Comparative Theories Flashcards
define realism
a wide school of thought in international relations, theory that has a belief that world politics will remain a field of conflict among actors pursing power
Thucydides said “the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accept what they have to accept”
key themes in realism
- states are key actors as they have most authroories not MNCs etc= Brexit showed UK choice overruled EU agreement
- humans are security maximisers and self-interested
= Brexit, Crimea annexation 2014 and US withdrawal Paris agreement 2017 - Hobbes view of inevitable war as ‘state of nature is a war against all’
- international anarchy means war is inevitable
= morality changes nothing e.g. Iraq invasion 2003
= pessimistic view of HN= all selfish - security dilemma= when one state increases power in response to threat, prompts other states to do same
= Cold War 1947-1991 - billiard model= shell of sov= clash w other nations until strongest wins
- Kissinger= ultra realist= shouldn’t rely on emotions to make best decision e.g. Afghan
describe classical realism
- drive for power dominates fundamental human traits
= self interested behaviour of states reflects our HN - Machiavelli said responsible rulers always try to seek adv and defend interests of their state
= states should know when to act as a lion or fox in order to defend their state
describe structural realism (defensive)
- international relations is a struggle for power but not due to HN= structure of state determines our actions
- Waltz= power is a means to end of security= focus on security not power maximisation
- bipolar systems are more stable than multipolar systems
= prefer anarchical and structural
offensive realism
- mearesheimer said Waltz was wrong= states max power not security
- argued ideal share position is to be global hegemony of world system
- mearesheimer said US overreached its relations with NATO in 1990= would be better to maintain regional hegemony
Neoclassical realism
- what happens inside domestic state has influence on foreign policy behaviour
= domestic politics, institutions, and the preferences of key decision-makers within a state also shape its foreign policy choices - ## emphasis on the importance of power, the anarchical nature of the international system, and the self-interested behaviour of states
criticisms of realism
- overly simple= increase of international organisations are fundamental to understanding international affairs
- not just about states but ALSO about how humans are cooperative as well as competitive
- underplays importance of globalisation= think its just state maxing global power through sift power
- some states are security systems e.g. EU have shared arrest warrant warrant= ignore realist principles
describe Waltz (defensive realist)
- bipolarity is more stable than multipolarity
- 2 major powers can negotiate stability easier than many competing powers
- Anarchy is international system= no central authority above nation-state level
describe Morgenthau (classical realist)
- political man is a naturally selfish creature and will always try to dominate power over others
- moral considerations in global politics are less important than national interest
describe mearesheimer (offensive realist)
- conflict and competition for power between great powers will continue
- states are trying to secure hegemony= want to dominate all other states within a region
define liberalism
state interests in global politics are linked and interdependent= best advanced through states cooperating w each other and w intergovernmental organisations in order to reach common political objectives
core assumptions of liberalism
- decline in conflict= everyone wants an end to the war through soft power= EU peace building and UN etc
- rise of democracy, HRs and world trade needs to be spread around the world= rise of democracy in Zambia and Ghana
- optimistic of HN= ppl can cooperate and be empathetic to other nation states= EU and UN increases cooperation between states and Paris Climate Agreement 2015
- possibility for harmony and balance in world order= optimistic HN= cooperative
= nation states will be equal w each other
= emerging powers like China, India, Brazil etc
= supported by classical liberal Locke - complex interdependence= all invested in each nation states= won’t cut each other off
= world trade 2008 financial crisis and COVID-19 - states are becoming less important as international organisations gains more power= states pool sov to enter IGO= UN has more members, WTO, EU etc
- cobweb model= complex= if one fails they all fail= need to help each other
- states become less important due to independence= KANTIAN TRIANGLE
= Kant
describe interdependence liberalism
- if there’s more transnational relationships between countries= more interdependence
- industrial countries find military force less beneficial than trade= Germany and Japan success is based off their identity as ‘trading states’ e.g. volkswagon
- modern liberal economies create division of labour= discourage violent conflict and decrease risk of arms races
describe republican liberalism
- liberal democracies more peaceful and law abiding than other political systems= democracies don’t go to war a each other (Kant)
- after Cold War number of democracies expanded, liberals expected more peaceful world
- Fukuyama= ‘end of history’= Berlin Wall fell
- liberal democracies created ‘zones of peace’= North America, Japan and Europe
describe institutional liberalism
- international institutions help promote cooperation between states= high levels of institutionalisation will significantly decrease destabilising effects of multipolar anarchy
- IGOs create trust by providing flow of info and decrease fear between states
- IGOs help countries monitor compliance and agreement with one another= NATO, EU, UN, WHO
realist vs liberal opinion of state and globalisation
REALIST
- globalisation is nothing new and its extent has been exaggerated
- state continues to be most important actor internationally
= spread of US hegemony= state still sov
- states have promoted globalisation to further their own interests
= Bretton woods system helps US exports and expands American soft power
= Washington consensus= NGO doesn’t have power over state= promotes Neo-liberal trade and privatisation
- greater interdependence will lead to ‘mutual vulnerability’ e.g. brexiteers feared UK being dragged down by EU
LIBERAL
- globalisation is leading the declining importance of the state= leading to rise of supranational organisation like EU and UN
- globalisation is in everyone’s interests= international cooperation helps improve quality and reduce prices= economic interdependence spreads ideas like HRs and democracy= EU and BRICS
- globalisation promotes economic, political and cultural interdependence which leads to peace and cooperation= UN and IMF helps develop impoverished countries= lead them to democracy
realist vs liberal opinion of order, security and conflict
REALIST
- conflict is unavoidable due to HN and structure of global politics
= Russia invasion on Ukraine= humans want security and power= Ukraine was threatened so it joined NATO which Putin didn’t want
- IGOs are merely tools of state power= UNSC has 5 permanent members who have veto power= can easily control agenda= Russia able to stop UNSC from stopping war
- conflict is sometimes necessary to defend a state’s interests or increase a state’s power= US and western allies invasion of Iraq to protect themselves from WMDs 2003
= Russian annexation of Crimea to gain access to warm water port 2014
LIBERAL
- conflict can be avoided with changes to structure of global politics
= SALT 1+2 1969, restricted amount go ballistic missiles= each country could hold= better their relations
- IGOs create a forum for dialogue and conflict resolution= G20 and G7 allow for open discussion on issues that can decrease tensions= UN allows 193 countries to be listened to and have differing views on issues
- economic interdependence reduced likelihood of state conflict
= this is based on specialisation and comparative adv found within free market capitalism
= 2/3 of world trade w China= unlikely to ever go to war w them
= EU-free trade and no wars
- see power as a tool for achieving broader goals of economic growth, climate change etc
= benefit and achieve mutual gains
realist vs liberal opinion on global governance
REALIST
- skeptical that international organisations can create global governance
= states won’t cooperate because they’re competing for power
= that’s where there are so many failures in UN peacekeeping e.g. UN peacekeepers in Haiti 2017 carried out sexual exploitation and abuse on local women who were vulnerable due to poverty and hunger
- growth of international organisations are undesirable because they undermine state sov e.g. euro-skepticism
= ICC overstepping by calling Netanyahu to court when Israel isn’t part of ICC
= decrease and violate state sov
- powerful states can use international organisations to promote their own national interests= US domination of WB, IMF and NATO
= Trump said every state must contribute 2% in his first term
LIBERAL
- global governance can be achieved through international organisations which can produce peace and cooperation throughout the world
= UNSC intervention in Libya, UN peacekeeper troops on Lebanon help peace w Hezbollah threatening
- states co-operate because its in their interests to do so
= helps explain the growth in the number of international organisations
= US engages in IMF and WB= gain structural power and economic power from it= spread neoliberal values
- international organisations promote complex interdependence by enforcing rules which prevent states from ‘free-riding’ or deflecting
= EU governance and to be NATO member, each country must pay minimum 2% of their GDP
describe anarchical society by Bull
- created by Oxford professor Hedley Bull
= believes international system is inherently anarchical as there is no overreaching global authority or sov body to regulate behaviour of states
= backed by REALISTS who see anarchy as a defining characteristic of international relations
= states are sov, individual entities free to act in own interest wo legal compulsion of a higher authority - anarchy doesn’t necessarily lead to conflict or war as states are rational and acknowledge need to survive
describe society of states
- made by Bull- states realise they have common interest of benefits from working together
- even in an anarchical international system there can be cooperation, order and rules
