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;
65 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
What are the different theories in IR? |
realism, liberalism, constructivism and critical perspectives
|
|
|
What are the core beliefs in realism? |
That states are self-interested and compete for power and security, they are rational and unitary actors acting in an anarchical international system |
|
|
What are the key actors in international relations according to realists? |
States, whom all behave similarly regardless of type of government |
|
|
What are the main instruments used by states according to realists? |
Their military power and state diplomacy |
|
|
What are realisms intellectual blind spots? |
Doesn't account for progress and change in international relations or an understanding that legitimacy can be a source of military power |
|
|
What does realism explain about the post 9/11 world? |
Why the US responded so aggressively, and the inability of international institutions to restrain their military superiority |
|
|
What does realism fail to explain about the post 9/11 world? |
The failure of smaller powers to militarily balance the US, the importance of non state actors (al Qaeda) and the intense US focus on democratization |
|
|
What are the core beliefs of liberalism? |
The spread of democracy, global economic ties, and international organizations will strengthen peace |
|
|
Who are the key actors in international relations according to Liberals? |
States, international institutions and commercial interests |
|
|
What are the main instruments used by the states according to Liberals? |
International institutions and global commerce |
|
|
What are Liberalisms intellectual blind spots? |
Fails to understand a democratic regimes survival depends on the safeguarding of their military power and security; also forget how violent the transition to democracy can be |
|
|
What does Liberalism explain about the post 9/11 world? |
Why the spreading of democracy has become such an integral part of US international security strategy |
|
|
What does liberalism fail to explain about the post 9/11 world? |
Why the US failed to work with other democracies through international organizations |
|
|
What are the core beliefs of constructivism? |
International politics shaped by persuasive ideas, collective values, culture and social identities |
|
|
Who are the key actors in international relations according to constructivists? |
Promotors of new ideas, transnational activist networks, and NGO's |
|
|
What are the states main instruments according to constructivism? |
Ideas and values |
|
|
What are constructivists intellectual blind spots? |
Does not explain which power structures and social conditions allowed for changes in values |
|
|
What does constructivism explain about the post 9/11 world? |
The importance of transnational political networks (terrorists or human rights advocates) and the increasing role of polemics about values |
|
|
What does constructivism fail to explain about the post 9/11 world? |
Why human rights abuses continue, despite intense activism for humanitarian norms and efforts for international justice |
|
|
What are the different levels of analysis in IR theory? |
Individual level, societal level and international level |
|
|
Describe the decision-makers level of analysis. |
You analyze the individual responsible for making decisions (president/policy maker), their past, beliefs, values, education, personality ect as well as their role, and the preferences they'll have based on the organization/group they represent (Prime Minister and Minister of Defence will have different preferences) |
|
|
Describe the societal level of analysis. |
Look at the societal pressures present, who are the interest groups, whats the economic system like, how are the resources, the religion and culture, also look at the government structures, the political institutions in place, whether or not it is a democracy and how centralized authority is |
|
|
Describe the international level of analysis. |
Look at the systematic pressures on the state, and the distribution of power in the system, is it unipolar, bipolar, multipolar |
|
|
Describe idealism's view on human nature |
Human nature is essentially good and can be improved through education and the use of reason. |
|
|
Describe what idealism views as the main problem in international relations |
War and the balance of power politics is the main problem, war can be corrected with the correct balance of power and politics and social progress is possible |
|
|
Describe the issue realism ran into? |
It was the prevailing theory following WWI, and the theorists were convinced that with the right institutions and proper communication peace would be possible without the use of force, and that this would be the long lasting peace, then WWII happened |
|
|
Describe the realist critique of idealism |
Realism concerned with what is where idealism looks at what ought to be, realism thinks that our understanding of current events must be based on an accurate analysis of the past and ethics are the product of politics, any claims to universal values are only concealing a vested interest |
|
|
Describe idealism and realisms similarities and differences |
Idealism looks at human nature as good and the outlook for progress is optimistic and that cooperation is possible, realism looks at human nature as self-interested, a pessimistic view of human progress (history is cyclical) and that conflict will always happen, both view states as the main actors and the core problem as the struggle for power |
|
|
Describe the way Thucydides viewed the conflicts of the Peloponnesian war |
Realistic view, ethics are secondary to power and the way you use your power, in particular when you look a the Melian dialogue. When power is unrestrained by a sense of justice it just breeds more power as was seen with the Athenians |
|
|
What was Machiavelli's view on world politics? |
Realistic, security and state survival are the most important things, the ultimate goal of survival of the state can always justify the means used for survival. One should act based on evidence and not ethics. Very pessimistic view of human nature. |
|
|
Describe Hobbes view on world politics? |
Within the state of nature the most powerful will take what they want because human nature is selfish, anarchy of the system provokes war and the only way to guarantee survival is to help yourself. |
|
|
What are e Morgenthau's six principles of realism? |
1) Politics governed by objective laws with roots in human nature 2) International politics is interest defined in terms of power 3) Key concept of interest defined in terms of power is an objective category which is universally valid. Yet the kind of interest determine political action in a particular period of history depends upon the political and cultural context within which foreign policy is formulated 4) Universal moral principles cannot be applied to states 5) Moral aspirations of a state should not be confused with universal moral laws 6) Political sphere autonomous from all others |
|
|
What does neorealism try to explain? |
Recurring patterns of state behaviour in the international system |
|
|
What was neorealism focus? |
The effects of the structure of the international system in explaining the outcomes of international politics
|
|
|
What are the three main elements of Waltz's theory of IR? |
Anarchy is the ordering principal Differentiation of units - the states are like units Distribution of capabilities is the most important variable States are rational actors |
|
|
According to neorealists what kind of system is the international system? |
A self-help system where anarchy is the root of state behaviour |
|
|
What is the distribution of capabilities according to neorealist? |
The relative capabilities of states, and the distribution is the most important variable in the international system. Different arrangements of capabilities will change the way states behave. War and conflict is a product of the system and its underlying distribution of power, regardless of the individual motives of states |
|
|
According to neorealists what are the two reasons cooperation is unlikely? |
Uncertainty - states operate in a context of limited information Fear of relative gains - cooperation may benefit one state more than another - zero sum competition |
|
|
What are the strengths of the neorealist approach to IR? |
It is parsimonious, falsifiable, and no longer a philosophical debate on human nature |
|
|
What are the weaknesses of the neorealist approach to IR? |
Deterministic, unable to explain specific causes, and doesn't account for change |
|
|
Describe how defensive and offensive realism disagree? |
On how states perceive each other's intention and how much power is necessary to achieve security |
|
|
Describe briefly neoclassical realism |
Anarchy and systemic pressures will force states to act in certain ways, but anarchy also provides states with considerable latitude in defining their security interests |
|
|
Describe briefly defensive realism |
States aim to maintain the balance of power, and seek the minimum amount of power needed to do so |
|
|
Describe briefly offensive realism |
Uncertainty regarding the intentions of others and fear of their offensive military capabilities |
|
|
What are the links between neoliberal institutionalism and neorealism? |
The primacy of anarchy, the centrality of states and the importance of systemic theorizing |
|
|
Describe how neoliberalism and neorealism differ |
Realism is weak in its account of the role of institutions, the prospects for cooperation, and the possibilities of change under conditions of anarchy |
|
|
What are the three types of institutions? |
Formal intergovernmental organizations International regimes Conventions |
|
|
How do institutions help states cooperate according to neoliberalism? |
Facilitate the flow of information, alter payoff structures, lengthen the shadow of the future, enable issue linkage though cooperation becomes more difficult as the number of actors increases |
|
|
What is the security dilemma? |
Any action taken by one country to improve its own security, even if defensive in nature, will cause another country to feel more insecure, resulting in a cycle of action and reaction leading to arms races and potentially war resulting in no real gain to security |
|
|
What is the realist critique of neoliberalism? |
The false promise of institutions, neoliberal fail to account for the relative gains problem and focus is primarily on low politics |
|
|
Describe the english school of thought in IR? |
Focus is on an international society where states in the international system have common interests and values as well as common rules and institutions that make cooperation possible, helping to maintain international order |
|
|
What are the two elements to sovereignty according to the english school of thought? |
Sovereign equality - the authority of a state to manage its internal affairs within a defined territory and over a set population Non interference - autonomy from other states This principle is derived from the peace of Westphalia |
|
|
According to Henry Bull how does sovereignty help with order in the international system? |
It binds states under a common legal framework as an institution and this recognition of sovereignty helps facilitate order |
|
|
According to the english school what are some mechanisms for maintaining international order? |
International law, diplomacy, balance of power, war and the role of great powers |
|
|
Describe the similarities between realism and the english school in IR? |
Both start in the international system and view anarchy as the overarching governance of international politics. Both view states as the main actors |
|
|
Describe the differences between realism and the english school in IR? |
The english school also starts by looking at an international society, it thinks the core problem of IR is the maintenance of order where realism sees it as the struggle for power, english school has an optimistic view of the outlook of human progress vs pessimistic realist view, and the english school sees that common interests and international society are possible vs realism which sees that conflict is inevitable |
|
|
Describe pluralism |
Order within international society should be the main priority of states, unlikely that states can agree on a universal conception of individual justice and defence of individual justice is potentially destabilizing to international order |
|
|
Describe solidarism |
The defence of individual justice will strengthen the legitimacy of international society, good international citizens should forsake narrow commercial and political advantages in the defence of human rights and the continuation of injustice will lead to greater disorder in the long run
|
|
|
Briefly describe constructivism |
The only way to understand international politics is to look at how states themselves view the world, and the common understanding they might share. International politics is shaped by the collective understandings of acts who inhabit this world |
|
|
Describe Wendt's constructivist critique |
Anarchy is what states make of it, interests and identities are tied to the process of interaction, interests change through social interaction, and institutions once established are resistant to chagne |
|
|
How does Wendt say change occurs? |
Through a high density and regularity of interaction, and actors must be dissatisfied with pre-existing forms of identity and interaction |
|
|
What are norms? |
Collective expectations for the proper behaviour of actors with a given identity, formal rules we all follow, they are informal standards of appropriateness and are based on a shared understanding of what is proper behaviour in a given situation |
|
|
What are the three stages to the life cycle of a norm? |
Emergence - actors mobilize attention to a particular issue, this is the key role of norm entrepreneurs, this is done through persuasion, framing, appeals to morals or empathy Tipping point and cascade - coalition building will eventually reach a critical mass of states and if successful, norms will then cascade across the international system, growing support augments the pressure to conform Internalization - new norms assume a "taken-for-granted" quality |
|
|
What is a norm entrepreneur? |
Actors that attempt to persuade a critical mass of states to embrace a new standard of behaviour |
|
|
What are the core themes of the liberal revival? |
Process - may be gradual and uneven but cooperation and freedom have expanded Cooperation - Morality, international law, institutions have all increased cooperation Modernization - democracy, interdependence, globalization is spreading |
