Soraya Ghebleh - Selected Theories in International Relations

Selected Theories in International RelationsSoraya Ghebleh

Liberalism Neoliberalism Functionalism Regime Theory Collective or Public Goods Theory

Liberalism - Overview Human nature is essentially good and people can always

improve the moral and material conditions of their existence

States are made of people who are rational and law abiding, who can therefore improve society and live in a just environment where states can interact peacefully

Major contributors to Enlightenment and Liberal thinking include: Hugo Grotius, Immanuel Kant, Woodrow Wilson

Liberalism promotes democracy, free trade and with “economic liberalism” promoted by Adam Smith and Jeremy Bentham, states will grow interdependent and begin to rely on each other and interact with each other, and will be less likely to fight war because of the economic costs

Liberalism - Overview Liberals believe cooperation will grow because

of “constant interactions” between individuals and states composed of these individuals

Mutual interests between states will increase with greater interdependence, knowledge, communication, and spread of values

Liberals support international organizations and international law (instrumental in maintaining international order)

Liberalism: Neoliberalism Post WW II – Realism dominated international relations ->

Neoliberalism developed in the 1970s as an offshoot of liberalism

Willingness of states to cooperate and work together with the assistance of international institutions

Cooperation is in individual state’s self-interest States that have “continuous interactions” with each other

provide “motivation for international institutions that provide framework for interaction, monitoring behavior, and facilitating transparency,” which will eventually be beneficial and efficient for all states

Neoliberals are more willing to address realist topics such as power

Recognition that not all efforts will necessarily yield good results and not all cooperation’s will end in success

Liberalism: Functionalism Governance arrangements arise out of functional needs of people

and states International economics and social cooperation are prerequisites

for political cooperation and eliminating war Bring countries “actively together” not “peacefully apart” By addressing international problems that affect all countries it

will bring countries towards cooperation Economic integration will render war less likely IGOs could be classified as “functional” -> many are specific, with

links to economic issues, have limited membership often restricted by region, and as they grow in functions and specificity

Criticisms: Does not address causes of war outside of economic deprivation, illiteracy, hunger, disease, and there is an assumption that political and nonpolitical issues can be easily separated

Liberalism: Regime Theory Emerged from international law Consists of informal norms and rules of behavior –

“regimes” Shaped by liberalism and realism Shows how states create frameworks to coordinate

actions with those of other states Regimes allow scholars to look at informal patterns

that enhance international cooperation Study of international regimes is ambiguous but

helps link institutions and governance by making clear that governance and order involve more than just organizational structures

Liberalism: Collective or Public Goods Theory

“Tragedy of the Commons” When individuals (states) utilize common resources for their own

gain with no regard to the collective group, collectivity suffers and eventually everyone suffers if there is no regulation

Collective goods are available to everyone regardless of contribution

Use of these goods = Activities and choices that are interdependent, decision by one state affects decisions and choices by other states and may have negative consequences

Smaller groups that share collective goods are more likely to utilize resources more responsibly and efficiently than a larger group because there is less room for exploitation and more monitoring and discussion and violations are noticed more easily

Liberalism: Collective or Public Goods Theory Creation of international organizations to monitor

these goods but these organizations need effective policing power that will be respected by all nations otherwise it will not work

Creation of system of rewards and punishments, ex: offering incentives to states from refraining of using goods or limiting use and taxing those who violate

Sees international organizations as crucial in facilitating cooperation and managing public goods

Realism Neorealism Strategic/Rational Choice Theory Hegemonic Stability Theory

Realism - Overview Individuals are power seeking and act in a rational way

to protect their own interests States are primary actors and act only to promote their

own national interests to maximize power and security Absence of authoritative hierarchy in international

affairs Few rules or norms that restrain states Morgenthau: father of modern realism Believes international law and government are weak

and ineffective International organizations are tools of states and are

only as strong as states allow them to be

Realism - Overview No independent effect on state behavior and

will not change the system Does not acknowledge the importance or the

strength of non-state actors (NGOs, MNCs) and does not accept the idea of IGOs as independent actors in the global arena

Does not claim that cooperation is impossible but believes that states don’t have an incentive to cooperate or enter international arrangements

Realism: Neorealism Difference between traditional realists and

neo-realists = emphasis was placed on the structure of international system for explaining world politics

Structure determined by ordering principle and distribution of capabilities among states

Most important thing in global interaction is states capabilities, material possessions, state identities and interests

Neorealist: Kenneth Waltz

Realism: Neorealism Actors with common interests try to maximize absolute

gains Relative gains are more important in security than

economic gains Power distribution shapes state behavior and provides

order in international power, order is a product of system structure not interactions and international institutions

Many recognize emergence and amount of international institutions but believe that they are not that important in international affairs

Belief that institutions are another area for power projection between states to take place

Realism: Strategic/Rational Choice Theory Preferences are deduced from objective and material

conditions of the state Markets are the most efficient mechanism of human

behavior Microeconomics are the basis for much of rational

choice arguments State actions are based on rational calculations about

subjective expected utility Belief in international institutions as existing to

promote self-interest of state actors by reducing uncertainty of interactions and providing stability

Institutions are responses to problems international actors face

Realism: Hegemonic Stability Theory Realist traditions, draws from neoliberalism, regime

theory, and public goods theories Open world economy created and maintained through

power and leadership of a hegemonic state Hegemony needs liberal international economy, liberal

commitment to market economy, tends to push political and economic restrictions on less powerful countries

Open market economy = common good that can ONLY be sustained with actions of a dominant economy

Predominant state exercises leadership not just economically but politically as well

Constructivism Behavior of individuals and states is shaped

by shared beliefs, socially constructed rules, and cultural practices

Humans are capable of changing the world by changing ideas

Interests of actors are “socially constructed” Wendt – argues that political structure shows

little about state behavior Ability to cooperate depends on whether state

identities generate interests shared with other states

Constructivism Institutions are important Sovereignty is changing and is influenced by both state

and nonstate actors Constructivists look at the social content of international

organizations, norms that govern behavior and shape interests, and decipher how these interests influence actors

Believe that international organizations can serve as agents of social construction

IGOs have the potential to be major actors with independent effects on international relations

Transnational networks of experts can shape understanding of more and more collective issues

Critical Theories Marxist and Neo-Marxist Theory Dependency Theory World-Systems Theory

Critical Theories - Overview Group of overarching theories of

international relations that challenge conventional wisdom and provide alternative frameworks for understanding the world

Critical Theories: Marxist and Neo-Marxist Theory Grounded in history, economic forces explaining

political and social phenomena, production process, capitalism, and importance of social or economic classes to define individual actors

Clash of capitalist class vs. workers (bourgeoisie and proletariat)

A new world order would develop and emerge from this class struggle

Hierarchal Structure – by-product of spread of global capitalism and countries have expanded economically and others developing countries have been constrained and become dependent on actions of developed

Critical Theories: Marxist and Neo-Marxist Theory Techniques of domination and suppression arise

from uneven economic development inherent in capitalist system

Neo-Marxism – Global overnance is predictable response to the logic of industrial capitalism

International law and organizations are products and serve the interests of the capitalist class

Normative in their orientation – capitalism is bad and its structure and mode of production is exploitative with clear positions on how to ameliorate inequalities

Critical Theories: Dependency Theory Basic terms of trade were unequal between

the developing and developed world Believes that IGOs, especially banks and

MNCs, are established to maintain dependency relationships and promote exploiter-exploited relationships

Argue that development cannot take place without changes in international economic relations to redress inequalities of power and wealth

Critical Theories: World-Systems Theory Wallerstein defined three classes of states (Core,

Periphery, and Semi-periphery) Core = Most advanced, agricultural sector able to

provide sustenance for industrial workers Periphery = Cheap, unskilled labor and raw material

extraction, prevented from developing by developed core

Semi-periphery = NICs, cheap skilled and semiskilled labor to global economy (existence of a middle area that indicates change is posible)

Shares Marxist ideas that IGOs exist to support and maintain capitalism and are there only for the benefit of core states