struggles to explain when states do act out of rational self interest

Realism; Liberalism

realtive gains; absolte gains

state level of analysis

the internal structure and the processes of the states

indivudal level of analysis

the attitudes, decisions, and influence of the people

To become a great power a stated needs:

grest size of pop. resurces, economic capabilities, military strenght, and political stability

Bipoloarity

two equally balanced great powers will not fight in order to maintain order and security

unipolarity

countries wont try to counter balance and couldnt challange a unipole

multipolar is the most unstable bc

its moe difficult to make alliances

persistent competition to become more powerful

states can make miscalculations

First level

states negotiate and try to get concessions from other states

second level

leaders must gain domestic support to ratify any agreements they reach