Lecture 8 - Liberalism

Question 1

What are the four assumptions of Liberalism?

Answer 1

1. Freedom of Individual (Liberty under the law, representation, etc)
2. Progressivism (improve relations over time)
3. Self-interest leads to cooperation (Contact leads to mutually vested interest)
4. Problem-solving theory - causal analysis and progress

Question 2

What are the three forms of Liberalism?

Answer 2

1. Commercial/economic (free trade and financial institutions)
2. Institutionalism (transparency and neorealism)
3. Political (Democratic Peace theory, regime of state)

Question 2

What are the three problems with Economic Liberalism?

Answer 2

1. Money/good are not the only things traded
2. Under-determined - liberal peace only reinforced by political and international organizations
3. Inequality, Globalism, and stigmatism generates discontent

Question 3

What are the 5 problems with Democratic Peace Theory?

Answer 3

1. Overdetermined (many variables)
2. Insignificant (war is unlikely, democracy is new)
3. Transnational States are likely to go to war over authoritarian regimes
4. Democracies can e very war prone (high gov trust, patriotism)
5. Defining Democracy and War is slippery

Question 3

What do Institutionalists believe about the Security Dilemma? (following/not following rules leads to different consequences. SP - suckers payoff)

Answer 3

1. States only worry about absolute gains
2. Liberalism - states don’t measure themselves against others
3. Neorealist - states worry about relative gains