Essay Questions IR 358 Flashcards
Do birds of a feather flock together?
this quote seems to ask if entities ally together due to similarities?
my answer is no.
Globalization: Economic interdependence and transnational issues (e.g., climate change, terrorism) force cooperation beyond ideological or cultural similarities.
Diverging Domestic Agendas: Even similar states may clash if their interests diverge (e.g., US-EU tensions over trade policies).
- Realism
Stephen Walt - defensive realist
states form balanced or band wagoned allies together due to perceived threats, not because of similarities.
Alliances are formed based off of aggregate power, offensive capabilities, geographical proximity, and offensive intentions.
EXAMPLE: in WWII, the US and USSR allied to form a Great Alliance and to win the war.
Mearsheimer: offensive realist
Argues that alliances are only temporary due to the anarchic system, and that alliances have to serve in the protection and security of a state.
EXAMPLE: US/China rapprochement, then when the USSR fell, they stopped being such allies.
- Liberalism
States are allied with one another to reap the benefits of free trade.
Nye:
complex interdependence theory - indicates that transnational actors have become so susceptible to the market needs of other states, that they become reliant on them, thus, keeping dependence and a relationship.
EXAMPLE: US/China
Keohanes
hegemonic stability theory
States will form alliances with the most powerful state
Ex. Turkey being integrated into NATO 1952 - because of the Russian straits, to have power over the black sea.
Critique/ challenges to the Argument:
Constructivism: Shared norms, values, and identities foster cooperation.
Stephen walt - ideological solidarity - alliances with similar ideologies are likely to ally with each other.
Example: Democracies often form alliances due to shared political values (e.g., the EU or NATO).
Is curbing the spread of nuclear weapons easier in unipolarity, bipolarity, or multipolarity?
Eliza Gheorghe: Neorealism
Setup of international system shapes the dynamics of the nuclear market, by influencing the level of 1) supplier competition 2) thwarter effectiveness
- Through a unipolar system because the hegemon can regulate the market to curb proliferation
- More competition between suppliers makes nuclear proliferation more likely, but if the thwarter’s (like great powers) unite and control the market, they can slow down or prevent proliferation.
-They achieve this by forming cartels like the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which restricts the sale of sensitive nuclear technologies like enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) facilities.
Example:
South Korea’s nuclear ambitions were thwarted in the 1970s due to pressure from the US on suppliers like France and Canada.
Keohane: hegemonic stability theory
When a single, dominant state (a hegemon) possesses the economic and military power to enforce rules and norms, provide public goods (e.g., security, free trade), and ensure compliance.
Example: Russia and the US got states to sign the NPT through technology sharing.
Gilpen says mulitpolar system is the most dangerous, because it leads to power stuggles, with this, scott sagan says, through constructivism, nuclear weapons = identity of power.
Example: Cold War, 3 other states got nuclear weapons
Critique:
Theory: Constructivism
In unipolarity, other states may view the hegemon’s actions as self-serving and resist its dominance, undermining nonproliferation efforts.
EXAMPLE
US Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal (2018):
Unilateral U.S. actions under a unipolar framework weakened trust and cooperation among other powers, undermining the deal’s effectiveness.
Neorealism:
Bipolarity provides stability because the two superpowers dominate the system, reducing uncertainty.
In a bipolar system, the two poles (e.g., the U.S. and USSR during the Cold War) establish clear boundaries and focus on preventing nuclear proliferation among third parties to maintain their dominance.
Sanctions are an ineffective tool of statecraft, do you agree?
I do agree.
Theories:
Realism
Sanctions often fail because targeted states prioritize survival and sovereignty over economic losses.
States will resist coercion if their core interests (e.g., security, regime survival) are at stake.
Example: Sanctions against North Korea and Russia have not stopped their nuclear programs or military aggression, as these are viewed as vital to their national security.
Marxism/Dependency Theory - Simon Jenkins
Sanctions disproportionately harm weaker states and their populations while doing little to alter elite behavior.
Powerful states may use sanctions as tools of domination, which entrenches inequality rather than solving issues.
Example: Sanctions on Iraq in the 1990s caused widespread suffering among civilians but failed to significantly alter Saddam Hussein’s policies.
Simon Jenkins goes on to say that sanctions never result in the regime change it intends to, and in the Russia/Ukraine war, it has actually resulted in Putin becoming more liked through a stronger sense of nationalism that arises through a more solidified hatred towards the West.
Richard Connolly: on Russia/Ukraine war
- Yes, Russia’s economy has been impacted, but not severely enough, and this is just a short term effect
- the sanctions has allowed Putin to exert greater control over Russia’s economy and society
- there were also unintended consequences of the sanctions on Russia, such as higher inflation rates in the West, which in turn, can cause states to actually not support Ukraine. An example can be Trump, through the capitalist market, inflation in the west affects the US.
MORE EXAMPLES - liberal - Capitalist Peace Theory
Russia was too rich to be effected - economic nationalism - goes against the Liberal capitalist peace theory.
First sanctions on Russia was in 2004 - look at us now.
CRITIQUE
Liberalism
Economic pressure can push states to adopt behaviors that align with international norms to regain access to trade and investments. BRUCE JENTLESON
Owen Matthews* →Sanctions are a moral imperative
Anna Reed → Sanctions have significantly hampered crucial sectors like high-tech manufacturing and defense, hindering Russia’s ability to rearm.
Terrorism Cannot be defeated, agree?
damn right I agree.
FIRST:
Paul Rogers: Terrorism has two orientations:
1. Terrorism that seeks fundamental change in a state or in a society = revolutionary terrorism, may be due to political ideology or a radical position, religious reasons, or a combination thereof.
- Seeks change for an identifiable community. Separatist movements and elements of revolutionary politics.
Andrew Kydd and Barbara Walter have developed the Stratgeies used by terrorists:
- Attrition - terrorists wear down the governments by imposing really high costs until it changed it’s policies.
REALISM - cost-benefit analysis
EXAMPLE: talibans prolonged insurgency in Afghanistan exhausted US and NATO forces, leading to withdrawal. - Intimidation - Terrorists instill fear into the population, showing how their gov’t can’t protect them.
CONSTRUCTIVISM - use fear to reshape the societial norms through distrust of government
EXAMPLE: haiti earlier this year. - Provocation - gathers support through radicalizing the population
EXAMPLE: 9/11 - Iraq fueled anti-America sentiment, = more terrorist recruitments - Spoiling - terrorists undermine peace processes through making the adversary seem weak/untrustworthy
STRUCTURAL REALISM - no trust within the anarchic system
EXAMPLE: Israel/Hamas conflict - Outbidding - terrorists use violence to convince the public that they have more power to fight adversaries, thus wrothy of their support
**Paul Rogers: **
trends of how terrorism is effectively deployed now:
- the rise of media: heightened global coverage - so ahrd to control and is a great form of terrorism
EXAMPLE: ISIS internationally broadcasted the beheading of US journalist. - Suicide Terrorism - they are one of the most difficult to counter
- Internationalism - attacks can spread so quickly.
EXAMPLE: during war on terror, there were attacks in over 15 countries - Speed of learning - learning and technologies
CRITIQUE
Paul Rogers
responding to terrorism:
1. traditional counterterrorism - rooted in policing, intelligence, and security
2. overtly military - direct military action
3. Paramilitary groups - function within a broader political context, idk
example: America’s war on terrorism ended Saddam Hessein’s regime within 3 weeks.
The use of drones is unethical. discuss,
yeah, obviously it’s unethical.
JWT
MS
Ms.
Liberal
Constructivism
clash of civilizations
Huntington
civilizations: confusion, Western, Japanese, Slavic-orthodox, hindu, Islamic, Latin America, Africa
idea:
post cold war conflicts will be based upon conflicts of civilivations/cultures, not of ideologies/economics
civilization → shared cultural features like; language, religion, history, traditions.
- interactions → more severe
- Erosion of local identity → social change/ economic modernization = nation/state :(
- West → spread values like them
- economic blocs → similar civilizations
- war → support similar civilizations.
EXAMPLES
1. West v. Islam - 9/11 + Afgahanistan
2. West v. China - trade wars
3. West v. Orthodox-slavik - Ukraine/Russia
4. Hindu v. Islam - pakistan/India
Critique:
- oversimiplifies - constructivism ex. sunni v shia muslims - nested
- globalization - china/US trade - liberal
- power - realism - Tutsis/Hutus
The Most Dangerous Threat to Both Man and State is to be like a woman. Thoughts?
- what tf does this even mean?
- for man - for woman
- feminity in state
- role of women.
examples
Crtique:
liberalism - nye/keohane
realism - mearsh
is the environment a national security issue?
Dalbay - direct/indirect risks - cancers - ozone, micro plastics - fish, catastrophes, etc.
Homer-dixon:
evironmental scarcity arises from 1) environmental degragation 2) population growth 3) unequal resource distribution
3 ways environmental changes will lead to violent conflict
- decreasing the supply of resources leads to ‘simple scaricty’ conflicts
- large population movements = ethnic conflicts
- environmental scarcity = economic scarcity, will disrupt key social institutions = civil strife and insurgency
So yeah, it’s a national security issue
BUT ALSO
an international security issue
- mass refugee flows will hinder international cooperation
Critique:
- securitization
liberalism - no it’s for IOs b/c this has no borders
realism - no, focus on actual direct threats.
Ethnic Conflicts?
Stuart Kaufman
Primordialism
- ancient hatreds, cannot be changed
Instrumentalism
- arises out of crisis, ex. Yugoslavia
Constructivism
- invented traditions with identified heroes/villains to create symbols
_____________________________________________
causes of ethnic conflict?
- separatists
political power in disputed territory
domination
misconception: religious/economical
______________________________________________
TYPES:
1. riots and armed conflicts
need to have three conditions:
a) hostilities from both sides
b) leader who motivates people
c) stimuli/event = fear
- small event triggers it
- spreads like wildfire
- no formal plan
- civil wars
instrumentalist approach:
what conditions make an environment for an uprising?
- weak government, big population, rough terrain
- extremist leaders rally around the flag
social mobilization approach
How do they mobilize resources/memebrs?
- uses brokers
- use already existing platforms - religion/political parties
social psychological approach
why do people follow extremeist leaders?
- symbolic politics theory → once they see the other side as the enemy, they get hostile
ex. sudan
_____________________________________________________________________
How do civil wars end
Ethnic separation
Temporary suppression of the conflict by third party
military occupation
Reconstruction of ethnic identities
Power-sharing (consociational democracy)
State-building
