1. Chapter 2: Theories of World Politics

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Concepts
Paradigm: Dominant way of looking at a particular subject; structured patterns of inquiry and interpretation
Theory: Set of hypotheses postulating relationships between variables; used to describe, explain, and predict; must be falsifiable and stand the test of time
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3. The Philosophical Underpinnings of Realism
Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War (5th Century BC)
“The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”
“Of gods we trust and of men we know, it is in their nature to rule whenever they can.”
“What made war inevitable was the growth of the Athenian power and the fear that this caused in Sparta.”
“So far as right and wrong are concerned…there is no difference between the two…”
Which of these statements has the most direct application to modern times?
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4. Central Assumptions of Realism
Anarchy
States as the main actors
States as unitary actors
States as rational actors
“Realpolitik”—states should be prepared for war in order to preserve peace
Political realism is traced back to Thucydides, as well as 16th century philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli and 17th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
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Realism’s Tenets (1 of 2)
People are selfish and ethically flawed and compete for self-advantage
People have an instinctive lust for power
Eradicating this instinct is not possible
International politics is a “a war of all against all”
The prime obligation of the state is promoting the national interest
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Realism’s Tenets (2 of 2)
Anarchical international system requires states to acquire military power
Military power is more important than economics
Do not trust allies
Resist international efforts to control state protection and institute global governance
Seek flexible alliances to maintain a balance of power
Realism also includes a belief that if all states seek to maximize power, stability results by maintaining a balance of power.
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7. Important Concepts for Realism
Power: The ability to significantly effect the behavior of another actor
Self-help: A principle that in anarchy actors must rely on themselves to promote or protect their own interests
Relative Gains: In Realist theory the comparative change in power or influence is more important than the absolute measure of increase/decrease in power
Realism also includes a belief that if all states seek to maximize power, stability results by maintaining a balance of power.
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8. The Security Dilemma
Insecurity leads states to arm, but arms create more insecurity.
Realism is a philosophy of necessity, thus leading to a need for arms.
Full 24 min.
Reading 8 min. 8

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Game Theory analysis
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
Defect
Cooperate
What are the payoffs?
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10. The Evolution of Realist Thought
World War II
East–West rivalry of the Cold War
Structural realism or neorealism
Used global level of analysis
Focus on anarchy
Kenneth Waltz
John Mearsheimer
Kenneth Waltz (Man, the State, and War) believes that the world exists in a state of perpetual international anarchy, which limits and constrains the choices of nations. There is no central authority or enforcer.
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Variants of Realism
Balance of Power Theory
Hegemonic Stability Theory
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Criticism of Realism
Could not explain increased cooperation after World War II
Many of its propositions not easily testable: criticized by behavioral scientists
Lacks precision in defining key terms
Disregards ethical principles
Focuses on military might at economic and social expense of states
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Other Criticisms: Defining Power in a Meaningful Way is Difficult (1 of 2)
What factors make a state powerful? The three tables above list the top 10 states (including the EU as a single state) in three different categories that might be used to assess power.
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Other Criticisms: Defining Power in a Meaningful Way is Difficult (2 of 2)
The Venn diagram shows which states are in the top ten in one, two and three categories. What does this kind of analysis show us? What does it obscure? What other categories might be used to assess power? Are the different categories of equal importance? All these questions complicate efforts to assess the role of power in international politics.
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15. Liberalism (AKA: Idealism)
Holds that reason and ethics can overcome international anarchy to create a more orderly and cooperative world
Optimistic about the prospects of cooperation
Emphasizes establishing stable democracies as a way to reduce conflict
Politics is not seen as zero-sum
Emphasizes free trade because it helps prevent disputes from escalating into war
Stresses the importance of international institutions
Also called “idealism”
Liberalism began to emerge during the American Revolution, gradually taking hold on the international level. It focuses on the rights of the individual, not the state.
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16. Three Strands of Liberal Theory
Variant of Liberalism
Level of Analysis
Departure from Realism
Liberal Institutionalism
System. Retains basic assumption of balance of power theory.
Anarchy does not necessarily lead to conflict. Cooperation is possible.
Complex Interdependence Theory
Sub-state, but not exclusively. Focuses on individuals, firms, NGOs, organizations within governments as key actors.
States are not the only important actors. Actors have diverse interests in international politics. Much of IR has little to do with military security.
Democratic Peace Theory
State. Focuses on what kind of government the state has.
States are not all essentially the same. Liberal (democratic) states can solve disputes without war.
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17. The Evolution of Liberal Thought
World War I
Collective security
International law
Disarmament
Complex interdependence
International regimes
Neoliberalism
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18. The Limitations of Liberalism
Realists argue that institutions actually exert minimal influence on state behavior.
The prospects for cooperation are more likely in issues of low politics than of high politics.
Realists also argue that liberals tend to turn foreign policy into a moral crusade.
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Neorealism
Accepts much of realism
States’ behavior determined by differences in relative power
All states have same objectives, but different capacities to realize them
Distribution of capacities determines structure of the international system
Global level of analysis
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Neoliberalism
Developed by critics of realism/neorealism
Focuses on how IGOs and other nonstate actors promote cooperation and peace
Examines how states cooperate with each other and de-emphasize conflict
Points to regional integration, especially the European Union
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21. Economic Structuralism
Also known as Marxism
Focuses on the distribution of wealth
Motivation in politics
Source of power
In many ways, economic structuralism is a response to liberalism. It first began as a theory of domestic politics, then was applied on an international level.
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22. Assumptions of Economic Structuralism
Economic determinism
Class system
Bourgeoisie
Proletariat
Surplus value
Capital: resources that can be used to produce further wealth.
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Constructivism
Focus on the impact of ideas
World politics is socially constructed
Focus on the role of norms as constitutive, constraining, or enabling
Power in international relations revolves around actors’ ability to persuade others to accept their ideas
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24. Important Constructivist Terms
Interests
Identities
Norms
Realist, liberal and economic structuralist approaches are materialist. Constructivism focuses on the role of ideas in international politics.
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25. The Limitations of Constructivism
Inability to explain why and how ideas change over time
Privileging of structures over agents in understanding international events
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The Radical Critique
Socialists focus on class conflict
Dependency theory: Poverty in the Third World stemmed from the exploitative structure of the capitalist world economy
World-system theory: Views the world capitalist system as consisting of a core, periphery and semi-periphery; the core shifts over time from one area to another
Radical critiques tend to overemphasize economic interpretations of international events
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The Feminist Critique
Examines the exclusion of women in discussions about international affairs and the injustice and unequal treatment of women this prejudice caused
Explores how gender identity shapes foreign policy decision making and how gendered hierarchies reinforced practices that perpetuated inequalities between men and women
Feminists differ in the importance they place on the inherent differences between men and women
Need to focus on the role of women as a whole, not just female leaders
Gendered ideas: ideas that take “masculine” perspectives as normal
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28. Schools of Thought in Feminist Theory
Feminist Empiricism
Feminist Standpoint Theory
Feminist Postmodernism
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29. Questions for Critical Thinking (1 of 2)
What are the strong and weak aspects of realism?
In the liberal paradigm, how does anarchy create incentives to cooperate?
How does neoliberalism differ from liberalism?
According to Marxist definitions, is your family part of the bourgeoisie, or of the proletariat?
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30. Questions for Critical Thinking (2 of 2)
Which theory has the best explanatory and predictive power regarding the confrontation between the United States and Iraq?
Which theory has the best explanatory and predictive power for world politics in general?
Does the nature of the international system change over time?
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Web Links
Contemporary Philosophy, Critical Theory, and Postmodern Thought
Data on the Net
Feminist Theory Website
Niccolò Machiavelli
President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points
Contemporary Philosophy, Critical Theory, and Postmodern Thought Data on the Net: The University at Denver’s School of Education has created a website that helps students understand the ideas behind critical theory and postmodern thought. Read about the main authors of postmodern thought and then access their work.
Data on the Net: The University of California at San Diego has created a gateway website from which you can browse the collection of several hundred Internet sites of social science statistical data.
Feminist Theory Website: The Center for Digital Discourse and Culture at Virginia Tech University hosts this website, which provides links to 593 Internet sites related to women’s conditions and struggles around the world. The site also provides 5,425 bibliographical entries.
Niccolò Machiavelli: The writings of Niccolò Machiavelli are often cited as the base of realist thinking in international relations. The site also provides a link to his book, The Prince.
President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points: Woodrow Wilson’s celebrated Fourteen Points speech before a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1918 “expressed the sentiments of the liberal world view and program.”
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