POLI 244 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ukrainian Crisis, Realpolitik, Security Dilemma
19 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Explaining International politics (IR): International Phenomenon
(Example: Ukraine Crisis)
Explaining an international phenomenon using theories to
understand state behaviour
-
Explain state behaviour looking at factors on the international
system
Distribution of power and threats on an international
scale
○
Expansion of NATO as a security alliance on the East
presents greater threats to Russia
○
-
Theory: Abstract set of statements that allow us to explain
concrete events
Simplified version of reality which tells us how different
states react to other state's actions
○
Some theories are more complementary with certain
theories than others
○
-
IR paradigm (4 paradigms):
Realism
Dominated since the end of WWI
§
○
Liberalism
○
Constructivism
Rationalist assumptions (sociology allows for the
understanding)
§
○
Critical approaches
Have never made it to the mainstream
§
Makes mainstream assumptions better
§
○
-
Realist World View
Anarchy: the international state of nature (lack of world
government)
Predominant actors: sovereign states
What do states want? Survival, security
○
"the national interest" - raison d'etat
The ultimate factor that drives states to do what
they do
§
○
How do states act? Rationalism (self-interest)
○
What do states do? Maximize their security (power)
Internal strategy: economic development; military
buildup
§
External strategy: alliances; war (very limited
cooperation)
Alliances are useful to pool their resources
together
□
Cannot trust anyone in an anarchic system □
Power depends on how many weapons the
opponent has, not how many you have
□
Alliances only happen depending on
personal interest; if the ally is afraid of being
invaded they will join together with another
state in order to defend themselves, if they
are not worried about their security then
they will not join an alliance
□
§
○
-
Neorealism
Anarchy (constant) makes war possible
-
Power is the measure of a state's survivability
All defenses depend on the amount of power you have
○
Others will not attack you if it is too costly to do so
(military capability tells us how survivable the state is)
○
-
International politics is power politics (Realpolitik) among like
units
-
Anarchy and the security dilemma (power is the only way in
which you can gain security) - arms race!!
Defensive (neo)realism: state maximize security
○
Offensive (neo)realism: states maximize power
Excessive power may be a threat to their security -
force others to react against you
§
○
-
International politics can be explained by one single factor:
polarity (materialism)
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Looks at states
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Tries to understand what Russia did (fear - wanted security)
-
Mearsheimer on the Ukraine crisis
Power = grants a greater level of security in an
international system
Realists tend to focus on international outcome
1815 - multipolar order(s)
1945 - bipolar order
1989 - unipolar order
2010 - ?
Power distribution in the international system (timeline)
Lecture 2 - Realism
Friday, September 8, 2017
2:33 PM
Document Summary
Explaining international politics (ir): international phenomenon (example: ukraine crisis) Explaining an international phenomenon using theories to understand state behaviour. Explain state behaviour looking at factors on the international system. Distribution of power and threats on an international scale. Expansion of nato as a security alliance on the east presents greater threats to russia. Theory: abstract set of statements that allow us to explain concrete events. Simplified version of reality which tells us how different states react to other state"s actions. Some theories are more complementary with certain theories than others. Anarchy: the international state of nature (lack of world government) The ultimate factor that drives states to do what they do. Alliances are useful to pool their resources together. Power depends on how many weapons the opponent has, not how many you have. Power is the measure of a state"s survivability. All defenses depend on the amount of power you have.
