Louisiana Purchase: Realist Theory

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Louisiana Purchase
International relations is driven by many things with those things being theories, these theories then for the international events that in turn formed the modern state system that is in place today. The Louisiana Purchase was an even that occurred mainly between France and The United States with some relations with Spain. The Louisiana Purchase and the realist point of view it was completed from was one of the many events that helped formed today’s modern state system.
The Louisiana Purchase was a deal between France and The United States that led to the exchange of a large portion of land in the Western hemisphere. France explored the land around the Mississippi River and settled in many different places around the region
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This theory has many interlocking factors: power, the importance of state actors, national interest, and amorality and different viewpoints defensive, offensive and structural. Power counts the most to realists and the use of economic, political, psychological, and military tools keeps that power in place. The state actor is important to realism, as they don’t see decisions made by a person who is in charge but the country that they made the decision for. National interest is doing what is good for the country as a whole instead of focusing on ideology as a basis for policy. Human rights aren’t as important to realists as it distracts from the interests of the nation, amorality is needed for the best outcome of the nation. The different types of realists see the source of power in different ways, Defensive realists believe in only going to war in defense, offensive realists believe you need to expand to make sure a nations interests are met, and offensive realists believe power controls international …show more content…
Starting in the Westphalia sovereignty came to be common. This was pursued through The Louisiana Purchase as the rulers of both states, France and The United States, did what is in the best interest of the state. The unitary actors of this event used their rule to make sure their power was insured. Without the Louisiana Purchase The United States would not have that specific territory, let alone the land that was acquired farther West in later years. France would have a stronghold in North America, which would mean their power would have influenced different things. The self-sufficiency of the modern state system was constructed through the decisions made by many rulers of the time. The decision made to go for power over land in a newer undiscovered place took leadership on both ends to see what was in the states’ best interest. The Louisiana Purchase was one of the many international encounters that helped shape the modern state system that is in use today. The modern state system was created be events that where pushed by international relation theories. The Louisiana Purchase was one of these events that shaped the modern state system and how it operates in this day. Realism was the theory that drove the sale and purchase of the Louisiana territory as the power of the states involved expanded and changed. The modern state system was created through events such as the Louisiana Purchase that

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