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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