IR CH2 Realist Theories PDF

IR 🤝🌐 CH2 (Realist Theories📖) 1 Theory📖 Statements or facts that support by evidence Theories in the international relations? 1. Realist Theories 2. Liberal and Social Theories 2 Realist Theories 📖 (most important and dominance theory in IR) Based on the princi...

IR 🤝🌐 CH2 (Realist Theories📖) 1 Theory📖 Statements or facts that support by evidence Theories in the international relations? 1. Realist Theories 2. Liberal and Social Theories 2 Realist Theories 📖 (most important and dominance theory in IR) Based on the principle of dominance - IR best understood in terms of power - The exercise of power by states toward each other is sometimes called realpolitik or power politics 3 Realism & Idealism The reality is realism but idealism is the perfection that we look for 4 Power$ It is notoriously difficult to define and measure. Defining Power the ability to get another actor to do what it would not otherwise have done or to affect others more than others affect you State power - depends on its capabilities which is the ability or potential to influence others. - is a mix of many factors § Natural resources, industrial capacity, moral legitimacy, military preparedness, and popular support of gov State Capabilities material elements - Economic development, populations size, armed forces, territory, natural resources, other tangible capabilities state’s material power may be its (GDP) - Combines overall size, technological level, and wealth nonmaterial terms - The power of ideas (soft power), National will, diplomatic skill, popular support for government (legitimacy) 5 Elements of Power Long-term elements of power - Total GDP, population, territory, geography, and natural resources - Less tangible long-term elements of power § political culture, patriotism, education of the population, and strength of the scientific and technological base - Credibility of its commitments § (reputation for keeping word) Ability of one state’s culture and values to consistently shape the thinking of other states Maha Ali Aldhaheri 201600494 1 IR 🤝🌐 CH2 (Realist Theories📖) - (power of ideas) 6 Anarchy and Sovereignty Realists believe that there is a difference between domestic and international systems. - Within states, both democratic and autocratic governments enforce rules on societies and have a monopoly on the use of force - Internationally, there is no central government that has similar abilities The international system is characterized by anarchy Despite anarchy, the international system is far from chaotic. - International organizations and agreements do exist - The great majority of state interactions closely adhere to norms of behavior. Still, the absence of a “world police force” to punish states if they break an agreement makes enforcement of international agreements difficult. - North Korea and its nuclear facilities Respect for the territorial integrity of all states, within recognized borders, is an important principle of IR most states have a harder time warding off interference in their affairs. - Human rights abuses - Election monitoring Impact of information revolution and globalization is challenging the existing territorial system/information economies Diplomatic norms govern the manner in which states interact with one another (e.g., embassies, spying) 7 The Security Dilemma Anarchy produces uncertainty about other states and their intentions This can produce a security dilemma between states - Arms races, conflict spirals - Negative consequence of anarchy in the international system 8 Balance of Power⚖ Refers to the general concept of one or more states’ power being used to balance that of another state or group of states Theory of balance of power - Counterbalancing occurs regularly and maintains stability of the international system Alliance building is a key form of balancing - Quicker, cheaper, and more effective than building one’s own capabilities States sometimes bandwagon instead of balance - EX: West Europe and Japan side with the U.S. post-WWII 9 Great Powers - states that can be defeated militarily only by another great power - Great powers also tend to share a global outlook based on national interests far from their home territories Great Powers characteristic - strongest military forces - strongest economies § Today: U.S., China, Russia, Japan, Germany, France, and Britain Maha Ali Aldhaheri 201600494 2 IR 🤝🌐 CH2 (Realist Theories📖) § U.S. is the most powerful state among this group and may be considered the world’s only superpower. § China is challenging the U.S. however; it has the world’s largest population, rapid economic growth, and a large military, with a credible nuclear arsenal. 10 Middle Powers May have aspirations for regional dominance - tend to have a region interest 11 Power Distribution Polarity > number of independent power centers in the system - Multipolar system: Has 5 or 6 centers of power, which are not grouped into alliances o (late-19th >century Europe) - Tripolar system: Has 3 centers of power o (1970s >China, the U.S., and U.S.S.R) - Bipolar system: Has 2 centers of power o (U.S. and U.S.S.R. for most of Cold War) - Unipolar system: Has a 1 center of power around which all others revolve (hegemony) o (1990s >U.S.) 12 Power Transition Theory - Holds that the largest wars result from challenges to the top position in the status hierarchy, when a rising power is surpassing or threatening to surpass the most powerful state - Challengers that feel locked out by the old rules may try to change them - If a challenger does not start a war to displace the top power, the latter may provoke a “preventive” war to stop the rise of the challenger before it becomes too great a threat 13 Hegemony Hegemony is one state’s holding a preponderance of power in the international system This allows it to single-handedly dominate the rules and arrangements by which international political and economic relations are conducted Hegemonic stability theory - Holds that hegemony provides some order similar to a central government in the international system: reducing anarchy, deterring aggression, promoting free trade, and providing a hard currency that can be used as a world standard U.S. hegemony: A complex phenomenon - Isolationist tendencies at home, resentment abroad 14 Alliances🛡🤝 An alliance is a coalition of states that coordinate their actions to accomplish some end - Most are formalized in written treaties - Concern a common threat and related issues of international security - Endure across a range of issues and a period of time 15 Purposes of Alliances🤗 Augmenting their members’ power - By pooling capabilities, two or more states can exert greater leverage in their bargaining with other states Maha Ali Aldhaheri 201600494 3 IR 🤝🌐 CH2 (Realist Theories📖) - For smaller states, alliances can be their most important power element - Most form in response to a perceived threat Burden sharing between alliance members Alliance cohesion - The ease with which the members hold together an alliance. Tends to be high when national interests converge and when cooperation within the alliance becomes institutionalized and habitual 16 Strategy and Statecraft Statecraft: The art of managing state affairs and effectively maneuvering in a world of power politics among sovereign states Strategy: What kinds of capabilities to develop, given limited resources, in order to maximize international influence? - Example: China’s diplomatic and military strategy of preventing Taiwanese independence 17 strategies available to states. Deterrence - Uses a threat to punish another actor if it takes a certain negative action Compellence$ - Refers to the use of force to make another actor take some action (rather than refrain from taking an action) Escalation and arms races🔫💣🧨 - A reciprocal process in which two (or more) states build up military capabilities/power in response to each other - Ex India & Pakistan Maha Ali Aldhaheri 201600494 4