Introduction to International Relations PDF

Chapter 1 Introduction to International Relations Definition Core Principles Actors & Influences State Actors Non-State Actors Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson  Definition of International Relations (IR) ▪ The relationship among the world’s state govern...

Chapter 1 Introduction to International Relations Definition Core Principles Actors & Influences State Actors Non-State Actors Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson  Definition of International Relations (IR) ▪ The relationship among the world’s state governments & the connection of those relationships with other actors such as the United Nations, multinational corporations & individuals Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.  Key Major Problem of International Relations ▪ How can countries serve their collective interests when doing so requires its members to forgo individual interests? ▪ Example: All countries want to stop global warming which can only be done if all countries cooperate together, yet each country wants to burn fossil fuels to keep its economy going ▪ This creates the Collective Goods Problem: the problem of providing something that benefits all members of a group regardless of what each member contributes to it ▪ Collective goods are easier to provide in small groups than in larger one because it is difficult for one person to cheat or be a “free rider’ without punishment Three Solution to the Collective Goods Problem 1.Dominance 2. Reciprocity 3. Identity  Dominance ▪ Establishes a power hierarchy where those at the top controls those below- a bit like a government but without the actual government ▪ Staying at the top does not depend on power alone but depends on ability to form alliances and maintaining the alliances Advantages- Like a government, it forces members to contribute to the common good ▪ It also minimizes open conflict within the group Disadvantages- Low ranking members feel oppressed & become resentful of the top ranked members ▪ Conflict may arise over competition over group power ▪ Although one super power can maintain global stability for a long period, costly wars among great power can affect world peace  Reciprocity ▪ Solves the collective action problem by rewarding behavior that contributes to the group & punishes selfishness in the group ▪ Two ways of Reciprocity; A). “You scratch my back, I scratch yours” and B). “Any eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” Advantage- Easy to understand & can be enforced without any central authority Disadvantage- When countries are always paying back a perceived wrong, it can lead to a cycle of revenge which can lead to conflict among counties  Identity ▪ Does not rely on self-interest but members of an identity community care about the interests of others in that community to the extent of sacrificing individual interests to benefit others ▪ Individuals members will accept solutions to collective goods problems that do not give them the best deals as individuals for the sake of the community ▪ Example: A rich Syrian Doctor in the West may volunteer his services for free to support civilians in his home town ▪ Advantage – Promotes shared sacrifices among communities in times of need ▪ Disadvantages- Extremist groups such as terrorists also rely on shared identities to cause harm  IR as a Field of Study Practical discipline Theoretical debates are fundamental but unresolved. IR is about international politics, but the field is interdisciplinary: it relates to economics, history, sociology, and others. IR as a subfield of political science ▪ - Domestic politics of foreign countries, although overlapping with IR, generally make up the separate field of comparative politics. © 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse  IR as a Field of Study Issue areas: global trade, the environment, etc. Conflict and cooperation mix in relationships among nations. Subfields ▪ - International security studies ▪ - International political economy (IPE) © 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse  Actors & Influences ▪ The Principle Actors in IR are world governments & Scholars study the decisions & actions of those governments in relation to other governments but the most important actors in IR are States ▪ A State is a territorial entity controlled by a government & inhabited by a population & answers to no higher authority ▪ A state exercises sovereignty over its own territory, makes & enforces laws, collects taxes etc ▪ Sovereignty is recognized through diplomatic relations & membership of the UN ▪ A state normally has a capital city which serves as the seat of government & an individual who acts the “head of states” and the authority to govern or lead  State Actors, Continue ▪ The International System- Set of relationships among the world’s states, structured according to certain rules & patterns of interaction ▪ Includes who is considered a member of the system and what rights they have ▪ Includes the responsibilities of members and acceptable behavior among members ▪ States have several differences such as: ▪ Population: Large & Small countries i.e. India & China have over 1 billion people Versus Qatar which has a very small population ▪ Gross Domestic Product- The size of the total annual economic activity i.e. the largest is the U.S:$14 Trillion ▪ Great Powers: Some states have huge military and economic power and are dominant in international affairs ▪ There are other Political Entities that are not formally recognized as States. i.e. Taiwan © 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse  Non-state Actors State actors are strongly influenced by a variety of non- state actors. ▪ - Called transnational actors when they operate across international borders Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) ▪ - Examples: OPEC, WTO, African Union, UN ▪ - Vary in size from a few states to the whole UN membership Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) ▪ - Private organizations; no single pattern ▪ - Examples: Amnesty International, Red Cross © 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse © 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse  Globalization Globalization: Three conceptions of/schools of thought on this process compete. 1. Globalization as the fruition of liberal economic principles/global marketplace 2. Perspective characterized by skepticism: World’s major economies are more integrated today than before WWI. North-South divide increasing with globalization; distinct and rival regional blocs; fragmenting of larger units into smaller ones 3. Globalization more profound than skeptics believe, yet more uncertain than view of supporters of liberal economics. Globalization is changing both international security and IPE, but IPE more quickly and profoundly. © 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse  Global Geography World regions – geographical distinction/divisions of the world Global North-South gap ▪ - Between the relatively rich industrialized countries of the North and the relatively poor countries of the South is the most important geographical element in the global level of analysis. East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea Southeast Asia: Countries from Burma through Indonesia and the Philippines © 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse  Global Geography Russia is considered a European state. The Pacific Rim: East and Southeast Asia, Siberia, and the Pacific coast of North America and Latin America South Asia only sometimes includes parts of Southeast Asia. Narrow definitions of the Middle East exclude both North Africa and Turkey. The Balkans are the states of southeastern Europe, bounded by Slovenia, Romania, and Greece.© 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse  Figure 1.2 © 2012 Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse