Politics and International Relations

Unit: The foundations of

International Relations
analysis

Week 2
 Learning outcomes

• Identify the different types of actors in the

international system and classify them
according to their characteristics, potential and
behavior.
• Understand and explain the main political,
economic and cultural ideas and trends that
shape the international stage today.
• Follow current international events on a regular
basis using trusted, critical sources.
Unit 2: The foundations of International Relations analysis

- Cooperation or conflict?
- Three main traditions: realism, liberalism,
constructivism
- The balance of power
- Sources of power: hard power, soft power, smart
power,
- What is foreign policy?
- Isolationalism vs engagement
- Diplomacy
 Sovereignty
• What is sovereignty?
The right and power of a state over itself, without
interference from outside sources. This principle is
enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

Political scientists have traced the concept to the

Peace of Westphalia (1648), which ended the Thirty
Years' War. The resulting treaty is considered to signal
the beginning of the modern international system.
• Why?
After the war of religion that devastated Germany
between Protestants and Catholics, since there was
no clear winner, it was decided that states would
refrain from intervening in each other’s religious
practices.

This led the foundation for the development of the

principle of non-intervention.
If states can’t intervene in others’ affairs, how
do they interact with and influence one
another?
 Realism
Emphasizes the enduring conflict between states. Realism
depicts international affairs as a struggle for power among self-
interested states and is pessimistic about the prospects for
eliminating conflict and war.

1) Classical realism
Hans Morgenthau. Believes that states have an innate desire to
dominate others, which leads them to fight wars.

2) Neorealist (structural) theory

Waltz. The international system is ruled by anarchy because there
is no central authority to protect states from one another.
3) Offense-defense theory
Robert Jervis. States seek to survive and look to
do so by forming balancing alliances. So when
defense is easier than offense, security is more
plentiful and cooperation can blossom.
 How does structural realism analyze states’
behavior?
• Levels of analysis
- Man
Is man good or bad? The same nature has to
explain a wide range of behaviors.
- State
‘Good’ (liberal) states vs ‘bad’ states
- The international system
Anarchy  there is nothing to prevent one state
from attacking another
• Since there is no supranational source of authority or
coercion, the international system is ruled by anarchy.
This leads to a constant balancing of power between
states.

• This leads to polarity → the world can be unipolar,

bipolar or multipolar depending on how many
hegemonic powers exist in the international system.
 The balance of power

A balance of power system is one in which the

power held and exercised by states within the
system is checked and balanced by the power of
others.

This balance depends on the number of

hegemons that exist at the time.
 What world are we in right now?
• Up until recently, most scholars argued that we
are in a unipolar system, where the United
States is the only hegemonic power in the
international system. This has been the case
ever since the end of the Cold War.
• During the Cold War we were in a bipolar
system: the United States and the Soviet Union
were constantly balancing each other in their
search for power and hegemony.
 Liberalism
Liberalism identifies several ways to mitigate these
conflictive tendencies. Moves away from power politics:

1) Economic integration and interdependence

discourages states from using force against each other
because warfare can threaten each side’s prosperity.

2) Democratic states are more peaceful than

authoritarian states, thus the spread of democracy is the
key to world peace. Democratic peace theory
• 3) International institutions such as the IMF
and the UN can help overcome selfish state
behavior by encouraging states to forgo
immediate gains for the greater benefits of
enduring cooperation
 Constructivism
• Emphasizes the importance of ideas (not so
much material aspects) which are shaped by
specific historical processes.
- The central issue is how different states
conceive their identities and interests.
- Prevailing norms, values, types of
communication matter.
• For example: it matters
to the survival of the
European Union if its
members see
themselves primarily as
european or if they
place more importance
on their national
identities.
 Sources of power
• Hard power
- Military force (military
size, quantity and type
of weapons).
- Economic power.

Used as a means of
coercion.
• Soft power
- A concept first put forward by Joseph Nye.

- Three sources: cultural, ideological, and institutional.

Unlike hard power, it is used as a way of persuasion,

not coercion
• Smart power
- The ability to combine hard and soft
power resources into effective strategies.
- For example: terrorism cannot be effectively
fought just with hard power or soft power.
 What is foreign policy?

• Defines a state’s approach to other states

• It includes:
- Diplomacy
- Military and security policy
- Economic policy
- Social policies (e.g.: environmental policy,
human rights policies)
• Shaped by specific goals and objectives
 Diplomacy
• Best understood as all that a country does to
advance its interests around the world.
• The intent to affect the behavior of other
actors.
• Tools:
- Negotiation
- Sanctions
- Bargaining