Is the liberal international order a source of 'order' or 'disorder' in contemporary world politics?

Definition of liberal world order?

many actors working together to meet mutual interests. Promote capitalism, democracy, democracy, cooperation, progress

Baylis, Smith and Owens 2023

Ikenberry definition of LIO?

“Settled arrangements between states”

Ikenberry 2009

Three reasons against?

1. LIOs encourage conflict

2. Danger of capitalism

3. Threat of war

Three reasons for?

1. LIO intervention is usually beneficial

2. Capitalism is the best economic system

3. Conflict aversion

P1: LIOs encourage conflict?

• The LIO has led to possibly unnecessary military interventions that have caused disorder

• The existence of NATO automatically garners attention - its purpose is to provide security for members which therefore implies a constant threat to them. Always in conflict with Russia and China due to ideological differences. As more states join, more reason for enemy states to take issue

P1: How does Mearsheimer describe NATO?

“NATO was essentially an American tool for managing power in the face of the soviet threat”

Mearsheimer 1994

P2: benefits of LIO interventions?

• The UN has led several very successful peacekeeping missions:

  • Sierra Leone 1999 - 2005: implemented peace agreements after civil war

  • Liberia 2003 - 2018: upheld ceasefire after civil war, restoring democracy and political stability

• Institution interventions aren’t always military - UN also provides necessary humanitarian aid across the globe

P3: dangers of capitalism?

• Capitalism encourages disorder through its promotion of competition which it needs to function efficiently. This creates inequalities

• Trade agreements can be used as a form of retaliation - Trump tariffs 2025

• Marxists would argue that under communism the equal distribution of goods and wealth would remove inequalities and therefore bring order

P3: Capitalism definition?

when a low proportion of actors hold a high proportion of wealth, permitting them to influence the market

Spike Peterson 2019

P4: Capitalism is the best economic system?

• Free trade encourages cooperation, even countries which are ideologically opposed to the LIO are involved - e.g China

• Competition leads to globalisation and development - states have means to grow from own resources and are not reliant on outside support - conversely under communism little progress in Russia

• Mixed and fully capitalist economies are the most widespread - other economic management system have not had success

P5: threat of war?

• Conflicts are beginning to emerge that threaten the order in the LIO

• New global superpowers threaten American hegemony

• Globalisation means that many states have the funds and technology for military advancements and nuclear arms - e.g India, Pakistan

• Conflict between Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine

P5: changing warfare quote?

War is now fuelled by an “ever-changing variety of substate actors” - result of freedoms under liberalism, erosion of state control

Kennedy-Pipe and Waldman, 2017

P6: conflict aversion?

• Although wars have broken out, states are less willing to be directly involved and instead indirectly fund or arm them - e.g currently low intervention in Russia

• Growth of soft power - USA has reduced military force but continues to meet its foreign policy aims. Emphasises importance of diplomacy

  • E.g Chinese Silk Road initiative shows how states can challenge without creating disorder

• Nuclear war unlikely (mutual destruction) - Mearsheimer states ‘fear’ each other