major theories

realism — morgenthau

• 1945 — derived from hobbes, human nature is bad ⇒ all states are unitary actors

  • act in singular national self-interest

• relative gains (power must be taken, it doesn’t appear from nowhere; bigger slice of pie)

  • “power over”

• anarchy (no central government)

• power/balance of power

• security dilemma

  • arms race

• hard power

• failure: vietnam war ⇒ not unitary actors, more to power than hard power

  • paradox of unrealized power: significant power that can’t be exercised

neorealism — waltz

• 1979 — waltz theory of international politics

  • world system theory

  • balancing, polarity

    • bipolar system during cold war ⇒ more stable (two top powers didn’t fight)

    • multipolarity, bipolarity, unipolarity

    • modern day: regional polarity

• states seek power and security in international system

• still anarchic system

liberalism — wilson

• states largely cooperate with each other (complex interdependence)

• absolute gains (cooperation leads to gains for everyone; bigger total pie)

  • “power to”

• accomplished through international organizations (IOs) that foster trade etc.

• cooperation & collective goods lead to the free rider problem

  • carrot vs stick approach

  • reciprocity & norms of the international system (carrot) vs sanctions/invasions/etc. (stick)

  • forms international regime eg. climate change (UN, NGOs, interest groups, states, citizens, scientists, professors, etc.) structures approach to world problems

• failure: viewed as too optimistic

neoliberalism — koehane & nye

• 1971 — koehane & nye transnational relations & world politics

  • international political economy (IPE) ⇒ more interconnected post WWII

  • coined “complex interdependence”

agreements between realism and liberalism

• states are primary actors, but others within and outside of states exist and impact

• states act in their own self-interest, but not at all costs (place for IOs in solving global conflicts)

• international system is in anarchy, but there are norms and constraints that many states abide by

• both are very western/white/male philosophies ⇒ should be taken into consideration (see constructivism)

alternative theories

constructivism

• created by postmodernism ⇒ deconstruction, postcolonialism; predominantly english ideal

• narratives, identities being socially constructed, connected to larger theories

• alex wendt — “agency of actors”

• develops ideals (listed above) into IR theory

  • look at developments within states, how that informs leaders’ actions in IR

• not just states ⇒ how states’ actions are shaped by occurrences within them

  • affected by norms of individual states, shared experiences

• UNDERSTANDING ACTORS HELPS INFORM US ON THEIR ACTIONS

  • examining underlying factors and events

• interconnected actors ⇒ transnational networks and their impact on IR

• failure: tends to be too descriptive (can describe and inform but not lead to conclusions)

feminism

• difference theory: there are inherent differences between men and women and how they’re viewed in the international system

  • eg. private vs. public spheres

  • essentialism — essential roles & differences between men and women

• liberal theory: women act no differently in men’s roles than men (no inherent difference)