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International Relations
Outline-Liberal and Social Theories
1. A trend toward conflicts of smaller scale is developing in the
world today
a. Number of casualties of conflicts is decreasing
b. The most serious conflicts in todays world are mainly
skirmishes
c. States are using various ways to deter or resolve
conflicts
i. Power sharing
ii. Peacekeeping
iii. Cease-fire
2. Liberalism
a. Reciprocity and identity as fundamental solutions to
collective goods problem
b. The international system is slowly evolving and
becoming more and more peaceful, due to international
institutions, cooperation and changes in norms and
public opinion
c. Actors in the international system are willing to sacrifice
short-term individual interests to pursue long-term goals
of the community as a whole, and in turn, their own
well-being
3. Kants answers to the question of peace and cooperation
a. States have the ability to establish international
organizations/institutions to facilitate cooperation
b. Based on identity principle, republics with a legislature
are less likely to end up in war with one another than
autocratic states
c. Trade increases interdependence among states, making
them more sensitive and vulnerable (relying on one
another but have an alternative supplier, few or no
alternative suppliers, respectively)
i. Realists argue that trade/reliance among states
creates more tension,
ii. And it is risky to rely on another state for militarily
important materials
4. Liberal theories
a. Liberal institutionalism
i. Solution to the collective goods problem through
establishment of mutually advantageous rules,
with international institutions to enforce them
ii. Reciprocity:
1) International institutions operate by
contributions, concession and consensus
from/among member states

2) Gradual improvement of relations through


arms control and peacekeeping
3) IPE: restrict on trade in retaliation for unjust,
unacceptable actions makes such actions
less likely (WTO)
4) Conflicting interests: expressing willingness
to cooperate and promising to reciprocate
practices the other takes are incentives for
others to cooperate
iii. Neoliberalism: connects more with principles of
realism
1) States are rational and they pursue their
self-interests
2) Cooperation is a more rational option for
states than war; it aligns more with a states
self-interest
3) States learn to use institutions to pursue
mutual goals and reduce the possibility of
free-rider issues because it is in their
interest
4) Reciprocity helps achieve collective security,
(4-a-ii-3)
5) And cooperation even with conflicting
interests (4-1-ii-4)
6) States rely on norms, rules, habits and
institutions to prevent themselves from
making decisions subversive to their longterm interests
b. Democratic peace
i. Checks and balances in the government of a state
deter the state from declaring war
ii. Democracies almost never fought against each
other
1) They tend to be capitalists, which are likely
to be intensely interdependent on one
another, making a war costly
2) Citizens in a democratic states are not likely
to see citizens in another democratic state
as enemies
iii. Supporting liberals claim that the an important
explanation rests in the domestic level
iv. Because of the increasing trend in democratization
of world governments, an international community
based on a more peaceful relation may emerge,
though transition to democracies may make the
state more prone to war
v. Public opinion may deter a democratic states
cooperation with others
5. International Regimes

a. A set of norms, rules and procedures with which actors


would act in accordance in a certain issues area
b. Helps solve collective goods problem by increasing
transparency
c. Helps states overcome collective good dilemmas and
provides possibly more favorable alternative options
(different cost-benefit ratios)
d. Does not constrain states; instead, helps them achieve
interests
e. Combines concepts of realism and liberalism
i. Realism: justify the existing power relations by
serving as a connection between status of actors
and outcomes of practices
f. Most effective in hegemony state of international
system; hegemon may be crucial to the creation of a
regime
g. Institutionalized regime is more powerful and more likely
to survive, though bureaucracies in these institutions
might promote policies not intended by the creatorstates
6. Collective security
a. Formation of alliance to maintain peace by preventing
any actors from taking aggressive actions
b. Past treaties have not been successful, thus Kant
proposed a federation of states that can unite and
punish any state for aggression
c. Requisites
i. All members must maintain commitment to the
alliance; they must not free-ride
ii. Definition of (constitution of) aggression must be
agreed upon
d. The concept has broadened: it is now the duty of the
international community to intervene in the territory of a
failed state to restore laws and order
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