Realism Vs liberalism, & Hard and Soft power

What is a non-governmental organisation (NGO)?

An organisation that is independent from government. They are usually non-profit, and active in humanitarianism of the social sciences. For instance, they could focus on human rights.

What is nation-state?

A political organisation defined by the common ties of a shared nationality and citizenship, which shares things in common, such as ancestry and language.

What is an Intragovernmental organisation (IGO)?

An entity created by treaty, involving at least two nations, to work in good faith, on issues of common interest.

What is a regional organisation?

They are composed of member countries that share common geographical, cultural, or political affiliations.

Give reasons as to why socially there is a need for global governance:

• For human rights protection- global governance would help establish and enforce international human rights standards, meaning that people would be protected from things such as discrimination.

• There are global disparities relating to poverty, however with international efforts, we can create fairer economic policies and distribute resources more equally.

• Better cooperation with public health.

Give reasons as to why politically there is a need for global governance:

• For global peace and security. Institutes such as the UN facilitate diplomacy and mediate conflicts.

• For global political stability. Global governance helps stabilise fragile states and encourages democratic transitions and rule of law.

• Managing nuclear proliferation.

Give reasons as to why economically there is a need for global governance:

• To help regulate global trade. The global economy relies on free flow of goods and services across borders.

• Managing financial crisis’s such as the financial crash of 2008.

• Promoting sustainable development. Global governance helps allocate resources and develop economic policies.

• Managing global supply chains.

Give reasons as to why environmentally, there is a need for global governance:

• Climate change mitigation. It is a global issue that no single country can address alone.

• Rising sea levels leading to the displacement of populations and an increase of environmental refugees.

• Resources management. Global governance helps create frameworks for the equitable sharing of preventing disputes and promoting sustainable water management.

What does the realist view revolve around?

Realists believe that states are important and authoritative actors in global politics. They believe that their primary goal is to protect their own national interests. They believe that the world is anarchial and selfish.

What does a liberal view revolve around?

The idea that states’ interests in global politics are linked and interdependent and best advanced through states cooperating with each other and intergovernmental organisations in order to achieve common political objectives. Democracy and human rights are essential.

What kind of trade do liberals support?

Free trade.

What kind of power do liberals place emphasis on?

Soft power.

What kind of power do realists place emphasis on?

Hard power.

What are realists beliefs regarding power?

They believe that the ultimate power is the state, that the international system is anarchic, and they enforce hard power.

What is a realists view on human nature?

They believe that humans are naturally selfish, egoist, fixed, driven, and motivated by the need to survive and dominate.

What do realists believe about conflict?

That it is an unavoidable thing and necessary to defend interests and increase state influence.

What do realists believe about the nature of the world order?

That it is anarchial. They believe that there is a security dilemma.

What is a realists view of IGO’s?

They believe that IGOs only exist because states created them. They believe that success depends in a states actions, not IGOs.

What is the liberal view on power?

Strong focus on soft power.

What is the liberal opinion of the state of human nature?

They have an optimistic view on it. They believe that human nature isn’t fixed and that they have a preference for partnership and international cooperation.

What is the liberal view on conflict?

They believe that it is avoidable. They believe that economic cooperation reduces that likelihood of war.

What is the liberal view on the nature of world order?

They believe that a wide range of non-state actors have positive roles to play- IGOs and NGOs.

What is the liberal view surrounding IGOs?

They believe that IGOs offer a forum for conflict resolution.

What is a unipolar system?

When one state is much more powerful than all others.

What is a bipolar system?

When there are only two major powers, which are roughly equal to each other, with no other potential rivals.

What is a multipolar system?

When there are lots of states and actors competing for power.

Define soft power?

It is making others think that they want what you want.

Define hard power?

It is the ability to make others do what you want, often through threat.

In what forms can soft power come in?

• Relational power- historical relationships (the UK and the US have historically have resources in common).

• Cyber power- the ability of the internet to influence change.

• Social and cultural influences.

• Economic power- as states become more economically interdependent, the risk of conflict decreases.

In what forms can hard power come in?

• Having a strong military.

• Sanctions are an important hard power threat.

What is smart power?

It is a balance between hard and soft power.

Why do realists believe that it is important to try and gain more power as a state?

Because having more power than other states means that in an anarchial world order, states cannot trust each other and cannot rely on other states to help them.

What do liberals believe about hard power?

They believe that smart and soft power should be the first option, and hard power should only be the last resort. They believe that hard power is counterproductive.

Examples of the US’s soft power:

• The administration of Donald Trump.

• On social media, American embassies celebrate things such as gender, racial and cultural diversity, and publicise the success stories of individual immigrants.

Example of China’s soft power:

• The Chinese higher education system has been internationalised by recruiting foreign students and scholars.

Examples of hard power:

• The US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.

• The Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Blair taking action in Iraq in 2003.

Why do realists believe that conflict is inevitable?

Because they believe that human nature is selfish and that due to the anarchial world order, there is no authority capable of preventing conflict.

What does our world power distribution currently look like?

There is an increasingly multipolar distribution of power, with the US, China and Russia all competing for influence.

How did the liberal world come about?

Due to world wars and the great depression.

Give some examples of liberal institutions:

• UN

• The World Bank

• The World Trade Organisation

• The International Monetary Fund

What is a challenge in the liberal world order?

Countries are becoming less democratic or have a floored democracy.

What is the liberal view regarding NGOs?

They hold a positive view on NGOs. They consider them important actors in global governance, development, and promotion of human rights, democracy, and cooperation. They believe that NGOs contribute to a more interconnected international order.

What is the realist view regarding NGOs?

They place more emphasis on NGOs than IGOs because IGOs are too spread out.

What is the liberal view on international law?

They believe that global politics and world order should be based on clearly agreed international rules. They believe that these can help hold states accountable for their actions.

What is the realist view on international law?

They are sceptical of the effectiveness of international law. They believe that power trumps law.

What is the liberal view on democracy?

They believe that it plays a key role in keeping states safe and peaceful. They think that democratic states are less likely to fight.

What is the realist view on democracy?

Their perspectives on democracy are sceptical and pragmatic rather than realistic. This is because they prioritise power and national interest.

What is the liberal view on international trade?

They believe that it is a good thing as it binds states together, making conflict less likely.

What is the realist view of international trade?

They believe that states are the ‘building blocks’ of the global system of international trade.

What is complex interdependence and what is its significance to the liberal idea of the likelihood of conflict?

It’s the idea that states and their fortunes are linked. For example, and economic crisis in one state has the potential to impact other states because economies are tied together through trade. Complex interdependence makes conflict less likely.

What is globalisation and what is its impact economically, politically, and socially?

It is the process where the world becomes interconnected and interdependent. It helps increase trade and development and create more jobs. Globalisation has increased the power of the international institutions such as the UN. Globalisation facilitates the exchange of cultural ideas, traditions and music.

What is the security dilemma?

It is where actions taken by a state to increase its own security cause reactions from other states, which consequently decreases the original states security.

What is the balance of power?

In order to make sure that there isn’t one unipolar system, you want to have balance over key issues e.g. limits om nuclear weapons for countries.

List 4 realism thinkers:

• Kenneth Waltz

• Hans Morgenthau

• Stephen Walt

• John Mearsheimer

Give some key information about the realist thinker Kenneth Waltz.

• the international system is anarchic- there is no higher control authority that can enforce rules over individual states.

• States act on the basis of self-help= they operate with the aim of survival and their interactions with other states reflect their desire to survive.

• The structure only changes if great powers take actions that will lead to change. However, most states don’t have power to change the structure.

• He wrote the ‘Theory of International Politics’

Key information about the realist thinker Hans Morgenthau.

• He wrote ‘Politics Among Nations’

• He is a classical realist.

• Believes that humans are naturally selfish and will always try to dominate.

• He is considered one of the founding fathers of the realist school in the 20th century. This school of thought holds that nation-states are the main actors in international relations.

• He empathised that importance of the national interest.

Key information about the realist thinker, Stephen Walt.

• He wrote ‘The Origins of Alliances’

• He is a prominent American political scientist and one of the most influential figures in the school of thought.

• His work is associated with defensive realism.

• Key ideas= aggregate power, geographic proximity, offensive capabilities, and perceived intentions.

Key information about the realist thinker, John Mearsheimer.

• He wrote ‘The Tragedy of Great Power’

• The international system is anarchic (there is no authority that exists above the states to arbitrate their conflicts).

• All states have some military capability (however limited).

• States can never fully ascertain the intentions of other states.

• States value survival above all else.

• States are rational actors that seek to promote their own interests.