Liberalism and Neoliberal Institutionalism

What were the foundations of IR studies?

Laid by liberal thinkers; realism was a reaction to liberal thought in the 20th century.

What was liberalism often called?

Idealism, due to expressing an optimistic set of ideals about order and peace in the international sphere.

Describe Immanuel Kant’s idea of perpetual peace

Proposes a law of nations founded on a federation of free states based on six preliminary propositions.

What is Kant’s first principle of peace?

The conditions for permanently valid peace treaties among states must be based on republican constitutions.

How did Kant define a republican constitution?

Based on two core principles; the separation of executive and legislative power, and a representative system.

What is a representative system?

Laws are made by representatives of the people rather than citizens directly.

What is Kant’s second principle of peace?

States must be co-equal in status (i.e. co-equal juridicial authority).

What is Kant’s third principle of peace?

Standing armies must eventually be abolished.

What is Kant’s fourth principle of peace?

National debts must be managed in such a way that they cannot be used as a justification for war.

What is Kant’s fifth principle of peace?

Prohibitions on the use of force to interfere in the internal constitutional affairs of other states.

What is Kant’s sixth principle of peace?

Prohibitions on the use of assassins or other political saboteurs or the incitement to treason within other states.

Who was Woodrow Wilson?

American President who was the driving force behind the League of Nations, embodied in the Treaty of Versailles, by meeting with Europe leaders to convince them of its establishment.

What was the League of Nations?

First practical experiment in global governance; idea of mutual guarantees concerning economic and political independence and territorial integrity regardless of state size or capacity.

What were the first four of Woodrow Wilson’s famous principles (which later turned into liberalism)?

Conflicts between nations must be resolved peacefully (mutual interest); a prosperous society is more important than a powerful state; human rights and freedoms must be respected everywhere; liberal democracy leads to world peace.

What are the last four of Woodrow Wilson’s/liberalist principles?

The global market economy binds nations together (wars less likely); international law must be obeyed by all states; international institutions can be instruments of cooperation; disarmament is necessary and possible.

Define neoliberalism

A variant of liberal IR theory that focuses on the role international institutions play in obtaining international collective outcomes.

What is neoliberalism’s main perspective?

The importance and effect of anarchy has been exaggerated by realism; states are self-interested and rational actors that are concerned not just with survival and power but wealth, reputation, etc.

What does neoliberalism say about states?

States want to maximize utility, not power; concerned with absolute gains rather than relative gains.

How does maximizing utility fit into neoliberal perspective?

In order to maximize utility, states are willing to cooperate with each other through cooperative mechanisms such as international institutions and regimes.

Why does maximizing utility minimize conflict?

States are rational and self-interested, so it is in their interest to cooperate with each other for the purpose of realizing greater benefits.

What is reciprocity in IR?

To do unto others as they did unto you; Goldstein describes a strategy of reciprocity as one that uses positive and negative forms of leverage.

Do states always think and act politically (in relative terms)?

Until recently, the United States does not seem to have thought and acted politically; concerned with absolute gains rather than relative gains.

What are absolute and relative gains?

Absolute gains are concerned with utility whereas relative gains are concerned with power.

What has happened to the economic power of the U.S. since the fall of the Soviet union?

Percentage of world GDP has dropped; economic power diminished in compared to that of other states.

What does the drop in the USA’s percentage of world GDP indicate?

States are not always primarily concerned with relative gains, but absolute gains that cause them to act apolitically; as long as the US has the ability to realize its will, it could afford to try to maximize absolute gains through interstate cooperation.

What happens when a state’s power is challenged?

When other states are close to acquiring the ability to prevent the realization of the will or goals of a hegemon, then it will no longer behave as a utility-maximizer but be concerned with relative gains.

Examine the war in Ukraine from the perspective of realism

Mearsheimer; by insisting on eastward expansion of NATO, the US and European allies provoked Russia and played a lead role in negotiating surrender of Soviet nuclear weapons left in Ukraine while failing to provide it with adequate security guarantees.

Examine the war in Ukraine from the perspective of liberalism

Addresses the security concerns in IR by maintaining that Russia should not be afraid of NATO expansion; some see Western responses to Russia’s invasion as eroding liberal values.

What are examples of liberal values?

Freedom of expression, economic openness, diplomacy.

Examine the war in Ukraine from the perspective of constructivism

Ukraine’s competing subculture identities have been codified under an overarching identity arisen out of a mutual struggle for survival.

For what other reasons has Ukraine’s multi sub-cultures merged?

International diaspora mobilization, elevation of diverse narratives, connected digital environment that reinforces concepts of social capital.