Introduction to International Relations

Introduction to International Relations

• International Relations (IR) pertains to the relationships among the world's governments.
• IR also considers the connections of these relationships with other actors like the United Nations, multinational corporations, and individuals.
• Dealing with governmental and non-governmental institutions, signing agreements with companies, and applying for visas are all examples of international relations.

Key Major Problem of International Relations

• A significant challenge is how countries can prioritize collective interests when doing so requires sacrificing individual interests.

Collective Goods Problem

• The Collective Goods Problem arises when providing something benefits all members of a group, regardless of individual contributions.
• Collective goods are easier to provide in smaller groups due to the ability to monitor and prevent "free riders."

Three Solutions to the Collective Goods Problem

• Dominance: Establishing a power hierarchy where those at the top control those below
• Reciprocity: Rewarding behavior that contributes to the group and punishing selfishness.
• Identity: Members of an identity community care about the interests of others

Dominance

• Establishes a power hierarchy where those at the top control those below
• Staying at the top depends on the ability to form and maintain alliances
• Advantages: Forces members to contribute to the common good and minimizes open conflict
• Disadvantages: Low-ranking members may feel oppressed, and conflict can arise over group power

Reciprocity

• Addresses the collective action problem by rewarding contributions and punishing selfishness.
• Easy to understand and enforce, without needing a central authority.
• Disadvantage: It risks leading to a cycle of revenge and conflict among countries.

Identity

• Doesn't rely on self-interest; identity community members care about others' interests, sacrificing individual interests to benefit others.
• Promotes shared sacrifices in times of need.
• Disadvantage: Shared identities can be exploited by extremist groups like terrorists to cause harm.

IR as a Field of Study

• IR is a practical academic discipline with practical applications.
• Theoretical debates within IR remain fundamental but unresolved.
• IR is interdisciplinary, relating to economics, history, sociology, and other fields.
• IR is a subfield of political science of foreign countries
• Includes global trade and the environment as issue areas.
• Explores the mix of conflict and cooperation in relationships among nations.
• Subfields include international security studies and international political economy (IPE).

Actors & Influences

• The main actors in IR are world governments and scholars.
• A State is a territorial entity controlled by a government and inhabited by a population, answering to no higher authority.
• A state exercises sovereignty over its territory, makes laws, and collects taxes
• These Political Entities are not formally recognized as States such as Taiwan
• Sovereignty is recognized through diplomatic relations and UN membership.
• A state has a capital city that serves as the seat of government.

State Actors

• The International System is the set of relationships among the world's states, structured by rules and patterns of interaction.
• These rules determine membership, responsibilities, and acceptable behavior.
• States differ in population size, with India and China having over 1 billion people compared to Qatar.
• Differ in Gross Domestic Product, with the U.S. having the largest at $14 Trillion.
• Great Powers are states with significant military and economic power, dominant in international affairs.

Non-State Actors

• State actors are strongly influenced by non-state actors like transnational actors, which operate across international borders.
• Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) like OPEC, WTO, African Union, and UN with members are states.
• Vary in size from a few states to the whole UN membership
• Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) members has common interstate that raise money. Ex: Amnesty International, Red Cross

Examples of Actors

• IGOs: United Nations, NATO, Arab League.
• NGOs: Amnesty International, Red Cross.
• Multinational Corporations (MNCs): ExxonMobil, Toyota, Wal-Mart
• Others: Individuals like Bono, Iraqi Kurdistan, al-Qaeda

Globalization

• Globalization as the fruition of liberal economic principles, creating a global marketplace.
• Skepticism suggests that world economies are increasingly divided and rival regional blocs are fragmenting larger units
• Others believe it is more profound than skeptics believe, more uncertain than supporters of liberal economics.
• It changes international security and IPE, with the latter more quickly and profoundly.

Global Geography

• World regions are defined by geographical distinctions/divisions
• The Global North-South gap exists between relatively rich industrialized countries of the North and the relatively poor countries of the South
• East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea
• Southeast Asia: Countries from Burma through Indonesia and the Philippines
• Russia is considered a European state
• The Pacific Rim: East and Southeast Asia, Siberia, and the Pacific coast of North and Latin America
• South Asia: India, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc...
• Balkans: Slovenia, Romania, and Greece.
• Middle East excludes North Africa and Turkey.

Realism

• A theoretical framework in International Relations.
• Based on the principle of dominance.
• International relations can be understood in terms of power.
• The exercise of power by states toward each other is called realpolitik and just power politics.

Assumptions of Realism and Idealism

• Realism assumes human nature is selfish, while idealism is altruistic
• Realism says the most important are States, and Idealism are States and others including individuals
• Realism: Rational pursuit of self-interest and Idealism: Psychological motives of decision makers
• Realism: Anarchy full of political chaos Idealism Community

Power

• The ability to affect outcomes and achieve desired objectives.
• Difficult to define and measure.

Defining Power

• Often defined as “the ability to get another actor to do what it otherwise would not have done."
• A state's power depends on its ability or potential to influence others.
• State power is a mix of natural resources, industrial capacity, moral legitimacy, military preparedness, and popular support.
• Capabilities can be based on material elements such as economic development, population size, armed forces, territory, and natural resources.
• GDP is a indicator of a state's material power
• Capabilities can also be thought of in nonmaterial terms, such as soft power through ideas, national will, and diplomatic skill.

Elements of Power

• Long-term elements of power: Total GDP, population, territory, geography, and natural resources
• Less tangible long-term elements: political culture, patriotism, education, and technological strength.
• Credibility of its commitments
• Ability of one state's culture and values to change way of thinking of other states

Anarchy and Sovereignty

• Realists believe there's a difference between domestic and international systems.
• The international system is characterized by anarchy, states are sovereign actors.
• Respect for the territorial integrity of all states within recognized borders is an important principle.
• Impact of information revolution and globalization also presents challenges.
• Diplomatic norms govern interactions (e.g., embassies, spying).

Security Dilemma

• Anarchy leads to uncertainty about other states' intentions.
• Can produce security dilemma between states
• Actions taken to ensure security can threaten the security of one or more other actors.
• Can cause arms races and conflict spirals.

Balance of Power

• Refers to using power to balance another state or group of states.
• Can refer to power capabilities between states or to alliances.
• Can refer to the process by which counterbalancing coalitions repeatedly form.

Theory of Balance

• Counterbalancing occurs regularly and maintains stability.
• Stability does not necessarily imply peace but, rather, the maintenance of the international system.
• Alliance building is a key form of balancing.
• States sometimes bandwagon (align with a threat) instead of balance.

Great Powers and Middle Powers

• Great power: A state that can only be defeated militarily by another great power.
• Defined as states that can be defeated militarily only by another great power
• Shares a global outlook on national interests.
• Ex: U.S., China, Russia, Japan, Germany, France, and Britain.
• The U.S. is the most powerful state among them and the world's only superpower.
• China challenging the U.S given the world's largest population, rapid economic growth, and a credible nuclear arsenal.

Middle Powers

• Exist as Midsized countries such as Canada, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine, South Korea, and Australia, or larger or influential countries

Power Distribution

• Polarity: The number of independent power centers in the system.
• Multipolar system: Has five or six centers which are not grouped into alliances like late-19th century Europe
• Tripolar: China, the U.S., and U.S.S.R. in the 1970s
• Bipolar system: Has two centers of power for most of Cold War (U.S. and U.S.S.R).
• Unipolar: Has a single center of power (hegemony) of U.S. in 1990s.

Power Transition Theory

• Largest wars result from challenges to the top status.
• Rising power surpasses or threatens to surpass the most powerful state
• Challengers may try to change the rules.
• If a challenger does not start a war, the top power may launch a "preventive” war.

Hegemony

• Hegemony is one state's holding a preponderance of power in the international system
• This allows to single-handedly dominate arrangements by which international political and economic relations are conducted.
• Holds that hegemony provides order similar to a central government, reducing anarchy, deterring aggression, promoting trade, and providing a hard currency.
• U.S. hegemony: A complex phenomenon with Isolationist tendencies at home, resentment abroad

Alliances

• An alliance is a coalition of states that coordinate their actions to accomplish some end.
• Most are formalized in written treaties.
• Deal with a common threat and related issues of international security
• Endure across a range of issues and a period of time

Purposes of Alliances

• Augmenting members' power By pooling capabilities and two or more states can exert Greater leverage
• For smaller states, alliances can be their most important Power.
• Alliance that has a Burden sharing and where alliances are Most form in response to a perceived threat.
• The Alliance cohesion has to be high when national interests converge.