Globalizing World - theories

Question 1

What do different theories disagree on?

Answer 1

The different theories disagree on…
… who the actors are
… what drives action
… whether cooperation is possible

Question 2

Why do realists call themselves like that?

Answer 2

Because they claim to look at the world as it is rather than as it should be

Question 3

What are the main concepts of realism?

Answer 3

💥 Anarchy
🚩 Statism
💪 Power
💅 Self-help
👤 Human nature

Question 4

Explain anarchy

Answer 4

Lack of international government => states have to accumulate power to guarantee their survival

Question 5

Explain statism

Answer 5

1) The states are the main actors
2) International institutions are of secondary importance because their powers are framed by the states

Question 6

Explain self-help

Answer 6

1) The states cannot trust each other
2) Have to rely exclusively on themselves to guarantee their survival

Question 7

What are the three types of realism? Explain.

Answer 7

Classical realism (Morgenthal)
Reason why states seek power related to human nature

Neo-realism/structural realism (Waltz)
States’ actions must be explained by anarchy (“structure of international scene) rather than human nature
NR can be subdivided into 2 currents (see other card)

Neo-classical realism
Takes into account both human nature & structure
Takes into account what happens within the states

Question 8

What are two subdivisions of structural realism? Explain.

Answer 8

Defensive realism
Balance of powers
Increase in power aims for balance

Offensive realism (Mearsheimer)
Increase power beyond what is needed to guarantee security

Question 9

What are the two types of balance of power?

Answer 9

External balancing
Creating alliance in order to balance out powerful countries
Risk: other countries cannot be trusted

Internal balancing
Increasing defense power

Question 10

Explain the security dilemma

Answer 10

1) You arm to increase your power
2) Other countries don’t want you to become to powerful so they arm as well

Consequence: more security = less security (congrats, you fucked up ✨)

Question 11

Explain human nature

Answer 11

Humans have a constant power-seeking behaviour

Question 12

What are the main concepts of liberalism?

Answer 12

🗳️ Democracy
📈 Trade
🌍 International institutions

Question 13

What do Liberalism & Realism have in common

Answer 13

• believe in anarchy
• states pursue their own interests

Question 14

What are the main claims of Liberalism?

Answer 14

1) Change is possible
2) Cooperation is possible
3) More actors are relevant
4) More power sources are relevant
5) Globalisation = increased interdependence

Question 15

Who are relevant actors according to Liberalism?

Answer 15

🚩 States
🕯️NGOs
🌍 IGOs
🪧 Popular movements
💰 Companies

Question 16

What alternatives does Liberalism see to hard power?

Answer 16

Soft power
Persuasion (through culture/diplomacy)

Bargaining power
Also gives smaller states a chance to prevail

Question 17

How are state preferences shaped (Liberalism)?

Answer 17

Who?
Civil society orgs
Public opinion
Lobby groups

Why?
If state doesn’t respect those preferences, will lose votes

Further info
The more democratic, the more these preferences are taken into account

Question 18

How do state preferences shape the international scene? (lib.)

Answer 18

Preferences converge
Increases likelihood of cooperation & peaceful coexistence

Preferences diverge
Increases likelihood of conflict

Question 19

What is the idea behind the “two level game”?

Answer 19

State preferences are shaped by:
1) Domestic politics
2) International scene

Question 20

Why do states collaborate? (lib.)

Answer 20

Positive-sum game
N’en déplaise aux réalistes

Shadow of the future
You might need them lateron

International institutions
Overcome costs of collaboration

Question 21

What are barriers to cooperation?

Answer 21

ℹ️ Lack of info abt state pref
🫠 Fear of defections by other states
⚖️ Asymetrical interdependence
🐀 Free-riders pbm
💸 High costs of cooperation

Question 22

What are some critiques of liberal institutionalism?

Answer 22

Overemphasis on international orgs
Inefficient dispute-setting mechanisms, Trump withdrawing…

Neo-Marxist critique
Western values - oppress Global South, perpetuate inequalities

Post-colonial critiques
Paternalistic (impose values), meddle in other countries’ affairs (“democracy-promotion”)

Question 23

Define
1) International institutions
2) International regimes
3) International organisations

Answer 23

1) International institutions
Overarching framework for interactions among states & other actors

2) International regimes
Norms/rules within an issue area

3) International organisations
Formal entities that facilitate cooperation

Question 24

Explain the tragedy of the commons (lib.)

Answer 24

Countries are best off if they can unilaterally defect BUT if both defect then there is no agreement

Question 25

Why is democracy an essential peace-keeping tool? (lib.)

Answer 25

• Tradition of peaceful conflict-solving
• Have same values
• Checks & balances: leaders held accountable

Question 26

Why is trade an essential peace-keeping tool? (lib.)

Answer 26

• Interdependence
• Cultural exchange = better mutual understanding

Question 27

Why are international institutions an essential peace-keeping tool? (lib.)

Answer 27

Different ways of promoting peace, including:
- Norms
- Mediation
- Information

Reduce costs of collaboration by providing a framework

Question 28

How does the likelihood of a conflict evolve according to the type of rule?

Answer 28

Democracy-democracy
Least likely to have a conflict

Autocracy-autocracy
More likely to have a conflict

Democracy-autocracy
Most likely to have a conflict

Question 29

What are the two conceptions regarding peace & democracy?

Answer 29

Monadic
“Democracies are more peaceful”
No evidence

Dyadic
“Democracies don’t go to war with each other”
More evidence, since powerful democracies (aka les US) try to “spread democracy” (mdr)

Question 30

What are the main differences between Realism & Liberalism?

Answer 30

Anarchy
R: national interests always prevail
L: cooperation is possible

Actors
R: states
L: states, companies, citizens

Drivers
R: survival
L: personal advantage (sought through peace => dem, trade, IGOs)

Main claim
R: describe world as it is, don’t seek to fix it
L: describe how the world should be, seek to mitigate it

States
R: all states work the same way, regardless of their gov
L: autocratic regimes more aggressive than democratic ones

Question 31

What are the key assumptions of social constructivism?

Answer 31

1) World is not only shaped by brute force, but also by ideas (change the way in which you interpret information)

2) Actors do not only behave in accordance with cost-benefit calculations, but also according to norms

Question 32

What is the social constructivist vision of power?

Answer 32

Not only material but also normative (power to impose ideas and values)

Question 33

What are the main concepts of social constructivism (& their explanation)?

Answer 33

Idealism
Ideas also shape the world (not only brute force)

Holism
It is not possible to divide the world into actors (like other theories do) since every action is the result of countless interactions

Question 34

What does social constructivism say regarding: actors, drivers & collaboration?

Answer 34

Actors
Society (norms shaped through interaction)

Drivers
Unlike realism/liberalism: there is no common driver for all actors

Collaboration
Whether or not collaboration is possible depends on how the other is perceived according to your norms

Question 35

What do the different theories say as to what shapes decision-making?

Answer 35

Logic of consequence
(Materialist rationality)
Cost-benefit calculation shape action (more realist/liberal view)

Logic of appropriateness
(Ideational rationality)
Actors also take what is seen as right/wrong into account (more social constructivist view)

Question 36

What are the two types of norms?

Answer 36

Constitutive norms
Create a certain behaviour (eg. rules of chess)

Regulative norms
Regulate a behaviour that would exist even without those rules (eg. arriving to classes on time)

Question 37

What are the three steps that lead to the acceptance of a norm?

Answer 37

Norm emergence
Normative entrepreneur (not necessarily a person) calls for attention on a specific issue

Norm cascade
Norm spreads from the entrepreneur to other ppl

Norm internalisation
Norm is no longer a matter of debate

Question 38

Do all norms go through all 3 stages?

Answer 38

No, some don’t (eg. post Cold-War democratisation of Russia: norm has not be internalised)

+ being internalised does not prevent a norm from being challenged again

Question 39

What irrational guidelines shape behaviour according to social constructivism?

Answer 39

Social facts
Ideas that are taken for granted even though their existence depends on whether or not they are accepted
(eg. money, sovereignty)
*(≠ brute facts)

Practices
Socially meaningful patterns of action
(shows you know “how things should be done”)

Question 40

Does social constructivism consider the world’s structure as something permanent?

Answer 40

NO

What is could not have been and could not be in the future (on dirait du sun tzu lol)

≠ other theories

Question 41

What are some criticisms of social constructivism?

Answer 41

1) Difficult to make predictions & empirical observations

2) Everything can be explained according to the theory, depending on how you twist it (diminishes its value)

Question 42

Is post-colonialism a theory? If not, why?

Answer 42

No, its scholars only criticise existing theories

Theories ask questions abt the world, post-colonialism asks questions abt the theories

Question 43

What are the main criticisms of post-colonialism?

Answer 43

Theories are not objective & not neutral (created by the West for the West)

Because…
… they are Western-centric & irrelevant for global south
… still repeat patterns that are colonial (see next card)
… leaves GS perspective out (Cold War: what abt Vietnam, Korea, etc???)

Question 44

Give examples in which theories repeat colonial patterns

Answer 44

🎭 Developed/developing
🚩 Nation-state = default unit
🗳️ Everybody strives for same values
⚖️ Democracies = more peaceful

Question 45

What do post-colonialists criticize about realism?

Answer 45

Anarchy
Justifies colonialism: stronger states dominate weaker ones

Values
No space for morality: just “the world as it is”

Power-focused
Only take big states into account; GS only seen as source of problems

Question 46

What do post-colonialists criticise about liberalism?

Answer 46

Paternalism
GS states seen as “catching up with the West”

International institutions
Heavily dominated by the West

Democracies
Seen as only valid system
Not necessarily more peaceful (see post-colonial Africa)

Question 47

What do post-colonialists criticise about social constructivism?

Answer 47

Norms
Focus on how they were created, but do not challenge them