International relations theory

Mearsheimer’s subjective view which states that Chinas rise will be one absence of peace and one accustomed to war. In accordance, the United States, due to the theory of international politics, will ensure that China’s attempt to establish regional hegemony will be challenged by the United States. According to John J. Mearsheimer’s understanding of international politics most prominent goal of state survival and to maximise power over the world and the overall system, Mearsheimer believes that…

phenomenon of conflict and war seek to explain an important part of international relations. This is reinforced through Vasquez’s acknowledgement that “Despite claims that interstate war is on the wane, it is still a very serious social problem” (2012, 301). These explanations will be explored through an analysis on the concepts of the security dilemma, deterrence, and alliances. Such issues are not solely rooted in any one IR theory. Therefore, the second half of this paper connects theoretical…

In international politics there are there are “two predictable, and nearly always mistaken, responses to any great international upheaval: one is to say that everything has changed; the other is to say that nothing has changed.” Theorist of international politics are generally found in one of two camps; those who believe that state relations and behaviors today are consistent with those found during the time of Thucydides and those who believe that everything has changed. The various views…

There is an argument in international relations that state sovereignty is being undermined by globalisation. Scholars argue new global powers are bringing about the end of state sovereignty as states are losing the ability to effectively govern their own societies and economies. (Ohmae 1995, Scholte 2000 in McGrew 2014: 16) This essay however will attempt to reaffirm the importance of the sovereign state despite globalisation, initially through examining some arguments for the proposed idea, and…

From the works of Thucydides, realism was created and has become a major paradigm in international politics. Thucydides studied the Polynesian War between Athens and Sparta, and he studied the relations between these city-states. From his many observations, he put a focus on how the balance of power is a major factor in international politics as well as the importance of the state. The state is an essential component of realism and it is the foundation for many of the central assumptions coming…

Realism contains certain core principles that can be applied to the Melian Dialogue. These include ideas such as a static, unchanging world in which there exists a constant struggle for power, and on the international stage this struggle exists between nation states. Evil remains steadfast in the world as well, ever affecting the political and social realm. This constant struggle for power equates to endless competition between states making peace an unobtainable illusion with a moderated or…

Generalizations derived from traditional international politics do not apply today in the following ways: war between great powers is unthinkable, so new world orders will emerge; because of the high interdependence of states, Gross Domestic Product is no longer a valid measurement of power; and the presence of data and cyber-security issues causes problems regarding globalization and who controls cyberspace, which can decrease American hegemony. According to Robert Jervis in his essay, “The…

Explained by Realist Thought For centuries, interactions between states have revolved around power, be it geopolitical, economic, militaristic, or otherwise. This concept is central to a theory of international relations known as realism. Contrary to liberalism, the other dominant theory of international relations, the tenants of realism support the idea that a state’s interests revolve around national security, which is achieved by strengthening a state’s source of power while preferably…

values that continue to be an intrinsic part of my life. I believe my experiences in the military resonates with George Mason 's communal principles for promoting inclusion, equality, and diversity. Facilitated my desire for promoting compassion international relationships. As I continue this journey by expanding my knowledge, I researched degrees and organizations geared towards diplomatic conflict resolution through global governance. I continually find that my concern for humanity, along with…

Various schools of international system theorists like Waltz and Wendt agreed that the international system is anarchic, meaning that there is no dominant authority, all states are considered sovereign and in juridical terms equal and non-existent or weak institutions. Yet, they disagree about what the definition of anarchy is, what constitutes anarchy, what about anarchy causes states to act in certain ways and if anarchy can even be overcome in a meaningful way. On the other hand, Kang and…