Week 3 Flashcards
(21 cards)
What are the levels of analysis:
- Systemic level - The level of the system; the international system
- Domestic level - The level of the state
- Individual level - The individual level
What is the main tenet of realism?
War is a recurrent and inevitable fact of international society.
Main elements of realism and explain (3 S’s)?
- Statism
The state is the central actor in international relations. - Survival
The primary goal of every state is to survive. - Self-help
In a condition of anarchy without global governance, states must rely on themselves for protection and interests.
Additional elements of realism (4)?
- International System is in anarchy
- Power is defining feature of the international environment
- States are unitary actors (single, unified decision-making entity)
- States are rational actors
Explain the ‘realist family’?
Classical realism – structural realism, including (1) Waltz, (2) Defensive realism, (3) Offensive realism.
Classical realists (4):
(1) Thucydides
“The strong do what they want, the weak do what they must”. Power politics as a law of human nature.
(2) Machiavelli
Idea of dual morality. Outlined how a leader should reign. Morality and ethics are harmful to the survival of the state. Power and security are more important than morality; rulers must be pragmatic to preserve the state.
(3) Thomas Hobbes
Individuals give up some of their freedoms to a sovereign authority in exchange for security and order.
(4) Hans Morgenthau
Author of Politics of Nations.
Believed that it was from the nature of man that the essential features of international politics such as competition, fear and war could be explained. Simply, acknowledge and admit this fact and try to devise policies to counter it.
Elements of structural Realism?
- See power struggle due to the structure of the international system (not from human nature - classical realism)
- Structure of the international system = anarchic.
- Power = relative.
Structural realism family (3 subgroups)
(1) Waltz
(2) Offensive realism (Mearsheimer) – power maximisation and power hegemony.
(3) Defensive realism - Under specific conditions cooperation better creates security
Elements of Waltz (structural realism):
- International structure means state survival = priority.
- Power imbalances lead to insecurity—so states act to restore balance.
- However, bandwagoning: a weaker state aligns with a stronger power rather than balancing against it, accepting/supporting the dominance of a stronger power.
Waltz Structural realism – 2 types of balancing?
2 types of balancing – internal and external.
1. Internal balancing = military capita etc.
2. External balancing = alliances etc.
Elements of Offensive Realism (Mearsheimer):
- Power = security.
- States inherently aim to maximise power (power maximisation).
- Ultimate goal is hegemony.
Mearsheimer criticism of waltz (3):
Issue with balancing.
- States often ‘buck-pass’ responsibility of confronting major powers.
- Leads to delays.
Elements of Defensive Realism:
- Power for survival
States seek enough power to ensure their survival—but not more than necessary. - Power maximisation = risky
Unlike offensive realism, it views aggressive expansion as risky and often counterproductive. - Power maximisation causes security dilemmas.
- Preservation of the status quo
The rationality of states means a preference for preserving the status quo unless their survival is directly threatened.
Explain security dilemmas:
Where one state’s efforts to increase its own security makes other states feel less secure, leading them to arm themselves — even if the first state had no aggressive intent
Perception and misperception:
Perception and Misperception are crucial: states’ inability to perceive one another accurately, and/or state leaders’ inability to mobilize state power and public support, can result in suboptimal foreign policy.
Elements of neo-classical realism:
- In response to structural realism - states are not like units. Type of state plays a role in power dynamics and foreign policy.
Neo-classical Realism – 3 classifications of states:
- Status quo states (status quo)
Satisfied with the current international system and want to preserve it. - Revisionist states (to revise)
Dissatisfied with parts of the current order and seek to change it to better reflect their interests - Revolutionary states (to revolt)
Radically revisionist states that want to overthrow or fundamentally reshape the international order, often based on ideology.
Elements of Motivational Realism:
- Structure influences the ability of states to expand NOT their desire to do so
- The desire is individual to the state - beliefs, ideology, history, or public opinion
Different International Systems (4):
- Multipolar - power is distributed among three or more major states.
- Bipolar - two major powers dominate global politics.
- Unipolar - one state holds overwhelming global power.
- Hegemony - a situation where one state is so powerful that it can shape the rules and norms of the international system.
What are three key problems for realism?
- Peaceful end to the Cold War
o Major shifts in international order (like the collapse of the Soviet Union) happen primarily through war, coercion, or material power change.
o In a bipolar system: Conflict is inevitable because states seek to maximize their security and power. - Increased interdependence and international cooperation
o Realism assumes that states are self-interested, competitive, and focus on relative gains
o Also assumes anarchy makes deep cooperation unlikely - Rise in power and influence of non-state actors
o Realism treats states as the only major actors in international relations
How does realism explain the era of cooperation/peace?
- Law of international politics remain true across time and space; conditions may change but world continues to operate according to the logic of realism.
