Lecture 8.1 LIBERALISM A. Alternative to realism B. Six tenets of liberalism 1. Focus of liberal theorists (what they seek to explain): cooperation 2. Actors are diverse- NGOs, MNCs, States
Lecture 8.2 3.Goals are multiple, economic, social as well as military 4.Means- interdependence, issue-specific power 5.organizing principle- anarchy mitigated by norms, rules and principles of international law 6.Dynamics of international system- alternating cooperation and conflict depending on who is interacting with whom on what issue
Lecture 8.3 C.LIBERALISM: liberalism, institutionalism, regime theory, neo-liberalism, and complex interdependence: will use terms interchangeably. D.States can cooperate if they have or can create interdependence. 1.Even if faced by prisoner’s dilemma states often find ways of cooperating and they do so through interdependence.
Lecture 8.4 2. Interdependence means reciprocal costly effects of transactions- that states have connections and linkages on certain issues the changing of which involve costs of both countries involved 2. Two types of interdependence: a) Sensitivity- costs a country faces from an external change of affairs during initial period when it can’t change its policies
Lecture 8.5 a) Vulnerability- costs a country faces from an external change of affairs over the long period during which it can change its policies. 1. Interdependence need not be symmetric or even beneficial A. The logical bases for argument: 1. Democratic liberalism: people (vs. monarch) incur costs so make war less often 2. Economic liberalism: interdependence and trade make war less likely by increasing costs of war. Economic growth through trade rather than war for territory.
Lecture 8.6 1. Social liberalism: transnational person to person contacts increase understanding and discuss misperception problems. 2. Institutional liberalism: nations create international institutions as a frame work to structure interaction to make conflict less likely A. Strategies for cooperation 1. Reciprocity: tit for tat strategies, link issues and make contingent. E.g. tariff wars
Lecture 8.7 1. Transparency and information: states comply when states would know if they were not. E.g. camouflaging weapons sites, data exchanges 2. Iteration or shadow the future: create expectation for future interaction. E.g north Korea nuclear deal, salami tactics 3. Reduce transaction costs Make easier to make agreements. E.g., GATT as a mechanism for reaching agreements on tariffs. Easier to negotiate one big set of rules.
Lecture 8.8 1. Norms and rules of the thumb: internal norms. E.g. Human rights norms that even US must reassess, nuclear and chemical use taboo, shipping societies. DEMOCRATIC PEACE THEORY democratic peace theorist believe that changes within the state can lead to changes in the nature of relationships between states. Thus we can not black box the state and still successfully explain the outcomes we observe.
Lecture 8.9 A. Not those democratic states are less prone to war than undemocratic ones. Rather: 1. Democracies never, or almost never, go to war with other democracies 2. Layne, 1994. Democracies that have conflict rarely resort to use force because it is considered illegitimate 3. Democracies and non-democracies will fight at the same rates, once power in the system is called for.
Lecture 8.10 A. STRUCTURAL ARGUMENTS 1. PUBLIC OPINION- governments have to answer to their citizens 2. Institutional checks and balances- those with selection body, with institutionalized political competition and with decision making responsibility spread among multiple institutions of individuals, should be more constrained and hence less likely to go to war. Cabinets, legislatures and public constrain commanders in Chief from taking belligerent action
Lecture 8.11 A. Normative argument 1. Democratic norms and culture- democracies rely on consent and compromise for domestic conflict resolution E. Owen’s theory: democratic states tend not to fight other democracies but are tempted to fight non-democracies more often.