Three Levels of FP Analysis Flashcards
What are the Three Levels of FP Analysis?
- Individual level
- State level
- International system level
What does the Individual Level look at?
Causes that are specific to an individual or small group
- lust for power
- their role in policymaking / diplomacy
- personal beliefs, values, ideology or psychology
What is a realist explanation for WWII?
Hitler’s lust for power is a realist explanation for WWII
How did Nixon influence US foreign policy on an individual level?
Nixon was a very effective diplomat during his time as President
- he opened up US relations with China
- lay the groundwork for significant shifts in US foreign policy
What does the State Level of Analysis look at?
- Ideology of a state
- Military power
- Geography
- Economy
- Demographics
Determine why a state behaves the way it does
Who is the primary actor in international relations according to State LoA?
The state is the primary actor is international relations
According to State LoA, can states all be explained in exactly the same way?
Reject the view that all states act in completely the same way, although there will be patterns
Why is it important to understand domestic politics to understand a state’s foreign policy?
The lines have blurred between what is foreign + what is domestic
Due to contemporary politics + globalisation
What are the internal factors affecting FP decision making?
- Opinions of public (the identity of a national sets boundaries within which leaders must act)
- Influence debated between elite model (realism) and pluralist model (liberalism)
- How a government is organised -> democratic vs. authoritarian
According to the Democratic Peace Thesis, why might democracies be more peaceful?
- In democracies, power is diffused across democratic institutions
- So wide range of actors involved
- Leader is also accountable to political part + the public
- So harder to reach consensus for war
According to the Democratic Peace Thesis, why might authoritarian regimes be less peaceful?
- Authoritarian regimes do not have same system of checks + balances to constrain decision making
- Leaders have more freedom
- Thus may be less peaceful
Give an example of domestic politics impacting upon international politics?
- The uprising that threatened the rule of authoritarian leader Gadhafi in Libya began as a domestic issue
- But as reports of attacks against civilians circulated throughout media
- Western governments reframed civil war as a humanitarian crisis
- Demanding an international response
- So quickly became a foreign policy issue for Libya + many other countries
What does the International System Level look at?
- Causes that are specific to how the international system works
- States / individuals are just cogs in a big system + the characteristics of that system drive the way a state acts
What are the two explanations for the International System level of analysis?
- Structural
- Process
What is the structural explanation for the systemic level of analysis?
- Neorealist view
- Refers to a state’s position in relation to other states
- So powerful states behave one way + weaker states another
- In an anarchical system, states have to act in their own self-interest -> to seek relative gains + maintain balances of power
