International Relations Notes

What is IR?

International Relations (IR): Interactions among states.
States are the main actors in the international arena.
This has come increasingly into question given the emergence of other international actors.
IR is the study of all interactions across national borders between international actors and the factors that affect those interactions.
States are not the only actors.

International interactions: Mutual or reciprocal actions and reactions between international actors across national borders.
Various forms of interactions: political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental.
Focus: Political interactions & the politics of other interactions.
Interactions among states include war, diplomacy, trade, migration, alliances, cultural exchanges, and so forth.
IR is a mix of conflict and cooperation.
- Signing a peace treaty or Free Trade Agreement is a cooperative interaction.
- The severance of diplomatic relations is a conflictive interaction.
IR is about international politics: the decisions of governments (and other international actors) concerning their actions toward other governments (or other actors).
Distinction/overlap between international politics and domestic politics.

International Actor: Any unit or entity that has the ability to shape or influence the course of world politics.
Number of actors: numerous, proliferated.
The set of actors involved in international politics expanded and became more varied.
Types of actors: many and different international actors like states and non-states.
States are not the only actors.

The study of IR means describing, analyzing, explaining, and probably predicting international interactions/phenomena.
Various factors could affect international relations, such as:
- Geography
- Large population
- Economic Resources
- Military Force
- Form of government (whether democratic or authoritarian)
- Personal characteristics of political leaders
- Public opinion
IR is a multi-causality or multi-factor phenomenon.
- Many and different factors could explain international interactions/ phenomena.
- E.G. Gaza Conflict (2023–2025): historical conflict, religious value, great powers interests, regional politics, internal escalation).

Multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary in scope: IR is a large subject that overlaps several other fields: political science, economics, history, culture, sociology, and others.
The Syrian Civil War example:
- Political Science: Government repression, foreign intervention (Russia, U.S., Iran, Turkey).
- Economics: Collapse of economy, war economy, aid dependency.
- History: Legacy of colonial borders, Ba'athist rule, sectarian tensions.
- Sociology: Refugee crisis, ethnic and sectarian identity (Sunni, Alawite, Kurdish).
- Law: War crimes, Geneva Conventions, refugee law.
- Culture/Religion: Role of Islam and ethnic minorities in conflict dynamics.

Domestic politics: Interactions within states.
International Relations (IR): Interactions among states.
International relations differ from domestic politics due to international anarchy.

International Anarchy: There is no world government to force states to obey international laws.
There is no final/ central power or government that puts rules and enforces rules on actors.
No authority above the state.
State must rely on self-help.
Anarchy does not mean chaos or constant violence.
Anarchy is the principal condition in the international system, and international relations is wilder and more complex than domestic politics as a result.

Sovereignty means that foreign powers have no ability to interfere with what happens within your borders.
Just because a nation is legally sovereign does not mean it controls its own turf, and sovereignty does not automatically prevent intervention.
Small countries are routinely dominated and influenced by more powerful countries.
Sovereignty has been eroded by changes in the international order.
When sovereignty is well-established it does bring internal peace, but when dealing with other countries states still do pretty much what they want, especially if there is a difference in power between them.
Politicians successful in domestic politics sometimes struggle in international politics and the reverse is true as well.
- Johnson: Good at domestic, bad at international.
- Nixon: Good at international, bad at domestic.

Domestic politics and international politics are linked, related/ intertwined.
The line between domestic and international politics is often blurred.
Domestic factors, such as the election of a new US president, (U.S. Presidential Election → Ukraine Policy) influence international relations.(Israel–Gaza Conflict → Protests in Western Countries).
International factors, (U.S.–China Trade Policies → Domestic Economy)(Migration Crises → Domestic Political Polarization), influence domestic politics.
You can’t separate a domestic policy from its international dimensions.