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International relations Theory

International relations Theory. What is International Relations?. International Relations. The study of relationships between countries, including the roles of… States S tate vs. s tate? Inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

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International relations Theory

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  1. International relationsTheory

  2. What is International Relations?

  3. International Relations • The study of relationships between countries, including the roles of… • States • State vs. state? • Inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) • Multinational corporations (MNCs)

  4. Rise of Nation-States • Peace of Westphalia, 1648 • “Westphalian System” • Concept of a sovereign state • Religious tolerance

  5. Realism (political theory) • Prioritizes national interest and security over ideology, moral concerns and social reconstructions • World politics is driven by competitive self-interest • States are seen as a unitary actors • “Zero-Sum Game” • Example of a “Realist” state?

  6. Liberalism (political theory) • Interaction between states is not limited to politics, but also economics • There are plenty of opportunities for cooperation and broader notions of power • Allows for plurality in state actions, thus, preferences will vary from state to state, depending on factors such as culture, economic system, or government type • “Non-Zero-Sum Game”

  7. Neo-Liberalism (economic theory) • Market-driven approach to economic and social policy • Stresses the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets • Seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the political and economic priorities of the state

  8. Polarity • Any of the various ways in which power is distributed within the international system • Unipolarity • Ex: U.S. dominance since 1991 • Bipolarity • Ex: U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War • Multipolarity • Ex: WWI & WWII (“wartime multipolarity”) • Nonpolarity • Ex: pre-Westphalian system • Where are we?

  9. “Polarity is not a binary condition. The world will not stay unipolar for decades and then, one day, suddenly switch and become bipolar or multipolar. There will be a slow shift in the nature of international affairs.” Zakaria, p. 218

  10. Polarity Theory • The fewer the “poles”, the more stable the international system

  11. Nationalism v. Internationalism • Nationalism • Political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms • What is a nation? • Internationalism • Political movement which advocates greater economic & political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all

  12. “[As the “rest rise”,] international life is only going to get messier.” Zakaria, p. 243

  13. Isolationism v. Interventionism • To isolate? • To intervene?

  14. Isolationism "The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations to have as little political connection as possible... Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalships, interest, humor, or caprice?... It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world." George Washington, 1796

  15. Examples of Isolationism Historically, • United States until 1898 (why 1898?) • China during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) • China from early 1900s-1970s Contemporary, • Bhutan • North Korea • Switzerland

  16. Examples of Interventionism • Unilateral • The Bush Doctrine • CIA activities in Central America • Multilateral • First Gulf War (NATO) • UN Security Council

  17. Interventionism: Controversies • Human rights • State terrorism • Occupation

  18. The World Since 1945 • 1945 • End of WWII; devastation in Europe and the Pacific • Empires too weak to support themselves • Beginning of U.S. and USSR as superpowers • 1945-1991 • Cold War • Decolonization in the Third World • 1960s-today • Rise of China • 1991-2003 • U.S. Hegemony • Globalization • Rise of Non-Statist Actors • 2003-today • Post-American world?/Rise of the Rest

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