Neo-Realism

Question 1

What are the Five assumptions of realism

Answer 1

1. Anarchy.
2. States possess some form of Military Power.
3. States can never be certain about the intentions of other states.
4. States main driver is to think about Survival.
5. States think Strategically about their position.

Question 2

What are the three main patterns of behaviour it results in?

Answer 2

1. States always fear each other. The risk of war can be Minimised over time but never fully reduced. Not like economic competition, political competition can cause death.
2. States operate in a self help system where there are alliances but theses are only short term.
3. States aim to increase there relative power position . The greater military advantage a state has over other the more security it is. This logic give states the incentive to take advantage of each other.

Question 3

Co-operation in a Realist World

Answer 3

Two Factors inhibit cooperation: relative gains consideration.

Relative Gains:
States considering co-operation must b concerned with how the gain would be distributed among them.

They can think of it interns of absolute gains - they aim to utility maximise and care little about who wins or looses in a deal. They only care about the other side if it affects their overall proportion.

Relative gains means that they care about the balance of power. States will only enter an agreement if they can be sure they will do no worse from it than others.

Cheating:

States are worries about entering if the other state is likely to cheat, this is because military changes happen so quickly. If the cheating state has the capability to inflict damage, it could be costly.

Question 4

What to Neo-Realists think about Institutions

Answer 4

States operate through institution but these institutions really only affect the balance of power. They are arena acting out power relationships.

NATO is a good example of this: It played a role in preventing WW3 and helping the west win the Cold War. But it was a Manifestation of the Bi-polar dynamic in Europe at the time of the Cold War. It was the Balance of power not NATO that prevented the war.

Question 5

Minor Realist Critique of Liberal Institutionalism

Answer 5

It does not take into account cases where states don’t see any benefit from co-operation. Here states aim to gain advantage over each other. Time where states are only interested in winning or losing it doesn’t say much about.

Less concerned about conflict issue more economic and environmental issues.

Charles Lipson: The economic arrangements are significantly different between Economic and Security Issues. Economics Issues have a longer time Shadow than security.

Question 6

Realist Main Critique of Liberal Institutionalism

Answer 6

The main concern is the relative gains assumption.

Liberal institutionalists might argue that relative gains is only effected in the security realm. This argument fails because a country military capability depends on its might.

Neo-liberals may also argue that if States cannot cheat each other, they don’t need to fear each other. Therefore relative gains doesn’t matter. However this doesn’t take into account that gaps in gains can still lead to military advantages to coercion.

Gilpin (1981) “states will forgo their own position to make other states relatively worse off.

Mastanduno found concern of relative gains and not cheating was important in shaping policy toward Japan in three cases: the FSX fighter aircraft, satellites, HD tv.

Question 7

Neo Liberalist attempts to correct relative gains

Answer 7

Powell. When prevailing military technology favour the offensive then the cost of war is low, relative gains will be intense. Institutions can do little to facilitate such conditions. If defensive technology dominates, the cost of initiating aggression is high and the relative gains problem is high.

Mearsheimer argues that this is uncommon in the real world. It is very difficult to distinguish between the offensive and defensive weapons. Powell provided no historical example for his central argument.

Question 8

What is the Utility Function for Relative gains.

Answer 8

U=V-k(W-V)

V= private pay off
W= oppositions payoff 
k = sensitivity to oppositions payoff.

k depends on whether the individual is a long term ally or enemy, if it’s security not economic well being.

Question 9

How do states over come the relative gains problem.

Answer 9

Morgenthau (1964) : states offer concessions in exchange for equal compensations to keep the balance of power.