Realism Vs Liberalism

Liberalism is the theoretical idea that plurality of actors in the are very important in the international arena. Actors such as private, non-governmental, businesses, and individual leaders shape a state’s foreign policy and have become an important role in the global economy. Liberal’s concentrate on economic freedom like free markets and capitalism as well as democracy as a political system. These freedoms are seen as cooperation and interdependence amongst the international arena. Their personal characteristics is influenced by their decision making and for the individual to create a just society based on reason. “Liberalism argues that all levels of analysis matter in order to understand what is happening in international politics” …show more content…
Liberalism also reinforces political and economic freedom for a peaceful world order. This is a very different contrast from realism who relies on conflict and security domain that is argued. There are many differences between these two theories of thought. Unlike neorealism which perceives the state as the primary actor, liberalism sees individual acts as crucial to the international arena. Liberalism does agree with realism about the sole importance of a sovereign state. “The structure of democratic government limits and constrains the types of conflicts over which democratic leaders can mobilize society” (Haupt 2016, T2L2, 10). Ikenberry describes that there are various strands of liberalism. One strand is that “free trade and economic openness both create and reinforce democracy, because open markets support more open and less autocratic regimes” (America’s Grand Liberal Strategy p. 48). Liberalism’s logic believes free trade will give rise to a state’s well-being, which will create more peace amongst the state. Ikenberry asserts that “The liberal international order has succeeded over the decades because its rules and institutions have not just enshrined open trade and free markets but also provided tools for governments to …show more content…
It is essential to cooperate to provide negotiations among other nations, create rules for trade and international law. It is essential for self interested states to cooperate for the best of its state. Along with Neorealism, Neoliberalism acknowledges the existence of international anarchy, but recognizes that cooperation and working with one another is beneficial to both parties. Like the United Nations, intergovernmental institutions work to gather nations to voice their opinions and