POSC 2200 – New Challenges

1. POSC 2200 – New Challenges Russell Alan Williams Department of Political Science

2. Unit Eight: New Challenges in International Politics Required Reading: • Mingst, Chapter 10. • Held et al., Globalization, Mingst and Snyder, pp. 462-471. Outline: • Introduction • New Policy Challenges • Globalization

3. 1) Introduction: • Societies more interconnected then in past • “Post-Westphalian” state system • Array of new topics in world politics • Challenge state centric/realist approaches to IR • Challenge existing political architecture • Require unprecedented international cooperation and institutions

4. Many challenges require coordination to overcome “collective action problems” • E.g. Self interested behavior by states fearful of cheating will make problems worse • Think of nuclear proliferation! • Similar dynamics in “new” policy areas . . . .

5. 2) New Policy Challenges: i) Disease • Does not respect national boundaries • Can be more dangerous then war • Historically? • Bubonic Plague • Smallpox • Influenza 1917 (May have killed more then WWI) • Modern? • AIDS • SARS • Avian “Bird” Flu • Ebola

6. High need for cooperation – overcome fear that other states won’t “do the job” Responses? 1) Institutional - UN “World Health Organization” (WHO) • Malaria, Smallpox and Polio • However, disease issues highly technical – often include multiple policy areas 2) “Epistemic communities”: Transnational community of experts and technical specialists who share beliefs and common approaches to problem solving • Impact how states perceive, or “see” problems • Promote common policy responses – E.g. Avian Flu

7. ii) The Environment: Historically, two views: “Malthusian Dilemma”: Population growth rates increase faster then food production • Threatened sustainability of modern society – modernity would overtax natural environment “Demographic Transition”: Higher standards of living ultimately lead to falling birth rates • Less population growth then expected • E.g. Europe

8. Modern IR concern about the environment? 1) Finite natural resources • Insufficient natural resources to sustain modern civilization • E.g. Oil, clean water etc. – New source of conflict? 2) “Externalities”: Unintended economic side effects that can have negative (or positive) impacts on individuals unrelated to the activity • E.g. Pollution and “greenhouse” effect • Short term gain for some = long term negative impact for all (collective action problem) • International environmental externalities require institutions . . . • E.g. Kyoto Protocol

9. 3) Globalization? • Good spot to end an introduction to “international relations” . . . • Either: • Nature of world is fundamentally changing =We must abandon our old ways of thinking • IR is timeless . . . =We should be suspicious of ambitious international projects – keep our eye on national interests and national security

10. Example: Held et al. “Globalization” • “Globalization” ties together all the new policy challenges • Argue: May have been developing for sometime, but we are in a definitively different era • Evidence? • Societies more diverse then ever, and states losing control over culture • Multilevel governance eroding geographically defined sovereignty • Security is “multilateral” • E.g. Arms production • Economies more integrated then ever and pressure on for policy “harmonization” • Environment . . .

11. Example: Held et al. “Globalization” • Implications???? • Need to do a fundamental rethink of modern political structures • Who are “we”? • How do “we” want to exert control over our world? • Are notions of sovereignty, national security and interstate competition adequate???

12. Final Exam: Time: Location: Format: Three Sections • Multiple Choice • Short Answer • Essay Similar to mid term – sections will be “weighted”

14. Essays: