POLI 244 Lecture Notes - Billiard Ball, Liberal Democracy, Proletariat
6 Aug 2012
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Tuesday, july 17, 2012: levels of analysis- domestic. Liberal theory often works at this level, neo-liberalism (institutionalism) is systemic. The billiard balling of states renders those kind of theories less useful because they can"t explain states domestic policy behaviour. Liberal theory is defined not in terms of optimism for liberal politics, but based on the level of analysis it is placed on. This level is differentiated from the systemic level by their configuration of preferences, not capabilities. For realists/systemic level analysts, how capabilities are distributed in the international system is what matters (how power is distributed, polarity, etc. The domestic level argues that what matters is the configuration of preferences or interests. We can"t assume interests or preferences, and we need to understand the sources of the interests and preferences of states. You can"t assume survival is the primary interest, because states may be pursuing other interests more aggressively.
