Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Realism
|
-Oldest Theory of IR
-Pessimistic and Cynical view of the world -Don't believe in change, progress, cooperation -Power and Security are the two most important factors -All about the state -Best you can under a set of bad circumstances |
|
|
State of Realism
|
-States exist in anarchy- relentless security competition with war constantly lurking in the background----- but not a state of war
-Therefore, cooperation is limited by the security competition |
|
|
Main Actors
|
-States are the main actors of the system, primarily the Great Powers
-Great Powers will decide how game is played -Great Powers inherently possess some offensive military capability that can hurt others -Threat inheres power regardless of intentions |
|
|
Main Motives
|
-Primary motives are survival and self-preservation neither of which are assured in an anarchic system
-Want to be autonomous rather than be interdependent (Although better than being dependent) - Want access to strategic resources and don't want to share them with anybody else. -Seek power, security, and prestige (Security maximizers, prestige maximizers |
|
|
Fears and Strategies to Survive
|
-States fear one another and anticipate danger
-States think strategically on how to survive -Not always rational actors -Try to emulate others successes and learn from their failures -National Self-interest will come above everything else... There are circumstances when states are justified ignoring law and morality, in order to ensure security and well being of the state -States believe in Balance of Power Theory -When balance of power is working, it prevents one state from becoming so dominant that it can defeat/subjugate everyone else (Opposite of imperialism) |
|
|
Power Realities
|
-Power determines everything in IR
-Strong do what they can, weak do what they must -Bad things can happen if power realities are ignored--- League of Nations and Germany -Treaties reflect power -Power is always changing -Balance of Power determines Intl Politics -Most powerful states will create institutions not to spread morals, values, but to increase and maintain their power. (Great powers) -Power determines your interests -The more power you have the far more reaching your interests become -Why USA can never be isolationists now (too powerful and too broad of interests) -Conquest pays- Extending your power can be a good thing (More so in relation to trade than territorial expansion today) -But, rapid power changes can be destabilizing |
|
|
Relative Gains
|
-Realists concern for relative rather than absolute gains
-Seek to maximize relative gains -Not asking how much I gain, but rather who gains more - Key to know relative gains because one person's gains equals another's loss (Zero-Sum basis) -But, almost impossible to know who gains more |
|
|
Intentions
|
-Uncertainty will always exist in an anarchic state
-Impossible to know who will align with who and what the intentions of a state are -Lack of transparency |
|
|
How does history play out?
|
-In realism belief that history is cycling
-History and theory rise out of practice and sequences of cause and effect -There will always be more and less powerful states -Powerful states make the agenda---- There is no international harmony of interests |
|
|
Economics
|
-Realism believe politics trumps economics
-Follow mercantilism- finite amount of wealth with zero sum competition over it (1 person gain = Another's loss) -State must interfere in economy to make sure it gets its fair share -In order to have power, state has to create and build wealth |
|
|
Military Power and Agreements
|
-Military power is fungible
-Military power and threat are always present in negotiations |
|
|
Liberalism
|
-The Kantian Triangle
- International Institutions, Interdependence, and Democratic Peace Theory -All mutually related -Progressive and optimistic view of IR -Believe that through education cooperation and change can occur while making democracy the primary government types of states -Somewhat self-interested, but also concerned with the interests of the community -Unit of analysis- Private interests (interest group politics) -More focused on domestic/internal level than realism |
|
|
Collective Security
|
-Alternative to balance of power theory
-Need international institutions to solve security competition -Problem with balance of power theory is aggressors -preponderance of power deters aggressors, not balance of power -Automaticity- States will fight when called upon -requirement to fight even it has nothing to do with you -Everything is interconnected so everything is your problem Universality- Everyone is a member -states must renounce the use of force to alter status quo -States have to give up narrow self-interests for collective/ long term goals -Lonely Aggressor Promotion -And trust all other states will do the same |
|
|
International Institutions
|
-Allow for international cooperation under anarchy
-Major concern of liberalism is cheating and how to solve it -Institutions help to deter, punish, stop from future participation of cheating -Help victims get early warning of cheating to not get as badly hurt -Foster long term views (learning curve) -Strict reciprocity system- tat for tat system -creates shadow of the future- can show cooperation works better in the long run -Linkage- Links issues together so that those who were cheated in one area to deter cheating in the first place -Increase the available information - Transparency of intentions -Greasing the wheel of cooperation -Lower transaction cost of international agreements -Fostering setting to make agreement among everyone (under one tent, one agreement) |
|
|
Interdependence
|
-Economic exchanges and military conquest are interchangeable
-As global economic activity increases less likely to wage in war to obtain same resources -Economic interdependence increases communication of contact and communication between people and government -Therefore, more interconnectedness and transnational ties will lead to more peace and understanding -Commercial Openness- Free trade generates efficiency gains that render private traders and consumers dependent on foreign markets because political antagonism/ war threatens to disrupt economic relationships and gains -Therefore, private actors will lobby against conflict because they lose so much from it -Trade trumps politics |
|
|
Democratic Peace Theory
|
-No two democracies will go to war with one another
-Presence of democracies is a sufficient cause of peace not a necessary one (often confused) |
|
|
Institutional Explanation of the Democratic Peace Theory
|
1.) Democratic leaders are beholden to the public
-Since the people pay the costs (blood/treasure) leaders are less likely to go to war than non- elected leaders 2.) Checks and balances in Democratic Institutions -Slow moving system- Don't make quick decisions -Allows for time to deliberate - veto war - Publicly debated- A lot of transparency because things are discussed in the open 3.) Unlikely to misinterpret intentions -Democracies will only fight wars that they will win -Very few preemptive incentives between democracies |
|
|
Normative/ Cultural Explanation for the Democratic Peace Theory
|
1.)-Because Democracies are liberal they share certain norms and values
-Most importantly peaceful conflict resolution 2.) Democracies are better at making credible commitments -Audience Costs- Both domestic and international---- when they make threats they have to carry them out -Unlikely to bluff -Accountable to voters |
|
|
ACTOR
|
R-State
L-Interest groups/ individuals |
|
|
LEVEL
|
R-Structural Level
L- Domestic Level |
|
|
ECONOMY
|
R- Politics trumps Economics- Mercantilism
L- Economics trumps Politics- Interdependency, Globalization |
|
|
GAINS
|
R- Relative Gains (Focus on who gains more)
L- Absolute Gains (Benefits for all) |
|
|
BIGGEST CONCERN
|
R- Power / Security (Security Competition)
L- Cheating and how to stop cheating |
|
|
TRANSPARENCY
|
R- Structural Uncertainties- Intentions are unknown, having to prepare for the worst
L- International Institutions create transparency and lesson uncertainty |
|
|
INTERESTS
|
R- Survival/ Self-Sufficiency, seek power, security, prestige, want to be autonomous
L- Want to be interdependent -Self- interested, but concerned for the global community as well |
|
|
VIEW
|
R-Pessimistic, cynical
-Doing their best under bad circumstances L- Optimistic, progressive, change the world through education and make the safe democracy |
|
|
SECURITY THEORY
|
R- Balance of Power
L- Collective Security |
|
|
COOPERATION
|
R-Self-Sufficient, security competition
L-Interdependency is good |
|
|
SIMILARITIES
|
1.) Defensive Realism-
-Like Liberalism in the sense that...... -Statis Quo oriented -Conquest doesn't always pay, we should not be greedy -Preserve what you have and don't assume the worst - Cooperation can be useful- Coordinate intentions - Mistrust is a problem- Can be solved through institutions and agreements in order to make some intentions known -But, not like liberalism because don't agree with crusading morals and values 2.) Neoclassical Realism -Believe in power, structure, anarchy, but feel the need to filter these things through domestic politics -Balance of power can be slow, inefficient, dysfunctional |
