International Relations Final Review and Exam Preparation

Exam Structure:
- Total Duration: 2 hours and 10 minutes.
- Question Format: Three questions total.
- Mark Allocation: Each question is worth 10 marks.
- Suggested Timing: Students should aim for approximately 40 minutes per answer.
- Constraint: The exam must be written by hand in cursive script.
Exam Content Strategy: The exam is not looking for a list of references. Instead, it seeks a demonstration of acquired knowledge, understanding, and the ability to apply that understanding to specific examples.

Topic Origin: Based on the first weeks of the course and the first assignment.
Core Concepts:
- Defining "security" and what it means within international politics.
- Identifying different types of security beyond just physical safety.
- Establishing how the definition of security has evolved for the post-school cohort.

The Four Core Theories:
- Liberal Internationalism: Focuses on cooperation and international institutions.
- Marxism: Views the international system through the lens of a global class of capital owners. It argues that the proletariat (the working class) has been exported globally (e.g., both American and Iranian proletariat). Marxists critique the focus on sovereign states as the primary units of analysis.
- Constructivism: Suggests the international structure is "analog" rather than strictly hierarchical. It focuses on ideas, norms, and identities. For example, constructivists argue that the threat from Iran is not necessarily a systemic reality but something the international society has decided to interpret based on behavior and norms.
- Realism: Views the international structure as anarchic with no "stopping power" to prevent states from threatening each other.
  - Defensive Realism: States are "security seeking."
  - Offensive Realism: States are "power seeking" (as discussed by John Mearsheimer).
The Security Dilemma: The concept that when one state increases its defensive capabilities, it poses a potential threat to others, leading to decreased security for neighbors, arms races, or pre-emptive strikes.
Modern Examples of Power-Seeking States: The speaker and students identified the US, Russia, Israel, and potentially China as examples of modern power-seeking states under a realist lens.

The Concept of the Sovereign State: The idea of a sovereign nation-state is relatively new. Examples include Pakistan (formed after WWII), Jordan, and various African colonies. The United States was also mentioned in this context of state formation.
Historical Shifts: After the Cold War ended in 1990–1991, academic paradigms shifted. Previously, realists focused on the "good guys" (West) versus "bad guys" (USSR/China).
Clash of Civilizations: Mention of Samuel Huntington’s paper, described by the speaker as famous but viewed through a modern lens as having racist undertones.
State Incentives: A key takeaway for students was understanding the internal and external incentives that lead states to form agreements with some nations while treating others as rivals.

9/11 and the War on Terror: Discussed as an example of "othering," where the Bush administration justified the intervention in Afghanistan by framing Islam/terrorism as a singular threat.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Mention of the terminology used by the Kremlin, such as "Special Military Operation" versus "War." The speaker suggested looking up the "Puppet Regime" social media account for satirical takes on world leaders as puppets or high school students.
Cryptocurrency and Counter-Terrorism Financing:
- Cryptocurrency wallets provide anonymity, making them difficult to track until converted into "fiat money" (printed currency).
- Banks now require strict 100-point identity checks driven by anti-money laundering laws.
- Example: A journalist in the Donbas region had to buy a car with Bitcoin to escape Ukraine when the war started because traditional transport was unavailable.
Counter-insurgency Tactics:
- The speaker contrasted US tactics in Afghanistan (storming houses, which creates fear and resentment) with the British experience in the Malaya and Bolivia insurgencies.
- The British success was attributed to living with villagers and building rapport rather than using purely escalatory force.
Local Infrastructure: A mention of a quarantine center in North Perth, Western Australia, which was funded by taxes but went unused post-COVID; it is now being considered for alternative housing.

RAF Career: The speaker served as an officer in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Cold War.
The Impact of Geopolitics on Careers: After university, he signed for a six-year commission. To go overseas to Sri Lanka in 1990, he was required to sign for a full 16-year career. However, once the Cold War ended, the RAF downsized significantly—reducing from 92,000 active members to 44,000—and his extension was rejected as his role was no longer needed.

University Value: The speaker emphasized that the primary differentiator for a university graduate is the capacity for critical thinking—questioning evidence, checking sources, and understanding the ontology (how one views the world) and epistemology (how one gains knowledge) of a claimant.
Social Media Narratives: Critical thinking is essential to navigate narratives from influencers, journalists, and conspiracy theorists.
AI and Consultancy Scandals: Mention of McKinsey & Company (one of the "Big Four") having to return hundreds of millions of dollars after finding that management consultants used generative AI to write reports for government entities. The AI-generated content included inaccurate citations and data. This has created a new industry focused on the "critical appraisal of AI."