International Relations: Actors and History

• International Relations (IR) involves the relationships between different actors globally, their characteristics, and the resulting consequences.
• International politics is characterized by conflict, cooperation, power dynamics, and purpose.

State Actors

• States are territorial entities controlled by a government, inhabited by a population, and exercising sovereignty over their territory.
• Nations are groups sharing a sense of national identity through language, culture, and history.
• Nation-states consist of one predominant nation.
• Sub-state actors are groups within states influencing foreign policy.
• Transnational actors operate below the state level and across borders, like international terrorist networks.
• International governmental organizations (IGOs) include entities like NATO.

Brief History of the International System

• Ancient IR was localized due to limitations in technology and communication.
• Empires emerged with the ability to manage and control large territories.
• Greek city-states represent early examples of IR.
• The Peloponnesian War demonstrates how war and peace depend on the distribution of power.
• Feudalism is a political, economic, and social system where land is the primary source of power.
• The Westphalian system establishes that each state has exclusive sovereignty over its territory, preventing external interference.
• The Peace of Westphalia, a treaty ending the Thirty Years' War, codified the concept of sovereignty.
• States possess complete political authority over their territories.
• Napoleon's conquests spread across Europe during the French Revolution.
• Levee en masse is a policy requiring all able-bodied men to join the military during times of war.
• The Congress of Vienna marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and led to the Concert of Europe, establishing relative peace until 1914.
• The 19th century saw a rise in nationalism, characterized by identification with and support for one's own nation.
• Imperialism is one nation controlling another.

Realism

• Realism includes:
  • Explanatory theories, addressing how the world works
  • Normative theories, addressing how the world should work
• Explanatory theories serve to explain, predict, and prescribe.
• Normative theories pursue moral and ethical goals.
• Theories make assumptions, while hypotheses are implications drawn from those theories.
• Dependent variables are what we aim to explain, influenced by independent variables.
• Idealism focuses on forming or pursuing ideals.
• Realism is an old theory in IR with 4 assumptions:
  • The international system is anarchic, lacking overarching political authority.
  • States are the primary actors.
  • States are unitary actors, prioritizing national interests and well-being.
  • States are rational actors, making cost/benefit calculations.

Realist Propositions

• States seek to maximize power to ensure security and survival, driving all state actions.
• The distribution of power in the international system shapes state behavior.
• In the absence of overarching authority, states rely on self-help to maximize security.
• States relying on self-help leads to competition.
• States balance against powerful states through alliances and military buildup to ensure survival.
• Realism suggests that anarchy hinders cooperation, which should be short-term.
• Relative gains are concerning because they can lead to other states becoming more powerful.
• A variant of realism focuses on the balance of power, where states seek to dominate, prompting other major powers to balance against that threat.
• Power transition theory indicates that a rising state may challenge the hegemon, potentially leading the hegemon to initiate preventative war.

Liberalism

• Liberalism maximizes wealth.
• Power politics is not the only possible outcome as it questions security/warfare principles of realism.
• It promotes mutual benefits and international cooperation.
• International organizations and non-governmental actors shape state preferences and policy.
• Liberal institutionalism suggests that international cooperation between states is feasible and sustainable, reducing conflict and competition.

Complex Interdependence Theory

• Complex interdependence theory describes the interconnectedness and dependence of countries and non-state actors.
  • Multiple channels connect states and societies.
  • Multiple issues motivate actors.
  • Military force is not as effective as it once was.
• Defection/cheating involves a state or individual abandoning an agreement, alliance, or cooperative arrangement.
• Cooperation is more likely when cheating can be detected before it poses a security threat.
• Reciprocity involves tit-for-tat strategies.
• Institutions, treaties, laws, and organizations can help manage anarchy.

Theories - Main Focus and Key Assumptions

• Realism: power and security; states seek power in an anarchic world
• Liberalism: cooperation and institutions; states can work together for mutual benefit.
• Economic Structuralism: economic inequality and exploitation; the world system is shaped by capitalism and class struggle.
• Constructivism: ideas, norms, and Identities; international relations are shaped by social and historical contexts

Explore international relations, state and non-state actors, and historical evolution. Understand state attributes, the rise of nations, and transnational entities. Learn about International politics, conflict, cooperation, and power dynamics.