international relations

• Realism


  4 principal assumptions that define the main lines of realist thought and how theories and hypotheses are developed
• 4 principal assumptions of realism

  • States are the principal actors in an anarchical world
  • The state is viewed as a unitary actor
  • The state is a rational actor
  • National or international security have main priority
• States


  • They represent the key unit of analysis in the international system
  • Non-state actors (such as the UN) aspire to have the status of an independent actor but are unable to achieve it
  • Realists see international organizations as doing what is indicated by their member states (therefore not being independent)
  • Multinational corporations, terrorist groups, and other transnational and nongovernmental organizations are seen as less important by realists
• Unitary state


  • Realists see the state as an integrated unit vs the outside world
  • It does not take into consideration domestic actions and interactions
  • Realists assume that issues are important enough, higher authorities will intervene to prevent bureaucratic issues or action by nongovernmental actors
  • States might have internal misunderstanding but come to a common understanding to provide the same voice externally
• Rational state


  • In their decision process states they exemplify objectives, consideration of all possible outcomes
  • Through the use of this analysis states are able to make rational decisions based on what best benefits them
  • Rationalists also take into consideration difficulties of a state being rational (e.g. not having all the possible info to make an accurate decision, human bias and misperception)
• National/international security


  • Have main priority for realists
  • Economic matters are important to the extent that they contribute to the power or relative power of the state
  • States use power in terms of their capabilities compared to another state
• Types of power distribution in the international system

  • Unipolar (one great power)
  • Bipolar (two great powers)
  • Multipolar (three or more great powers)
• Realism focuses on power and balance of power
• Influencers of realism


  • Thucydides
  • Niccolo Machiavelli
  • Hobbes
  • Hugo Grotius
  • Carl von Clausewitz
  • Sun Tzu
  • Geopolitical writers (e.g. Sir Halford Mackinder)
  • Carr
  • Niebuhr
  • Hans J Morgenthau
  • John H. Herz
  • Joseph Nye
  • Waltz
• Power


  • Core concept for realists
  • Some see it as the sum of military, economic, technological, diplomatic and other capabilities of the state, while others see it as not absolute but instead as capabilities relative to the capabilities of other states
  • Dynamic definition of power: interactions of states, states' willingness to use capabilities, and their control/influence over other states
• Soft power


  Cultural dimensions or values that identity and practices of a state
• Hard power


  Economic and military capabilities
• Reification is treating abstractions as if they are real and have a life of their own
• Game theory


  An approach to determining rational choice or optimum strategy in a competitive situation
• Anarchy


  Absence of any legitimate power above states (states are sovereign)
• Security dilemma


  The more one state arms to protect itself from other states, the more threatened these states become and more prone they are to resort to arming themselves to protect their national security interests
• State of nature


  A world without government or any other form of social structure
• Two understandings of the state of nature based on realism

  • States will intervene if one begins gaining too much power
  • States follow international law
• Types of balance of power

  • Bipolar balance of power (two states of comparable or relatively equal great power)
  • Multipolar balance of power (three or more states engaging in checks and balances)
• Voluntarism


  Does not refer only to freedom of choice but also to the ability of human beings to influence the course of events
• Agent-structure events


  How economic, social and political structures impact outcomes
• Waltz says that multipolar balance of power is less effective as it increases uncertainty
• Singer and Deutsch say multipolar balance of power is more effective as uncertainty breeds caution (meaning states follow regulations to avoid deviations)
• Offense-defense balance


  • At any point the military power can favor offense or defense
  • Defense - conquest is difficult, with little incentive to use force to gain power
  • Offense - temptation for states to conquer one another
• Cooperation is limited by two concerns: relative gains and prospect of cheating
• Balancing


  Allying with others against the prevailing threat that is the dominant tendency in international politics
• Bandwagoning


  Allying with stronger state
• Power transition


  A state will attempt to change the international system if the expected benefits exceed the expected costs
• Hegemony


  Leadership of a certain state over an issue
• Idealists view how the world ought to be, while realists view how the world is
• Realism has several critiques as it views the world in a much aggressive way which may also lead to war due to the extremes presented
• • Offense-defense balance
  • At any point the military power can favor offense or defense 
  • Defense-conquest is difficult, with little incentive to use force to gain power. 
  • Offense- temptation for states to conquer one another 
  • Policy implication is that states should carefully consider the real possibility that moderates strategies may enhance their security, expansion may be the option to achieving their goals