International Relations: Concept of Power and Security

The Concept of Power in International Relations

• Power refers to a state's ability to influence the behavior of other states.
• Powerful states are more likely to reach their foreign policy goals than less powerful states.

Key Idea: Relative Power Changes Over Time

• No state remains powerful forever.

The Fundamental Challenges of World Politics

• The concept of anarchy: the world lacks a supreme authority or sovereignty.
• States are diverse in terms of people, races, cultures, geographic and resource restrictions, political systems, and economies.
• States are complex, and their behavior depends on many factors.

Theories of International Relations

• Realism: emphasizes conflict and power, and the role of states pursuing their self-interest.
• Liberalism: emphasizes cooperative approaches and the role of non-state actors.
• Constructivism: emphasizes the social construction of reality and the role of identity, culture, norms, and interactions.

Alternative Theories of IR

• Foreign Policy Analysis: emphasizes the individuals and groups who make decisions and the processes they produce.
• Marxism: emphasizes class-based economic interests and the role of wealth and control.
• Feminism: focuses on gender issues and approaches.

Can People (and States) Cooperate?

• The Prisoner's Dilemma: a situation where two individuals or states would be better off cooperating but fail to do so due to conflicting interests.
• The Stag Hunt: a collective action problem where multiple individuals or states fail to cooperate due to conflicting interests.

Solutions to Prisoner's Dilemma

• A powerful state can force cooperation (e.g., a mafia boss).
• Tit-for-tat: a strategy where one party places trust in another and punishes them if they betray that trust.

Solutions to Stag Hunt Problem

• Building trust within a cohesive group.
• Transparency and visibility among individuals or states.

Course Objectives

• Introduction to actors and current issues in world politics.
• Topics include states and non-state actors, international organizations, negotiations, global governance, and more.

Definition of International Relations

• The study of how countries interact and relate to each other.
• The study of how states and non-state actors interact with and relate to each other.

What is a State/Country?

• A self-governing political entity with:
  • Territory with internationally recognized borders.
  • A permanent population.
  • A government.
  • Sovereignty over its people and territory.
  • External recognition from other states.

State Sovereignty

• The right of a state to determine and control what happens within its borders.
• Means no other state has power or control over its territory.
• Means governments are free to do what they want within their own state.