International Relations Theory Flashcards
Hans Morgenthau (1948) politics is governed by egoist and power-seeking human nature
Classical Realism
Kenneth Waltz (2013): int. anarchy, not evil human nature, explains a state’s fierce competition with one another
Neoclassical Realism (Structural)
John Mearsheimer (2001) States engage in power maximization to ensure security
Offensive Realism
States only aim for the preservation of status quo via balancing
Defensive Realism
Power differentials among states (rich vs. poor; more weapons vs. less weapons)
Balance of Power
entered by states in need for security from powerful states
Form Alliances - Asymmetrical
between states of similar power with mutual benefits, commitments and threats
Form Alliances - Symmetrical
diversifying security options to protect sovereign state from future threats
Hedging
dependency to an ally, as in passing of responsibilities
Buckpassing
weaker states aligning with stronger states and reaping the benefits of being with them.
Bandwagoning
Presents an optimistic view on politics as not inherently full of conflict and violence. Rather, peace and security are plausibly attainable
Liberalism
explores the roles of capitalism and globalization in embracing unwar like dispositions
Peace via Trade
if all are democratic, there’ll be less war
Democratic Peace
informal and formal (Multi-organizations: UN & IMF)
Peace via Institutions
Economic and international benefits of free trade leads to mutual benefit and general prosperity amongst states
Commercial Liberalism
Immanuel Kant’s “perpetual peace”: highlights the benefits of republican (rather than monarchial) government and its linkages to democracy and peace in the international system
Republican Liberalism
Emphasized the role of institutions in the realization of liberal principles and goals in anarchic setup thru cooperation, managing conflicts, reducing uncertainty, and paths to peace
Neoliberal Institutionalism
There is an intrinsic link between peace and democracy, in particular that democratic states do not got to one with another
Democratic Peace Thesis
taking risks in policy decision making due to lack of information on cooperation matters
Imperfect Information
Possibility of violating agreements or norms for relative gains, rather t han absolute gains
Cheating
Some states cooperate based on benefits they can get without sharing fair contributions and relying on buckpassing
Free Riding
World Politics is “state constructed” through their images of reality, consensual definitions of change and identity, and interactions with their environment
Constructivism
influence how states perceive the world and its affairs
Ideas
Alexander Wendt (2013): Social structures, norms and intersubjectivity resulted in the collective identity formation.
Social Constructivism
Ideas and Identities as influenced in part by independent actors through respective dialogue at home and within the int. community
Agent-Oriented Constructivism
Cynthia Weber: Power dynamics and social hierarchies influence the construction of identities and norms
Critical Constructivism
Michael Foucault: emphasized the role of language discourse and narratives in constructing state identities and global norms
Post-Structural Constructivism
norm entrepreneurs (individuals or groups) advocate or lobby for new ideas and standards to diffuse in society
Norm Emergence
As more actors embrace the norm as it spreads and become more institutionalized
Norm Cascade
The norm becomes a common place of something legitly part of society that it is no longer questioned
Norm Internalization
