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IR100 > IR theory > Flashcards

IR theory Flashcards

1
Q

what do classical realists believe on human nature?

A

humans are self interested, and people are selfish.
but humans don’t act in a violent way to maintain self interest, rational thought

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2
Q

what do classical realists believe on state of nature and government?

A

the people in govt are self interested, the people who govern states don’t have to follow same rules of nature as there is no world govt

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3
Q

what were Hans morganthau six principles?

A

*politics governed by objective laws with roots in human nature
*national interest only pursued through power
*national interest is always central but is changeable
*moral principles should never govern state behaviour
*there is no set of universal principles for states
*international politics is separate area of study

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4
Q

how did the six principles originate?

A

not originally from western nations but in eastern culture from thousands of years ago e.g The Art of War (500BCE)

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5
Q

what is structural realism?

A

also called Neo-realism, has less emphasis on human nature and more on international anarchy

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6
Q

how has the world moved from unipolar to multipolar?

A

during the Cold War It was a bipolar world with two major superpowers (USSR and USA). post Cold War the USA was main superpower (unipolar). however with rise of china and Russia and development of nuclear weapons the world becomes multipolar

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7
Q

what is defensive realism?

A

most states are happy with the status quo, states are not naturally aggressive and only go to war to protect its own sphere of influence

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8
Q

what is offensive realism?

A

states always want more power and want to challenge the world order e.g china wanting become dominant state

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9
Q

what do realists think of nuclear weapons?

A

realists favour possessing them, if one state has them others should as it provides a strong deterrence of mutually assured destruction

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10
Q

what do offensive realists think of nuclear weapons?

A

they are more skeptical, was some states can’t be trusted to not use them e.g North Korea

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11
Q

what are the core principles of realism?

A

*statism (only states matter, not IOs or other actors)
*survival (all states do what they must to defend themselves)
*self help (states can ultimately rely on themselves and not other states in alliances)

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12
Q

how do realists explain why conflicts happen?

A

*in act of self defence (US and Afghanistan after 9/11)
*because a state wants to gain an advantage (Russia and Crimea 2014)
*to preempt any attack (invasion of Iraq)
*to deter others from attacking (US and Iraq 2003)
*war never occurs to help others

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13
Q

how would realism explain the war in Ukraine?

A

realists would blame NATO as Russia felt threatened, Russia objecting to NATO expansion into west, threatening their territory

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14
Q

how is Ukraine an example of self help?

A

in 1993 Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons, and was given security guarantees by other nations, yet Russia still invaded and other nations didn’t directly help

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15
Q

what is the liberal core assumption?

A

*there is a multiplicity of actors, more than just states.
*domestic policy affects world politics
*economic interdependence fosters peace (states that cooperate in trade are less likely go to war)
*national interest is not everything and key is world peace

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16
Q

what is an example of economic interdependence?

A

members of the EU have not gone to war

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17
Q

what is republican (democratic) liberalism?

A

in democracies politicians represent the whole state whereas autocracies don’t care about the people within the state.
incorporates ideas of democratic peace theory and dyadic peace

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18
Q

what is democratic peace theory?

A

built on by Immanuel kant and is the idea that liberal democracies don’t go to war. As people dislike war as they are the ones who fight it not the politicians, people elect the politicians and results in peace, this is not the same in autocracies as they are not elected.
and the dependance on trade within democracies

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19
Q

why is dyadic democratic peace?

A

peace between pair of democracies, democracies less likely to go to war due to cooperation and conflict resolution. In autocracies opponents are removed in oppressive ways

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20
Q

what is commercial liberalism?

A

liberals believe there is always enough wealth for any state that follows the rules, unlike realists who see wealth as a zero sum game and wealth is finite so should be competed for

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21
Q

what do commercial liberals believe on economy and peace?

A

economic interdependence fosters peace, free market economics brings specialised items, and going to war makes products expensive as states are dependant and so encourages contact

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22
Q

what is neoliberal institutionalism?

A

a response to neorealism, recognises anarchy as problematic, liberals can fix this through institutions and government

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23
Q

what do neoliberal institutionalists believe on organisations and peace?

A

states are rational actors, creating strong institutions can punish those who attempt to break peace and can encourage green policy.
decisions can be made through cost benefit analysis

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24
Q

how is the issue of climate change addressed in anarchic world system?

A

overuse of resources is leading to depletion and states want to use these to become more powerful

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25
Q

how do liberals address the problem of climate change?

A

Believe that international institutions can help manage anarchy and improve the climate issue.

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26
Q

how do institutions address climate change?

A

they reveal true costs of climate change, institutions can impose costs and produce incentives to make green tech cheaper

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27
Q

how would liberals explain the war in Ukraine?

A

russia has become more authoritative over time since Putin in 1999, and Ukraine become more democratic and closer to europe, Russia punishes this with bombing civilians and Ukraine acts in self defence only attacking military targets

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28
Q

how can liberalism provide solution to Ukraine war?

A

states can come together in crisis, as Putin though the invasion would drive EU apart, however this didn’t work and europe provided assistance to Ukraine at the disadvantage of their one states economically

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29
Q

what are the basic ideals of marxism?

A

history is driven by class conflict, everything happens as a result of this. oppressive structures must be dismantled

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30
Q

what is the capitalist workaround?

A

capitalists have developed a workaround as people are exploited but don’t rise up. western states turn to 3rd world countries for cheap labour to get super profits

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31
Q

what are super profits? - marxism

A

the exploitation of 3rd world countries becomes so profitable that it can be used to raise living standard of workers in the west. its used to pacify the working class

32
Q

what is the world systems theory?- marxism

A

word is divided into core and periphery countries.

33
Q

what are core countries (systems theory)?- marxism

A

countries that exploit periphery contraries for cheap labour and sell product for great profit, produce consumption goods

34
Q

what are periphery countries (systems theory)- Marxism

A

the exploited, and produce raw materials and supply cheap labour

35
Q

what are the core principles of marxism in IR?

A

*there is multiplicity of actors
*politics driven by economics, not state interests
*capitalist class knows no boarders, states can’t opt out of capitalism or it would destroy economy
*capitalism can’t be overcome without crisis
*little role for individuals

36
Q

what is critical theory?

A

unlike realism and liberalism it doesn’t provide solutions to problems but rather asks questions and criticises them for justifying oppression and hegemony

37
Q

how do marxists explain war in Ukraine?

A

post-soviet the Russian capitalist class different to the west as state owned business sold to oligarchs that rule the state, Ukrainian oligarchs align more to the west for profit and resist Russia, working people suffer

38
Q

why does capitalism need war to sustain itself?

A

war makes for good business of oil and defence companies, and since 2008 there had been large production with no one to buy it

39
Q

what is post colonialism?

A

the study of how people living in former colonies experience international relations, doesn’t imply that colonialism is no longer important

40
Q

what is orientalism?

A

Edward said: we have preconceived notion of others and this knowledge is not innocent but is an organised ideas of others that is a distorting lens

41
Q

what is an example of othering in Africa?

A

for western nations Africa is represented a needing help and victimised, defined by disaster and unable to govern themselves

42
Q

why do western nations other?

A

europe and the west define themselves against the orient and global south, as non-western as uncivilised and impulsive whereas the west is civilised and rational
defined by western superiority which justifies global inequality

43
Q

how does colonial thinking affect world policy?

A

*decision to go to war E.g Iraq war thinking that muslims are extremists
*justifying oppression and apartheid
*levels of engagement e.g west attempting to help Africa by sending money and not engaging with the issue

44
Q

how is orientalism not just stereotyping?

A

whilst stereotyping id often ignorance, racism/orientalism is consciously created and designed to justify oppression

45
Q

what are the key elements of post colonialism?

A

*knowledge is not objective (history shaped by the powerful)
*the world is hierarchal not anarchic
*the world doesn’t exist independently of us, it is a social construct
*there is more than one version of history
*main cause of exploitation is belief other nations are inferior
*inequality isn’t accidental

46
Q

what are the long term consequences of colonialism?

A
  1. arbitrary boarders
  2. colonial rule encouraged authoritarianism
  3. colonial rulers made media suppression, martial laws and violence the norm
  4. access to cheap resources
  5. industrialisation
  6. western funding for science, art and literature from slavery
  7. west overtakes every other region
47
Q

how does postcolonialism explain the war in Ukraine?

A

imperialism is a driver of conflict, USSR was the coloniser which ruled many until it collapsed but Russia still occupied large portion of the world. Russia treats Ukraine as the inferior colonised and sees themselves helping Russians not Ukrainians

48
Q

how does post colonialism explain the response to Ukraine by the west?

A

the west seems to care more about the conflict in Ukraine than other conflicts such as in Azerbaijan.
Also the intake of refugees from Ukraine is much higher than that of Syrian, as that is seen as refuge problem, but Ukraine isn’t as they are European

49
Q

what is constructivism?

A

the idea that there is a distinction between social world and physical world and there is a distinction between brute and social facts. international structures are socially constructed

50
Q

what are brute facts and social facts?

A

brute facts- things that exist in the world e.g rocks and Forrests
social facts - states don’t physically exists we create them, money is social contract as we give it value

51
Q

what are structural and ideational factors?- constructivism

A

structural factors are physical influences and ideational are things that have power because of ideas.

52
Q

what is an example of structural and ideational factors?

A

the fear of nuclear weapons, we are not scared of them if they are held by an ally but if they are held by someone untrusted we fear it

53
Q

what does constructivist theory mean for IR?

A

since international institutions are socially constructed, but they still affect people, e.g through patriarchy.
social constructs can be changed in the international system

54
Q

what do constructivists believe on human nature?

A

believe human nature is not static and can be changed, as can anarchy

55
Q

what does constructivism believe about change in the international system?

A

ideas change the world, and ideas that become norms change.
however change doesn’t always happen for the better, such as a breakdown in democracy

56
Q

what is the process of ideas and change in constructivism?

A
  1. norm emergence, start of idea
  2. norm cascade, when people believe an idea is right
  3. norm internalisation, an idea becomes so normal there is no debate or argument
    this is how change can be made
57
Q

what are the challenges of the process of change in constructivism?

A

just because something is socially constructed doesn’t mean its easy to change e.g gender norms of what girls and boys like

58
Q

how can change be taken from national to global scale? - constructivism

A

countries made up of people who share ideas and values, countries at in the international arena represent these values. countries will share these policies and accept them as norms

59
Q

why do states accept norms and ideas? - constructivism

A
  1. they want to be seen as legitimate and popular, want to be like other powerful nations
  2. adopting democracy
  3. adopting human rights
  4. refraining from using nuclear weapons
60
Q

what are the key principles of constructivism in IR?

A
  1. nation states are nor central to IR, individual actors, institutions and groups are just as important
  2. anarchy is real, but socially constructed is can change
  3. state behaviour is based on accepted norms and identities
  4. nothing is fixed in international system, they can change
61
Q

how does constructivism explain the war in Ukraine?

A

ideas shape IR: Putin is influential in driving conflict, pushing ideas of eastern slavs belonging to Russia and should bring them together.

62
Q

how does identity matter in the war in Ukraine? - constructivism

A

Ukrainians are europeans and share identity with all of Europe e.g Russia invades Georgia Europe says nothing as its not seen as Europe whereas Ukraine is seen as Europe and provoked a united response

63
Q

why does gender matter in IR? - feminism

A
  1. our sexual characteristics affect what we do
  2. society is obsessed with gender
  3. International politics is made out of people
64
Q

how did second wave feminism affect the international stage?

A

states the private in international and worked to abolish distinction between private and public sphere. private lives affect international outcome

65
Q

how does the private is international affect society?

A

examining the standard elements of conflict not enough, to understand fully must looks at other factors:
1. those who organise at home
2. refugees
3. sexual violence in war

66
Q

what is one problem identified by second wave feminism on international policymaking?

A

women are absent from high politics and decision making, decisions about women being made on international stage without input of women

67
Q

what does Simone de beauvior describe women as?

A

the second sex, where men are the norm and women are the ‘other’

68
Q

what are the roots of female oppression and how does it affect the modern world?

A

roots of oppression in women’s physical characteristics and men have learned to exploit weakness and dominate.
it is present in technology such as phone design to a mans hand, safety design and medical research ect

69
Q

what is an example of medical research negatively affecting women?

A

women are 50% more likely to die in car accident and 50% more likely to die from heart attack

70
Q

what are the masculine theories in IR?

A

hans morganthau: assumes the way states act from the perspective of men
Donald Trump: fighting over size of nuclear weapons and military with Kim Jong Un

71
Q

how does the masculine state promote ideas masculinity?

A
  1. the military as masculine socialisation, trained to be a man
  2. the state manipulates gender identities, the state enjoys having men do stuff that matters
  3. the state is implicated in violence against women, doesn’t bother addressing issues of domestic violence
72
Q

what are examples of the masculine international system? - feminism

A

1.international structures implicated in violence against women
2. rape and forced prostitution in republic of Congo and CAR during Un peacekeeping missions
3. sexual trafficking and violence in Bosnia peacekeeping mission

73
Q

what is the personal is international? - feminism

A

rejection of the distinction between personal, national and international.
systemic forces used as excuse to keep women down

74
Q

what is postcolonial feminism?

A

are some women too visible, white women primarily focussed on and other women of different race, class and religion seen as victims or overlooked. (intersectionality)

75
Q

what are the key principles of feminism IR?

A
  1. IR is not gender neutral, but gender blind, pretends gender doesn’t matter
  2. the distinctions between individual, state and the system are arbitrary and artificial
  3. the obsession with masculinity is driver of conflict
  4. women continue to be excluded from and considered by international
76
Q

how can feminism explain the war in Ukraine?

A

IR exclude and ignores women, when we think of civilians we think of women and children as vulnerable and weak, men seen as brave and should fight. when many men don’t want to be forced to fight. making distinctions based on gender

77
Q

how is war in Ukraine driven by masculine state? - feminism

A

masculine states are drivers of conflict, Russia seen as masculine state, doest accept homosexuality or transgender and obsessed with idea of masculinity

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