Comparative theories II

Question 1

Definition and 4 criteria

Responsibility to Protect

Answer 1

If human rights abuses or crimes against humanity taking place - then it is on the wider global community to intervene to prevent this - if certain criteria were met:
- The military action is solely to protect civilians
- All other diplomatic methods have tried and failed
- UNSC Resolution authorizing the action
- Military action must be proportionate, likely to succeed and must not make the situation worse

Example on pg 33 of booklet

Question 2

Definition, 2 features, 3 examples

Clash of Civilisations general summary and evidence

Answer 2

Global concept in the 21st century would not be political or economic, but be culturally specific conflict between civilisations
- Globalisation has eroded national indentity, religion is only remaining
- Revival of religion in the Islamic world will become a challenge to the Western world as it rejects western values and institutions

EG 9/11, Russian invasion of Ukraine shows tension between orthodox and western civilisation, Global terrorism increased with more Islmaic extremists in Somalia attempting to challenge western values

Question 3

2

Clash of Civilisations weaknesses

Answer 3

Argument that states remain the principle actors as individual states have more impact than civilisations and cultural structures
- Academic Edward Said opposed and said civilisations could not be clearly defined or be expected to react in a predicted way

Question 4

Definition and elaboration and 3 examples

End of History general summary and evidence

Answer 4

Democracy due to the end of the collapse of communists in the Soviet Union, capitalism and free trade were becoming irreverisble and global norms - due on Marx’s gradual socio-economic development
- The collapse of the Soviet Union had won - was the final ideological evolution and universalisation of liberal democracies - final forms of human gov
- No. of states that are liberal democracies have increased from 35 in 1970 to 120 in 2013
- World economy has x4 since 1990s
- Former communist states such as China and Russian have adopted some aspects of capitalism

Question 5

2

End of History weaknesses

Answer 5

• Resurgence of China and Russia as major world powers economically and politically put a questionable validity on demoracy
• Too idealistic - 2014 argument that there is a rise of authoritarian states and political decay on western democraices due to crony capitalism and corruption

Question 6

3 and an example

The Anarchical society general summary and evidence

Answer 6

• The starting point of intergovernmental relations is the existence of states which pose a government and assert sov
• Because the system in anarchic, states are the most authoritative bodies in IR
• Claims that an inter. system is formed when 2 or more states hae suffecient contact between them and have suffecient impact on each other’s decisions to get them to behave as a whole

EG UN and international law act as mechanisms to help maintain order and facilitate coop amongst states

Question 7

The Anarchical society weaknesses

Answer 7

• Anarchichal society may be vulnerable to external threats without a centralised defensive structure
• Coordination challenges large scale coordination across different communities which can be difficult without a centralised power

Question 8

3

How does Iraq War 2003 support the archaic nature of international relations?

Answer 8

• US invaded Iraq citing the need to eliminate weapons of mass destruction and end Saddam Hussein’s regime - no WMD, invasion toppled Saddam, led to years of instability, sectarian violence and extremist groups like ISIS - US troops withdrew in 2011
• No overarching global authority to enforce rules or prevent states pursuing interest through force
• Bypassed UN Security Council approval for invasion - powerful states can act unilaterally

Question 9

2

How does Chinese activity in the South China Sea support the archaic nature of international relations?

Answer 9

• Territorial claims of other nations like Vietnam, the Pillipines and Malaysia - built artificial islands, militarised their features, enforced its presence despite international legal rulings like 2016 Hague Tribunal rejecting China’s expansive slaims under the ‘Nine Dash Line’
• No legal gov to compel China to comply and powerful states act in pursuit of their own strategic interests

Question 10

2

How does Russia annexation of Crimea (2014 and Ukraine 2022) support the archaic nature of international relations?

Answer 10

• Did this following political unrest in Ukraine and outing of pro-Russian pres, violated Ukraine’s sov and international law, widespread condemnation and sanctions from Western countries but no direct military intervention to reverse it - controversial referendm deemed illigetimate by international community
• Russia pursued strategic interests knowing enforcement mechanism wouldn’t pose immediate existential threats

Question 11

2

Westphalian sovereignity realist perspective

Answer 11

• Support the importance of the state in global politics
• See states as dominating international relations and bring superior to other actors

Question 12

3

Westphalian sovereignity liberal perspective

Answer 12

• They argue that the last 100 years and the increase in globalisation has seen the role of states decline
• Believe that other, non state actors, have become as important, and in some cases more important than individual countries
• Growing interconnecedness of the world has caused this to take place

Question 13

Realists - global governance (political and economic)

Answer 13

• Skeptical
• Generally dismissive of institutions, restrict state sov
• Dominated by larger powers so front for interests
• Dismissive of UN, states are never going to work together and if the most powerful countries get a veto, no wonder it doesn’t achieve anything significant