Realist approaches to international security Flashcards
1
Q
what are the four variants of realism?
A
- Neorealism / structural realism
- Offensive
- Defensive
- Neoclassical / motivational
2
Q
key facts about realist approaches to security
A
- oldest approach in IR
- General Pessimism
- Still popular, people love to hate it
3
Q
What are the key tenets of realist thought?
A
- States are unitary/rational
- power hungry
- anarchy
- states are the most important actors
4
Q
describe structrual realism / neorealism
A
- Kenneth waltz
- state behaviour can be explained by the international system “security seekers”
- Balance of power, if one state gets to powerful others wil align against it
5
Q
describe offensive realism
A
- Mearsheimer
- More complex than Waltz, states want power maximisation not security
- States will pursue hegemony where ever possible (other minds problem)
- Therefore arms race because you don’t know the intention of another state
- Does this explain US - China relations (no) Obama recognises China as the pivot to south east Asia
6
Q
describe defensive realism
A
- Walt and Glaser
- CONTRASTS MEARSHEIMER, cooperation is possible when you know the intentions of other states
- States therefore only balance against threats not just for power gain
- some cases states may bandwagon (e.g. France to Germany post world war two) (e.g. Europe doesn’t balance against USA because USA is not a threat however it does balance against the USSR)
7
Q
describe motivational realism / neoclassical realism:
A
- Randal Schweller
- (new strand from mid 90s)
- seeks to understand what explains the foreign policy at any given time of a state
- gov structure and economics
- e.g. USA ideology and domestic and political structure explains cold war
8
Q
in line with neoclassical theorisation Collins differentiated between what two kinds of states?
A
- Greedy states and security seekers
